30 Minute Cinnamon Sugar Knots taste like homemade cinnamon rolls, but they’re made from scratch in just half an hour! Delicious breakfast or dessert recipe.
One of my favorite things to do is to bake fresh bread. And when that fresh bread is covered in a buttery cinnamon-sugar mixture, it’s that much better!
These 30 Minute Cinnamon Sugar Knots can be made from scratch in just half an hour, so they’re perfect for times when you want want a fresh cinnamon roll or cinnamon twist but don’t want to spend hours making them.
I thought for a long time about making a sweet version of my 30 Minute Garlic Knots, and once I did, these guys quickly became one of my family’s favorite recipes.
Since these cinnamon sugar knots are so easy to make, they are an easy weekend or holiday breakfast, after-school treat, or dessert!
What are cinnamon sugar knots?
Cinnamon sugar knots are bread knots that have been dipped in butter and then coated with a mixture of cinnamon sugar. They’re the sweet take on garlic knots.
How to make cinnamon sugar knots
Step 1: Begin by heating the butter in a small saucepan.
Step 2: Once the butter is mostly melted, stir in the milk, and warm to about 100F.
Step 3: Add the yeast and honey to a large mixing bowl.
Step 4: When the milk is at temperature, stir into yeast and honey.
Step 5: Add the egg and salt, and stir in to combine.
Step 6: Mix in 2 and 1/2 cups of flour. Continue adding flour until the dough comes together and clears the side of the bowl. Switch to the dough hook and knead for 2 minutes.
Step 7: Divide the dough into 12 pieces, and roll each piece into a rope that’s 8 inches long.
Step 8: Dip the dough rope in butter and then roll in cinnamon sugar.
Step 9: Tie dough into knots.
Step 10: Place knots on the prepared baking sheet. Cover, and let dough rest for 10 minutes while the oven preheats.
Step 11: Uncover, and bake until the knots are golden brown, about 9-12 minutes.
Recipe Tips!
- Yeast: I use instant yeast in this recipe. If you would prefer to use active dry yeast, use an equal amount. Then, let it sit for 5-10 minutes or until foamy. Continue with the recipe as written.
- Temperature matters! Be sure that the milk mixture isn’t too hot. If it’s too hot, it will kill the yeast, and the dough won’t rise. A kitchen thermometer is the best way to check the temperature. If you don’t have one, test the mixture by feeling it. If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for the yeast.
- Mixing by hand: You can make this recipe without a stand mixer. Simply add 2 minutes to the kneading time. Also, you’ll want the dough to feel soft and slightly sticky but the dough shouldn’t come off on your fingers when pinched.
- I’ve tried to tie the knots and then dip them in butter and sugar, but it didn’t work as well that way.
Storage
The cinnamon sugar knots are best eaten when freshly made. The knots can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2-3 days.
More easy yeast bread recipes!
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30 Minute Cinnamon Sugar Knots
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar Knots
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons instant yeast1
- 2 tablespoons honey2
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 3-3 ½ cups all-purpose flour3
Butter and Sugar
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 heaping tablespoon ground cinnamon
Icing
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, melt butter.
- When butter is mostly melted, stir in milk, and heat mixture to 100-110 F.
- Meanwhile, add yeast and honey to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl if mixing by hand).
- When milk mixture is at temperature, add to yeast and honey; stir to combine.
- Add salt and egg, and stir until combined.
- Stir in 2 ½ cups of flour.
- Add remaining flour until dough clings to paddle and cleans the sides of the bowl. It's important to only add enough flour to get the dough to just clear the side of the bowl.
- Switch to the dough hook, and knead for 2 minutes (or by hand for about 5 minutes).
- While dough is kneading, stir together granulated sugar and cinnamon in a wide, shallow dish.
- Add melted butter to a separate shallow dish. Set cinnamon sugar dish and melted butter dishes aside.
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a 9×13-inch rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking liner. Set aside.
- Divide dough into 12 pieces.
- Roll piece of dough into rope 8 inches long.
- Dip in butter, and then roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Tie dough into knots, and place dough on prepared baking sheet. If you'd like to see more about shaping the knots, check out the video just above the recipe.
- Repeat process with remaining dough.
- Cover, and let dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Bake for about 9-12 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
- While the knots are baking, prepare the icing.
- Stir together melted butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
- Add 1 tablespoon milk, and stir in. Continue adding milk until icing reaches desired consistency. I use about 1 1/2-2 tablespoons for a thicker icing.
- Remove knots from oven, and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Drizzle icing over knots, and serve warm.
Video
Notes
- If you would prefer to use active dry yeast, substitute an equal amount for the instant yeast. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes, or until foamy. Then, continue with the recipe as written.
- The honey is slightly detectable in the finished knots. If you would prefer not to have any honey flavor, substitute 1/4 cup granulated sugar for the honey.
- Be sure that your flour isn’t packed when you measure it. I stir mine first to make sure that I’m not getting too much flour. Too much flour can make the knots heavy or dry.
- I’ve tried forming a knot and then dipping in butter and sugar. The knots didn’t work nearly as well that way.
- Nutrition facts are estimates.
Nutrition
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Originally published 12/8/16. Updated with new photos and tips 9/5/19.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Robein Palmer says
These are great! My granddaughter who loves my 30 min cinnamon roll wanted something a little different. We were searching pinterest for an idea and ran across your 30 min knots. They were a great hit, I doubled the recipe and between 3 grandkids they were gone in the time it took to make them. I’ll be following
Kate says
Yay!! I’m so glad that they were a hit! =) I love to hear things like this. Thank you for following and for taking the time to come back and comment!
Brooke says
Should the knots double in size during the rising process? Or, just let them rest, then throw them in the oven?
Kate says
Just let them rest and bake them. They’ll increase in size as they bake. Hope that helps! =)
Grace A Redinger says
I am looking for your video for the sugar knots and I can’t find it , where in the world is it??
Kate says
Hi! Both the cinnamon sugar knot and the how to shape knots videos are right above the recipe. Going up the page, there is the recipe card, a short paragraph of text, and then both videos. If you still don’t see them, please let me know.
DJAMILA Salem FITZGERALD says
Can you make the night before and bake in am? Do you think that would be a problem?
Kate says
I’m not sure how well that would work. The dough has extra yeast in it because of the short rising time. I think you would need to make some adjustments to the recipe if you wanted to let them sit overnight. Hope that helps!
Sara Strother says
I made these for the 1st time and they were AMAZING!!! They were gone in just a couple of hours. My friend that doesn’t care much for bread … loved these.
I have a question. Can these be prepared the night before? I have a function early in the morning I’d Like to take these to. Thanks for the yumminess!!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that they were a hit. =) Are you thinking of baking them the night before?
Amber Kennedy says
Okay seriously! So easy to make! It took longer for me but usually the first time I make a new recipe it takes longer these will definitely be on my weekly recipe list! These are great for Sunday before church and I’m sure I’ll get faster at it once I’ve learned the recipe lol. Thank you so much! I think I will add pecans next time and do like a caramel drizzle! So yummy,
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad you liked them! And I’m sure I’m faster because I’ve made these (and my 30 minute garlic knots) so many times! Caramel and pecans sound delicious! Thank you for coming back to comment. =)
Diana says
This was on my daughters summer bucket list to bake-they were so delicious-the dough was spot on and they weren’t hard to make at all! We all enjoyed them-we will definitely make these again! Might even try your garlic knots! Thanks
Kate says
How fun! I’m so glad that you guys liked them! The garlic knots are one of my kids’ favorite recipes. If you try them, I hope you enjoy them, too! =)
sandy says
Just made them and they are great. Parts of them are somewhat larger as I was not the best at tying knots yet .
Baked them at 375 for 15 min. And then turned off the oven and left them in for another 5 min.
Nice and light. Will be making them again.
Want to freeze some to use as the week progresses so will check other comments to see how others have done that.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad you liked them! Thanks for commenting! =)
JULIE MOORE says
These were really easy to make and so delicious! I made them & took them to work and they were gone so fast. And a request to make more next week! Great recipe!!!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad! The first time I made them, my kids liked them so much that I made them 3 times in a week. =) Thank you for taking the time to come back to comment!
Lucille says
Excellent recipe!!!!! I got 12 sugar knots & cooked at 375 degrees for 11 minutes. In my oven these were fully cooked. Dough was very easy to roll into 8 inch ropes. Using parchment paper makes cleaning up the pan a breeze. I took one sugar knot and iced only half of it as I wanted to taste it just as baked with the sugar /cinnamon before the icing went on. Tasty either way, whatever you prefer. Once cooled, I saran wrapped the whole pan and put it into the fridge for company later. I will warm them up in the microwave before I serve them.
Kate says
Thank you so much! Great idea to make them ahead that way! Thank you for sharing! =)
Eleanor (Skippy) Slanga says
Can’t wait to try the cinnamon knots. Could you work in currents and top off with a glaze?
Kate says
I don’t see why not! I think currents or raisins would be a tasty addition. =)
Claire says
Definitely took longer than 30 minutes for me- but everyone loved them!! Thanks!!
Kate says
I’m so glad that everyone liked them! I may have just made them so many times that I’ve gotten to be a super speedy knot-shaper. ;) Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment!
Allison says
I need to make these ASAP! Where are the links to watch the videos?? I can’t find them anywhere!
Kate says
I’m sorry for the missing videos! I’m in the process of having them moved and will update them as soon as I can. In the mean time, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
Arcie says
I and my husband loved these. I made 16 instead of 12. They were still pretty big. I am going to do 20 next time. This is one of the easiest and best recipes i have ever tried.
Kate says
Thank you so much!! I’m so glad you and your husband liked them!
Arcie says
Thought I would try this recipe, it was great. I made 16 instead of 12 and they were still a good size. I am going to do 20 next time. Great recipe.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment! =)
Kirsten says
Hi! I made these for breakfast yesterday and they were delicious! I used half Caramel essence and half Vanilla essence in the glaze just because? I also froze the leftovers and defrosted/reheated some for breakfast this morning and they were just as good as yesterday. If I’d had more time, I would have allowed them to defrost at room temperature and then stuck them in the oven for a couple of minutes rather than the microwave to help crisp them a little….but both work just fine.
Kate says
I’m so glad you liked them! Thank you for sharing about freezing the knots. I’ve received questions about how well they freeze, and I know people will find this information helpful. Thanks again!
Jaime says
I don’t have parchment paper so will just greasing the pan be ok?
Kate says
That should be ok. =)
Anya says
I was thinking of making these or brownies for my home economics lesson on Monday, I made these tonight as I had a lot of free time! Even though I haven’t eaten any yet, but I sure will as they smell amazing! With the video, I couldn’t find it once I had clicked on the hyperlink, so I eyeballed it and just did a loop and tucking one side under, they look delicious!
Kate says
Thanks! If you click on the “jump to recipe” hyperlink, you should have both the shaping video and the video with the entire process right above the recipe portion. If you don’t see it, please let me know! =)
Allie says
Hi there I’m not sure what I’ve done wrong…they turned out incredibly dense and have been in the oven nearly 30 mins now and are still doughy inside ): I think maybe pouring the hot milk and butter over the yeast may have killed it (is that possible?) and therefore they have not risen.
Kate says
Hi! It is absolutely possible (and I’ve done that before)! Getting a kitchen thermometer was a game-changer for me. I think the one I bought was $9 on Amazon, and I use it all the time.
If you don’t have a thermometer to check your temps, a good rule of thumb is that if it is too hot for you, then it’s too hot for the yeast. At worst, if the mixture is a little cooler, it will just mean a longer rise time.
I hope that helps, and if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask! =)
Gail says
I have made these and your garlic knots several times and my family just loves them! This time I mixed it up a little bit and added some cinnamon to the dough and used brown sugar instead of regular sugar when rolling the ropes. I also used more butter in the glaze and used heavy cream so more like butter cream frosting. Keep making awesome recipes!! I love working with your dough!
Kate says
Thank you so much!! I’m so glad that you like them! Those sound like delicious changes! How did the brown sugar/cinnamon work in the dough?