These cinnamon rolls have no yeast and are made using Athens Foods phyllo dough for the ultimate phyllo dough dessert recipe! The filling is made with brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon, and then the dough is rolled up in the shape of a cinnamon roll. They are baked in a cast iron skillet then drizzled with cream cheese frosting. 

Cinnamon buns made out of phyllo dough in a cast iron skillet on a green surface

I am honored to have this post sponsored by Athens Foods, thank you!

Move over classic cinnamon rolls, there’s a new phyllo dough recipe in town! Instead of slaving over a yeasted recipe, you can make crispy cinnamon rolls using Athens phyllo dough!

What I love about this recipe is that it is EXTRA crispy and has so much flavor in every single bite. The buttery sweet filling is lined between each sheet of phyllo dough and then rolled up to look like a cinnamon bun. You can then drizzle a cream cheese glaze or frost with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

As a trained pastry chef I love coming up with fun and inventive new recipes. This phyllo dough recipe definitely hits the spot just like this Strawberry cheesecake and this Napoleon dessert, made with Athens phyllo dough too!

If you have been looking for a new fun phyllo dough recipe to try that won’t take you hours to make, this is it!

Working with Phyllo dough

  • Make sure to completely defrost and thaw it out before you start this recipe. I will either leave mine out at room temperature for a couple hours, or I will thaw it out in the fridge overnight. This will really ensure that you have full length pieces of phyllo to work with and not so many cracked pieces!
  • Keep a damp paper towel over the sheets of phyllo while you aren’t using them, this will help to not dry them out and cause more cracks.
  • If the pieces crack, that’s ok, just keep working with it. 

Ingredients needed

Ingredients for cinnamon phyllo dough roll recipe

Equipment Needed

For equipment, you will need an 8” cast iron skillet for this recipe. If you don’t have one, you can make this in a round 8” cake pan or an oven safe skillet. 

How to make cinnamon rolls with phyllo 

Melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a pot
Melt the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon on low heat until melted. Make sure to watch it so that it doesn’t boil- otherwise it will harden. 
Phyllo dough brushed with filling
Unwrap the dough and keep a damp paper towel over the sheets when not in use. Brush 5 layers of dough with the butter mixture.
phyllo dough rolled up with filling
Roll into log
phyllo dough rolled to look like a cinnamon bun
Roll the log into itself to make it look like a cinnamon roll and place into the cast iron skillet. 
7 cinnamon rolls made out of phyllo rolled in a cast iron pan
Repeat the process until you have 7 cinnamon rolls.

Make the glaze: While its baking, make the cream cheese glaze. Mix together cream cheese, confectioners sugar, and milk until smooth. Drizzle over cinnamon rolls and enjoy!

Storing & Freezing

Storing:

This recipe is best made and enjoyed the day of but will also be ok the next day. Store it on your counter covered tightly in plastic wrap.

Freezing: I do not recommend storing it in the fridge or freezing this recipe. 

A closeup of cinnamon buns made out of phyllo dough with a cream cheese glaze in a cast iron skillet

Recipe tips for success

  • If the butter mixture hardens as you are brushing the sheets, reheat it on low to melt it again. Make sure not to bring to a boil so it doesn’t harden that way either.
  •  Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature before mixing it for the frosting.
a single cinnamon bun made out of phyllo on a gray plate on a green surface
A closeup of cinnamon buns made out of phyllo dough with a cream cheese glaze in a cast iron skillet
4.58 stars (26 ratings)

Cinnamon Roll Phyllo Dough Dessert

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 7 people
These cinnamon rolls are a fun new way to make a phyllo dough dessert and can be made I less than an hour! They have no yeast and are super crispy and filled with flavor I every bite.
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Ingredients

For the phyllo buns

  • 1 box Athens Foods Phyllo Dough
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon

For the cream cheese glaze

  • 2 tsp cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp milk

Equipment

  • 8" Cast Iron Skillet

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375° F and grease an 8” skillet with baking spray.
  • Remove the phyllo dough from the package, roll it out, and place a damp paper towel over it.
  • Melt the ½ cup butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, and 2 tbsp cinnamon in a small saucepan over low heat.
  • Brush the melted butter mixture over 1 sheet of phyllo dough and repeat 4 more times for a total of 5 sheets together.
  • Roll the dough into a long log, then roll the dough into itself to form the shape of a cinnamon bun.
  • Place the roll in the skillet and repeat 6 more times to fit 7 cinnamon rolls into the skillet. You may have to squeeze them in, but they fit!
  • Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes until the outside is crispy and golden brown.
  • Make the cream cheese glaze. Combine 2 tsp cream cheese with ½ cup powdered sugar, and 1 tsp milk, and mix until a smooth glaze forms.
  • Drizzle over buns and enjoy!

Notes

There are 2 packages of phyllo in each box of phyllo dough. You will need 1 1/2 packages phyllo dough for an 8″ skillet. If you only have a 10″ skillet you will use all of both packages within the box. 
You can also frost these with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 441kcal, Carbohydrates: 67g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 36mg, Sodium: 326mg, Potassium: 91mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 31g, Vitamin A: 429IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 44mg, Iron: 2mg
Course: Dessert
Author: Sam Adler
Cuisine: American
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