Soft, tender bread twists made from a quick yogurt dough, air fried until golden and brushed with cinnamon-sugar butter, with a sweet vanilla cream cheese dip. Our take on the pizza-delivery favorite; makes 6.
If the best part of pizza night is the box of cinnamon twists, these are for you. The dough is just flour, baking powder, salt and Greek yogurt, so there is no yeast and no waiting for it to rise.
The twists bake in the air fryer in about 15 minutes. Brush them with cinnamon-sugar butter the moment they come out, while they are hot enough to soak it up, and serve them with the vanilla cream cheese dip.
Ingredients
Dough
1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour, plus a little for the counter
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup (150 g) plain Greek yogurt
Cooking spray
Cinnamon-sugar butter
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Vanilla dip
1 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Mix the dough. In a bowl, stir the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the yogurt and stir with a fork until shaggy clumps form; a little loose flour in the bottom of the bowl is fine.
Knead. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead it a few times until it comes together into one smooth, soft ball. Add a pinch more flour if it sticks.
Shape. Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each into a rope about 8 inches long, then fold one end over and twist it loosely into a ribbon or knot.
Air fry. Spray the air fryer basket, arrange the twists in one layer with space between them, and spray the tops. Air fry at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.
Make the topping. While they cook, melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave and stir in the sugar and cinnamon.
Brush and serve. Brush the cinnamon-sugar butter all over the hot twists right away. For the dip, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together, then stir in the powdered sugar until smooth. Serve the twists warm with the dip.
Tips
No air fryer? Bake the twists on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden.
Use thick, strained Greek yogurt; a thinner yogurt makes the dough too sticky to roll.
Double the batch in two rounds; do not crowd the basket or the twists will steam instead of browning.
Reheat leftovers in the air fryer at 350°F for 2 to 3 minutes to soften them again.
Questions about this recipe
Why is my yogurt dough sticky?
Yogurts vary in thickness. Knead in a spoonful of flour at a time until the dough is soft but no longer tacky.
Can I make them without butter?
Spray the hot twists with cooking spray or brush them with a little oil so the cinnamon sugar sticks.
Are these like the cinnamon twists from pizza delivery?
They are our homemade take: soft, buttery bread twists in cinnamon sugar with a sweet dip, made in about 30 minutes.
