Ready in minutes, these simple Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls are flaky, sweet, and swirled with spicy cinnamon. The whole family will fall in love with this breakfast treat and you won't believe how simple they are!
Cinnamon rolls have always been a favorite breakfast treat around special occasions and holidays in my family. But sometimes it can be overwhelming to add a batch of cinnamon rolls from scratch to my already busy mornings. So having a delicious recipe on hand that gives me the same classic taste of traditional cinnamon rolls, but with a lot less work is a game changer.
These little puff pastry cinnamon swirls are literally the easiest homemade cinnamon rolls on the planet. Made with rich puff pastry, a touch of butter, and a generous cinnamon sugar filling, these flaky cinnamon rolls are melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
This was inspired by my cinnamon puff pastry twists on this site, and pairs well with a festive Eggnog Latte or cozy mug of hot chocolate.
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Ingredients
This is a quick recipe, requiring very few ingredients. These cinnamon rolls are perfect for occasions when you need a homemade sweet treat but don't want to go through the hassle of dealing with yeast and double rises.
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- Puff Pastry Dough - I use frozen puff pastry sheets from my grocery store. They come in a box of two and are super convenient to have on hand for a quick and easy recipe.
- Melted Butter - A little melted butter is used to add flavor to the filling and help the cinnamon-sugar mixture stick to the puff pastry dough.
- Cinnamon - I use a generous amount of ground cinnamon for the filling. For best results, make sure the cinnamon is fresh.
- White Sugar- For necessary sweetness.
- Powdered Sugar, Vanilla Extract, and Milk - I use this combo to whip up a simple icing to drizzle on top of these cinnamon rolls after they come out of the oven.
The full recipe and detailed instructions can be found on the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Instructions
Before starting, make sure that the puff pastry is thawed, but still very cold. Single sheets of dough can be thawed wrapped in plastic in the fridge for a few hours or on the countertop for 30 minutes.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400F degrees.
Next, combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
Place the sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface.
Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough slightly to flatten the seams and make an even square. You don't want to roll the dough out any larger than it already is.
Brush the pastry with melted butter and sprinkle the surface evenly with cinnamon sugar, leaving a ¼" border on all sides.
Starting at the bottom edge closest to you, gently roll the dough up into a tight log.
The seam side should be underneath the log.
Using a sharp knife or a bench scraper, trim off the uneven ends and cut the log into eight equal pieces.
Arrange the sweet rolls, cinnamon swirl side up, on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between each roll.
Bake the cinnamon rolls for 18-22 minutes until the pastry has puffed up and turned golden brown. Let the cinnamon rolls cool for five minutes before icing.
While the rolls are cooling, combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Add a little more powdered sugar or milk to adjust the consistency, the icing should be thick but still run off the whisk easily.
Drizzle the icing over the cinnamon rolls.
Serve warm and enjoy!
Hint: Don't be tempted to add more butter to the filling. I found that too much butter keeps the puff pastry from puffing up in the center of the cinnamon rolls.
Substitutions
These cinnamon rolls can be adjusted to accommodate your family's dietary needs for an easy recipe everyone can enjoy!
- Gluten Free - To make this recipe gluten free, use a gluten free puff pastry dough and a gluten free flour for dusting your work surface.
- Dairy Free - Swap the butter for an egg wash or use plant based butter. Frozen puff pastry brands like Pepperidge Farms are dairy free.
Variations
- Homemade Dough - Make your own puff pastry dough if you're feeling ambitious. There are lots of easy puff pastry recipes out now, and my go-to recipe is Preppy Kitchen's Puff Pastry
- Icing - Make a cream cheese frosting instead of vanilla icing.
- Filling - Dark brown sugar or light brown sugar can be used as a substitute or in combination with the white sugar for the cinnamon filling.
See my pie crust pinwheel cookies or puff pastry cinnamon twists on the blog for a dessert version of this recipe.
Equipment
- Rolling Pin- The rolling pin neatly rolls the puff pastry sheet into an even square.
- Pastry Brush- A pastry brush makes it easier to brush on the melted butter.
- Sharp Knife or Bench Scraper - For easy slicing of the cinnamon rolls.
Storage
Store leftover cinnamon puff pastry rolls in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature. These are best the day of but will make an easy breakfast the next morning.
Make Ahead: Unbaked rolls can be made up to two days in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
Pro Tips
- Try not to overfill the cinnamon rolls. Extra filling can actually keep the cinnamon rolls from cooking properly in the middle and will keep the layers from getting puffy and flaky.
- Make sure the dough does not get up to room temperature before baking. If the puff pastry gets too warm, the cinnamon rolls won't bake properly.
FAQ
Yes. For this recipe, I roll out the puff pastry just slightly to flatten the seams that occur during packaging and to shape the pastry into an even square. I try not to roll the dough any thinner than it already because the buttery layers of the cinnamon rolls won't puff up.
Traditional cinnamon rolls are made with enriched yeasted dough (see my Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls for example) but is not flaky. A morning bun is made with a croissant like dough, making it flaky like our puff pastry rolls, but rising is still required. This puff pastry cinnamon roll recipe requires no rising and no yeast!
Related
Looking for more recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls pair beautifully with coffee and hot chocolate on a brisk morning:
📖 Recipe
Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls
Ready in minutes, simple Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls have everything you love about traditional cinnamon rolls, but with a lot less work, and no rising times!
Ingredients
- 1 sheet of prepared puff pastry, thawed
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted but not hot
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup of powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon of milk
- ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400F degrees.
- Next, combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
- Place the sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough lightly to flatten the seams and make an even square. Don't roll the dough out much thinner than it already is.
- Brush the pastry with melted butter and sprinkle the surface evenly with the cinnamon sugar, leaving a ¼" border on all sides.
- Starting at the bottom edge closest to you, gently roll the dough up into a tight log. The seam side should be underneath the log.
- Using a sharp knife or a bench scraper, trim off the uneven ends and cut the log into eight equal pieces.
- Arrange the cinnamon rolls, on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between each roll.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes until the pastry has puffed up and turned golden brown. Let the cinnamon rolls cool for five minutes before icing.
- Combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. The icing should be the consistency of heavy cream. Add more sugar or milk to adjust if needed.
- Drizzle the icing over the cinnamon rolls and serve warm.
Notes
- Keep the puff pastry as cold as possible before baking. This will give you flaky buns that puff up.
- If using the Pepperidge Farms brand of puff pastry, roll out the puff pastry to a 9" x 9" square. Other brands will be 10" x10".
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 88Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 10mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 1gSugar: 13gProtein: 0g
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