Y’all, let me tell ya, these Easy Cinnamon Rolls are your new bestie when you wanna whip up something delish without dealing with that tricky yeast and dough from scratch. It’s like, super easy-peasy! Just roll out some puff pastry, slather on a fab mix of butter and cinnamon sugar, and boom, you’re almost done. Pop these bad boys in the oven, and they’ll turn golden while you get your icing game on point. It’s the ultimate go-to for making your holiday mornings or any Saturday feel all kinds of fancy, minus the stress.
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Love cinnamon rolls, but the idea of making them from scratch keeps you from making them – I’ve got you boos! This easy cinnamon roll recipe, is, well, just that… EASY! I also like to call these my lazy cinnamon rolls but, can tell you they taste like you spent hours laboring over fresh dough. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
The Heart & Soul Of This Easy Cinnamon Roll Recipe
Cuisine: American
Primary Cooking Method: Bake
Dietary Info: Vegetarian
Key Flavor: Cinnamon and sugar, with sweet icing
Skill Level: Beginner
Sweet Spots
- No Yeast and No Rise. This means you can prep these up and bake your cinnamon rolls right away. There’s no need to wait around. And if you just get a craving, you can handle that right away.
- Great Texture. Puff pastry bakes up with crispy edges and soft dough inside. It’s ultra flaky and makes the perfect cinnamon roll that’s less doughy and lighter than traditional cinnamon rolls.
- Perfect for All Occasions. An easy answer to freshly baked cinnamon rolls for a holiday breakfast, weekends, or family brunch.
- A Simple Solution to Make Cinnamon Rolls for a Crowd. You don’t need to make dough from scratch making these a great option when you have company coming!
Ingredients to Make Easy Cinnamon Rolls
- Puff Pastry Sheets: This makes a simple base for making this lazy cinnamon rolls recipe! It requires no yeast and no mixing. All you need to do is thaw it out.
- Light brown sugar: A sugary base that’s perfect for making cinnamon rolls. It has more flavor than regular sugar, so make sure you stick with brown sugar. Dark brown sugar will also work if that’s all you’ve got.
- Cinnamon: Make sure your cinnamon is fresh for the best flavor!
- Butter: Melted butter is used for brushing over the puff pastry. It adds flavor but also helps the sugar mixture stick to the dough. You’re also going to need more to use to make the simple icing for your cinnamon rolls.
- Confectioner’s sugar: The BEST sugar for making icing. It easily melts and dissolves into the liquid, resulting in silky smooth icing. Don’t forget to sift to keep it smooth boos.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and natural sweetness to the icing.
- Chai spice: Gives the icing complex flavor you won’t find in other cinnamon roll recipes.
- Milk: You can use any type of milk in your icing to help thin it out a bit. Even water works.
How to Make Easy Cinnamon Rolls
Step 1: Make the Rolls
- Roll out one sheet of puff pastry until about 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface.
- Brush the puff pastry with melted butter and evenly sprinkle the puff pastry with half of the brown sugar, and cinnamon just over the buttered area.
PRO TIP: Make sure to leave about an inch of space along the edges free of butter and the sugar mixture to make rolling easier.
- Roll the dough up tightly but gently, and use a little melted butter on the open edge of the roll to seal the seam.
- Slice the roll into six pieces. Place each roll inside a parchment paper-lined baking dish. Refrigerate while you repeat the above steps with the last sheet of puff pastry. Bake the cinnamon rolls in your preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden.
Step 2: Make the Icing
- Beat the butter until it’s fluffy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar while continuing to beat.
- Add the milk and mix it into the icing. Increase the amount of spice or sugar until the desired consistency and flavor are reached in your cinnamon roll icing.
- Place the icing in the microwave for 10-20 seconds until it melts down and is pourable.
Step 3: Add the Icing
- Remove the cooked cinnamon rolls from the oven.
- Drizzle with the icing and serve.
Tips for Making the Best Lazy Cinnamon Rolls
- Use a Sharp Knife. When cutting the cinnamon rolls. This way, you end up with clean cuts. Another option is to use dental floss — just make sure it’s an unflavored variety.
- Make Sure to Thaw the Puff Pastry. It needs at least a couple of hours to thaw out before working with it. If you plan to make them in the morning, let it thaw out in the fridge overnight.
- Adjustable Flavors. Feel free to adjust any of the spices you want to add, more spice or less, depending on your preferences.
- Keep the Dough Chilled. Work with one sheet at a time and refrigerate the rolls after they’re cut until you’re ready to bake.
Popular Substitutions & Additions
- Vegan: Most puff pastry isn’t made with butter (so it’s vegan), so just check your package. Sub in dairy-free butter and milk to make your cinnamon rolls completely vegan.
- Raisins: If you’re a fan of raisins in your cinnamon rolls, you can sprinkle them over the brown sugar before rolling them up.
- Skip the Chai Spice: If you don’t have the Chai spice, you can use pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice for a more complex flavor or stick with more cinnamon and vanilla.
- Swap the Icing: If you want thicker icing, you can swap it for this cream cheese frosting. Folks won’t even know you didn’t get these from a bakery. Just make sure they are cooled a bit before adding.
- Add Nuts: Chopped pecans, walnuts, and hazelnuts all make a tasty filling for cinnamon rolls. You can sprinkle them over the brown sugar, over the top after drizzling with the icing, or both for more nuttiness.
What to Serve with Cinnamon Rolls
These flaky, spiced cinnamon rolls go with all your brunch favorites. Here are some ideas for inspiration.
- Eggs: Some favorite egg recipes are this easy chorizo skillet and the classic sausage breakfast casserole.
- Sides: Don’t forget your favorite brunch sides, cheese grits, homemade hash browns, and candied bacon.
- Party Options: This hearty biscuit and gravy casserole or a breakfast board are other options for serving a crowd for brunch.
- Sweet Stuff: Gingerbread pancakes, buttermilk waffles, and eggnog French toast are popular sweet options for brunch.
How to Store & Reheat Easy Cinnamon Rolls
Listen, now these cinnamon rolls are always best served freshly baked while still warm. But if you gotta store some leftovers, just toss them in an airtight container in the fridge. Try to avoid stacking them because they will stick together. If you gotta stack, separate the layers with a piece of parchment paper.
Serve them chilled, at room temperature, or slightly warmed. To reheat place the desired amount in a baking dish and cover with foil and heat at 350° F for 8-10 minutes or until warmed. You can also heat them one at a time in the microwave using short intervals.
How long will puff pastry cinnamon rolls last in the fridge?
Store them in the fridge for up to five days.
Can I freeze cinnamon rolls with puff pastry?
Sure thing! Wrap them up in a container that’s safe for the freezer and freeze for up to three months. Thaw them out in the fridge overnight and then serve warm or at your desired temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this works great to make the day before! Fill and roll the cinnamon rolls following the directions. Then place them in the baking dish. Cover well with plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Mix up the icing but don’t microwave it. Remove the baking dish in the morning and let it sit at room temperature while the oven preheats. Bake as instructed and then microwave the icing and drizzle it over the top.
Heat is the greatest enemy of puff pastry. It’s much easier to work with when it’s cold. That’s why you need to keep the second sheet in the refrigerator while you are working with the other one. These cinnamon rolls go together pretty fast but avoid letting the dough sit for too long on the counter on warmer days. It’s best to have your cinnamon sugar mixture and melted butter before rolling out the puff pastry. If it seems too soft or sticky, refrigerate it before continuing on with the recipe.
It’s important that the puff pastry is cold when it goes in the oven. The layers in puff pastry are created by the fat that’s layered in the dough, if it’s not cold it won’t puff up properly and may end up flat and dense. After cutting the cinnamon rolls, put them back in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
These easy cinnamon rolls are the BEST way to enjoy freshly baked cinnamon rolls with homemade flavor and minimal effort! I know my fellow boos are as busy as I am so the use of puff pastry creates a flaky dough that perfectly blends with the cinnamon sugar filling and rich Chai spice-infused icing. You will love how easy they are to make, and everybody gonna love these honey!
More Cinnamon Roll and Pastry Recipes
- Easy Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread
- Cinnamon Roll Biscuits
- Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Orange Cinnamon Rolls
Easy Cinnamon Rolls
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the Rolls
- 2 frozen puff pastry sheets that has thawed out in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
- 3 tbsp melted butter
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
For the Icing
- 4 tbsp salted butter room temp
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar sifted
- 1-2 tbsp milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp chai spice
- ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
For the Rolls
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Lightly flour your surface and roll out one sheet of puff pastry until about 1/4 inch thick (leave the other sheet in the refrigerator).
- Brush puff pastry with melted butter, leaving 1 inch of space around the edges. Evenly sprinkle puff pastry with half of brown sugar, and cinnamon just over buttered area.
- Tightly but gently roll the dough up. Use a little melted butter on the open edge of the roll to seal the seam.
- Using a sharp knife, slice the roll into six pieces. Place each roll inside a parchment paper lined baking dish. Place the dish in the refrigerator as you repeat the above steps with the last sheet of puff pastry.
- Bake the cinnamon rolls in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden (watch carefully!).
For the Icing
- While rolls are baking, make the icing. Beat butter until fluffy. Once fluffy continue to beat while gradually adding the powdered sugar, then add milk and vanilla, chai spice and cinnamon. Increase amount of spice, or sugar until desired consistency and flavor are reached.
- Then place in the microwave for 10-20 seconds until it melts down and is pourable. Drizzle over cinnamon rolls when they are fresh out of the oven.
Notes
- Use a Sharp Knife. When cutting the cinnamon rolls. This way you end up with clean cuts. Another option is to use dental floss — just make sure it’s an unflavored variety.
- Make Sure to Thaw the Puff Pastry. It needs at least a couple of hours to thaw out before working with it. If you plan to make them in the morning, let it thaw out in the fridge overnight.
- Adjustable Flavors. Feel free to adjust any of the spices you want to add more spice or less depending on your preferences.
- Keep the Dough Chilled. Work with one sheet at a time and refrigerate the rolls after they’re cut until you’re ready to bake.
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They did not rise at all! My dough was cold and followed directions perfectly!
I’m not sure why your dough would be cold since you it should be at room temperature with luke warm and hot water. Happy to troubleshoot with you.
The dough is perfectly fluffy and the cinnamon swirl is just heavenly. They’re so simple to make and the aroma while baking is pure bliss. A perfect treat for any cinnamon lover!
Enjoyed these for breakfast this morning and started my day off right! Turned out light, fluffy and delicious; my whole family loved them!
I drooling over these simple and easy cinnamon roll recipes. Thanks for sharing.
I made this last Sunday for brunch and they were a huge hit! The cinnamon rolls turned out perfect. I can’t wait to make again.
I am not one who loves to bake, but I do love cinnamon rolls! So when I came across this “lazy” version, I knew I had to give it a try. I was so pleased with the results. The pastry was flaky and delicious and the chai flavors added a nice twist.
Hi! Quick question,
In the chai spice ingredients, for ginger it says “2/3 1/2 tsp ginger.”
Did you mean to write 1 1/2 tsp ginger?
i love cinnamon rolls..it’s very tasty and have a nice flavour,i’m using srilankan real spice for cinnamon rolls..
These sound amazing – I was looking for something a little different to do with cinnamon buns, and this nails it!
This screams holiday time. The chai mix is a nice variation. Quite a morning pick me up!