14 Ways To Make Canned Cinnamon Rolls Taste Better
Refrigerated cinnamon rolls are quick and easy to make. When you don't have time to whip up a batch of homemade cinnamon rolls, they can offer a suitable alternative. However, there is definitely a difference between canned cinnamon rolls and homemade or restaurant-quality ones. Fortunately, there are some ways to make canned cinnamon rolls taste better. Not only will this make them more enjoyable for you, but it could even trick your guests into thinking that you did take the time to make a batch of homemade cinnamon rolls.
If you think of the canned cinnamon rolls as a canvas, you can discover things that enhance their flavor and overall appearance. Don't worry — we aren't talking about complicated enhancements. Making slight changes to the cooking method, adding a few ingredients to the pre-made rolls, or being purposeful with how you prepare and serve them can all make a big difference in the way your refrigerated cinnamon rolls will turn out.
1. Choose the right type and brand of canned cinnamon rolls
The first step to making a can of store-bought cinnamon rolls taste better is making sure you start with the best brand and type of cinnamon rolls. Not all refrigerated cinnamon rolls are not created equal. If you've tried ones from different brands, then you should already know that they don't all taste the same and that some are definitely better than others. You can't go wrong with Pillsbury, but Annie's and Trader Joe's also make some tasty options.
Beyond choosing a good-tasting brand, you should also consider the type of cinnamon rolls and icing that you want. This will mostly come down to personal preferences. Some brands make regular-sized cinnamon rolls and jumbo options, while others may only offer one of the sizes. If you're going to try some of the ideas that involve unrolling the cinnamon roll to doctor the filling, you should choose a package of jumbo cinnamon rolls. These will be much easier to unroll than regular-sized options.
2. Unwrap each roll and add a new filling over the dough
Now that you've decided on which brand and type of cinnamon roll you want to use, you can start making changes to it to upgrade the flavor. One way to do this is by adding a new filling. If you're wondering how this is even possible because the cinnamon rolls are already prepared and ready to bake, you can actually unroll them to add your own enhancements. Remember, you'll want to use jumbo cinnamon rolls because they will be easier to unroll and make changes to.
Refrigerated cinnamon rolls have a filling, but it is rather light. Adding more to it will definitely increase the flavor. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and some softened butter together, then spread it over the unrolled dough. If you want to go for a stronger or more unique flavor, consider adding some nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, or allspice into your brown sugar and butter mixture. Once you've spread the filling over the dough, roll the cinnamon rolls back up and bake them. Unless, of course, you're going to try an alternative cooking method.
3. Add nuts or dried fruit to the filling
Want to switch up your fillings even more? Consider finely chopping some nuts — think peanuts, pecans, or walnuts — and sprinkling them over the filling on the unrolled cinnamon rolls. This will add a nice crunch and make the cinnamon rolls taste more homemade. After all, no one is going to be expecting nuts from a can of store-bought cinnamon rolls. You could also simply toast the nuts of your choice and sprinkle them over the rolls in the pan before baking them. They'll work their way into the cinnamon rolls as they bake.
Nuts aren't the only thing you can add to the filling to make the cinnamon rolls taste more homemade. You could also add some dried fruit or use it to top the cinnamon rolls before baking as well. Raisins and cinnamon rolls pair very nicely together, but there are tons of options to consider. You could also add some dried apricots, Craisins, or dried cherries for a tasty treat.
4. Don't crowd the rolls in your baking pan
Choosing the right size pan and taking care to leave adequate space between your cinnamon rolls is important. If you crowd the rolls in the baking pan, they aren't going to bake evenly. There will be too much dough crowded together in the center of the pan. As the rolls bake in the oven, the tops will brown much more quickly, leaving the centers still soggy and uncooked. If you let them continue baking to get the centers fully cooked, the tops will become overdone.
Spacing is important for ensuring all parts of the rolls are evenly cooked so that nothing turns out burnt or doughy. Choose a large enough pan that you'll be able to spread the cinnamon rolls out. Leave at least 1 inch around each of them to give it space to expand as it bakes. This way, they'll turn out much more evenly cooked and delicious. Who wants a cinnamon roll that is hard on the top and gummy in the center?
5. Pour heavy cream over the cinnamon rolls before baking
Did you know that heavy cream can help you make your cinnamon rolls taste even better? If you're thinking the cream will be used to make the icing, think again. You'll actually want to pour it directly over the cinnamon rolls before baking them in the oven. The cream reaches the bottom of the pan, where it warms up while the cinnamon rolls are baking. As this happens, the cream moves up through the cinnamon rolls, leaving the dough moist. There will still be a little cream remaining on the bottom of this pan. It will combine with the sugars from the bases of the cinnamon rolls to create a sugar syrup that coats the cinnamon rolls.
If you want to try this idea the next time you make a can of cinnamon rolls, simply lay the rolls out in the baking pan that has a raised edge. Then, pour about ⅓ cup of heavy cream over the cinnamon rolls and bake according to the package's directions. Adding the cream may require a few extra minutes of baking time. Remove from the oven, frost, and enjoy!
6. Top the rolls with pie filling before baking
Want to make your cinnamon rolls even sweeter and more delectable? Consider giving them a nice fruit topping for a sweet morning or evening treat. Canned pie filling is the perfect product to accomplish this job. Just add a few spoonfuls of cherry or apple pie filling over the cinnamon rolls once they are in the pan and ready to bake. As the rolls bake with the pie filling over them, some of the juices will seep into the dough. Once finished, the combination of the sweet dough, cinnamon and sugar, and fruity topping will be simply extraordinary.
If you use pie filling to top the cinnamon rolls, it is up to you whether you also want to add any of the icings that may have come with the pack. You might decide that the fruity topping is sufficient. Or, if you're feeling a little extra indulgent, you can add some of the icing too. If you do decide to add it, warm it up slightly so that it flows more freely. Then, you'll be able to drizzle it over the top of the rolls after they've had a few minutes to cool.
7. Use cake baking strips to wrap the pan before putting it in the oven
Have you heard of cake-baking strips before? They are used by professional bakers to help ensure their cakes turn out moist throughout and prevent the outer edges of a cake from baking more quickly than the insides, leaving them overly dry. Because you want your cinnamon rolls to remain moist throughout and don't want the outer edges to cook more quickly and dry out, you can also use cake baking strips to your advantage.
The way to use cake baking strips is to get them wet before wrapping them around the edges of your baking pan. This way, they'll help cool down the edges enough to prevent them from baking faster than the center of the pan. If you don't have cake-baking strips, you can make your own using aluminum foil and paper towels. Get a few paper towels wet and fold them so that they are only about 1 to 1½ inches tall. Then, wrap the paper towels completely using aluminum foil strips. Wrap the aluminum foil around the pan and twist the edges together to make sure it stays in place.
8. Cover the top of the pan with aluminum foil before baking
If you want to keep your cinnamon rolls from drying out too much as they cook, then you should cover the baking pan with aluminum foil before you put it in the oven. While this direction isn't included in the directions on the back of the package, it is important for keeping the rolls as moist as possible. When they bake without a cover, a lot of the moisture evaporates in the hot oven. This can leave the cinnamon rolls pretty dried out, which can have a negative impact on the way they taste.
When you do cover the pan with aluminum foil, it helps to lock in more moisture. Keep in mind that the cinnamon rolls will bake more slowly when covered. Make sure you account for this when timing your meal. Assume that the cinnamon rolls will take an additional 13 to 17 minutes to cook beyond what the directions on the package state. Check the rolls towards the end of the baking time, and remove them once the tops are nice and golden brown.
9. Remove the rolls from the oven at the right time
To make sure your cinnamon rolls taste the best they can, you must remove them from the oven at the correct time. If you remove them too early, the center is going to be undercooked, which will make it taste doughy and gummy. Let them cook for too long, and the tops and bottoms of the rolls will become too crisp and may even burn.
There are a few things to look at to help you tell when cinnamon rolls are cooked and ready to be removed from the oven. Start by looking at the top of the rolls. If they aren't golden brown yet, they're not ready to be removed, and you should close the oven door to let them continue cooking. If the tops are a nice golden brown color, use a spatula to lift up one of the cinnamon rolls to check its bottom. The bottoms of the rolls should also be golden brown if they have finished cooking. If both the tops and bottoms are golden brown, take a quick look at the edges of the rolls to make sure they don't look doughy still. If all of these check out, then go ahead and remove the rolls from your oven.
10. Upgrade or replace the included icing
The icing that comes with most refrigerated cinnamon rolls isn't bad, but it isn't all that amazing either. Taste aside, there simply isn't that much of it, and it never feels like the ratio of icing to cinnamon roll is sufficient. This is a simple problem to fix if you use the included icing as a base to make more for your rolls.
Making more icing is simple. Just add some powdered sugar, a little softened cream cheese, and a splash of milk to a mixing bowl with the included icing. Use a hand mixer to combine the ingredients together until smooth. Then, use the new and improved icing to top your cinnamon rolls. You'll be able to add as much as you like and won't have to feel like you're barely covering the tops. You could also simply replace the included icing with a favorite homemade recipe if you prefer.
11. Make sure you serve the cinnamon rolls when they are still warm
The best time to serve your cinnamon rolls is when they are fresh out of the oven and still nice and warm. Warm cinnamon rolls just taste so much better than ones that have gotten cold. Warm icing is nice and soft. Compare this to cold icing that has solidified and become rather hard. When you chew a cinnamon roll with cold icing, the flavors aren't going to mix in your mouth quite as much.
The filling inside a cinnamon roll also tastes best when it is still warm. The brown sugar and cinnamon filling is more granulated and moves throughout your mouth more when chewing. With a cold cinnamon roll, you're more likely to taste chunks of brown sugar separate from the dough of the cinnamon roll. Warm cinnamon rolls will also taste better alongside hot eggs, bacon, sausage, or other breakfast foods.
12. Try cooking them in the waffle maker
Sure, the directions on a can of cinnamon rolls say to cook them in the oven, but you don't have to follow these directions. Did you know that you can cook refrigerated cinnamon rolls in your waffle maker and create a sweet and satisfying cinnamon waffle? And, even better, cinnamon roll waffles are ridiculously easy to make. All you'll need is a waffle maker — any style should work — and your favorite can of refrigerated cinnamon rolls.
The size of your waffle maker will help you determine how many cinnamon rolls to bake together at a time. For most standard-sized waffle makers, you should need between two and three regular-sized rolls. Take the cinnamon rolls you're using to make the waffle and roll them up into a loose ball. Place them in the center of the waffle maker and close the lid. Cook for about 4 minutes, more or less, depending on the waffle maker you're using. Once your waffle is done, drizzle the top of it with a little bit of warmed-up icing from the package. You can even make mini cinnamon roll waffles on a stick by cooking smaller pieces of the cinnamon rolls separately. Cooking cinnamon rolls in the waffle maker is also faster than cooking them in the oven. You can have a waffle done in about 5 minutes, compared to the 20 minutes or so that the rolls will need in the oven.
13. Consider making air fryer cinnamon roll bites instead
Using a waffle maker isn't the only alternative to cooking cinnamon rolls in the oven. You can also cook them in your air fryer. You could cook the cinnamon rolls whole, or you might want to consider making miniature cinnamon roll bites to change things up a bit. Air fryer cinnamon roll bits are crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and just as delicious as their full-size counterparts.
To make air fryer cinnamon roll bites, all you need to do is cut each cinnamon roll in quarters. Bake the cut cinnamon rolls in a single layer in the air fryer for about 6 minutes, turning them halfway through the baking time or until they are golden brown. When the cinnamon roll bites have finished cooking, place them in a bag or container with cinnamon sugar. Shake the bag or container to coat the cinnamon roll bites. Serve the mini bites alongside cream cheese icing for dipping.
14. Turn them into cinnamon roll French toast casserole instead
With two cans of refrigerated cinnamon rolls, you can make a delectable cinnamon roll French toast casserole for a special breakfast or brunch. Beyond how delicious this dish is, it is also incredibly easy to make and only requires a few ingredients. Simply cut each standard-size cinnamon roll into quarters and lay them out on the bottom of a 9-inch x 13-inch casserole dish. Then, beat eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract in a bowl and pour it over the cut-up cinnamon roll pieces.
As the cinnamon roll French toast bakes, prepare a special icing to top it. As shared above, you can start with the included icing from the packages and add some cream cheese, powdered sugar, and a little bit of milk to make a cream and delightful topping. Spread it over the finished casserole and serve warm. Your guests are certain to be wowed by the incredible flavor combinations.