Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls
Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls are the easiest cinnamon rolls you’ll ever make, skipping the yeast and rise entirely by starting with store bought puff pastry. They bake up golden with crisp, flaky edges and a soft, buttery cinnamon center, and topped with a melty cream cheese frosting. They look impressive on a brunch table but come together with almost no effort. Made with pantry staples, they’re ready in about 35 minutes and make 16 rolls.
Traditional cinnamon rolls are a whole production. Make the dough, knead it, wait for it to rise, punch it down, wait again. By the time they’re ready, it’s basically lunch. Some Sunday mornings I have that kind of patience. Most of them I do not.
That’s what puff pastry is for.
I know you’re thinking about just buying the can in grocery store and save yourself the trouble, but they aren’t as good as these.
And yes, they are just as easy! Skip the whole yeast, kneading, rising, waiting, etc, and use cold puff pastry instead. Layer it with all that yummy cinnamon sugar goodness, roll, slice, and bake.
In about 35 minutes you’ve got cinnamon rolls with lightly crispy, flaky, buttery layers and a gooey center. Top with a quick cream cheese frosting and you are the hero of the morning.
I mean, you already were, but now the family will tell you outright.
They look gorgeous on a brunch table, but they’re simple enough that you can sleep in. If you love an easy breakfast treat, I have plenty for you to try.
More Easy Breakfast Treats
- Cherry Turnovers – flaky pastry stuffed with sweet cherry filling
- Cinnamon Flop Cake – buttery cinnamon sugar topped cake
- Apple Turnovers – flaky pastry filled with warm spiced apples
- Blueberry Coffee Cake – tender crumb cake with sweet blueberry filling
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
Puff Pastry – This is the shortcut you will love. Use frozen puff pastry but thaw it and keep it cold in the fridge. If it gets too warm it won’t puff up into those flaky layers. You’ll need 1 pound package (usually two sheets).
Butter – Use unsalted butter to get the cinnamon sugar mixture to stick to the puff pastry. If the mixture is too sweet, a sprinkle of salt might be needed.
Cinnamon – Use a high quality cinnamon since this will be the major flavor. I like to use a Saigon cinnamon because it’s not as acidic and the flavor is stronger.
Sugars – Use a mix of white granulated sugar and light brown sugar. You can use dark brown sugar for a more caramel flavor.
Cream Cheese – Be sure to use your favorite and soften it to room temp so it mixes without leaving any clumps. No one wants clumps in their glaze.
Powdered Sugar – Be sure to sift the powdered sugar to remove any lumps and make mixing easier.
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How To Make Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly spray an 8×11 baking dish with nonstick spray and line it with parchment paper. You can use a baking sheet if you need to.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
- Roll out the pastry on a flat surface. Spread half the melted butter evenly over one sheet, then scatter half the cinnamon sugar in a uniform layer.
- Starting from the shorter end, roll the pastry into a tight log. Repeat with the second sheet.
- Cut each log into 8 equal pieces. Unflavored dental floss makes clean cuts without squishing the layers, or use a sharp serrated knife.
- Space the rolls in the prepared dish, leaving a little room between each. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown around the sides and tops.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the cream cheese, softened butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar until smooth (add a tablespoon of milk if needed).
- Spread the frosting over the rolls while they’re still hot, let it melt in for 5 minutes, and serve warm.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Storage & Reheating
Room Temperature: Store covered at room temperature for 24 hours, which keeps the pastry crispy.
Refrigerator: If you’re keeping them longer than that, move them to the refrigerator for up to 3 more day. The puff pastry won’t be as crispy but it’s still tasty.
Freezer: Place the rolls in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months after baking, but I would leave off the frosting. Thaw at room temperature.
Reheat: Warm in a 300°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes to crisp them back up, then add the frosting after. You can freeze them frosted, but the pastry won’t stay as crisp.
Variations
Extra Glaze: Thin the frosting with more milk for a pourable glaze instead of a spread.
Add Nuts: Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over the cinnamon sugar before rolling.
Different Frosting: Use a simple vanilla glaze or add in some fruit jam instead of cream cheese for a lighter finish.
Add Raisins: Scatter raisins over the cinnamon sugar for classic cinnamon raisin rolls.
Maple: Add a little maple extract to the frosting for a maple cinnamon twist.
Why Keep the Puff Pastry Cold?
Cold puff pastry is the single most important trick for flaky, layered rolls.
Puff pastry gets all those flaky layers because there is cold butter trapped between the sheets of dough. As it bakes, that butter creates steam and puffs the layers apart.
If the pastry warms up too much before it hits the oven, the butter softens and melts into the dough instead, and you lose the layers entirely, ending up with flat, dense rolls.
So work quickly, and if the pastry gets soft and starts sticking to your fingers while you’re rolling or slicing, just pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm it back up before continuing. Remember, cold pastry goes in, crispy, flaky rolls come out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cold puff pastry is what makes those crispy, flaky layers. If it warms up, the butter melts into the dough and the rolls bake up flat instead. Chill it for 10 minutes if it softens while you work.
You can use a serrated knife and clean it in between each cut. You can also use unflavored dental floss. It cuts through the rolls without squishing the layers. Slide it under the log, cross the ends over the top, and pull.
They’re best fresh and warm, but you can bake them ahead and reheat in a 300°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes to crisp them up. Add the frosting later so they don’t get soggy.
Yes, up to 2 months. Roll and bake them without the frosting. Cool completely and freeze. Thaw at room temperature, reheat to crisp, then frost.
In North America it’s usually in the freezer section near the desserts. In the UK and Europe it’s typically chilled rather than frozen.
Add a tablespoon of milk to thin it, or a little more powdered sugar to thicken it. You want it thicker than a glaze but softer than buttercream so it melts into the warm rolls.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Keep the puff pastry cold until it goes in the oven for the flakiest layers.
- Use unflavored dental floss to slice the rolls cleanly without squishing them.
- Frost the rolls while they’re still warm so it melts into the rolls.
- If the pastry warms up and sticks to your fingers, chill it 10 minutes and continue.
- Roll the logs tightly so the rolls hold their spiral shape.
This Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls recipe makes flaky, buttery rolls in about 35 minutes with no yeast required. Make a batch this weekend and fill your kitchen with happy family members!
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five-star review in the comment section below. Thanks!
Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Rolls
- 1 pound puff pastry (16oz, 454g) thawed but still cold
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (1.8oz, 50g)
- ¼ cup brown sugar (1.8oz, 50g) packed
- 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (2oz, 60g) melted
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese (113g) softened
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups powdered or icing sugar (7oz, 195g) sifted
- 1 tablespoon milk if needed
Instructions
Make the Cinnamon Rolls
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Lightly spray an 8×11 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper then set it aside for a moment.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon. Set the bowl aside for just a moment.
- Roll out the pastry on a flat surface. Spread half of the melted butter evenly over one side of the pastry.
- Scatter half of the cinnamon‑sugar mixture across the buttered pastry in a uniform layer.
- Using the shorter end, roll up the pastry into a log. Try to be make a tight roll. Repeat steps 3-5 with the second piece of pastry.
- Cut each log into 8 equal pieces. I used a piece of unflavored dental floss to make the cuts, but you can also use a sharp serrated knife to cut through.
- Space the cinnamon rolls in the prepared pan leaving a bit of room between each one.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes in your preheated oven. The rolls will be a golden brown around the sides and tops of each roll.
- While the cinnamon rolls are baking, make the frosting.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a medium mixing bowl, use a whisk or fork to combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract and powdered sugar. The frosting will be thicker than a glaze but not as thick as buttercream frosting.
- Remove the rolls from the oven and, while they’re still hot, spread the cream cheese frosting over the top. Allow the frosting to melt and sit for 5 minutes before serving warm.
Video
Notes
- Keep the puff pastry cold until it goes in the oven for the flakiest layers.
- Use unflavored dental floss to slice the rolls cleanly without squishing them.
- Frost the rolls while they’re still warm so it melts into the rolls.
- If the pastry warms up and sticks to your fingers, chill it 10 minutes and continue.
- Roll the logs tightly so the rolls hold their spiral shape.
Nutrition
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