TikTok Cinnamon Rolls Recipe (Canned Cinnamon Roll Hack) (2024)

Gooey, sweet, and oh-so-simple, these viral TikTok Cinnamon Rolls are the canned cinnamon roll hack that you didn't know you needed. So easy to make using canned Pillsbury Grands cinnamon rolls, we're taking these refrigerated favorites to the next level with just a few extra ingredients that make them extra delicious and taste like they are homemade with just 5 minutes of prep.

I followed the recipe to the dot just halved it. It was great. My family loved it. Sorry to say, it's way better than Cinnabon😂😂😂 ~ Benny

I'm all for making things from scratch but every now and then a semi-homemade treat like this canned cinnamon roll hack just hits the spot with way less effort than making a full batch of regular cinnamon rolls that require kneading, rising, and shaping.

Besides, everybody agrees that the center of the cinnamon roll is the best part, and this approach makes the whole thing taste like the center of the cinnamon roll!

TikTok is such a fun platform for creative content. Another new TikTok favorite that you should try if you like these cinnamon rolls are the Cookie Croissants.

Not that adding heavy cream to cinnamon rolls is the newest trick - it's actually been around for years - but TikTok helped bring this canned cinnamon roll hack to the masses once again using gold old Pillsbury cinnamon rolls.

I tried tracking down the original viral video to figure out where this trend started, but that can be really hard to do! @Kotagilley has a post from June 2022 with over 1 million likes and 11 million views. But @mississippi_kween's video from May 2022 predates it. And she credits another TikToker @manthacancook as her inspiration, who said in her January 2022 video "TikTok made me do it" and later said in a comment that she thought the trend started a year earlier!

So if you know who started the TikTok cinnamon rolls recipe trend, please reach out so I can give credit!

This hack makes the cinnamon rolls softer and more gooey throughout. Like the inside of the cinnamon roll except the WHOLE THING is that way. Trust me, they are the easiest cinnamon rolls you will ever make!

TikTok Cinnamon Roll Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

• Refrigerated jumbo-sized cinnamon rolls - It doesn't have to be Pillsbury Grands! Rhodes frozen cinnamon rolls are awesome (but hard to find in my area). You can also use Trader Joes cinnamon rolls or basically any refrigerated cinnamon rolls in a tube that you like.
• Heavy cream - This is the not-so-secret ingredient that makes regular cinnamon rolls extra gooey. The added moisture is absorbed into the cinnamon rolls for a soft, fluffy result that is amazing.
• Cream cheese - We're elevating regular Pillsbury cinnamon roll icing by adding some softened cream cheese.
• Powdered sugar - This also helps stretch the cinnamon roll icing that comes with the tube of refrigerated cinnamon rolls since there never seems to be quite enough.
• Vanilla extract - A little vanilla balances the cinnamon flavor and makes it more interesting.
• Salted butter - Another trick that is mentioned in some of the viral TikTok videos is to drizzle melted butter mixed with ground cinnamon and brown sugar over the cinnamon rolls before baking to make them that much more extra. It works.
• Brown sugar - For the buttery, cinnamon-sugar drizzle.
• Ground cinnamon - Keeps the cinnamon flavor front and center for these sweet rolls.

How to Make TikTok Cinnamon Rolls

1. Unwrap cinnamon rolls. Peel the paper off the tube of whatever cinnamon roll dough you are working with and arrange them in a large 9x13-inch baking dish. You can also easily halve the recipe and use a smaller baking dish if you don't want as many cinnamon rolls.
2. Drizzle heavy cream. Go ahead and pour the heavy cream right over and around the cinnamon rolls. The goal is to cover the bottom of the pan and make sure there is a little cream between each of the rolls.

3. Make brown sugar cinnamon topping. Melt butter in a medium bowl, then stir in the brown sugar and ground cinnamon to create a slurry. Spoon this over each of the cinnamon rolls.
4. Cover and bake. Cover the pan with a large piece of aluminum foil, then bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 40 minutes. The timing can somewhat depend on the brand of cinnamon rolls, how tightly spaced they are in your pan, and your oven. They should be golden brown on top and cooked through but still very moist when done.

5. Make frosting. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese with the icing that came with the can of cinnamon roll dough until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat again.
6. Cool, then frost. Once the cinnamon rolls are done, remove the foil and let them cool for about 5 minutes before frosting. This prevents the frosting from being completely absorbed by the cinnamon rolls, but they are still warm enough for the frosting to sort of melt around and into them, which adds another layer of gooeyness that we love.
7. Serve warm!

Recipe FAQ's

Tips for Success

• Leave some space between the cinnamon rolls so they can expand while they bake. If you crowd the pan too much, they won't bake as well.
• Be sure to cover with foil. This allows the cinnamon rolls to soak up the cream better without drying out on top or burning before they have a chance to cook all the way through.
• Let the cinnamon rolls cool a few minutes before frosting. If you frost them right away the frosting will melt right into the cinnamon rolls. I actually like that to some extent so I still frost them while they are warm, but not piping hot right out of the oven.

Variations

• Add fruit. Add some fresh peach slices, apple pie filling, cherry pie filling, blueberries, raspberries, or sliced strawberries right on top and down between the cinnamon rolls before adding the cream and baking.
• Go nuts. Add ¾ cup chopped pecans to the brown sugar and butter mixture. You could even do this first, then place the cinnamon rolls on top. After baking, flip the whole thing upside down for easy pecan sticky buns.
• Try maple icing! Add ½ teaspoon of maple extract to your frosting for a delicious maple icing twist!

What to Serve With Cinnamon Rolls

Whether you are serving these for a weekend family breakfast or a brunch with friends, don't forget all the delicious sides along with glasses of cold milk! Here are some of our favorites.

• Green Chili Egg Casserole
• Oven Baked Bacon
• Smoked Salmon Scrambled Eggs
• Hashbrowns
• Fresh Fruit Salad
• Easy, Ultimate Breakfast Frittata

Storage & Freezing Instructions

Although these are best eaten fresh, they will keep at room temperature on the counter in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

You can also freeze the baked cinnamon rolls for up to 2 months. Thaw completely on the counter and reheat. Keep in mind that the frosting will sort of melt into the cinnamon rolls, so if your plan is to freeze them you might want to freeze the frosting separately (it freezes great!) then thaw and add it when you are reheating the cinnamon rolls before serving.

More Sweet Roll Recipes

• Caramel Apple Pie Crescent Rolls
• The BEST Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
• Cranberry Orange Monkey Bread
• Hot Cross Buns
• Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

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