Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls
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Buttery, flaky, Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls are the ideal solution when you crave a sweet roll. Quick and easy, ready in about 30 minutes and topped with a simple maple glaze.
The recipe aptly named our best cinnamon rolls has been top rated since we posted it back in 2017. It warms my heart when you share pictures of the cinnamon buns your family creates. They are a work of the heart and definitely take time, but are 100% worth it.
But maybe you’re looking for something a little quicker and lighter. This Puff Pastry Cinnamon Roll Recipe is for you.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Uses frozen puff pastry sheets to keep the recipe quick.
- You’ll need about 30 minutes from start to finish.
- The cinnamon rolls end up light, flaky, sweet and melt in your mouth delicious.
- Top with a simple maple (or vanilla) glaze.
Can you use puff pastry for cinnamon rolls?
The answer is yes. Frozen puff pastry sheets make the perfect pre-made base to a buttery, flaky cinnamon roll. While our traditional cinnamon rolls have a rich butter & egg based dough, this recipe is much more flaky and light…like a croissant.
You want the sheets to be thawed enough to unroll, but still very, very cold. This is what makes the pastries flaky.
Puff pastry comes in a box with two sheets. I use both sheets for this recipe, but you can make just half the recipe if you’d like.
And another PSA: you can also make cinnamon rolls out of crescent rolls!
How to Make Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls
Make the rolls:
- Preheat the oven to 375º Fahrenheit. Line a 12×17 baking pan with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. The parchment paper allows for easy cleanup and ensures the cinnamon buns won’t stick.
- Unwrap the pastry sheets and place them on a pastry mat or the countertop. Let them sit for a few minutes until you can unfold them without them breaking.
- Spread two tablespoons of butter over each sheet.
- Then sprinkle ¼ to ⅓ cup brown sugar over each sheet.
- Sprinkle one tablespoon of cinnamon on each sheet.
- Roll each sheet up jelly roll style. Using a sharp knife, cut each roll into 6 slices, for a total of 12 rolls.
- Place the rolls cut side up on the prepared pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown and puffed up.
Make the glaze:
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, maple flavor and heavy cream until smooth and to the consistency of a drizzle. You can make it thinner or thicker by adding more or less milk.
Drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls. The glaze will soak in nicely. Plus, the rolls are best served warm.
Storage Instructions
I don’t recommend making this recipe much in advance. They are best when served fresh from the oven. Thankfully, the recipe only takes about 30 minutes to make so that should be easy to do.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.
Want a homemade puff pastry? Try Baking a Moment’s puff pastry recipe.
Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls
Buttery, flaky, Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls are the ideal solution when you crave a sweet roll. Quick and easy, ready in about 30 minutes and topped with a simple maple glaze.
Servings 12
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Resting Time 5 minutes
Ingredients
For the rolls:
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry (1 box, 17.3 ounces)
- 4 tablespoons salted butter (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (up to 2/3 cup if you'd like more)
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon maple flavoring
- 3-5 tablespoons heavy cream (or whole milk)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375º Fahrenheit. Line a 12×17 baking pan with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
- Unwrap the pastry sheets and place them on a pastry mat or the countertop. Let them sit for a few minutes until you can unfold them without them breaking.
- Spread two tablespoons of butter over each sheet.
- Then sprinkle ¼ to ⅓ cup brown sugar over each sheet.
- Sprinkle one tablespoon of cinnamon on each sheet.
- Roll each sheet up jelly roll style. Using a sharp knife, cut each roll into 6 slices, for a total of 12 rolls.
- Place the rolls cut side up on the prepared pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown and puffed up.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, maple flavor and heavy cream until smooth and to the consistency of a drizzle. You can make it thinner or thicker by adding more or less milk.
- Drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
The calories shown are based on the recipe making 12 rolls, with 1 serving being 1 glazed roll. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 139mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 176IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg
Do you place the rolls touching or leave some space in between. I am excited to try these.
Can you assemble the rolls the night before and refrigerate to bake the next morning?
Could I place the cinnamon rolls in an oversized muffin cup pan (sprayed with pam) so they retain their circular shape?
These were good and easy! Just be careful with the extra sugar / cinnamon that falls off when you slice the rolls. I left the extra cinnamon sugar on the parchment and it ended up getting super burnt on the bottom of the rolls which didn’t taste too good. Still we peeled off the bottom layer and devoured the rest of the roll! Perfect for when you wake up and think “I want cinnamon rolls” but no can, yeast, or bisquick in the house.
Definitely quick and easy…and delicious! Will make this again! The hardest part was waiting for the dough to defrost. LOL Can you refrigerator defrost the dough it overnight? I’m wondering if you can use something like a Pillsbury dough for a beadier version? Or, using the frozen puff pastry and substituting melted chocolate for the cinnamon and brown sugar…like a chocolate croissant?
The puff pastry cinnamon rolls were fast and easy! Great for this busy chef!