The Viral Pillsbury Cinnamon Roll Hack That Made Me Look Like a Rockstar Baker
I don't try to hide the fact that I'm not a natural baker. Unlike my late grandmother, who was the epitome of one, I am much more comfortable making a four-course meal than homemade cakes and pies. In fact, we have a saying at my house."If there's dessert, it probably came from the store!"
Sure, I can bake, it just isn't a passion like it is for other home cooks. I can whip up a batch of tasty muffins, but I don't find the same joy as I do standing over a big pot of homemade soup.
So when I saw a TikTok recipe of a tube of refrigerated cinnamon rolls being transformed into something that could rival Cinnabon, you know that I had to try it for myself!
After trying the recipe, I'm a 100% believer and look like a total rockstar baker with this simple and yummy hack. I loved the recipe so much I made a few tweaks here and there so I could share it with all of you.
Related: 12 Best Store-Bought Cinnamon Rolls Ranked
What Are the Viral TikTok Cinnamon Rolls?
To put it quite simply, folks over on the Tok started pouring heavy cream into the pan with canned cinnamon rolls and walked away looking like complete geniuses. The recipe has been making the rounds for more years, so it's a little difficult to track down the original creator. Grilled Cheese Social saw it on Mississippi Kween's feed, and she name-checked Mantha Can Cook. But one of the reasons I knew it was worth trying was that it didn't go out of style quickly like most trends.
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What Does Heavy Cream Do to Cinnamon Rolls?
You might be asking yourself why you'd bother with an extra ingredient and step, but stick with me here. The heavy cream soaks into the cinnamon roll dough, creating a moist, fluffy treat. Because heavy cream can also act as a tenderizer in scratch baking, I suspect the same thing happens to this premade dough. The cream soaks into the dough and magically transforms it.
Related: 30 Sweet and Savory Crescent Roll Recipes
What Kind of Cinnamon Rolls Do I Use?
After I bought an eight-count tube, I realized most people were using a five-count can of Pillsbury Grands. No worries, though! I looked around a little bit more and found others like me who were going against the grain, and it worked out just fine. So, use whatever refrigerated cinnamon rolls you like best.
Related: 20 Cinnamon Roll Recipes Worth Waking Up For
TikTok Cinnamon Roll Recipe
Most recipes out there are virtually the same. A tube of cinnamon rolls, heavy cream, a brown sugar mixture and the icing packet that's included with the rolls.
I decided to jazz things up a little more and added a hint of vanilla to the brown sugar coating, added a layer of cream cheese frosting and sprinkled some pecans on the top for good measure.
These came out of the oven as an ooey gooey masterpiece. (Before that, they had the house smelling like an airport terminal! I see you Cinnabon!) They are super moist, and using Ceylon cinnamon gives them such a flavor boost. The cream cheese frosting and crunchy nuts took these over the top (in the best way).
Related: 30 Mouth-Watering Cinnamon and Sweet Roll Recipes
How To Make TikTok Cinnamon Rolls
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Ingredients Needed:
Refrigerated canned cinnamon rolls
Heavy cream
Butter
Brown sugar
Cinnamon (preferably Ceylon)
Vanilla
Canned cream cheese frosting
Chopped pecans
Krista Marshall
Tools Needed:
Baking dish
Spatula
Whisk
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups/spoons
Cooking spray
1. Preheat the oven according to the directions on the cinnamon rolls. Mine was 400°F. Place the cinnamon rolls in a greased baking dish, making sure the edges of the rolls are touching. Pour the cream around the cinnamon rolls.
Krista Marshall
2. In a small bowl, whisk melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon until well combined.
Krista Marshall
3. Spread the brown sugar mixture evenly over the cinnamon rolls.
Krista Marshall
4. Bake the cinnamon rolls according to package directions. Mine took about 19 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Krista Marshall
5. Once the cinnamon rolls are cool, spread evenly with the icing packet from the tube, then top with the canned frosting. Sprinkle with pecans.
Krista Marshall
6. Cut and serve immediately.
Krista Marshall
Tips for Making the Best TikTok Cinnamon Rolls
Heavy cream only. I know what you're going to ask and no, half-and-half or milk will not work the same in this recipe. It's gotta be heavy cream.
Read the directions. Each package of cinnamon rolls will come with the correct oven temp and cooking time.
Try other frostings. I think maple, caramel or even pumpkin would be delicious.
Serve carefully. These cinnamon rolls are very moist and tender and can fall apart very easily. Make sure your plate is right next to the baking dish when you serve these up.
Spurge on your cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon is the best to bake with IMO. It has a delicate, mild and sweet flavor that is beautiful in baked goods.
More Brunch Recipes to Try Next
Ingredients
1 (8-count) tube refrigerated cinnamon rolls
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 can cream cheese frosting
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Preheat the oven to 400°F, or according to package directions. Arrange the cinnamon rolls in a greased baking dish.
Pour the heavy cream around the cinnamon rolls.
In a small bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla until well combined.
Spread the brown sugar mixture evenly on the cinnamon rolls.
Bake until puffed and golden, about 19 minutes. (Your baking time might vary based on the brand of cinnamon roll you use. Check the package for baking time.)
Cool the cinnamon rolls on a wire rack.
Top the cooled cinnamon rolls with the icing packet that was included in the package, then top with the cream cheese frosting.
Sprinkle with the pecans.
Serve immediately.
