Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls
Flaky, shatteringly crisp cinnamon rolls made from store-bought puff pastry in about 30 minutes — no yeast, no proofing, all buttery layers.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Bake
- 20 min
- Yield
- 9 rolls
- Level
- beginner
The quick answer
Puff pastry cinnamon rolls use a sheet of thawed store-bought puff pastry instead of yeast dough: butter it, add cinnamon sugar, roll, slice, and bake at 400°F until puffed and golden. Keep the pastry cold while you work so it puffs properly, and bake on parchment since the sugar caramelizes and sticks.
These aren't soft, bready cinnamon rolls — they're the flaky, crisp-edged cousin, and they come together from a sheet of frozen puff pastry while the oven preheats. You brush the pastry with butter, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar, roll, slice, and bake, and the laminated layers puff into golden, shattering spirals with caramelized edges. A quick glaze finishes them. When you want cinnamon-roll flavor with a pastry-shop crunch and zero yeast or waiting, this is the shortcut to reach for.
Ingredients
Rolls
- 1 sheetfrozen puff pastry, thawed — cold but pliable
- 2 tbspunsalted butter, melted
- ½ cuppacked brown sugar
- 1 tbspground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1 eggegg, beaten, for egg wash (optional)
Glaze
- ¾ cuppowdered sugar
- 1½ tbspmilk — plus more to thin
- ½ tspvanilla extract
Instructions
Heat the oven to 400°F and line a sheet pan with parchment. Unfold the thawed pastry on a lightly floured surface and gently roll it into a roughly 12x10-inch rectangle.
Pastry is smooth and even, still cold.
Brush with melted butter, then sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt evenly, leaving a clean 1/2-inch edge.
Sugar covers the pastry in an even layer.
Roll up snugly from the long edge and press the seam to seal. If the roll has softened, chill it 10 minutes for cleaner slices.
Log is firm enough to slice.
Cut into 9 rolls with a sharp knife and set them cut-side up on the pan, leaving space to puff. Brush the tops with egg wash if using.
Rolls hold their spiral; spaced apart.
Bake until deeply golden and puffed.
Layers are puffed and crisp; centers no longer doughy.
Cool 5 minutes, then whisk the glaze and drizzle over the rolls.
Glaze sets on the crisp pastry.
Make ahead, store & reheat
- Make ahead
- Assemble and slice the rolls, then refrigerate up to a day or freeze on the pan; bake straight from cold, adding a few minutes. Best eaten the day they're baked while the pastry is crisp.
- Storage
- Store loosely covered at room temperature up to 2 days; they soften over time, so they're best fresh.
- Reheating
- Re-crisp in a 350°F oven or air fryer for a few minutes — avoid the microwave, which makes puff pastry soggy.
- Freezing
- Freeze unbaked, sliced rolls up to 1 month and bake from frozen. Baked rolls lose their crispness when frozen.
Substitutions
- All-butter puff pastry for extra flavor instead of frozen puff pastry
- Cream cheese glaze instead of vanilla glaze
Troubleshooting
- Rolls didn't puff or leaked butter
- The pastry got too warm. Keep it cold, chill the sliced rolls before baking, and make sure the oven is fully preheated to 400°F.
- Centers unrolled or fell open
- Seal the seam well and place rolls cut-side up with a little space; a 10-minute chill before slicing helps them hold.
- Bottoms burned from the sugar
- Always bake on parchment, and move the pan to the center rack — the caramelizing sugar scorches on a bare or dark pan.
Tools I reach for
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Frequently asked questions
- Can you make cinnamon rolls out of puff pastry?
- Yes — puff pastry makes flaky, crisp cinnamon rolls instead of soft, bready ones. Butter and sugar the sheet, roll, slice, and bake at 400°F. There's no yeast and no proofing.
- How are they different from regular cinnamon rolls?
- Puff pastry rolls are crisp and layered like a pastry rather than soft and pillowy. They're faster (about 30 minutes) but best eaten fresh, since they soften as they sit.
- Why keep the pastry cold?
- Puff pastry relies on cold butter between its layers turning to steam in the oven. If it warms up and the butter melts before baking, it won't puff and can leak.
Nutrition (estimate): 1 roll (of 9) · ~260 kcal. Nutrition is an automated estimate and will vary with brands and exact quantities.
Food safety: don't taste dough containing raw flour or raw egg. Refrigerate anything with cream cheese frosting, and reheat leftovers until piping hot.
Frostings & glazes to pair
- Vanilla Bean GlazeA glossy, pourable vanilla bean glaze that sets into a thin sweet shell over cinnamon rolls, sweet buns, and scones.
- Classic Cream Cheese FrostingThe tangy, silky-smooth cream cheese frosting that melts into warm cinnamon rolls and defines the bakery-style classic.
- Lemon GlazeA bright, tart lemon glaze that thins to a clear drizzle and wakes up rich cinnamon rolls with fresh citrus.
Helpful guides
- How to Cut Cinnamon Rolls CleanlyHow to cut cinnamon rolls cleanly without squishing them — the unflavored floss trick, using thread or a sharp knife, and how to get even, bakery-neat slices.
- The Best Cinnamon Roll Filling (Ratio + How to Apply It)The ideal butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon ratio for cinnamon roll filling, plus exactly how to spread it so you get a gooey, well-defined swirl that does not leak.
- How to Make Cinnamon Roll Icing Thicker or ThinnerAdjust cinnamon roll icing to any consistency with two simple levers — powdered sugar to thicken and liquid to thin — using these ratios and fixes.
More cinnamon rolls to try
- Crescent Roll Cinnamon RollsA 20-minute shortcut using refrigerated crescent dough — flaky, buttery cinnamon rolls with a quick glaze and no yeast or rising.
- Pizza Dough Cinnamon RollsA clever shortcut: turn a ball of store-bought pizza dough into warm cinnamon rolls in about 40 minutes, no mixing or long proof required.
- No-Yeast Cinnamon RollsFast cinnamon rolls with a tender biscuit-style dough leavened by baking powder — no rising, no proofing, warm in under an hour.