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Make perfect Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls in a flash! These ooey gooey cinnamon rolls use convenient storebought puff pastry and are perfect for a make-ahead breakfast treat.
These puff pastry cinnamon rolls are the perfect breakfast recipe to make when you’re craving homemade cinnamon rolls but don’t have time (or desire!) to make dough from scratch.
That being said, if you love making cinnamon rolls with yeasted dough, check out our Overnight Cinnamon Rolls, Pecan Rolls, and Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls.
And if you love puff pastry, check out our puff pastry Ham and Cheese Pinwheels, Puff Pastry Pizza, Puff Pastry Turkey Pot Pie, Puff Pastry Quiche, and Puff Pastry Pizza Pockets.
Ingredients
This recipe uses:
- Puff pastry – you can find it in the freezer section of the grocery store, usually near the frozen pies/desserts.*
- Salted butter
- Brown sugar (learn to make your own brown sugar)
- Ground cinnamon
- Cream cheese (for optional frosting)
- Powdered sugar (for optional frosting)
- Vanilla extract (for optional frosting)
- Orange juice or orange zest (for optional frosting)
*If you need to make these cinnamon rolls gluten-free, some popular gluten-free puff pastry brands are: Schar, Jus-Rol, Good Love Foods, and GeeFree.
How to Make Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls
*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can also click “jump to recipe” to skip down.
Start by following the thawing times on the puff pastry box (anywhere from 20-120 minutes depending on the brand).
Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Then, lightly flour a clean surface and carefully unfold the thawed puff pastry. Using a floured rolling pin, I like to gently roll out the pastry until it is about 12×10 inches.
Grease a 9×13 baking dish or a baking sheet. Sustainability tip: use the little bits of butter left on the butter wrapper to grease the baking dish. If you’re using a metal baking dish, lay a piece of parchment in the bottom.
Spread softened butter over both sheets of the puff pastry, leaving a small butter-less perimeter around the outside edges. Cover the butter with brown sugar and top with cinnamon – YUM.
Starting with the long edge of the puff pastry, tightly roll the dough towards you until you have a solid “roll”.
Cut each sheet of puff pastry into 6-7 rolls that will each be about 1.5-2 inches wide. Pro tip: using a bread knife (aka serrated knife) will create the cleanest cuts.
Place the cinnamon rolls in the baking dish and if you have the time, refrigerate or freeze the rolls for 20-30 minutes. As puff pastry warms up, it can be harder to work with and might “fall” during the baking process. While not required, if you have the time to refrigerate/freeze them before baking, your finished product will be more successful.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400˚F for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden brown.
While the cinnamon rolls are baking, let’s make some frosting!
Combine softened butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer, or a deep bowl if you’re using a hand mixer. Mix the butter and cream cheese on medium until light and fluffy.
Reduce the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time. Pro tip: I prefer my cream cheese frosting on the “less” sweet side, so I do a taste test after every 1/4 cup of powdered sugar has been added.
I typically only add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of powdered sugar. But, you do you and go measure with your heart.
Add in the vanilla extract and (optional) orange juice and slowly increase the mixer speed to medium until well combined. Pour/spread the frosting over warm cinnamon rolls.
Variations
Some of the butter and brown sugar will leak to the bottom of the pan. Two things you can do to maximize on that yummy buttery goodness.
One: As soon as you take the cinnamon rolls out of the oven, carefully flip each roll individually in the pan using a small spatula. This helps the top of the cinnamon roll get even better with the delicious butter sauce.
Two: Instead of baking in a 9×13 pan or a baking sheet, grease muffin tins and place each cut unbaked roll into one of the individual cups.
You can add chopped and toasted pecans or walnuts, of, if you’re like my sister, and love raisins in your cinnamon rolls, throw some on in with the brown sugar process.
Make Ahead Tips
When planning ahead for making these cinnamon rolls, consider how long it takes puff pastry to thaw. Every brand is wildly different, and some recommend thawing overnight in the fridge, while others say 20 minutes at room temperature is a-ok. The brand’s recommendations will be on the box.
The beauty of this recipe is that you can assemble and cut the cinnamon rolls, and then stick them in the fridge, unbaked, for 24-36 hours. Cover them tightly to keep them from drying out, or place them in a container with a lid.
When you’re ready to bake them, follow the baking instructions in the recipe card. There is no need to bring them to room temperature; you can pop them in the oven directly from the fridge.
HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT
Storing Leftovers: Allow the cinnamon rolls to fully cool before storing them in an air-tight container in the fridge for 2-3 days (frosted) or at room temperature for 1-3 days (unfrosted).
Reheating Leftovers: You can reheat the cinnamon rolls for 20-45 seconds in the microwave.
Freezing: You can freeze unbaked cinnamon rolls for 2-3 months. Before baking, allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge, or for a few hours at room temperature.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- A layer of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan can make it easier to remove the cinnamon rolls for serving.
- Check the directions on the box of your puff pastry to confirm the thawing time. Some brands only recommend 20 minutes and others recommend up to 1+ hours.
- You must fully preheat the oven before baking the cinnamon rolls.
- Puff pastry does not “rise” like traditional yeasted dough. Before it goes into the oven, it will look flat. As it bakes the pastry will “puff” up. It is a perfectly named product!
- If you don’t use the orange juice in the frosting and want a pourable frosting, you can sub in your favorite type of milk (plant-based works too).
More Breakfast Recipes You’ll Love
Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Cinnamon Rolls
- 2 sheets puff pastry {from 1, 17 oz box}
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup salted butter, divided {softened}
- 1 cup brown sugar, divided
- 3 tbsp ground cinnamon, divided
Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese {softened}
- 4 tbsp salted butter {softened}
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract {more or less to taste}
- 1/4 cup orange juice {or 1 tbsp orange zest}{optional}
Instructions
- Follow thawing times on the puff pastry box (anywhere from 20-120 minutes depending on the brand).2 sheets puff pastry
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
- On a lightly floured surface, carefully unfold each sheet of puff pastry.1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- Using a floured rolling pin, gently roll out each sheet of pastry until it is about 12×10 inches.
- Spread equal amounts of softened butter over both sheets of the puff pastry, leaving a small butter-less perimeter around the outside edges.1/2 cup salted butter, divided
- Cover the butter on both sheets of pastry with equal amounts of brown sugar and top with cinnamon.1 cup brown sugar, divided, 3 tbsp ground cinnamon, divided
- Starting with the long edge of the puff pastry, tightly roll the dough towards you until you have a solid "roll".
- Cut each sheet of puff pastry into 6-7 rolls that are ~1.5-2 inches wide. Pro tip: using a bread knife (aka serrated knife) will create the cleanest cuts.
- Grease a 9×13 baking dish or a baking sheet. Place the cinnamon rolls into the dish; they don't have to be touching. Pro tip: if you're using a metal pan, it's best to lay parchment in the bottom.
- If possible, refrigerate or freeze for 20-30 minutes.
- Bake at 400˚F for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden brown.
Make the Frosting
- While the cinnamon rolls are baking, combine softened butter and cream cheese in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium until soft and fluffy.4 oz cream cheese, 4 tbsp salted butter
- Reduce the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time, tasting as you go.1 cup powdered sugar
- Add in the vanilla and (optional) orange juice and slowly increase the mixer speed to medium until well combined.1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 cup orange juice
- Pour/spread the frosting over warm cinnamon rolls.
Notes
- A layer of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan can make it easier to remove the cinnamon rolls for serving.
- You must fully preheat the oven before baking the cinnamon rolls.
- Puff pastry does not “rise” like traditional yeasted dough. Before it goes into the oven, it will look flat. As it bakes the pastry will “puff” up.
- If you don’t use the orange juice in the frosting and want a pourable frosting, you can sub in your favorite type of milk (plant-based works too!).
- Nutritional values are an estimate only.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These were super easy and yummy. Usually I make my own dough, but lazy got the better of me and this was a great time saver recipe and it still tasted amazing.
Did I follow it to a T? No. I used more brown sugar.
Was that a mistake? Yes. I should have followed the directions and they would’ve been absolutely perfect.
Do I know better for next time (because there will definitely be a next time)? Yes.
Not lazy, strategic. 😉
I tend to go big on the brown sugar for “normal” cinnamon rolls but something about the puff pastry just doesn’t make more = better. Glad you still enjoyed them!
These look delicious and simple…two very important and conjoined factors in my case. I will have to “practice” making these before the family arrives for Christmas!
Practice makes perfect, right Terry? 🙂
May I just say, YUMMMMM! These look fabulous and I love that they don’t take all the time and fuss of a yeasted dough (especially a yeasted dough at high altitude which can be extra squirrel-y at times). I think I might just have to try making them this weekend for Saturday brunch treat! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Can’t wait to hear what you think, Dori!