Cheater “Cinnamon Rolls”

Full disclosure, these are nothing like normal cinnamon rolls but they are still delicious!  Cinnamon rolls were requested but I wanted to make an easier version with things that we already had on hand.  We had a couple of tubes of crescent dough in the fridge, so I thought they would be perfect to make Cheater “Cinnamon Rolls”!

This post was originally published on 5/12/20, it has been updated as of 9/14/20

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I didn’t have a recipe that I followed, I just made it up as I went along and I think it turned out really well!  I’m sure there are recipes that you could find online for this but I know the basics of cinnamon rolls and just made it to my taste.

The rolls are simply the crescent dough rolled out with the seams pressed together.  You then brush on melted butter and then sprinkle a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon all over the dough.

You then roll up your dough starting at the bottom until you reach the top.  Once rolled, you cut it into 8 pieces and place into a greased cake pan.

While your rolls are baking, you will want to put together your icing.  The icing I made is just some powdered sugar, vanilla extract. and some milk.  You could easily double the icing recipe if you like more icing on your cinnamon rolls!

You will want to make sure to frost your rolls while they are still warm, but not hot. If they are too hot the glaze will melt too much and run off.  If your rolls are too cold then the glaze will not melt into cinnamon rolls.

Additions and what to serve with these cinnamon rolls

I kept these cinnamon rolls pretty basic, but you could add some chopped nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips if you like. Walnuts add a nice crunch to the cinnamon rolls, which I really like. Tim didn’t like the walnuts so I left them out this time. Chocolate chips would make these even more decedant!

These Cheater “Cinnamon Rolls ” would be great for brunch. Pair it with quiche and fruit and you are good to go! This would also go well with baked apple oatmeal, which is a little healthier option. I also wouldn’t judge if you just wanted to eat this with a cup of coffee. I may have done that……

Let me know what you think if you make these cheater cinnamon rolls!  Did they satisfy your craving or did it leave you wanting more?

Cheater “Cinnamon Rolls”

Amy

Quick and easy "cinnamon rolls" for when you have that craving but are short on time. So simple to put together, you will want to make it again and again.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8 cinnamon rolls

Ingredients

  

Rolls

• One tube of crescent rolls
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Icing

• scant 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tbsp milk, any kind you’d like
• splash vanilla extract

Instructions

 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375°F, grease a round cake pan with butter (I brushed on a little bit of the melted butter).
• Working on parchment paper, open the tube of crescent rolls and unroll the dough towards you.  Pinch together all of the seams and make sure there are no holes or gaps. Press out slightly.
• Brush on the melted butter all over the dough.  Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle evenly over the dough.
• Roll up the dough starting at the end closest to you and roll away from you.  You will want to roll the dough fairly tightly so that it will stay together.  If needed, you can use the parchment paper to help roll up the dough.
• Cut your roll into 8 pieces.  Place each piece cut side down into your prepared cake pan, making sure to leave space between the pieces so they have room to expand.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
• While your rolls are baking, mix together all your ingredients for the icing.
• Let your cinnamon rolls cool for 3-4 minutes before spreading on the icing.

Notes

1. If you like more icing, you can easily double the icing recipe.
2. I’ve made this with chopped walnuts before, but you could also use raisins or chocolate chips.
3. These cinnamon rolls are best fresh, but you can reheat in the oven, toaster oven, or air fryer to crisp them back up.

 

The nutrition facts below are based on the recipe above.  This is only an estimation and intended for informational purposes only.

 

Keyword easy, quick, rolls, simple

If you make any of my recipes, be sure to tag me on Instagram @amysdeliciousmess and use #amysdeliciousmess.  I’d love to see all of your pictures!

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