Super easy puff pastry cinnamon rolls recipe! Cream cheese frosting and super quick prep make these cinnamon puff pastry rolls a deliciously simple treat! You'll love these cinnamon rolls with puff pastry - the easiest cinnamon rolls ever!
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And for more puff pastry recipes, try my Puff Pastry Pizza, my Pear Puff Pastry Tart with Caramelized Onion and Blue Cheese, and my Pecan Pastry Braid!
Cinnamon Rolls - Puff Pastry Recipe
Back at it again with another puff pastry recipe! You may ask, "why more puff pastry?" And I'm asking, "Why not?" Puff pastry is everything. It's such an easy recipe to work with, easy to find in the store, incredibly versatile, and SO delicious.
Case in point: these cinnamon puff pastry rolls are the best way to satisfy your cinnamon roll craving, and they're ready in 30 minutes! It's a quick recipe for the perfect sweet treats with pre-made puff pastry!
Jump to:
What pastry are cinnamon rolls made from?
Ok, so full disclosure: these cinnamon rolls with puff pastry are not the same as a traditional cinnamon roll. Puff pastry has a very different texture than typical cinnamon roll dough. Unlike cinnamon roll dough, puff pastry has no yeast, no eggs, no milk -- you get the idea. It's totally different.
Can you make cinnamon rolls with ready made puff pastry?
Yes you can! Even though they're not traditional cinnamon rolls, when I bite into these puff pastry cinnamon rolls I get that same warm, fuzzy feeling that I love from cinnamon rolls. And in a fraction of the time. So this recipe is ideal for those days when you want a cinnamon roll and you want it NOW.
The best part: right when you take these puff pastry cinnamon rolls out of the oven, you'll spread them with a delicious cream cheese frosting that melts into the pastry and makes them so soft, rich and gooey! I'm telling you, these puff pastry cinnamon swirls are amazing on a brisk morning with a cup of hot chocolate!
They're perfect for weekend brunch with the family, an easy dessert for guests, or just to satisfy your cinnamon roll craving! And if you love these warm spices in these rolls, check out the flavors in my Cinnamon Rolls Peach Cobbler!
Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls - Air Fryer Option
You can save time and avoid heating up your whole oven by making these puff pastry rolls in the air fryer! Just place the prepared rolls in your fryer basket with about an inch of space between each one, and air fry at 370°F for 10 - 15 minutes, checking after 10 minutes and adjusting time as needed. Keep in mind that air fryers can vary, so you may need to cook your cinnamon rolls for a shorter or longer time in your particular air fryer model.
Cinnamon Puff Pastry Rolls Ingredients
- a sheet of puff pastry - we'll be using one sheet of thawed store-bought puff pastry for this cinnamon roll recipe. I use Pepperidge Farm puff pastry for these cinnamon rolls. It's easy to find anywhere, but you can also use any brand of store-bought puff pastry sheets that you like.
- salted butter - we're melting salted butter for the cinnamon filling for this simple recipe. I like to use salted butter to offset the sweetness of the frosting and the puff pastry cinnamon swirls themselves. If you use unsalted butter, just add a pinch of salt to your cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- ground cinnamon - this is the star of our cinnamon puff pastry rolls! You can adjust the amount as you like to give them even more cinnamon flavor.
- brown sugar - feel free to use light or dark brown sugar, whatever you have. I love the molasses flavor that brown sugar adds to this cinnamon sugar filling.
And for that luscious cream cheese frosting, you'll need:
- cream cheese - it should be softened to room temperature. See below for a tip to soften it quickly!
- salted butter - also room temperature. As I mention above, if you use unsalted butter, just add a pinch of salt to taste.
- pure vanilla extract - be sure to use a good-quality vanilla extract -- it's a big part of the cream cheese frosting for these puff pastry cinnamon swirls. Even better -- check out my post on how to make vanilla extract at home -- it's cheaper and tastes SO good!
- powdered sugar - make sure to measure your powdered sugar correctly. If you don't have a kitchen scale (which I highly recommend), you should sift your powdered sugar and fluff it up before using the spoon-and-level method.
Equipment
These puff pastry rolls are the easiest homemade cinnamon rolls recipe, so not too many special tools are needed. You'll need a rolling pin to roll out the puff pastry dough, and a pastry brush to brush on the melted butter. You'll also need an electric mixer to whip up your cream cheese frosting while the cinnamon puff pastry rolls are in the oven!
You'll also want some parchment paper to line your baking tray, a small bowl to mix your cinnamon sugar mixture, and a sharp knife to cut your flaky cinnamon rolls into equal pieces!
Storage
You can store your golden brown cinnamon buns, unfrosted, in an airtight container in the fridge. Then just warm them a bit and spread your frosting on to enjoy in an airtight freezer-safe storage container, for up to two months.
Tips and F.A.Q.
To soften your butter, place the 2 tablespoon of butter in a microwave-safe container and heat on high for 4-6 seconds. To soften your block of cream cheese for these cinnamon puff pastry rolls, just remove it from the foil and place on a microwave-safe plate. Heat in the microwave for 10 seconds or until softened. It should be ready to add to your cream cheese glaze!
That's what we're doing with these cinnamon puff pastry rolls! Puff pastry dough is so versatile -- you can do so much with it! Check out some of my favorite puff pastry recipes!
You'll want to thaw your puff pastry in the fridge so that it doesn't get too warm. When you roll it out, it should still be cold, but fully thawed.
Because we're making these cinnamon rolls with puff pastry, it's important to use the high heat of your oven for the maximum puff. That's why we're baking these at 400 degrees! If you find that your puff pastry cinnamon swirls don't have the light, flaky, puffed-up texture you want, double check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer to make sure it's not running a bit cold.
Yes, you should definitely roll out your puff pastry to get it into an even, slightly thinner layer before adding your filling! So what happens if you don't roll out puff pastry? If you don't roll out the puff pastry, your rolls might be a little too thick and will take longer to bake.
They're so quick to prep, but if you're on a tight schedule, you can roll the cinnamon puff pastry dough up, without cutting it into pieces, the night before. Just keep it in the fridge in an airtight container and cut into 9 rolls when you're ready to bake!
The texture of the puff pastry works best the day of, but you can store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. You can pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to warm and soften them before serving.
Some of my favorite puff pastry recipes are these Coconut Palmiers, my Brie and Cranberry Tart, and my Peach Turnovers with Smoked Sugar!
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
More Recipes You'll Love
- Blackberry Lemon Sweet Rolls
- Banana Cinnamon Pancakes with Maple Brown Butter Glaze
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
- Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry - thawed but still cold
- 2 tablespoon (28 g) salted butter - melted
- 1 ½ teaspoon (7 ml) ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup (55 g) brown sugar - light or dark
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz (113 g) full-fat cream cheese - room temperature
- 2 tablespoon (28 g) salted butter - room temperature
- ½ teaspoon (2 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar - (120g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line an 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper.
- Open puff pastry sheet onto a floured surface and use a floured rolling pin to roll out to 10 x 15” rectangle, with the short side facing you.1 sheet puff pastry
- Brush melted butter onto pastry, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides.2 tablespoon salted butter
- Whisk cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over buttered pastry.1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ cup brown sugar
- Beginning with the side closest to you, roll pastry up tightly.
- Use a serrated knife to cut roll into 9 even pieces.
- Carefully place each cut roll onto an 8x8 or 9x9 square baking pan lined with parchment paper, with one of the cut sides facing up. Allow about an inch of space around each roll.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. While rolls are baking, prepare cream cheese frosting.
Prepare Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about two minutes. Mix in vanilla extract until well blended.
- Gradually add in powdered sugar, mixing on low, until combined. Beat another minute to a smooth and creamy consistency.1 cup powdered sugar
- Spread frosting over warm cinnamon puff pastry rolls right out of the oven, and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Last Updated on March 16, 2025 by Chenée Lewis
Donna P Dancik says
Fabulous! My Husband agrees.They are easy to make and that caramel crunch on the bottom is a wonderful surprise. Thank you for sharing. I will be making them again and again ; )
Chenée Lewis says
Wonderful! I'm glad you both liked them!
Elizabeth says
The puff pastry gives these cinnamon rolls such a unique texture but they are just as delicious. I like how easy these are to make - no waiting for dough to rise!
Chenée Lewis says
Me too! I love a quick and easy treat!
Sharon says
Cinnamon rolls made with flaky puff pastry? Yes, please! This recipe was so easy to make and the perfect sweet treat.
Chenée Lewis says
The easy part is my favorite! So glad you like them too!
Kim says
These are seriously addictive! I'm in love with the cream cheese frosting paired with the cinnamon. And so light and flaky too!
Chenée Lewis says
I love them too! Thanks so much!
Stacy says
OMG! I just found this site a couple of days ago and I'm so glad I did! These cinnamon rolls were absolutely delicious! They were super easy to make too! I just moved and didn't have my mixer unpacked yet, so I just put a little muscle into mixing up the icing and it was perfect. I'm about to make them again right now... My hubby loves them as well! Thanx Chenée for such a great recipe... I can't wait to try more!
Chenée Lewis says
Thank you so much for the feedback! I'm so glad you both liked them!
Jen Sim says
I recently bought cinnamon rolls that were pre-rolled and just needed to be baked and I wasn’t really impressed with the taste. So I was really excited when I saw your recipe and I decided to make them again. I was so impressed, they tasted so delicious and I will be using your recipe from now on!
Chenée Lewis says
Great! I'm so glad you enjoyed this way of making cinnamon rolls!
Immaculate Ruému says
This was my first time making cinnamon rolls with puff pastry. I’ve been so used to the usual dough. The fluff was perfect and the taste was yummy!
Chenée Lewis says
So glad you enjoyed them!
Jazz says
I had everything on hand to make these for Saturday morning brunch and am not proud to say I ate them all just a few days. Easy AND irresistible!
Chenée Lewis says
I don't blame you! They're so good 🙂
kaluhi says
These were so flaky and so perfect! The F.A.Q were particularly insightful and cleared up any anxiety I had about making these! Mom loved them so much and so did!
Chenée Lewis says
Yay! So glad the post was helpful and that you enjoyed them!
Cheryl says
I love a good cinnamon roll and this is one of the easiest recipes to put together and it tastes so good. The other thing that I love about it is that it makes a small batch. Perfect since there are just 2 of us at home.
Chenée Lewis says
Absolutely! I love small batch baking!
Britney Brown says
not only were these so easy to make, they were so delicious! I loved that I didn't have to mix together too many ingredients and wait for the dough to rise or anything complicated. These were quick, easy, and so tasty!
Chenée Lewis says
Quick and easy is always good! So glad you liked them!
Marta says
Puff pastry IS everything and so are these rolls. When I tell you I almost fought my husband for putting his hands on the last one, I'm not playing. They're so flaky and perfectly spiced
Chenée Lewis says
Haha they're worth fighting for!