Last Updated on January 18, 2022 by Chenée Lewis
Super easy puff pastry cinnamon rolls! Cream cheese frosting and super quick prep make these cinnamon puff pastry rolls a deliciously simple treat! 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!
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Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls - Cream Cheese Frosting
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 easy to work with, easy to find in the store, incredibly versatile, and SO delicious. Case in point: these cinnamon puff pastry rolls are the perfect solution to your cinnamon roll craving, and they're ready in 30 minutes!
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. And yet -- 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 heavenly. They're perfect for weekend brunch with the family, an easy dessert for guests, or just to satisfy your cinnamon roll craving!
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.
Puff Pastry Rolls Ingredients
- a sheet of puff pastry - we'll be using one sheet of thawed store-bought puff pastry. 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 that you like.
- salted butter - we're melting salted butter for the cinnamon filling. 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 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 a pretty simple 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!
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 frosting!
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!
Because we're making these cinnamon rolls with puff pastry, it's important to bake them at a high heat 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 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
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.
- 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.4 oz full-fat cream cheese, 2 tablespoon salted butter, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 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
Stacy
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
Thank you so much for the feedback! I'm so glad you both liked them!
Jen Sim
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
Great! I'm so glad you enjoyed this way of making cinnamon rolls!
Immaculate Ruému
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
So glad you enjoyed them!
Jazz
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
I don't blame you! They're so good 🙂
kaluhi
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
Yay! So glad the post was helpful and that you enjoyed them!
Cheryl
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
Absolutely! I love small batch baking!
Britney Brown
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
Quick and easy is always good! So glad you liked them!
Marta
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
Haha they're worth fighting for!