Ever wonder how to make cinnamon rolls like the ones from Cinnabon? A viral hack has been circulating on TikTok that's supposed to transform store-bought cinnamon rolls into the extra-gooey treats you'd get at the mall. When we saw the TikTok, we knew we had to try it.
Growing up, my grandma used to make me Pillsbury cinnamon rolls on the weekends, and I always thought they could never get any better. Turns out, they can. The secret ingredient, according to this hack? Heavy whipping cream.
First, we layered the cinnamon rolls in a deep baking pan. Then we poured heavy whipping cream to coat the rolls and the bottom of the pan. I used about half of a 16-ounce container, but it'll depend on the size of your pan and how many cinnamon rolls you're making.
For the topping, we melted one stick of butter and added 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon, and a bit of vanilla. Mix it up and pour it over the cinnamon rolls, then bake following the instructions on the package. We covered them with foil to keep the outsides from burning and to preserve moisture.
Once they're out of the oven, let them cool for a few minutes before adding the icing that comes in the can of cinnamon rolls. Some people like to doctor the icing with powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and milk, but we used it as is. You can easily play around with the recipe by adding chopped pecans or walnuts, or even using flavored coffee creamer instead of whipping cream.
The result? Ooey, gooey, rich, and flavorful cinnamon rolls that totally beat the often dried-out ones that come from the can. While they were pretty messy when still warm, once they cooled, they looked as if they came straight from a bakery. They could easily be mistaken for Cinnabon or even from-scratch cinnamon rolls.
If you want to try your hand at homemade cinnamon rolls, we've got you covered with easy overnight cinnamon rolls, maple bacon cinnamon rolls, pumpkin cinnamon rolls, and even those you can pop in the air fryer. Pair them with any of these 35 bubbly mimosas and you'll for sure win brunch.
