Posted on 08/30/2025 5:06:12 AM PDT by Twotone
As the primary cook in my house, I’m always looking for smart shortcuts that deliver delicious results. While I adore homemade cinnamon rolls, the time and effort involved means I reserve them for lazy weekend baking projects or holidays. For all other times, I reach for a tube of refrigerated cinnamon rolls.
If you’ve been anywhere near TikTok or Instagram in the last few years, you’ve likely seen cascades of heavy cream poured over refrigerated rolls in kitchens across the country. I first saw this hack from MacKenzie Smith of @grilledcheesesocial. She credits @mississippi_kween and @manthacancook with the inspiration, but it’s still not clear where this sensation started. The claim is that pouring heavy cream over place-and-bake breakfast pastries turns them into decadent Cinnabon-style cinnamon rolls. Could it be that easy? I took to the kitchen to find out.
How to Make the Viral TikTok Cinnamon Rolls with Heavy Cream
Making these mall-inspired pastries is easier than finding a parking space during the holiday rush. Arrange a package of refrigerated cinnamon rolls in a buttered baking dish. Pour 1/2 cup heavy cream over the rolls and bake according to package directions. Once the cinnamon rolls are puffed and brown, frost them with the included icing and serve.
My Honest Review of the Viral TikTok Cinnamon Rolls with Heavy Cream
I’ve always believed that the best part of refrigerated cinnamon rolls was the icing. The rolls themselves were always oddly dry and and without much flavor. Baking the rolls with heavy cream changed all of that — but with a few caveats!
While MacKenzie makes a double batch, with two tubes of dough and one cup of cream, I baked half that amount — one tube of rolls and a half-cup heavy cream — for my family of four. I feared that the underside of the rolls would be soggy, but the rolls soaked up most of the cream. The resulting rolls were plush, soft, and rich, just like Cinnabon’s! With a few rolls leftover, I set them aside at room temperature to see how they would hold up. The next morning the rolls were still soft and, once warmed, were immediately gobbled up.
If You’re Going to Try the Viral TikTok Cinnamon Rolls, a Few Tips:
Use Grands cinnamon rolls. I tested this hack twice (you know, for science). First I baked regular-sized Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, then the larger Grands-style rolls. The size and texture of the Grands cinnamon rolls resembled the Cinnabon rolls much more closely than the regular rolls.
Do not underbake. The heavy cream can slow the bake time, so even if you’re used to pulling refrigerated rolls from the oven a minute or two early (as I am), you’ll want to shoot for the middle of the recommended baking time. If you’re worried about over-browning, cover the top with foil once they turn golden.
Wait before icing. Let the cinnamon rolls cool for two minutes before adding the icing. If the icing is added to pipin’ hot rolls, it will melt and glaze them. Waiting a bit will ensure the icing goes on like a thick, rich frosting.
Yep. Me too.
Viral food? Sounds very 21st century.
Rollin rollin rollin, keep them cream rolls rollin...
Read your local restaurant inspection reports.
Viral food’s a thing.
I’ll pass. It looks like a diabetic coma waiting to happen. 😃
“I’ll pass. It looks like a diabetic coma waiting to happen. 😃”
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...and heart disease, and cancer, and lower testosterone, and dementia, and...
I like to unroll the unbaked roll and stick raisins on it & roll it back up. Sometimes I add a little brown sugar to the top and dot with butter.
Ill give this cream trick a try.
There is a fine line, a “balance” if you will, of moderate intake.
Some people are able to have a bite or two of something sweet and they possess the self control to not devour the rest of it.
I am decidedly in the other camp.
Hyper sugar, carbs galore and...hey...let’s give those triglycerides a boost. No thanks.
Generally I follow an Atkins-type diet. But every once in a while, it’s nice to have a treat.
The best cinnamon roll hack is to unroll them, amd then roll them back up with a strip of bacon before popping them in the oven.
Ha. I’ll stick with raisins ; )
I saw that on YouTube months ago but haven’t tried it yet.
This gives me an idea for an egg custard, sweetened with a bit of apple syrup instead of sugar. Grands are going on my shopping list right now!
Take a glass of orange juice.
Pour into a blender.
Turn on the blender.
Put in one tbsp of Coffee-Mate.
Blend for 30 seconds and decant.
A hack for a more “full bodied” cinnamon roll. (Important note: not for those taking blood thinners.)
Vietnamese (or Saigan) cinnamon has a stronger flavor, but it also contains Coumarin, a blood thinner. If you sprinkle some on before icing, it will definitely fire up your rolls.
BFLR
I love these “hacks” that involve a ton of butter or heavy cream and such. Yeah it’s gonna come out good alright
I’m on the Wrong page !!!
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