If you've ever wondered how to turn frozen dinner rolls into soft, gooey cinnamon rolls… you're in the right place.
These easy cinnamon rolls start with frozen bread dough (hello shortcut!) and bake up into a sticky, pull-apart style treat with a sweet lemon glaze on top. No kneading, no stress-just simple ingredients and a pan of rolls that disappear way too fast.
My mom calls these "dangerously delicious," and after one bite, you'll understand why!
Why these cinnamon rolls are pull-apart style
These aren't traditional rolled cinnamon spirals. Instead, each piece is coated in buttery cinnamon sugar and baked together, creating soft, sticky layers you can pull apart piece by piece. Same cozy flavor, way less work.
Can you make cinnamon rolls with frozen dinner rolls?
Yes! Frozen dinner rolls are an easy shortcut for homemade cinnamon rolls. Once thawed, they act just like dough-soft, fluffy, and ready to soak up all that buttery cinnamon sugar goodness.
Pull-Apart Cinnamon Bread
Ingredients
- 16 rolls frozen dinner rolls or frozen bread dough.
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup butter melted
- ½ cups walnuts optional
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 lemon freshly squeezed juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the 8x10 baking dish. Be sure to butter the sides and bottom of the pan.
- Thaw the frozen rolls, cut each roll in half.
- Melt the butter. Mix together cinnamon, sugar and brown sugar.
- Dunk each roll in butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Place in pan, repeat with remaining rolls. Do not crowd, place in one even layer.
- Dust the top of the rolls with any remaining cinnamon sugar and top with walnuts.
- Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Place in a warm place and allow to rise for 2-3 hours, until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees - bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and baked thru.
- Mix together powdered sugar, lemon and vanilla. Add just enough lemon to make the glaze easy to drizzle. Drizzle over the top of the baked cinnamon rolls.
Notes
- Finely chopped apples, pecans, raisins or crasins would be a lovely addition to the cinnamon rolls.
- Cooked crumbled bacon mixed in with the brown sugar? Sweet, savory deliciousness!
- Instead of the powdered sugar glaze, caramel or a drizzle of chocolate sauce would be amazing.
Nutrition
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Ingredients
Easy ways to change up these cinnamon rolls
These easy cinnamon rolls made with frozen dinner rolls are super flexible-here are a few simple ways to switch things up.
- Add chopped apples, pecans, raisins, or dried cranberries for extra texture and flavor.
- Want a sweet-and-savory twist? Sprinkle in cooked, crumbled bacon with the brown sugar.
- Swap the lemon glaze for caramel sauce or a drizzle of chocolate if you're feeling a little extra.
FAQ's
Rhodes rolls are my go-to for this recipe, but don't worry if that's not what you have at your store. Any frozen yeast dinner rolls will work beautifully, so you can use whatever's in your freezer and still get soft, fluffy cinnamon rolls.
If the rolls don't rise, they're usually still too cold. Frozen dough needs time to fully thaw and warm up before it will puff up. Set the pan in a warm spot and give it more time-once they're soft and slightly puffy, you're good to bake.
Absolutely! This step makes all the difference. Skipping the rise will give you dense, doughy rolls instead of soft, fluffy ones. You're looking for the dough to double in size before it goes into the oven.
You can! Assemble everything, cover the pan, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let the rolls sit at room temperature until they've puffed up, then bake as directed.
Tips for soft, gooey cinnamon rolls every time
Coating each piece of dough in melted butter before rolling it in the cinnamon sugar is what gives these rolls their soft, gooey texture. That buttery layer keeps everything tender as it bakes and helps create that sticky, pull-apart finish that makes them so hard to resist.
Be careful not to crowd the pan when adding the dough pieces. If they're packed too tightly, the centers can stay underbaked. Give them a little room to expand as they rise, and if the tops start browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover with foil and continue baking until the middle is cooked through.
Don't rely on the tops alone to tell you when the rolls are done. Even if they look golden brown, the centers can still be a little doughy. Gently pull apart a piece from the middle to check-it should be soft and fluffy, not sticky or raw.
Related recipes
If you're in the mood for more cozy baking, there are a few favorites you won't want to miss. Craving that classic swirl and made-from-scratch feel? My cinnamon rolls from homemade bread dough deliver soft, fluffy layers with that traditional cinnamon roll texture. Short on time but still want something sweet? Crescent cinnamon rolls come together fast and bake up golden, buttery, and irresistible.
And if you're feeling a little extra, the apple cobbler with cinnamon rolls is pure comfort in a pan-warm, spiced apples tucked under soft cinnamon roll topping.
Warm gooey cinnamon rolls made easy
If you're looking for an easy way to bring warm, homemade cinnamon rolls to the table without the extra work, this recipe is one you'll come back to again and again. It's simple, reliable, and always a hit. Whether it's a slow weekend morning or a holiday brunch.
Give it a try, and don't forget to leave a rating or share your photos. I love seeing how these turn out in your kitchen!
michele says
Im loving that you use store bought rolls to get cinnamon rolls! What a great idea... so much easier and you know they will turn out the same each time!
Michaela Kenkel says
I need to try these cinnamon rolls. We have company coming this weekend perfect opportunity!
Julie Menghini says
We love recipes like this. These sweet rolls will go perfectly with my morning coffee and I love how simple you've made them!
Bowl Me Over says
Thank you Julie, sweet rolls are life - I totally agree!!
Robin Abrams says
We make a ham, cheesy scalloped potatos, green beans, deviled eggs , home made dressing.
Bowl Me Over says
That sounds like a great spread Robin! Happy Easter, I hope it's a great one!!
Angela Paris says
Gosh you're photos are so beautiful! I just want to crawl into it and gobble these up!
Bowl Me Over says
Haha! That's awesome Angela - I should pack up a care package to send your way! ?
Liza says
What an awesome idea for the upcoming Easter celebrations! It must be so yummy!
Bowl Me Over says
Thank you Liza!! Dan ate so much of these it gave him a tummy ache! The man likes his sweets!!