Easy Cinnamon Roll Recipe with Cream Cheese Glaze

Is there anything better than hot and fresh cinnamon rolls on a Sunday morning? Or any morning really, or afternoon… or even for dessert! These quick and easy cinnamon rolls start with a crescent roll dough sheet, so there is no rising and no waiting.

The dough is brushed with butter, covered in cinnamon sugar, rolled up and baked in a muffin tin, then topped with the BEST cream cheese glaze. They take about 10 minutes to prep and bake in 11 to 13 minutes.

The Best Easy Cinnamon Roll Recipe (Semi Homemade)

I could eat cinnamon rolls any day of the week, at any time during that week. It’s a special kind of love I have for these cuties. Now, I have made the real deal, and I have also made canned cinnamon rolls more times than I could count. Both are fantastic really, you can’t go wrong!

Making a cinnamon roll dough recipe from scratch can get pretty involved, and frankly, they take a LONG time to make. They have to rise twice, and that’s a lot more waiting than I usually have time for. So, I wanted to come up with a semi homemade easy cinnamon roll recipe that can be whipped up in a matter of minutes, but still has that slightly homemade flair that makes them special.

For these quick cinnamon rolls, I used dough that you can buy. Located by all the other doughs like pizza crust, crescent rolls and even the canned cinnamon rolls is something labeled “crescent roll sheet.” These are relatively new and really come in handy! I layered all the goodies on top, rolled them up and baked them, then topped them off with a cream cheese glaze, oh yea!

They are so so yummy and so so easy, you have to try them!

Why You’ll Love These Quick Cinnamon Rolls

• No yeast, no rising. A store bought crescent roll sheet skips the long double rise of scratch dough.
• Fast. About 10 minutes of prep and 11 to 13 minutes in the oven.
• Cream cheese glaze. A thick but pourable glaze made with cream cheese, vanilla and butter.
• Even, tidy rolls. Baking them in a muffin tin helps every roll rise up nice and even.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here is what goes into these crescent roll cinnamon rolls and why each one matters. Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

• Crescent roll dough sheet: Look for the seamless sheet near the canned crescent rolls, pizza crust and cinnamon rolls in the refrigerated section. Because it has no perforations, it rolls up into a smooth spiral. If you can only find regular crescent rolls, press the seams together firmly before you add the filling.
• Unsalted butter: Melted butter is brushed over the dough so the cinnamon sugar sticks and turns gooey as it bakes. A little more butter goes into the glaze for richness.
• Granulated sugar and ground cinnamon: Mixed together for the filling. It looks like a lot, and yes, use it all. That generous layer is what melts into the swirl.
• Cream cheese: The base of the glaze. Let it soften at room temperature first so it beats up smooth with no lumps. Full fat block cream cheese gives the thickest, creamiest glaze.
• Powdered sugar: Sweetens the glaze and helps it set into a soft layer on the warm rolls. Sift it if it looks clumpy.
• Vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract: Vanilla bean paste adds pretty little specks and a deeper vanilla flavor, but pure vanilla extract works just as well.
• Milk: Thins the glaze to a pourable consistency. Add it one tablespoon at a time so you can stop when it is just right. Any milk you have on hand will work, from whole milk to unsweetened almond milk, though whole milk makes the richest glaze.
• Cooking spray: Grease the muffin tin well so the sugary bottoms release cleanly.

How to Make Easy Quick Cinnamon Rolls

1. Heat the oven and roll out the dough. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Unroll the crescent roll sheet onto a cutting board and brush it all over with the melted butter, right to the edges.
2. Add the cinnamon sugar. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle it evenly over the buttered dough. Use all of it, even though it looks like a lot.
3. Roll and slice. With the shorter side of the rectangle facing you, roll the dough up tightly. Slice the log into six even pieces. A sharp knife and a gentle sawing motion keep the spirals from squishing.
4. Bake. Grease six cups of a muffin tin well with cooking spray. Place each roll cut side up in its cup. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the rolls are puffed and golden brown. Set the tin on a wire rack to cool slightly.
5. Make the glaze. While the rolls bake, beat the softened cream cheese in a medium bowl with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix, then add the melted butter and mix again. Add the milk one tablespoon at a time until the glaze is thick but pourable.
6. Glaze and serve. Drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls so it melts into every swirl, and serve while warm.

Ways to Customize These Cinnamon Rolls

• Switch the sugar. Use light brown sugar in the filling for a deeper, more caramel flavor.
• Add some crunch. Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over the cinnamon sugar before rolling.
• Brighten the glaze. Swap one tablespoon of the milk for fresh orange juice and add a little orange zest.
• Keep it simple. Skip the cream cheese and whisk powdered sugar with a splash of milk and vanilla for a classic glaze.

Easy Cinnamon Roll FAQs

• What is a crescent roll dough sheet? It is a seamless sheet of refrigerated crescent dough, sold next to the canned crescent rolls, pizza crust and cinnamon rolls. It has no perforations, so it rolls up cleanly.
• Can I use regular crescent rolls? Yes. Unroll the dough and pinch the perforations together firmly so the filling does not leak out while it bakes.
• Why bake them in a muffin tin? The cups hold each roll upright so it rises tall and even. Rolls baked touching in a baking dish tend to come out uneven.
• How do I know they are done? They are ready when the tops are golden brown and the dough looks puffed and set, usually 11 to 13 minutes at 375°F.
• My glaze is too thick or too thin. What do I do? Add milk one tablespoon at a time if it is too thick. If it gets too runny, beat in a little more powdered sugar.
• Can I use vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean paste? Yes, use the same amount of pure vanilla extract.
• How do I store leftovers? Because of the cream cheese glaze, keep leftover rolls covered in the refrigerator and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Warm them briefly in the microwave before serving.
• Can I make them ahead? They are best fresh and warm, but you can make the glaze a day ahead and keep it in the fridge. Let it soften and stir it before using.

Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls

Crescent roll cinnamon rolls made with a store bought crescent dough sheet, butter and cinnamon sugar, baked in a muffin tin and finished with a cream cheese glaze. No yeast and no rising, so they are ready fast.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 13 minutes mins

Total Time 23 minutes mins

Servings 6 rolls

Ingredients

  

• 1 can crescent roll dough sheet
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Glaze

• 4 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
• 3 tablespoons milk

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out crescent roll sheet. Brush with melted butter. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkled evenly over the dough (yes, it's a lot. yes, use it all.)
• The sheet is a rectangle, with the shorter side facing you, roll up tightly into a roll. Slice into six even pieces.
• Grease six sections of a muffin tin well with cooking spray. Place each roll cut side up into each section. Bake for 11-15 minutes until rolls are golden brown. Place tin on a wire rack and let cool.
• While rolls are cooking, place the cream cheese in a medium-sized bowl and cream until smooth with a hand mixer. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, mix to combine. Add the butter and mix to combine. Add the milk one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency. The glaze should be thick but pourable. 
• Glaze rolls, serve while warm.

Made these cinnamon rolls? Leave a star rating in the recipe card and let us know in the comments below how they came out. We love hearing about your cinnamon roll mornings.

More Recipes You’ll Love

• Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls
• Apple Coffee Cake with Crumb Topping
• Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
• Easy Eggnog Cupcakes
• Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

This recipe was shared by Dana. Visit her blog, This Silly Girl’s Kitchen, for more recipes.