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Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect short cut to freshly baked cinnamon rolls on a weekend morning! Made in under 10 minutes, requiring just canned Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls and an optional splash of heavy cream … these delicious cinnamon buns are golden brown, soft, fluffy, moist, and topped with ooey-gooey icing. They are sure to change your store bought cinnamon roll game forever!
Want to make more sweet treats in the air fryer? Head over to my Air Fryer Apple Slices or Air Fryer S’mores next.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I absolutely LOVE cinnamon rolls! They might just be my favorite sweet treat out there. Better than warm cookies or gooey, fudgy brownies. But I don’t love the process of making them!
They require a lot of time, patience, and effort …. and I am not ashamed to admit that even after all of that, sometimes mine don’t turn out properly. I am just not a professional baker, especially when it comes to doughs! Which is why I am very well acquainted with my good friend, Pillsbury.
I’ve baked the pre-made rolls all my life, until recently. When I discovered you could make them in the air fryer. YUP. I know, crazy! You can pick your jaw up off the floor while I tell you why this cooking method will forever change your store bought cinnamon roll game from here on out.
Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls are:
- THE BEST canned cinnamon rolls you will ever have! As I said above, I love cinnamon rolls – so I have had my fair share of ones from a tube. We all know these cinnamon rolls are not necessarily culinary masterpieces. But this method of preparing them is the closest they’ve every been! Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside from air frying, plus moist in the middle from the heavy cream … this short and sweet recipe is one for success.
- Everything a Cinnamon Roll Should Be: They’re golden brown, fluffy, and moist. But also oooey-gooey, soft, buttery, and delicious. Biting into one of these is pure heaven!
- Quick & Easy: Refrigerated cinnamon rolls have always been quick and easy, but when made in the air fryer they are even quicker and easier! No waiting for the dang oven to pre-heat, which we all know takes forever. It’s like watching a pot boil!
- Perfect Brunch Addition: I know from experience that cinnamon rolls are the first to go at any brunch! Everyones love them. This recipe will pretty much be the easiest, lowest effort way to please your guests.
If you are looking for more short cut cinnamon rolls, you have to check out my Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls! These require a little bit more effort, using a pre-made dough but a homemade filling and frosting.
Ingredients
These easy cinnamon rolls in the air fryer require 2 simple ingredients! A can of cinnamon rolls, like Pillsbury, and heavy cream.
- Canned Cinnamon Rolls: I use and love a can of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls here! But different brands should work just the same.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream is a slightly optional ingredient here, but I do not think it is. I find that adding a splash of cream to the cinnamon buns before cooking keeps them extra moist. It helps achieve the feel of real homemade cinnamon rolls!
Equipment Needed
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- Air Fryer – I use and love the Instant Slim 6QT Air Fryer Oven
- Aluminum Foil
How To Make Cinnamon Rolls In The Air Fryer
Air frying is probably the best, quickest, and most delicious way to make your store bought canned cinnamon rolls. You’ll have delicious cinnamon rolls – warm, fluffy, moist, and sweet – in a fraction of the time.
I’m talking about 10 minutes total to have your kitchen smelling like cinnamon sugar delight and a sweet treat breakfast on the table!
Step 1: Preheat. Line the air fryer basket with aluminum foil or a piece of parchment paper and preheat to 320 degrees.
Step 2: Add rolls and cream. Place the cinnamon rolls in the preheated air fryer in a single layer.Spread the heavy cream on top of the cinnamon rolls.
Step 3: Cook for 8 minutes.I recommend checking the cinnamon rolls at about 6-7 minutes because each air fryer will have a slightly different cooking time.
Step 4: Warm icing. While the cinnamon rolls are air frying, transfer the icing to a microwave safe small bowl. Microwave for about 15 seconds, or until it reaches a pourable consistency.
Step 5: Top. Remove the cinnamon rolls from the air fryer. Spread the icing evenly on top of the rolls.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy!
Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls Recipe Variations
This recipe is quite straightforward, requiring only 2 main ingredients, so there is not too much that can be changed! However, I do have a few ideas below.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: A way to make these air fryer pillsbury cinnamon rolls feel more decadent, delicious, and homemade is to skip the icing provided and make your own. I would recommend a cream cheese frosting! Like the one here.
- Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls: This recipe uses classic small Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, but you could use bigger Pillsbury Grands as well! I love that these have more of a bakery-style, big, fluffy cinnamon rolls vibe. I would simply recommend increasing the cooking time to 10-12 minutes and adding more heavy cream to account for the bigger size!
Expert Tips
Make sure to line the bottom of the basket in the air fryer! Especially if you are using the heavy cream, which I recommend. The cream will leak and drip a bit off of the cinnamon rolls, so when you line the basket you will be left with less of a mess. However, if you’re skipping the heavy cream you could just opt for cooking spray!
Check on the cinnamon rolls in the air fryer about halfway through! The allotted time of 8 minutes should leave you with perfectly soft and golden brown buns, but every air fryer is different. Therefore, I recommend checking throughout just to ensure things are going according to plan.
Do the heavy cream! My major qualm with store bought cinnamon roll dough is that the rolls can turn out rather dry. To combat this I add a splash of heavy cream to each roll before cooking. It works like a charm! Keeping them perfectly moist, gooey, and soft.
Heat up the icing! Another tip to make refrigerated cinnamon rolls as ooey-gooey delicious as possible is to warm up the icing before adding it to the warm cinnamon rolls. It will just help the icing spread more evenly and reach all the wonderful crevices in the rolls! You can also add melted butter on top for extra moistness.
Keep the air fryer temperature low! Cooking these rolls low and slow is what will give the best results. The lower temperature of 320F ensures that the cinnamon rolls gets nice and crispy on the outside, while also fully cooking through on the inside to fluffy, doughy perfection.
Serving Suggestions
In my personal opinion there is never a bad time to enjoy a cinnamon roll or a bad way to serve them! The cinnamon sugar filled, warm, and gooey buns are simply the most delightful treat. From Christmas morning to your average weekend brunch, I will whip up these air fryer cinnamon buns any chance I get.
Here’s what I’d serve them with:
- Coffee & Tea: My favorite way to spend a Sunday morning is with a fresh pastry in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. Now I wouldn’t necessarily call an air fryer cinnamon roll a fresh pastry, but it is most definitely a quick breakfast option that gives me the same joy.
- Fruit: Enjoy fresh berries, apple slices, or a banana on the side of this easy recipe to add some color and nutrients to your plate.
- Eggs: Scrambled, fried, or jammy eggs would all be a great option for pairing too! Or make it a totally air fryer meal with my Air Fried Soft Boiled Eggs.
- Breakfast Meat: As much as I’d like to eat 3 cinnamon rolls and call it a day for breakfast. I know that my body feels best with some protein too. I like to add chicken breakfast sausage, bacon, or ham on the side!
- Yogurt: If eggs and bacon are not your vibe and you’re more of a sweet tooth breakfast kind of person, try adding a yogurt parfait to the meal with your cinnamon buns. Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, granola, and honey sound perfect.
- More Sweets: Looking for more breakfast sweet treats to serve? Check out my Crescent Roll Monkey Bread of GF Cinnamon Coffee Cake. They are both wonderful!
Storing Suggestions
You can store leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep best for 2-3 days!
To reheat, I would simply recommend you pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds. You could also reheat in the air fryer, but I find that this can dry the rolls out.
FAQs
Which air fryer should I use?
I use and recommend using the Instant Slim 6QT Air Fryer Oven. I love it and find it works great for all sort of recipes in the air fryer.
Like my Air Fryer Salmon Bites, Air Fryer Cinnamon Peaches, Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes, and Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Thighs!
Can I line the air fryer with aluminum foil?
Yes, using aluminum foil in an air fryer is totally safe.
Air fryers are pretty much smaller convection ovens that use a heating element and a powerful fan to circulate hot air. Since foil is safe in a convection oven, it is also safe in an air fryer.
Can I use a different brand of canned cinnamon rolls?
Absolutely! Any brand of pre-made cinnamon rolls that you find at the grocery store should work here.
Do I need to turn the cinnamon rolls over while cooking?
No! No flipping is required for these rolls to cook properly.
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
No, I would not recommend it. Since this recipe is so quick and easy, requiring only 10 minutes, there really is no need to prepare it ahead of time.
The air fried cinnamon rolls are most delicious if served immediately and would take almost as long to warm up as they do to prepare the first time around!
Related Recipes
More Sweet Treat Breakfast Recipes
- Brown Butter Banana Bread
- Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls
- Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
- Cinnamon French Toast Bites
- GF Cinnamon Coffee Cake
- Crescent Roll Monkey Bread
- Cinnamon French Toast Casserole
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Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls (Canned Pillsbury!)
- Author: Kayla Berman
- Prep Time: 2 Minutes
- Cook Time: 8 Minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 Cinnamon Rolls 1x
- Category: Breakfast / Dessert
- Method: Air Fryer
Description
Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect short cut to freshly baked cinnamon rolls on a weekend morning! Made in under 10 minutes, requiring just canned Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls and an optional splash of heavy cream … these delicious cinnamon buns are golden brown, soft, fluffy, moist, and topped with ooey-gooey icing. They are sure to change your store bought cinnamon roll game forever!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 can Pillsbury cinnamon rolls
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
- Line the air fryer basket with aluminum foil or parchment paper and preheat to 320 degrees.
- Place the cinnamon rolls in the preheated air fryer.Spread the heavy cream on top of the cinnamon rolls.
- Cook for 8 minutes. I recommend checking the cinnamon rolls at about 6-7 minutes because each air fryer will have a slightly different cooking time.
- While the cinnamon rolls are air frying, transfer the icing to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for about 15 seconds, or until it reaches a pourable consistency.
- Remove the cinnamon rolls from the air fryer. Spread the icing evenly on top of the rolls.
- Serve and enjoy!
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