Buzz
Cinnabon’s cinnamon rolls stand in a category of their own. They’re stickier, gooier, denser, and more indulgent than most others.
There are countless copycat recipes for mass-produced favorites, and I’m not here to reinvent the wheel. Plenty of great recipes already exist, including my favorite by Stella Parks. In reality, any cinnamon roll recipe can be adjusted to achieve that Cinnabon-esque perfection with just three simple tweaks.
Increase the amount of icing.
This isn’t the time for subtlety. We’re not creating delicate French pastries or intricate English tea cakes—these are big, bold American cinnamon rolls, born in the bustling chaos of a mall food court. Are Cinnabon’s rolls simply drizzled with icing? Absolutely not—they are drowned in it. Whatever amount of icing your recipe suggests, double it. The worst-case scenario? You end up with ‘too much’ icing. But somehow, I’m sure you’ll handle it just fine.
Opt for high-quality cinnamon.
You’ve likely visited a mall before (I’m not sure who exactly reads this site, but I’m willing to bet ‘having been to a mall’ is pretty common). And when you were there, you probably caught the irresistible scent of cinnamon, sugar, butter, and yeast wafting through the air, making your mouth water. While any cinnamon roll can trigger a similar reaction, Cinnabon uses a special, proprietary cinnamon blend they’ve trademarked as ‘Makara cinnamon.’ You can buy it in a branded jar, or go for Korintjie cinnamon—the one that won the original ‘which cinnamon will we use for our rolls?’ contest many years ago. It’s a more fragrant, bolder cinnamon that gives their rolls an irresistible allure.
Undercook them just a little.
No one has ever bitten into a cinnamon roll and thought, ‘I wish this were drier.’ The best cinnamon rolls are soft and doughy in the center, with a slightly golden, barely crisp crust that gives just enough resistance before revealing the gooey, pillowy, sticky center. To get this perfect texture, undercook your rolls by 10-15 degrees.
Cinnabon bakes theirs at a very low 165℉, but that temperature works specifically for their dough and may not be ideal for yours, depending on the ingredients. When I tried baking Parks’ rolls at that temperature, they turned out more raw than pleasantly doughy. However, when I baked them 15 degrees below the suggested final temperature (190℉ instead of 205℉), they were absolutely perfect. There wasn’t a true ‘crust,’ just a lightly golden, heat-kissed dough barrier to give the roll some structure. Inside, there was a gooey, cinnamon-soaked paradise waiting. It felt like being back in the food court, but without the competing smells of other food stalls or any teenagers. I would never allow a teen in my kitchen.
