We Asked 3 Chefs to Name the Best Canned Cinnamon Rolls, and They All Said the Same Thing (No, Not Pillsbury!)

Ali Domrongchai
Ali DomrongchaiAssociate Editor, Groceries
Ali Domrongchai, a Southern-raised, Brooklyn-based food writer, grew up around her family's Thai restaurant that sparked her initial love for food. (Fun fact: her grandparents briefly ran a Thai grocery store in the 70s). In this space, her curiosity on the role that food plays…read more
published Dec 23, 2024
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overhead shot of cinnamon rolls with icing
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Janette Zepeda

As great as homemade cinnamon rolls are, not everyone has the three hours (at least) it takes to knead the dough and let it all rise. And that’s all before you even get to baking them! That doesn’t keep the desire for a sweet, gooey cinnamon bun at bay, though. The perfect shortcut? Canned cinnamon rolls.

To find the best brand, I asked a handful of my chef and baker friends their thoughts on store-bought cinnamon rolls. Their unanimous recommendation? Immaculate Baking Cinnamon Rolls. They all agreed it’s the absolute best store-bought option for soft, cinnamon-y rolls that make for the perfect holiday — or any day — breakfast. 

Credit: Danielle Centoni

The Best Canned Cinnamon Rolls, According to Chefs

Corliss Kanazawa, the owner of Cafe Kibo, a Brooklyn-based cafe and dessert pop-up, values a cinnamon roll that is not only sweet and buttery, but also has varying textures. “My favorite is the Immaculate Baking Cinnamon Rolls because I love how the edges get golden, almost crispy, while the center stays pillowy soft.” They’re as close to homemade as a store-bought cinnamon roll can be.

Immaculate Baking Cinnamon Rolls
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Corliss isn’t the only one. Lauren Dozier, a fabulous recipe developer and baker friend who often makes delicious cinnamon rolls from scratch, is also a big fan of Immaculate Baking Cinnamon Rolls. In addition to the prominent cinnamon-y swirls, these fluffed-up rolls bring back a bit of nostalgia for her: “It is such an easy, special breakfast and reminds me of snow days in elementary school.”

My entire family of chefs agree. In fact, my aunt, chef and owner of Peppermint, in Royal Palm Beach, Florida, first introduced me to them when I was a kid and to this day you’ll almost always find a can in my fridge. They have an ideal ratio of gooey goodness to sweetness, and come with a squeeze packet of icing for an easy drizzle. There are no added preservatives, artificial flavors, or hydrogenated oils, which I personally think is what makes them taste so homemade.

Buy: Immaculate Baking Cinnamon Rolls, $7.89 (on sale!) for 17.5 ounces at Instacart

What’s your favorite canned cinnamon roll brand? Tell us about it in the comments below.

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