If you love cinnamon rolls but don’t love waiting hours for dough to rise, this cinnamon roll puff pastry is about to become your new go-to treat. They’re flaky, buttery, filled with a creamy cinnamon-sugar center, and topped with the easiest cream cheese drizzle – the perfect quick and easy dessert! Puff pastry gives you that beautiful layered texture you normally get from a bakery—except you’re making it in your pajamas with zero effort.
Whether it’s brunch, holidays, dessert, or just a cozy afternoon craving, these pastries taste fancy and comforting at the same time. And if you want more easy desserts I also recommended checking out my strawberry pudding, lychee dessert cups, apple galette, and tiramisu cookies!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Cinnamon Roll Puff Pastry Recipe
Fast & Easy: No yeast, no rising time, no stress. Puff pastry does all the work for you.
Perfect for Entertaining: These pastries look bakery-level impressive but come together in minutes, making them ideal for brunch boards, parties, and holidays.
Make-Ahead Friendly: Prep everything in advance and bake right before serving, or bake ahead and reheat when guests arrives – the perfect quick and easy dessert!
Flaky & Buttery: Puff pastry gives you that golden, layered, ultra-flaky texture without homemade dough.
Key Ingredients and Why They Matter
Puff Pastry Sheets: The star of the recipe. Puff pastry provides those signature flaky layers and eliminates the need for yeast or kneading. Pepperidge Farm works perfectly.
Sugar + Cinnamon: The classic cinnamon roll flavor combination. Using a generous cinnamon-sugar sprinkle on top creates caramelized edges and a warm, cozy aroma.
Cream Cheese: Makes the filling rich, tangy, and creamy. It melts beautifully inside the pastry and adds that cinnamon-roll-meets-cheesecake vibe.
Powdered Sugar + Milk: Used for the drizzle. Powdered sugar ensures smoothness, while milk loosens the mixture to your ideal glaze consistency.
Earth Balance Butter (melted): Helps the cinnamon sugar stick to the pastry and encourages browning for a golden, crisp finish.
Recipe Tips for my Cinnamon Roll Puff Pastry
Keep the puff pastry cold: Warm pastry becomes sticky and loses its flaky layers. If it softens too much, pop it back in the fridge for 5–10 minutes before assembling.
Don’t overfill the pastry: Too much filling causes leaks and prevents the edges from sealing. A thin, even layer works best.
Seal edges firmly: Use water + fork-crimping to keep the filling inside. Any gaps will allow the cream cheese to melt out.
Vent the top: Those tiny holes prevent steam buildup, which helps the pastry puff evenly without bursting.
Please remember to leave a review if you make this recipe! The feedback helps me to become a better cook and develop amazing recipes for you.
Cinnamon Roll Puff Pastry (Quick and Easy Dessert Idea)
Ingredients
- 1 Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry Sheet
- 1/2 c Sugar
- 1/2 tbsp Cinnamon Powder
- 4 oz Cream Cheese
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 c Powdered Sugar
- 2.5 tbsp Earth Balance Butter , (melted)
- 1 splash Milk
Instructions
- Make the cream cheese filling: Add cream cheese, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, melted butter, and a splash of milk to a bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Prepare the pastry: Thaw puff pastry sheet and cut it into six equal pieces. This yields three pastries.
- Add the filling: Spoon cream cheese filling into the center of three pieces, keeping about an inch of space around the edges to prevent leaking.
- Seal the pastry: Wet the edges lightly with water using your fingertip. Place the remaining pastry pieces on top and press the edges together to seal.
- Vent and crimp: Use a fork to poke three small ventilation holes on top of each pastry. Crimp the edges with the fork to ensure they’re fully sealed.
- Add butter and cinnamon sugar: Brush the tops with melted butter. Mix cinnamon and sugar together, then generously sprinkle over each pastry.
- Bake: Bake at 370°F for about 20 minutes, or until the pastries are golden and puffed.
- Make the glaze: Add a splash of milk to the leftover cream cheese mixture and whisk until smooth and pourable.
- Finish: Drizzle the glaze over the pastries once slightly cooled.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
FAQs
Absolutely. Assemble them the night before, refrigerate, and bake fresh the next morning. You can also bake them ahead and reheat in the oven.
The edges weren’t sealed well enough or the filling was spread too close to the border. Leave at least 1 inch of space around the edges.
Nutella, fruit preserves, chocolate chips, cinnamon apples, or even pumpkin pie filling all work beautifully.
Absolutely delicious, my husband asks me to make them twice a week. I roll out my puff pastry so I get 6 instead of 3