The traditional cinnamon roll is pretty close to perfection. The soft, spice-infused dough topped with powdered sugar glaze is classic and timeless. If something is so good, why mess with it? The OG cinnamon roll recipes don’t need any fixing. Instead, we’re inspired by the ways people are creatively changing the narrative about what to do with cinnamon rolls and what can go inside of them.
If you’re not sold on modifying grandma’s recipe, no problem. But in case you change your mind, here are some ideas we’re excited to try.
Cinnamon Roll Filling Ideas and Inspiration
The Apple Pie Cinnamon Roll
If an apple pie married a cinnamon roll, we think we’d come for the wedding. The apple pie cinnamon roll version we’ve seen starts with making apple pie filling from scratch. After cooking down the apples with sugar and cinnamon, the softened, gooey apple mixture replaces the cinnamon-sugar mixture in the traditional cinnamon roll recipe. The dough is rolled, sliced, and baked and what comes out looks like the best thing that ever happened to apples.
The Bacon-Filled Cinnamon Rolls
Most people say that bacon makes anything taste better. We think cinnamon rolls are already amazing, but the addition of bacon probably can’t hurt. Here’s how it works. Cook up a bunch of bacon until it’s crisp, but not crunchy. Cover the dough in cinnamon-sugar then cut into strips. Lay a slice of bacon on top of each slice, then roll up and place in a baking pan. Once the rolls come out of the oven, top them with glaze. Or take a shortcut with store-bought rolls like in this recipe. We’re guessing this salty-sweet combination is better than good.
The Nutella (Chocolate-Hazelnut) Cinnamon Roll
If you have a jar of Nutella and you’re looking for ways to enjoy it besides right off the spoon, this is it! After sprinkling the dough with cinnamon and sugar, add a healthy coating of Nutella followed by some chopped hazelnuts. Proceed with the rest of the recipe’s instructions for slicing and baking. Top with strawberry or raspberry jam and be prepared to have your mind blown.
The Hot Pepper Jelly and Sharp Cheddar Cinnamon Roll
We’ve confirmed that bacon would be delicious in a cinnamon roll, but what about other savory ingredients? More specifically, how about hot pepper jelly and Cheddar cheese? We’re intrigued by this combination. We know that hot pepper jelly is both a bit spicy and a bit sweet. We also know that cheese, like bacon, is always delicious. Based on those two “facts,” we’re relatively confident that this is a cinnamon roll we need to try.
The Pumpkin or Sweet Potato Pie Cinnamon Roll
Sticking with the pie theme, these rolls play on the fall flavors of pumpkin and sweet potato. We’ve seen pumpkin pie filling used, but also pumpkin butter and mashed, brown sugar-infused sweet potatoes. We’ve also enjoyed Chef John’s Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll recipe which mixes the squash right in the dough itself. They all sound delicious! To take it up a notch, we love the idea of adding toasted chopped walnuts or pecans and topping the baked rolls with caramel sauce.
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
