We tested 5 store-bought cinnamon rolls: these 2 are the only ones we would buy again

My perfect Christmas morning is the one where I wake up to the smell of cinnamon rolls baking in the oven. But because I am both a mother And My family’s resident baker, I’m usually the one who gets up early to make my family breakfast so they can sit down to enjoy warm, fluffy cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting. I realize, however, that this may not be realistic for everyone, especially during the holidays, when you have friends and family over, or just want to get some sleep. Fortunately, there are many store-bought options. The question is: which brands are worth buying?

To find the best cinnamon rolls, our editors tested five widely available brands you’ll likely find at your local grocery store. We cooked them according to the package directions, then sampled them in random order, not knowing which was which. We then compiled the results and crowned two winners and a runner-up.

The criteria

The cinnamon rolls should be soft and light. A good cinnamon roll is doughy without being heavy: When you pull it apart, the inner spiral of dough should stretch slightly and release a blast of steam (if it’s fresh from the oven), and it should be large enough to offer a generous portion of that precious sweet and spicy interior. They should be sweet but not too sweet. The frosting should be balanced: it should have a tangy touch from the cream cheese, with just enough salt to counter the sweetness of the sugar.

Winners

The tasters were divided between the two brands. Immaculate Baking Co. had a slightly higher average rating than Annie, but not enough to declare a clear winner.

Immaculate Baking Co. Cinnamon Roll Dough

“The doughiest of the bunch, in a good way,” wrote our editorial director, Daniel. Our deputy editorial director, Megan, thought they were “pretty good,” describing them as “tender and moist.” Likewise, our Associate Food Editor, Laila, and Associate Visual Director, Amanda, loved that they were mild and sweet, but not cloying.

Annie’s Organic Cinnamon Rolls with Frosting

Megan marked this one as her personal favorite. “By far the best,” she noted. “I like the flavor of cinnamon bread, although I don’t like the icing.” Like Megan, it was also Amanda’s first choice. “This is the only one I’d like to eat a whole one from,” Amanda wrote. “Airy, buttery and cinnamony with a nice glaze.” Although our visual editor, Jessie, thought they were “not bad” and liked the noticeable cinnamon flavor, they found the buns were ultimately a little dry — a sentiment shared by Laila. Daniel also noted a subtle, unpleasant flavor that he couldn’t quite put his finger on: “mammal” was the word he chose to describe it.

The suitors

• Annie’s Organic Cinnamon Rolls with Frosting
• Immaculate Baking Co. Organic Cinnamon Rolls and Frosting
• Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls with Frosting
• Trader Joe’s Organic Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls
• Stop by and buy cinnamon rolls with frosting

Key Takeaways and Conclusion

Homemade cinnamon rolls are usually made with flour, sugar, salt, yeast, butter, milk and cinnamon. However, most ready-to-bake cinnamon rolls are made with vegetable shortening and/or fats, such as palm, sunflower, and/or soybean oil. None of the brands we sampled used real butter. Our two winners, Immaculate Baking Co. Organic Cinnamon Roll Dough and Annie’s, use a combination of palm and sunflower oil. Our tasters weren’t thrilled with the overall quality of the store-bought cinnamon rolls, and even the winners didn’t match a good homemade bun (or one from a decent bakery). Still, tasters would be willing to eat one of the winners in a pinch.

Opinions varied on how sweet a cinnamon roll should be: while Amanda enjoyed most frostings, Laila and Megan often found them too sweet. Nothing beats a homemade cinnamon roll, but if you opt for store-bought, consider seasoning your frosting to taste with extra lemon juice or salt to help balance the sweetness of the packaged frosting — or make your own frosting from scratch.

Our testing methodology

All taste tests are carried out with completely hidden brands and without discussion. The tasters taste the samples in random order. For example, taster A may taste sample 1 first, while taster B will taste sample 6 first. This is to prevent palate fatigue from unfairly giving an advantage to one sample. Tasters are invited to fill out tasting sheets, classifying the samples according to different criteria. All data is tabulated and results are calculated without editorial input to provide the most unbiased representation of actual results possible.