Hot Chocolate Is The Secret Ingredient For Soft, Moist Canned Cinnamon Rolls

There's nothing like fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon rolls to take a weekend breakfast from good to great. Filled with buttery cinnamon flavor and drizzled with thick icing, it's hard to believe that they're considered a breakfast item and not strictly relegated to dessert (although, who's complaining?). And even though a made-from-scratch, classic cinnamon roll recipe is never a bad idea, for those who don't want to commit that kind of time and energy, there are plenty of quality store-bought cinnamon roll brands to satisfy your sweet tooth.

To make them feel more special than just another store-bought product, there's an easy way to take canned cinnamon rolls to the next level of decadence. All you need is hot chocolate, an ingredient seen in a recipe Instagram video by Mandy Silverman. Start by preparing the canned cinnamon rolls according to the directions on the package. Once you've got them nestled in a baking dish, take a packet of hot cocoa powder mixed with about ¾ cup heavy cream (rather than the milk or water that the packets usually call for) and pour the mixture over the rolls. Once baked, the result will be rich, chocolatey, flavor-packed cinnamon rolls that are more moist than you'd ever expect from a pre-packaged baked good.

Cinnamon rolls bathed in cream were originally a viral TikTok recipe, and for good reason. Pouring heavy cream over store-bought cinnamon roll dough works wonders for the texture and taste, leaving you with gooey, sweet rolls that hardly need an icing drizzle on top. Although half-and-half or whole milk can work, heavy cream performs best because of its high fat content, which contributes to the richness and won't curdle under heat. As the heavy cream heats up in the oven, the dough absorbs the liquid, making the rolls more moist, but the sugars and fat that are left behind in the bottom of the dish also have a job to do. They'll turn into a delicious, syrupy glaze.

All of that sounds delectable on its own, but mixing a packet of hot chocolate into the heavy cream adds an extra layer of flavor. Instant hot chocolate powder is the simplest way to pull this off, but you can make a lavish cream-based hot chocolate drink from scratch and use that, as well. Just make sure to stick with heavy cream as the liquid base, because that's still the best choice for a rich and moist texture.

If you truly want to impress brunch guests or just feel like treating yourself, there are even more ways to elevate cinnamon rolls with a sweet and syrupy hot chocolate coating. For a batch of rolls inspired by hot cocoa with marshmallows, you can roll marshmallows inside the dough or even top the rolls with marshmallows towards the end of the baking process for a gooey, browned topping. If you're a true chocolate devotee, break out chocolate chips or sprinkles and put them on top of your rolls for a chocolate lover's dream.

If you're willing to unroll and re-roll your canned cinnamon roll dough, addition fillings are another world of possibilities. Spread chopped pecans or walnuts over the cinnamon filling before rolling the dough back up for a slight crunch and burst of nuttiness, or try adding orange zest or even dried cherries for something a little brighter. It's an added bonus that all of these flavors will pair perfectly with rich hot chocolate.