Upgrade Canned Cinnamon Rolls With A Quick Press In The Waffle Iron

Making cinnamon rolls from scratch often involves significant time and effort. They require kneading, rolling, and proofing even before they reach the oven, and homemade waffles can be just as time-consuming. Even if you use waffle mix, you still have to cook each waffle one by one. If you want to make a quick morning meal or last-minute brunch, you may think that both these options are out of the question, but canned cinnamon rolls offer the perfect solution.

However, let's be honest, canned cinnamon rolls aren't exactly known for being high quality. Compared to the homemade kind, there's no denying they're subpar in taste and texture but that's technically only the case if you follow the directions on the label. With a simple tweak, you can transform them into something better. All you need to do is stick your canned cinnamon rolls in a waffle iron and you'll be left with a delicious breakfast pastry that requires no prep and minimal effort.

When preparing cinnamon roll waffles, it's crucial to follow a few key steps for the best outcome. First, you'll want to make sure to spray or brush your waffle iron with oil. Cinnamon roll dough is prone to getting stuck to the grates because there is sugar on the surface. Preheating the waffle iron before you add the cinnamon rolls is also important, because just like when you make waffles, preheating facilitates even cooking. For best results, aim for 10 minutes.

The doneness indicator light on waffle irons is obviously designed for waffles, so a better frame of reference is the appearance. You'll know when they're cooked through when they are brown and visibly crispy, which should take about three to four minutes. This will vary based on the size of your waffle maker and the size of the cinnamon rolls. Larger cinnamon rolls or smaller waffle irons may require a longer time to ensure the waffles are cooked through.

A waffle iron doesn't just turn cinnamon rolls into a different shape, it also improves how it tastes. It does this because it increases caramelization, a chemical process that occurs when food containing sugar is heated to 320 degrees Fahrenheit. When this happens, the sugar molecules break down into glucose, sucrose, and other flavor compounds form. 

The increased flavor complexity typically makes food taste better and cinnamon rolls are no exception. Canned cinnamon rolls can technically reach caramelization in an oven, but in a waffle iron, more parts of the dough come in direct contact with the hot plates of the waffle iron, creating more caramelization.

When the cinnamon rolls are in the waffle iron, they also achieve a crispy texture, while the insides stay soft. Texture plays a major role in how food tastes and when there are contrasting textures it's perceived as more satisfying. This is a big reason canned cinnamon rolls taste better when they're baked in a waffle iron compared to the conventional method.