How To Reheat Cinnamon Rolls { 3 Easy Ways } - Crave The Good (2024)

Learn how to reheat cinnamon rolls in 3 different ways to recreate that delicious and fresh taste every time!

There’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls wafting through your house on a Saturday morning.

But what if you don’t have time to bake them fresh? Or maybe you want to enjoy them on a weekday morning for a special occasion?

This is no problem! You can reheat cinnamon rolls and have them taste just as delicious as if they were fresh out of the oven.

But before we get into the meat and potatoes about HOW to do it, we should talk about what to do BEFORE you reheat heat your buns!

This guide to reheating cinnamon rolls is dedicated to hot buns!

Tips + Tricks

No. 1 –> If you know you’re going to be reheating your cinnamon rolls, avoid icing them, or at least the ones that will be reheated.

No. 2 –> Don’t forget the foil! When you’re reheating the cinnamon rolls in the oven or air fryer, make sure to loosely cover them with foil so they don’t dry out. The foil will act as a humidity dome and keep all the moisture in, allowing the buns to reabsorb it, preventing unnecessary dryness.

No.3 –> Already frosted your buns? That’s ok, they can be reheated with frosting! While it’s better to reheat before frosting to avoid the frosting melting and disappearing, it’s ok to reheat frosted cinnamon rolls too.

Can Cinnamon Rolls Be Baked In Advance?

YES! Cinnamon rolls can definitely be baked in advance. I would recommend baking them a only day or two before you want to reheat and serve them to yield the best results.

If baking the cinnamon rolls more than a couple of days in advance, the best bet is to freeze them in the meantime to keep them nice and fresh!

Store Your Rolls Properly

If you’re planning on reheating your baked cinnamon rolls within a short period of time, they can be kept in the baking dish, tightly wrapped with plastic wrap, and stored at room temperature. The cinnamon rolls can also be removed from the baking dish and stored in an air-tight container or ziplock style bag.

If you’re pre-baking cinnamon rolls for more than a couple of days in advance, they should be removed from the baking dish once completely cooled, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, placed in an air-tight container, and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

The best way to thaw frozen cinnamon rolls is to remove them from the freezer and thaw them overnight at room temperature in the same airtight container they were in in the freezer.

In The Oven

Using the oven to reheat cinnamon rolls is the most time-consuming reheating method, but they come out hot, fresh, and fluffy – just like they were freshly baked!

Here’s how to reheat cinnamon rolls in the oven:

1. Preheat oven to 350f.
2. If required, place cinnamon rolls into baking dish. If you’ve baked a whole tray of cinnamon rolls that you’ll be reheating, they can stay in their baking dish.
3. Spread a small amount of butter over the top of each cinnamon roll if they are not already frosted.
4. Cover baking dish with foil
5. Place covered cinnamon rolls into preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until just heated through. Avoid over baking as this can lead to cinnamon rolls drying out.
6. Allow cinnamon rolls to cool slightly, smother with icing if not already frosted, and serve warm!

In The Air Fryer

The air fryer is a quick and dirty way to reheat cinnamon rolls! The results are not perfect, but this method is awesome when you’re reheating a small number of cinnamon rolls, on a time crunch, or don’t mind a slightly drier cinnamon roll.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Preheat your air fryer to 350f.
2. Place cinnamon rolls in an air fryer safe baking dish.
3. If your cinnamon rolls are not frosted, spread a small amount of butter on the top of each bun.
4. Cover the cinnamon rolls with tin foil
5. Reheat the cinnamon rolls at 350f for 5-8 minutes, checking on them regularly, until heated through.
6. Remove the cinnamon rolls from the air fryer, allow them to cool slightly, smear with frosting if not already frosted, and serve.

In The Microwave

Reheating cinnamon rolls in the microwave can be a little tricky, but it’s definitely doable! For this method, we want to avoid over-cooking, as the microwave can overcook baked goods in just a few seconds resulting in a dry, hard cinnamon roll.

This is the best option if you need a warm cinnamon roll RIGHT NOW. Just ensure that you’ll be eating the whole thing because microwave-warmed baked goods are often less than desirable once cooled.

Here are my tips for reheating cinnamon rolls in the microwave:

1. Place your cinnamon roll on a microwave safe plate, and smear the top with a bit of softened butter if not already frosted.
2. Dampen a paper towel and squeeze out most of the water. (Yes, just like you’re nuking a hot dog lol)
3. Drape the damp paper towel over the cinnamon roll.
4. Heat the cinnamon roll for 20- 30 seconds. Check for doneness at around 20 seconds to avoid over cooking.
5. Allow cinnamon roll to cool slightly under the damp paper towel, then smear with icing if it’s not already frosted, and serve.

Thoughts From The Crave Kitchen

Reheating cinnamon rolls is a breeze with these three easy methods. Whether you’re reheating them in the oven, microwave, or air fryer, follow these tips to ensure your buns come out hot and fresh every time!

The BEST way to reheat homemade cinnamon rolls? That would have to be using the OVEN. It’s easy as pie (pun intended) and although it takes a bit longer to reheat, good things come to those who wait! Using the oven does not affect the texture, flavor, or quality of the buns.

My second choice would be using the air fryer. I actually make Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls from time to time, so it can’t be all bad! LOL ! This method works well if you don’t want to wait to pre-heat the oven and only want to reheat a couple of cinnamon rolls. It can lead to drying due to the forced air nature of the air fryer though.

I usually avoid microwaving to reheat treats because I don’t like what it does to the texture, even if you’re taking the extra step to top with a damp paper towel. This would by far be my last choice!

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