Description
Turn your mornings into something special with these Irresistible Cream Cheese Cinnamon Sugar Rolls—a quick breakfast and easy recipe that tastes like a bakery treat but comes together in under 40 minutes. Soft crescent roll dough is wrapped around a rich cream cheese filling, baked until golden, then coated in crunchy cinnamon sugar for the ultimate sweet breakfast idea or dessert. Whether you need cozy brunch ideas, simple food ideas for guests, or a make-ahead treat for busy days, these creamy, cinnamon-swirled rolls deliver big flavor with very little effort.
Ingredients
2 cans refrigerated crescent roll dough (8 ounces each)
8 ounces cream cheese softened
0.33 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
0.25 teaspoon fine salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and divided
0.75 cup granulated sugar
2.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add 0.33 cup sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, and mix until creamy and well combined.
3. Unroll the crescent roll dough onto a lightly floured surface or parchment. If using perforated dough, pinch the seams together to form one solid sheet and shape into a rectangle.
4. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a small border along one long edge.
5. In a small bowl, stir together 0.25 cup of the granulated sugar and 1.5 teaspoons of the cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the cream cheese layer.
6. Starting from the long edge closest to you, roll the dough into a tight log, sealing the far edge by pinching gently.
7. Use a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss to cut the log into 8–10 even slices, about 1 to 1.5 inches thick. Arrange the slices cut-side up in the prepared baking dish.
8. Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until the rolls are puffed, lightly golden, and the cream cheese centers look set.
9. While the rolls bake, melt the remaining butter. In a shallow bowl, combine the remaining 0.5 cup granulated sugar with the remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
10. When the rolls are cool enough to handle, brush the tops and sides generously with melted butter, then sprinkle or roll each one in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat.
11. Serve warm so the cream cheese filling is still soft and gooey.
Notes
Chill the filled dough log for 15–20 minutes before slicing for neater spirals and well-defined layers.
If using puff pastry instead of crescent dough, keep it chilled and check for doneness a few minutes early to prevent over-browning.
Add 1 teaspoon orange zest to the cream cheese filling or finish with a simple vanilla glaze for extra flavor.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Dessert, Breakfast, Brunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 430
- Fat: 27
- Saturated Fat: 15
- Unsaturated Fat: 10
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 38
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 7
- Cholesterol: 70
Keywords: cinnamon rolls, cream cheese cinnamon rolls, easy breakfast, brunch ideas, sweet rolls, quick dessert, crescent roll recipes