Cinnabon Donuts: Cinnamon Cake Doughnuts Delight Recipe

Who doesn’t love Cinnabons? Since nobody raised their hand, I give you this EASY cinnabon donuts recipe.

I have been the most awful mother/wife/blogger/domestic person ever for the past approximately 72 hours. Like, horrendous. Want to know why??

Because I’ve been sucked up into the first two seasons of Melissa and Joey.

Ok, even I know how ridiculous that sounds. Seriously, though. I’ve tried to explain this before, but there are no words to describe just how sucked up into a story I get. It’s completely manic. Completely.

And it’s not just TV — it’s just about anything with a plot! Books, especially series (obviously). Movies — I’ve been known to watch the same movie over and over and over again in just a 2 or 3 day span. Just because I can’t let go. Because I get so. friggin. involved.

Focusing on anything else is just out of the question when I’m like this. I can’t write a blog post, I can’t do any of my networking. Baking is completely out the window, much less any sort of decent recipe development. My daughter spends the entire day in just her underwear (although, for those of you who follow me on instagram, we know that’s not actually unusual, don’t we?) and eats applesauce through a straw for 3 meals a day.

I’d like to say that on some level this is a really great characteristic to have. Like, that it means I’m really imaginative. Or…. something. I mean, don’t we always talk about people who are “swept up by books” in this really admiring tone? Like they somehow, mystically supersede the humans who have grounded themselves on earth doing mundanely human things?

Anyway. I’d like to say it’s a good thing. But, frankly, it feels like some sort of crazy addiction, and I’m not sure I can make it until my next “hit.” …or is it “fix?”

I’m a little fuzzy on the substance abuse vernacular. But you get the idea right?

And then when the book/movie/season is over, I’m left stunned. Like there’s this blinding light welcoming me back to the world of deadlines, responsibilities, and meal planning. And I don’t want to come back, but I can’t see how to crawl back into wherever it was that I came from. So I slowly reacquaint myself with my husband and daughter. And my inbox.

Gradually it all comes back to me… how to make dinner, where we keep the vacuum… maybe even wearing pants that button again! Eventually I remember that everything is ok. That I really, actually like my real life. Prefer it, even.

Although, sometimes I do need a little convincing. Especially just out of the gate.

And that’s where good, old fashioned, dependable, reliable sugar-coated-fried-stuff comes into play. It wraps its loving arms around my waistline me and gently guides me back into the real world.

What Are Cinnabon Donuts, Anyway?

Have you heard of canned biscuit donuts? Most people have by now, I think. You simply deep fry canned biscuit dough and it emerges from the oil as this fresh, fluffy, golden donut. And you can frost it or coat it in cinnamon sugar, and it’s so amazing.

Well, this is the same idea — but we’re taking it up about twelve notches by using canned Cinnabon cinnamon rolls instead of plain biscuit dough. And oh. em. gee. These cinnabon donuts are incredible. Basically, we’re turning one of my favorite holiday bread shortcuts into a full-blown fried dessert situation, and I regret nothing.

Why Fried Cinnamon Rolls Taste Like Actual Cinnabon Delights

Here’s the thing about regular baked cinnamon rolls — they’re wonderful, don’t get me wrong, but there’s something about dropping that dough into hot oil that takes it from “nice breakfast treat” to “I literally can’t even.” The outside gets this crackly, golden crust while the inside stays soft and gooey, kind of like those little mall-food-court cinnabon delights you used to sneak off to get as a teenager (don’t lie, we all did it). Frying the dough instead of baking it just intensifies everything — the cinnamon, the sweetness, all of it. It’s dangerous, honestly. In the best way.

The Easiest Shortcut Dough You’ll Ever Use

I’m all about a good shortcut, especially when it comes to yeasted dough. If you’ve ever made my quick bread dough or any of my monkey bread recipes, you already know I’m not above grabbing a can of dough from the fridge section and calling it a day. There is zero shame in using canned Cinnabon cinnamon rolls here — it’s literally the whole point. You get all that signature cinnamon-sugar swirl without having to make dough from scratch, proof it, roll it out, or any of that business. Pop the can, fry the rolls, and you’ve got yourself donuts in under 15 minutes flat.

Making Them Look (And Taste) Like Actual Donuts

I “punched” holes in the middle of my rolls using a small, circular cookie cutter before frying, just to make them more donut-like. Totally not necessary — you could absolutely fry them as whole cinnamon rolls and they’d still be amazing — but I liked it for the sake of looks. Plus my daughter loved eating the little “holes” that came out of the center, since they fry up into these golden, bite-sized nuggets that disappear in about two seconds flat. If you’re using a smaller cutter, you’ll end up with a whole bowl of these small balls of fried dough, and honestly those might be the best part.

Topping Options: Glaze, Cream Cheese Frosting, or Cinnamon Sugar

The options for coating and topping these donuts are endless, and totally up to you. The obvious (but no less delicious) route is to frost them with the Cinnabon-style cream cheese frosting that comes packed right in with the can of dough — just warm it slightly so it’s easier to drizzle. You could also whisk together a simple powdered sugar glaze (1 cup powdered sugar whisked with milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it’s the consistency you want), or just roll the warm donuts in cinnamon sugar for something a little less sweet. The donuts pictured here were glazed with a simple powdered sugar and milk glaze, and be still my heart, it was so good I almost didn’t share them with my family.

Tips For Frying Cinnabon Donuts At Home

A few quick things I’ve learned from making these more times than I’d like to admit: keep your oil at a steady medium heat (too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks through; too low and they soak up oil and get greasy). Fry just a couple at a time so they have room to puff up, and don’t walk away — these little guys cook fast, usually just a minute or so per side. Let them drain on paper towels before you glaze them, otherwise that glaze slides right off instead of setting up into that gorgeous crackly shell we’re going for.

What To Serve With Cinnabon Donuts

Honestly, these are a whole breakfast (or dessert, or 3pm snack, no judgment) all on their own, but if you want to round things out, I love setting them next to a big platter from our favorite French toast recipes for a full-on brunch spread. They’d also feel right at home on a holiday morning table alongside something like cinnamon roll monkey bread or Rolo monkey bread, because apparently my love language is “more pull-apart carbs, please.” Fair warning though — once people smell these frying, plan on serving them immediately. They do not last.

Notes About This Cinnabon Donuts Recipe

A couple of final notes before you go make these: first, don’t stress about making them perfect. Lopsided, slightly-too-brown, a-little-misshapen donuts taste exactly as good as the Pinterest-perfect ones — maybe even better, because they look homemade and a little scrappy, like real life. Second, if you’ve got leftover frosting or glaze after coating the donuts, don’t you dare let it go to waste — drizzle it over ice cream, stir it into coffee, whatever. And finally, if you’re into fried dough recipes in general, these pair beautifully with a batch of Taco Bell cinnamon twists for the ultimate fried-dessert buffet. Go big or go home, right?

Easy Cinnabon Donuts

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Ingredients

• 1 can refrigerated Cinnabon cinnamon rolls
• 1 inch vegetable oil for frying (I used about 3 cups in a 12" pan)
• Optional: powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar glaze for coating

Instructions

1. Heat the oil over medium (don't go higher or lower than medium) heat for approximately 10 minutes. I like to test the oil by flicking a few drops of water into it. If the water makes the oil bubble, it's ready.
2. Prepare a place near the oil to put the donuts after frying. I like to use a wire rack covered in a couple of layers of paper towels for soaking up the oil.
3. Carefully place each uncooked cinnamon roll into the oil. They will cook quickly, so don't go anywhere! Once the bottom is golden brown (approx. 2-3 minutes), flip the roll onto the other side using a fork or a pair of tongs.
4. Once both sides are a golden brown, remove each roll to the towel lined rack for cooling.