Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls | Make Cinnamon Rolls In An Air Fryer

Nothing screams breakfast quite like cinnamon rolls. With the hottest months of the year approaching, it is hard to justify heating up the house even more by baking them. Make these Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls to satisfy your hungry family while keeping your kitchen cool.

Why Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls Make The Perfect Breakfast

• Quick. If you prepare the dough ahead of time or make extra to freeze, these cinnamon rolls cook in a flash.
• Easy. Just pop prepared homemade cinnamon roll dough or canned Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls into your air fryer basket on a sheet of parchment paper.
• Versatile. Top these cinnamon rolls with a variety of ingredients --like chopped pecans, buttercream frosting, or caramel-- to make them even more indulgent.

What You'll Need To Make Them

Equipment Needed

• Stand Mixer (optional)
• Hand Mixer (if no stand mixer)
• Mixing Bowl
• Whisk
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons
• Rolling Pin
• Air Fryer
• Parchment Paper

Ingredients Needed

So, there are two different methods used in this post. One is the "I'm feeling like a baker and want to find joy in my kitchen" version. The other is the "I'm in a hurry and need something before the kids riot" recipe.

Both are delicious, pick the one that calls out to you for some delicious air fryer cinnamon rolls.

For the Dough

• All Purpose Flour
• Granulated Sugar
• Salt
• Active Dry Yeast
• Warm Milk
• Unsalted Butter
• Egg
• Cooking Spray

Cinnamon Filling

• Unsalted Butter
• Brown Sugar
• Ground Cinnamon

For the Cream Cheese Glaze

• Cream Cheese
• Powdered Sugar
• Vanilla Extract
• Milk

For The Quick No-Fuss Version (Air Fryer Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls)

• A Can Of Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls

How To Make Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls

I get it. My recipes are generally no-fuss, efficient recipes, but sometimes you need to get reacquainted with your kitchen and put those must-have kitchen gadgets to work.

Baking is the perfect way to do it.

The great news is that you can bake without heating up your entire kitchen with these air fryer cinnamon rolls!

Make The Cinnamon Roll Dough

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm milk and granulated sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
2. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk mixture and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes, or until it becomes foamy.
3. Add the melted butter and egg to the yeast mixture and mix well.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
5. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until a dough forms.
6. Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 5 minutes until it's smooth and elastic. If the dough is too sticky, you can add a little more flour as needed.
7. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.

Fill And Assemble

1. In a small bowl, mix together the softened butter, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon until it forms a smooth paste.
2. After the dough has risen, punch it down and roll it out into a rectangle on a floured surface, approximately 12x9 inches.
3. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges.
4. Starting from the long side, tightly roll up the dough into a log.
5. Using a sharp knife or dental floss, cut the log into 6 equal-sized cinnamon rolls.

How To Air Fry Your Cinnamon Roll Dough

1. Preheat your air fryer to 350°F.
2. Place the cinnamon rolls into the air fryer basket, leaving space between them.
3. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown and cooked through.

How To Make The Frosting

1. While the cinnamon rolls are cooking, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and enough milk to achieve your desired glaze consistency.
2. Once the cinnamon rolls are done, remove them from the air fryer.
3. Drizzle the cream cheese glaze over the warm cinnamon rolls.
4. Serve your homemade air fryer cinnamon rolls immediately and enjoy!

Use your frosting to finish your air fryer cinnamon rolls while they're still hot, and enjoy!

Tips And Tricks

• Use your Instant Pot. I know, this sounds crazy. But you can drastically speed up the proofing process with your Instant Pot. Read more here on How To Proof Dough In Your Instant Pot.
• Switch it up. Keep these air fryer cinnamon rolls new and exciting by switching up flavors every time you make them. Use a variety of toppings (chopped pecans, buttercream frosting, maple glaze, or even melted caramel).
• Make a double batch. These homemade cinnamon rolls are incredibly delicious, but making the homemade dough can be quite a time-consuming process. To save yourself some time, make a double batch and freeze the extra dough.

How To Make Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls In The Air Fryer

If you aren't a confident baker or are simply short on time, feel free to grab a refrigerated roll of cinnamon rolls from the grocery store for a quick, easy, and inexpensive breakfast.

1. Heat your air fryer to 375F.
2. Place a layer of parchment paper in your air fryer basket.
3. Place cinnamon rolls 2 inches apart on the parchment paper
4. Cook for 8 minutes.
5. While the air fryer cinnamon rolls are still warm, spread frosting that was included with the cinnamon rolls on top with a butter knife.

Can You Make These Cinnamon Rolls In The Oven?

You absolutely can. This is actually a recipe that I've been using to make cinnamon rolls in my oven for YEARS. After letting too many cinnamon rolls go to waste (and my waist) and heating up my house in the heat of the summer, I've decided to finally give it a shot in the air fryer.

Here's how you make this Cinnamon Roll recipe in the oven:

1. Prepare your dough according to the instructions above
2. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper
3. Place Cinnamon Rolls 1" apart (this will allow them to cook together into a pull-apart formation--keeping them soft on the inner edges)
4. Bake at 375F for 25 minutes or until the tops of the cinnamon rolls are golden brown
5. While the Cinnamon Rolls are still hot, add your desired glaze or toppings

How Long Do They Last?

The cinnamon roll glaze adds quite a bit of moisture to these dessert rolls. Because of the moisture, they are usually best eaten within 2-3 days of preparing them.

If you want your air fryer cinnamon rolls to be a grab-and-go meal prep breakfast for the whole week, consider leaving the glaze off and stored separately in the refrigerator in an air-tight container and glazing the rolls individually as you enjoy them.

Simply pop a prepared cinnamon roll in the air fryer with a small spread of glaze over the top at 300F for 2 minutes and enjoy!

More Tasty Air Fryer Breakfast Ideas

Hungry for something more savory you can make in your air fryer? Try one of these amazing air fryer breakfast recipes:

• Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs
• Air Fryer Cheese Grits
• German Apple Pancakes
• Air Fryer Bacon
• Air Fryer Frittata

If you love these Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls as much as we do, make sure you share this recipe with your friends on Facebook and Pinterest so they can try them too!