Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls Recipe From Scratch
If you’re looking for the perfect cinnamon roll recipe, we’ve got you! Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and oh-so-perfect for a memorable breakfast or dessert. Fill your kitchen with the intoxicating, spicy aroma of freshly baked cinnamon treats that the whole family will love! Perfect for meal prep.
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Why you’ll love making Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls
- Homemade delicious cinnamon rolls are an easy breakfast treat! Sweet, spicy bread with a delightfully tangy cream cheese frosting, they are heaven in every bite. Much better than pre-packaged cinnamon rolls; these are the BEST cinnamon rolls.
- Your house will smell amazing when you cook these freshly baked cinnamon rolls! Freshly baked anything is the best homey aroma, and tucking into warm air fryer cinnamon rolls…nothing beats it.
- Air fryer cinnamon rolls are great for meal prep. Make a couple of batches for a quick breakfast option and a delicious treat throughout the week. They store well in both the fridge and freezer and reheat perfectly.
- You don’t need your conventional oven anymore! Making cinnamon rolls in air fryers rather than a regular oven is much more economical as they use far less power. It’s kind to your wallet, and baking is a little quicker as well.
Ingredients you’ll need
You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below to make the best air fryer cinnamon rolls.
How to make Cinnamon Rolls in the Air Fryer with step-by-step instructions
A complete printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.
From oil sprays to muffin cups and from pizza pans to racks, we've got them all, and they make fantastic Christmas presents, too!
For the Frosting
Mix the confectioner’s sugar, butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth.
Keep it cool in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it. Powdered sugar can be substituted instead of confectioners if needed.
For the Dough
In a large bowl, combine the yeast, milk, and sugar and let it sit for about 10 minutes or until the yeast is active and it gets foamy.
Add the eggs and butter and combine well. Then add the flour and salt and mix until well combined; it will be sticky but try to handle it as fast as possible without touching it too much.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead it a few times until you can form a big ball.
Then transfer the ball to a greased bowl and let it sit at room temperature until it doubles its size. You can grease the bowl with either olive oil or cooking spray.
Transfer the dough back to a floured surface and extend it with a rolling pin until you get around a ⅓ inch-thick rectangle.
In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon powder and the brown sugar. Spread the butter over the rolled-out dough and cover it with the cinnamon and sugar filling mixture.
Roll it to make a long log. Cut the cinnamon roll dough log into eight pieces and place them in a single layer on two pieces of parchment paper (4 on each). Let them rise for one more hour.
Preheat the air fryer to 180ºC/356°F.
Place a piece of parchment paper in the air fryer basket and air fry cinnamon rolls for 5 minutes, after that place a piece of baking paper on top of them (to prevent them from getting burned) and cook cinnamon rolls for five more minutes until they are lightly golden brown.
Remove your fluffy cinnamon rolls from the air fryer basket and let the warm rolls cool and spread the frosting.
Serve immediately after frosting, and enjoy your perfectly cooked cinnamon rolls!
Recipe notes and expert tips
- Air fryer Pillsbury cinnamon rolls: Yes, you can also cook Pillsbury cinnamon rolls in the air fryer (or different brands). Place the cinnamon rolls on parchment paper and follow the air frying instructions in this recipe. However, we highly recommend making the full recipe as written, as it’s such an easy recipe! It tastes much better than Pillsbury Grands cinnamon rolls, and you’ll know exactly what ingredients you’re eating.
- Parchment paper: Either regular parchment paper or perforated parchment paper (with holes in it) will work for this recipe. Perforated is preferred for use in the air fryer as it lets the hot air circulate better.
- Cook time: Cooking time can vary between air fryer brands. Add a minute or two more if the air fryer cinnamon rolls aren’t quite turning golden on top.
How to store leftover Cinnamon Rolls
Store leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat the refrigerated cinnamon rolls in the air fryer for 5 minutes at 180°C/356°F until they’re nice and warm.
You can also freeze cinnamon rolls for later. After they have cooled, wrap them individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thaw completely before reheating on the air fryer. We freeze them without the frosting and just frost them when we’re ready to eat.
What to serve with Cinnamon Rolls
This air fryer recipe is perfect on its own or as part of a larger breakfast or brunch spread.
Try our Hashbrown Casserole, Waffles, Pumpkin Spice Muffins, Egg Bites, and fruit salad for an epic brunch menu. For the holidays, our Cranberry, Orange, and Pomegranate Spritzer and Cranberry Margarita are great options for a little tipple to share.
Some of our favorite air fryer breakfast recipes include Crispy Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes, Air Fryer Egg Bites, Air Fryer Mushrooms, Air Fryer Tomatoes, and Air Fryer Toast just takes a couple of minutes if you already have the air fryer on. These recipes are great to make while the fluffy air fryer Cinnamon Rolls are cooling down.
And if you love all things cinnamon, then try this epic cinnamon roll apple pie.
More air fryer recipes for you to try
- Air Fryer Cheesecake
- Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes
- Air Fryer Bagel Bites
- Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies
Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls Recipe From Scratch
Ingredients
For the frosting:
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1½ cup confectioners' sugar
- ¼ cup cream cheese softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the dough:
- ¼ ounce instant yeast
- 1 cup milk warm
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the filling:
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup butter room temperature
Instructions
For the frosting:
- Mix all frosting ingredients with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth. Keep cool.½ cup butter, 1½ cup confectioners' sugar, ¼ cup cream cheese, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the dough:
- In a big bowl, combine yeast, milk, and sugar and let it sit for about 10 minutes or until it gets foamy.¼ ounce instant yeast, 1 cup milk, ½ cup sugar
- Add the eggs and butter and combine well. Then add the flour and salt and mix until well combined; it will be sticky, but try to handle it as fast as possible, without touching it too much.2 eggs, ⅓ cup butter, 4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead it a few times until you can form a big ball. Then transfer the ball to a greased bowl and let it sit until it doubles its size.
- Transfer the dough back to a floured surface and extend it with a rolling pin until you get a rectangle of about ⅓ inch thick.
- Combine the cinnamon powder and the brown sugar. Spread the butter over the dough and cover it with the cinnamon and sugar filling mixture. Roll it to make a long log. Cut the log in 8 pieces and transfer them to two pieces of parchment paper (4 in each). Let them rise for one more hour.1 tablespoon cinnamon powder, ½ cup brown sugar, ⅓ cup butter
- Preheat your air fryer to 180ºC/360°F. Place the cinnamon rolls in the air fryer basket and bake them for 5 minutes, then cover with baking paper and bake for a further 5 minutes (to prevent from burning). Remove them from the air fryer, let them cool, and spread the frosting. Serve and enjoy your cinnamon rolls.
Notes
- Air fryer Pillsbury cinnamon rolls: Yes, you can also cook Pillsbury cinnamon rolls in the air fryer (or different brands). Place the cinnamon rolls on parchment paper and follow the air frying instructions in this recipe. However, we highly recommend making the full recipe as written, as it’s such an easy recipe! It tastes much better than Pillsbury Grands cinnamon rolls, and you’ll know exactly what ingredients you’re eating.
- Parchment paper: Either regular parchment paper or perforated parchment paper (with holes in it) will work for this recipe. Perforated is preferred for use in the air fryer as it lets the hot air circulate better.
- Cook time: Cooking time can vary between air fryer brands. Add a minute or two more if the air fryer cinnamon rolls aren’t quite turning golden on top.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Please note that nutrient values are estimates only. Variations can occur due to product availability and manner of food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of origin, preparation, freshness of ingredients, and other factors.
These air fryer cinnamon rolls are a revelation! I couldn’t believe how perfectly they turned out – golden brown on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside. Plus, the speed at which they cooked in the air fryer was impressive. It’s a game-changer for busy mornings or anytime you’re craving that classic cinnamon roll goodness.
Everyone always says how they don’t believe that these rolls were made it an air fryer, I love seeing peoples faces when I tell them.
The smell of these had me drooling long before they were served. And the rolls themselves came out so soft! The perfect dessert.
Glad you enjoyed them and I agree, you almost want to dive in half way through as they smell so good!
The bakery near my house sells the most disappointing cinnamon rolls, but they motivated me to finally make my own. Now I’m in heaven! These were just the right texture and with exactly the kind of frosting I like.
Wow, what a win when you can make them better than your local bakery!
The aroma of freshly baked dough, sweet cinnamon filling, and the creamy frosting—so heavenly. Delicious!
Nothing beats that aroma does it 🙂
Made these last night and they are wonderful!! They mayb be a little dangerous for me they’re so easy to make ! I’ll me making them all the time!! Total yumminess 😋
Yep, they are so temptingly easy to make!