Grinch Cinnamon Rolls: Store-bought cinnamon roll dough is elevated with a few special tricks to create perfectly gooey heart-shaped cinnamon rolls. Then they’re topped with a simple homemade cream cheese frosting that’s colored the perfect shade of Grinch-y green, and finished with a heart shaped sprinkle.
Whether you’re looking for a last-minute breakfast idea or something to snack on during a holiday movie marathon, these cinnamon rolls are a perfect quick and easy Christmas recipe.
What Makes Grinch Cinnamon Rolls So Great
- Don’t be intimidated by the number of steps. (I just try to be thorough) This recipe is incredibly simple.
- Shaped like hearts, then topped with green frosting and a candy heart, they look adorable on your breakfast table or on a holiday buffet.
- Baking the cinnamon rolls in cream makes them deliciously gooey, and with the homemade frosting they taste so good no one will know that they came from a can.
What You’ll Need:
Ingredients:
- Canned cinnamon rolls (we used Grands)
- Heavy cream
- Cream cheese, softened
- Butter, softened
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Milk
- Salt
- Green gel food coloring
- Heart sprinkles
Supplies:
- Round cake pan
- Measuring cups
- Large mixing bowl
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Spatula
Step-by-Step Directions:
To make things even easier for you, I created a simple photo guide below. For all measurements and a more detailed guide, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Bake the cinnamon rolls:
- Place cinnamon rolls in the cake pan along the outer edge, so they all touch each other gently. Discard the icing that comes with the cinnamon rolls, or save it for another purpose.
- Pour heavy cream on top of the cinnamon rolls. Bake according to the package directions, about 25 minutes.
While the cinnamon rolls bake, prepare the frosting:
- Place cubed, softened cream cheese and softened butter in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, cream together on medium speed until fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat on low to medium speed until well incorporated.
- Mix in milk and a pinch of salt.
- Add green gel food coloring, and mix until color is evenly incorporated. If necessary, add additional food coloring until you reach your desired shade of green.
Shape The Cinnamon Rolls:
- Once cinnamon rolls have finished baking, allow them to cool for 3-5 minutes, or until you are able to handle them without hurting yourself.
- Remove the cinnamon rolls from the pan. They should be somewhat triangle shaped.
- Turn the triangle shapes upside down. From the top, wide side of the triangle, cut out a smaller triangle from the center to create the dip in the heart.
- If necessary, round off the corners to form your heart shapes.
- Use a spatula to spread the prepared frosting on top of your cinnamon rolls, then garnish with a red heart sprinkle and enjoy!
Essential Tips:
Don’t skip these tips – read them before baking to avoid any potential mistakes.
- If you forget to soften your cream cheese before starting: Remove cream cheese from the foil wrapper and place on a microwave safe plate. Microwave the cream cheese at 50% power in 10-15 second intervals until it’s soft enough you can easily press it with your finger.
- After adding the powdered sugar to the cream cheese mixture, start your mixer on low speed and gradually increase the speed to reduce the inevitable sugar cloud.
- If you prefer, you can make your own homemade cinnamon rolls instead of using canned dough. Just make sure they fit in the round pan as shown above.
- Don’t use too much frosting, or you won’t be able to see the cute heart shape.
- Want to reduce your prep time on Christmas morning? You can make the frosting a day or two in advance. Also, place the cinnamon rolls in the pan, wrap the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Then, all you’ll need to do is pop the pan in the oven in the morning.
FAQs:
Can I Make these in Advance?
You can bake the cinnamon rolls and prepare the frosting 1-2 days in advance. After cutting out the heart shapes, return the cinnamon rolls to the original baking pan, and cover tightly with plastic. Store the cinnamon rolls and the frosting in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use them.
To serve: Remove the plastic wrap from the cinnamon rolls and cover the pan with foil. Gently reheat in a 350˚F oven for 10-15 minutes. Add frosting and sprinkles just before serving.
Tip: If your cinnamon rolls look a little dry on top, add a small pat of butter on top before placing them in the oven.
Want to avoid spending hours on end preparing food for your party? Click here to download 10 Fast and Easy Party Recipes that don’t take more than 20 minutes of your time to prepare.
Can I use smaller cinnamon rolls?
Yes! Grands style cinnamon definitely work better to help create that gorgeous heart shape, but in our kitchen tests smaller sized cinnamon rolls also worked. They just took a bit more shaping after baking.
Can I roll the dough into a heart instead of cutting the shape out?
You can certainly try that. However, I learned from making these Easter Bunny Cinnamon Rolls that cinnamon roll dough tends to lose its shape a bit as it bakes and needs to be re-shaped during and after the baking time.
So, honestly, with a simple shape like a heart, it’s much faster and easier just to cut the shape out after baking.
If you liked my Grinch Cinnamon Rolls, you’re going to love my Easy Sugar Cookie Dip. It’s a delicious party dip that takes hardly any time to make. Or you can check out all my Christmas Desserts Recipes right here.
Grinch Cinnamon Rolls
Make your Christmas morning merry and bright with these easy and delicious grinch cinnamon rolls!
Ingredients
- 17.5 ounces canned cinnamon rolls
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 6 tablespoons Butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons Milk
- Pinch of salt
- Green gel food coloring
- Heart sprinkles
Instructions
Bake the Cinnamon Rolls:
- Preheat your oven to 350˚F. Grease a round cake pan with butter or shortening.
- Place cinnamon rolls in the cake pan along the outer edge, so they all touch each other gently. Discard the icing that comes with the cinnamon rolls, or save it for another purpose.
- Pour 1/2 cup heavy cream on top of the cinnamon rolls. Bake according to the package directions, about 25 minutes.
While the cinnamon rolls bake, prepare the frosting:
- Place 2 tablespoons cubed and softened cream cheese and 6 tablespoons butter in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, cream together on medium speed until fluffy.
- Add 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat on low to medium speed until well incorporated.
- Mix in 2 tablespoons milk and a pinch of salt.
- Add 4-5 drops of green gel food coloring, and mix until color is evenly incorporated. If necessary, add additional food coloring until you reach your desired shade of green.
Shape The Cinnamon Rolls:
- Once cinnamon rolls have finished baking, allow them to cool for 3-5 minutes, or until you are able to handle them without hurting yourself.
- Remove the cinnamon rolls from the pan. They should be somewhat triangle shaped.
- Turn the triangle shapes upside down. From the top, wide side of the triangle, cut out a smaller triangle from the center to create the dip in the heart.
- If necessary, round off the corners to form your heart shapes.
- Use a spatula to spread the prepared frosting on top of your cinnamon rolls, then garnish with a red heart sprinkle and enjoy!
Notes
Remember, the step-by-step photos and FAQ in the recipe post are there to help you if you feel stuck at any point.
- If you forget to soften your cream cheese before starting: Remove cream cheese from the foil wrapper and place on a microwave safe plate. Microwave the cream cheese at 50% power in 10-15 second intervals until it's soft enough you can easily press it with your finger.
- After adding the powdered sugar to the cream cheese mixture, start your mixer on low speed and gradually increase the speed to reduce the inevitable sugar cloud.
- If you prefer, you can make your own homemade cinnamon rolls instead of using canned dough. Just make sure they fit in the round pan as shown above.
- Don't use too much frosting, or you won't be able to see the cute heart shape.
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