Everyone handles it eventually.
You bought some delicious, freshly baked homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast and now you need them back in the oven so they can be eaten.
But how do you get that warm goodness out of those little buns again without burning your mouth off or turning into an ungrateful jerk who hates everyone forever because they ruined his morning with their burnt smell?
What is the best way to reheat a cinnamon roll?
The answer is simple.
If you have a microwave, use it.
Cinnamon rolls are one of those things that taste better when they’re warm anyway, so why not take advantage of this fact?
Microwaving will kill any bacteria that might be lurking inside as well as keep any nasty odors from rising up while they’re waiting to be eaten.
But if you don’t have a microwave you can still save yourself some time in the kitchen by taking these tips to heart:
Place the rolls on a baking sheet and put them in the freezer until they’re cool enough to handle.
This will allow you to grab a few at a time rather than having to wait for them to defrost before you can eat them.
It also means less risk of making a mess in the process.
Leave the bread out to thaw overnight if possible.
The colder they are the more likely they are to stay intact during the microwaving process.
If you’re not sure how long you’ll be gone, then just leave them until the next day and they’ll be fine.
When you come home after work, they should be ready to go.
When it comes time to reheat, place two slices of bread in each microwave-safe dish.
Then add a spoonful or two of cinnamon filling to each slice, followed by another layer of bread.
Repeat this process until you run out of either bread or cinnamon mixture.
(You could also use a smaller amount of filling and make several sandwiches instead.)
If you’re using a convection microwave, you won’t need to worry about whether your rolls are frozen or not.
Just place the filled rolls in the center rack and set the timer to 4 minutes.
That’s it!
No preheating required.
If you want to heat them up faster, you can also try setting the timer for 2 minutes and then rotating them halfway through.
Make sure to watch them closely though, since the filling will start to burn very quickly.
If you like your rolls extra crispy, you can turn down the power on your microwave to low and cook them for 8 minutes.
After the first three minutes, rotate the tray 180 degrees and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
Your rolls will be super crispy but also extremely hot, so be careful not to touch them while they’re cooking.
How do you reheat a cinnamon roll without making it dry?
Cinnamon rolls have a tendency to get soggy if left at room temperature too long.
If you want to keep your cinnamon rolls fresh, you need to reheat them properly.
If you buy cinnamon rolls from a bakery, they should come wrapped up in plastic wrap.
This is what keeps the dough moist and prevents it from drying out on its own.
If you don’t have any plastic wrap handy, you can use aluminum foil instead.
Just make sure to put as much air between the rolled-up dough and the foil as possible by wrapping it tightly around the roll.
The same goes for when you’re reheating.
Be careful not to let the roll touch anything cold like metal or glass.
You also don’t want to wrap it in a paper towel to prevent moisture loss, since this will create steam that could cause the cinnamon roll to deflate and fall apart.
When it comes to reheating cinnamon rolls at home, you can either place them directly on the stovetop or in the microwave.
For the stovetop method, set a pan over medium heat and add 1/4 cup water to the bottom of the pan.
Then place your cinnamon roll(s) in the pan and cover it with a lid.
Allow the cinnamon roll to cook until it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit (or 74 degrees Celsius).
Remove the pan from the stove and allow the cinnamon roll to cool completely before serving.
For the microwave method, place a microwave-safe plate inside a large bowl.
Place one cinnamon roll on top of the plate and then cover with another microwave-safe plate.
Microwave the cinnamon roll for approximately 2 minutes.
To check whether the cinnamon roll has heated through, remove the plates and look for a slight browning of the bun.
If the bun is still soft, repeat the process for another minute.
You may have to experiment with different times depending on your microwave.
The microwave method is best for smaller cinnamon rolls and those that tend to be drier than others.
It’s also easier to control when cooking small quantities of food in the microwave rather than larger ones.
However, microwaving larger batches of cinnamon rolls isn’t ideal.
If you do this, you risk overcooking the entire batch, which could result in a very mushy, soggy mess.
Once your cinnamon rolls are heated through, let them cool for about 15 minutes before eating.
If you don’t wait this long, the cinnamon roll will start to deflate and disintegrate.
And no matter how good something smells while it’s baking, it will smell bad after it’s cooked.
So be patient and wait for it to cool down.
Once cooled, enjoy!
How long should you reheat a cinnamon roll for?
This is actually a complicated question, which is why we’re here today.
It depends on what you mean by “should.”
If you want to see if you can make a new batch of cinnamon rolls right away, then you shouldn’t worry about it.
If you want to know how long you can keep the old ones for before you have to eat them cold, then we’ll help you out.
What temperature should you reheat a cinnamon roll at?
You could just pop it straight into the microwave to heat it up, but then you run the risk of burning yourself on the hot surface.
If you try to put it directly onto the burner, you might burn the inside too.
So what are your options?
The answer is simple: Put the roll in the oven.
The first thing you want to do is check the recipe.
Some recipes will say one thing about how to reheat a cinnamon roll.
For example, this one says to bake at 350°F (177°C) for 10 minutes.
Others don’t specify any temperature at all.
Either way, when you’re reheating a cinnamon roll, you’ll want to follow the instructions exactly as written — not as if you were baking something else entirely.
To reheat a cinnamon roll, place it on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, foil, or waxed paper.
Place the cookie sheet in the oven and turn the oven setting to whatever temperature was given in the recipe.
Bake until warmed through, usually about 15 minutes.
If you’re reheating a whole batch of cinnamon rolls, you may want to make sure you leave enough time between batches so there aren’t any leftovers.
This also prevents the dough from getting stale before it’s fully heated.
If you don’t want to wait for the oven to preheat (or don’t have an oven), you can use a pan of water instead.
Just place the cookie sheet on top of a pot of boiling water, and let it sit until the desired temperature has been reached.
When you take the cookie sheet out, the rolls should be cooked through.
To test for doneness, remove one roll and cut it open.
If the insides are still raw, continue heating for another minute or two.
As with the oven method, you don’t want to overdo it and cook the roll too much.
Now that we’ve covered the basics of how to reheat a cinnamon roll, let’s talk about how long you should keep it in the fridge once it’s done cooking.
Is it better to reheat a cinnamon roll in the oven or microwave?
The answer depends on what kind of cinnamon roll you made, but if you’re looking to save time and money, microwaving is probably the way to go.
Reheating Cinnamon Rolls in the Oven
First things first – if you didn’t bake these babies yourself, then you should probably throw them away and buy new ones.
If you did make them at home, then you have two options: baking and reheating.
If you want to bake your cinnamon rolls, I would recommend baking them until the middle is still slightly doughy, which will take about 15-20 minutes depending on the size of your pan.
Once you remove them from the oven, let them cool completely before slicing and serving.
Alternatively, you could just leave them in the pan and pop them back in the oven for 10-15 minutes after you slice them up.
But if you don’t want to deal with baking and/or cutting up fresh cinnamon rolls, then you’ll want to reheat them in the microwave instead.
The easiest way to do this is by placing the entire pan (including any remaining frosting) in the microwave for 2 1/2-3 minutes on high heat.
This will melt the frosting and warm up the inside of the roll as well.
This method may not work for every type of cinnamon roll or even every batch of cinnamon rolls that you’ve ever made, but it works for those times when you’re faced with the dilemma of having a leftover batch of cinnamon rolls that needs to be used right away.
And, since it only takes 2-3 minutes, you won’t burn your mouth off, and you won’t have to waste any more time trying to find a way to reheat it.
Reheating Hot Dogs in the Microwave
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Hot dogs are totally different than cinnamon rolls!
How can they possibly be reheated in the microwave?!”
And while it’s true that hot dogs aren’t exactly like cinnamon rolls, they definitely share some similarities.
For example, both hot dogs and cinnamon rolls contain flour, sugar, eggs, and other ingredients that allow them to become soft and chewy upon heating.
And, although there isn’t much frosting involved in a hot dog, they usually come with cheese, ketchup, mustard, relish, onions, peppers, tomatoes, etc., ingredients that also soften when heated.
So, if you want to reheat a hot dog in the microwave, it might help to think of it as a cinnamon roll that came straight out of a box rather than one that was made in your own kitchen.
To reheat a hot dog in the microwave:
Cut open the top of the hot dog and remove the meat.
Then, place the hot dog on its side in a microwave safe dish.
Cover the hot dog with plastic wrap.
Leave it alone for 3-4 minutes until it starts to steam.
Remove the plastic wrap and enjoy your hot dog.
Can you reheat a cinnamon roll more than once?
The short answer is yes.
According to this article from the Washington Post, you can reheat a cinnamon roll up to three times before it starts to lose its flavor, but I think that number is a bit conservative.
After the third time, the bread will start to get soggy – just like any other food item that goes stale.
In fact, the Washington Post article says that you can actually keep a batch of cinnamon rolls fresh for up to two weeks by freezing them in a ziploc bag.
Just make sure you don’t freeze them too long or you may end up with a mushy mess.
If you want to go even further, you can also toast a frozen bun in the microwave if you’re looking for a quick fix.
Personally, I prefer to let my cinnamon rolls cool completely before storing them in the freezer.
This prevents them from getting soggy and helps prevent mold.
One thing that does help me keep my cinnamon rolls fresh longer is to wrap them individually in aluminum foil and then place them in the refrigerator.
The aluminum foil keeps the dough moist and prevents the bread from drying out.
What happens if you reheat a cinnamon roll for too long?
The answer is simple.
If you heat up a cinnamon roll too much, it will become dry.
How much too much depends on what kind of cinnamon roll it is.
A buttery, soft cinnamon roll will turn from moist to hard and crunchy after about five minutes of heating up.
The same goes for a sugar-sprinkled cinnamon roll.
A sweet cinnamon roll, on the other hand, will stay moist even when heated up for 15 minutes.
Although we don’t recommend eating them for more than 10 minutes, they’re still good to eat for a short period of time.
If you want to keep them as long as possible, wrap them in aluminum foil and store them in the refrigerator.
This article will explain exactly what happens to cinnamon rolls when you heat them up too long, but first let’s talk about what happens to hot dogs when you heat them up too long.
What happens if you don’t reheat a cinnamon roll long enough?
The short answer is that it depends on what kind of cinnamon roll it was.
If it was one of those big fluffy ones covered with frosting, then you probably want to bake it longer than if it was a smaller, more dense roll, like a small coffee cake or a sandwich bun.
According to The Kitchen, you should bake a cinnamon roll at least 15 minutes longer than if you were making a small coffee cake or sandwich bun.
So, if your cinnamon roll was done when you took it out of the oven, you should bake it at least another 10-15 minutes before you eat it.
Cinnamon rolls are meant to be served as soon as possible after baking.
If you let them cool completely, they will become rock hard.
This means that if you want to keep them from becoming rock hard, you have to reheat them.
The problem is, if you reheat them too much, they will turn into rubber balls.
To prevent this, reheating cinnamon rolls in a microwave is not recommended.
To properly reheat a cinnamon roll, you should place it back in the oven for about 2 minutes.
This will allow it to dry out just enough so that it won’t fall apart when you try to cut it open.
You may also want to add a few drops of liquid (like water) to rehydrate the dough, which can help make it softer and easier to slice open.
If you are unable to get the cinnamon roll to soften, you can always put it in the fridge for a bit before serving.
It will still taste good, but it might be a little harder to eat.
So, if you are going to reheat a cinnamon roll, make sure you know what type of cinnamon roll it is before you start cooking.
If it is a large, fluffier type, give it a 15 minute head start before you reheat it.
If it is a smaller, denser type, like a coffee cake or a sandwich bun, only give it about 2 minutes to heat through.
And remember, if it is a moist type, like a fruitcake or a cheese Danish, you will want to cover it with foil during the reheating process to avoid drying it out.
Here are a few more tips for cooking cinnamon rolls:
Can you reheat a cinnamon roll with frosting on it?
The answer is yes.
And to prove it, we’re going to show you exactly how.
First, let’s talk about why this is happening.
When you bake something like a cinnamon roll, it starts to cool down quickly after being removed from the oven.
This is because the temperature outside the bun is much lower than the inside temperature of the dough, which contains moisture.
So as soon as the rolls are taken out of the oven, the moisture in the center of the roll turns to steam, which then condenses around the outer edges of the roll.
This causes the cinnamon roll to shrink away from its original size.
It also makes it harder to eat because the center won’t stay soft and moist.
This is where the reheating comes in.
The trick is to heat up the outside of the roll while keeping the middle cold enough to keep the roll from getting too soggy.
To do this, simply take the rolls out of the oven, wrap them tightly in aluminum foil, and place them in a microwave-safe container.
Cover the container tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
Then put the container in the fridge until the rolls have cooled completely.
Now, remove the rolls from the fridge and pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute at 50% power.
Keep doing this until the roll has warmed up and the frosting has melted.
Remove the rolls from the microwave and unwrap them.
Eat them immediately.
Now that we’ve shown you how to reheat a cinnamon roll with frosting on it, let’s see if we can make it even better!
Making cheese rolls below is simple. When your friends arrive suddenly, you can quickly prepare this dish.
Cinnamon Roll
Equipment
- 1 Pan
- Baking sheet
- Bowls
- 1 Standing mixer
Ingredients
For the dough
- 10 ounces milk warm [about 105°F or 40°C]
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 5 1/2 cups bread flour plus more as needed and for the work surface
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, plus more for the baking sheet
- 3 large eggs
For the honey butter
- 1 cup honey
- 8 oz unsalted butter at room temperature
For the cinnamon sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
For the icing
- 5 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 10 ounces confectioners sugar
- 2 ounces heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Prepare the dough
- Warm milk, yeast, and sugar should be combined by hand in the bowl of a standing mixer. Allow to stand for 5 minutes.
- Combine the flour, salt, butter, and eggs in a mixing bowl. Mix with the dough hook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the dough is completely developed. (By “completely developed,” we mean that the dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and there should be no extra flour at the bottom.) If the dough appears sticky, you may need to add a little more flour. When fully developed, the dough should be tacky but not sticky.)
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap after removing the dough hook. Set the bowl in a warm place and let stand until the dough has doubled in size.
Prepare the honey butter
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the honey and butter until completely combined.
- Prepare the cinnamon sugar.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon until well combined.
Prepare the rolls
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it out into an 18-by-24-inch rectangle that is 1/2 inch thick. Brush half of the honey butter over the dough. Sprinkle with as much cinnamon sugar as desired.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and butter the parchment. Starting with the 24-inch side of the dough, roll it tightly from one side to the other, gently pulling or pressing the dough as needed to make an even roll. Starting with the 18-inch side of the dough, roll it tightly from one side to the other, gently pulling or pressing the dough as needed to make an even roll.
- Divide the long roll into individual rolls by slicing the dough roll into individual rolls with a serrated knife. Small rolls should be about 1 1/4-inch thick, while giant rolls should be about 2-inch thick. Working with one roll at a time, gently pull and wrap the tail end of the dough around the rest of the spiral dough, tucking it underneath. Place the roll on the baking sheet and gently press down. Repeat with the remaining rolls, fitting them snugly. (If you want to hit the snooze button the next morning, cover and refrigerate the rolls overnight.)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius). Place the rolls in a warm place and cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Allow the rolls to rise while the oven heats up.
- 15 to 20 minutes, rotate the pan once, until the cinnamon rolls are a deep golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and brush the rolls lightly with the remaining honey butter.
Assemble the cream cheese icing.
- In the bowl of a standing kitchen mixer, combine the cream cheese and butter and mix on low speed until smooth. Whip in the confectioners' sugar, cream, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- When the rolls are completely cool, slather them with icing. Serve them as-is or, to rewarm, place them in the oven at 325°F (163°C) for 2 to 3 minutes.
Video
Nutrition
I have a true passion for cooking and experimenting with new ingredients, and I have been creating and perfecting recipes for friends and family for years.
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