How To Easily Cook Canned Cinnamon Rolls In The Air Fryer

There's something extra comforting about the scent of freshly-baked cinnamon rolls. And while there's a lot to be said for making cinnamon rolls from scratch, buying them canned is quite the convenient luxury. The anticipation starts as soon as you push a spoon into their cardboard tube and hear that familiar pop ... a sound that signals that deliciousness is on the way. But then there's the wait — first you need to preheat the oven, then be patient while they bake. Luckily, there's an excellent shortcut: Cook them in the air fryer.

Among the various ways to take store-bought cinnamon rolls to the next level, using an air fryer is the ultimate timesaver for getting ready-made cinnamon rolls on the table as quickly as possible. Since the device is basically a small convection oven, your baked goods will turn out just as good, only faster, with less mess, and without heating up your entire kitchen.

No matter which brand you buy, you can start by placing the rolls face down in your air fryer basket or tray. Without preheating, set the temperature to 320 degrees Fahrenheit and bake them for six minutes. Then, carefully flip the rolls over and cook for another six minutes. Once they're done, remove them from the air fryer, apply icing, and enjoy. Settings vary among different air fryer models, so watch your cinnamon rolls to ensure that they don't burn, but aren't still raw in the center.

If you're having a cinnamon roll emergency and can't handle waiting 12 minutes, you can cook them even faster by bumping up the heat. Turn your air fryer up to 350 Fahrenheit and cook for seven to nine minutes until the rolls are golden brown. For even speedier results, bake at 370 Fahrenheit for six minutes. For larger rolls like Pillsbury Grands or any kind of jumbo variety, you may need to add an additional minute or two. While you can likely get away without flipping at the halfway point, turning the rolls over helps to get them nice and evenly browned. 

Another tip for even cooking is to space out the rolls to allow for better air circulation. This also gives them room to expand as they bake. If you have a large-enough air fryer, you can upgrade canned cinnamon rolls with one creamy ingredient which will cause more expansion than usual ... and it's definitely worth it. Pouring heavy cream over top before you cook your rolls makes them exceptionally fluffy, silky, and luscious. The dough absorbs the cream, and they turn out velvety-soft.

Heavy cream has become a viral hack on TikTok for homemade and oven-baked rolls, but there's no reason you can't do it in an air fryer. To avoid a mess, line the fryer basket or tray with parchment paper or aluminum foil to catch any drips. It's even better if you have a pan that fits your machine, though disposable aluminum foil pans work great for this purpose, too.