Ooey – Gooey Cinnamon Rolls

Yes, but the character of the roll will change significantly. Puff pastry is the secret ingredient here — it creates a crispy, toffee-crunchy exterior that traditional enriched dough won’t replicate. If you use yeast dough, you’ll get a softer, more classic cinnamon roll texture but lose the quick 20-minute bake time.

The recipe calls for placing a teaspoon of the butter-cinnamon-sugar mixture in the bottom of each muffin compartment before adding the rolls. This pan sauce caramelizes during baking and helps release the rolls cleanly. Turn them out individually onto a serving plate as soon as they come out of the oven — don’t let them cool in the pan or the caramel will set and stick.

These are best eaten the day they are baked — puff pastry softens as it sits and loses its signature crunch. You can assemble the uncut log the night before, wrap it tightly in plastic, and refrigerate overnight. Slice and bake fresh in the morning; the cook time of 15–20 minutes at 375°F stays the same.