Learn how to make Cinnamon Rolls in the Air Fryer- they are absolute perfection! They are the perfect texture: hot, soft and tender on the inside, with a slight extra thin crispness on the outside. This will be your new go-to way to cook Pillsbury (or other pre-made) cinnamon rolls! Easily the best way I've ever eaten them.
These are a simple quick and easy dessert or breakfast for when you're crunched for time or just have some hungry teenagers or kids hanging around. Learn what temperature to cook cinnamon rolls at in the air fryer. This is the absolute best way to make pre-made/ packaged cinnamon rolls! The best flavor with the best texture!
This was inspired by our Air Fryer S'Mores and goes great with some Homemade Caramel Topping on top! If you like cinnamon desserts, try our easy Churro Chips or Sopapilla Cheesecake! You have to try these TikTok Cinnamon Rolls!
What I Like About Them
Sometimes I need to whip up a quick dessert or don't feel like baking, or sometimes it's a birthday and I need a quick breakfast. Store bought Pillsbury cinnamon rolls are a great quick and easy solution! Not only is it faster to make them in the air fryer, but they also taste so much better and have a better texture!
What You'll Love About This Recipe
- Quick and Easy - Air fryers provide a faster cooking time compared to traditional ovens. This means you can enjoy freshly baked cinnamon rolls in a fraction of the time. The air fryer's rapid hot air circulation ensures that the rolls cook evenly and quickly, allowing you to indulge in warm and gooey cinnamon goodness in no time.
- Perfectly Fluffy and Golden - The circulating hot air in the air fryer creates a crisp exterior while keeping the interior of the cinnamon rolls soft and fluffy. The result is a delightful combination of textures—golden and slightly crispy on the outside, with a tender and gooey center.
- Kid Friendly - these are a great recipe that kids can make by themselves with a little bit of supervision. Kids also love to eat them!
- Minimal Cleanup - Cleaning up after making cinnamon rolls can be a hassle, but with the air fryer, it's a breeze. The non-stick surfaces in most air fryer baskets make cleanup quick and easy. Simply wipe down the basket and you're ready for the next batch.
- Consistent Results - Air fryers provide consistent and even heat distribution, which means your cinnamon rolls will turn out perfectly every time. No more worrying about overbaking or undercooking—the air fryer ensures a uniform result with a golden brown exterior and a soft, gooey center.
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Ingredients
These are great because they only take 2 ingredients!
- refrigerator cinnamon rolls- I used Pillsbury, but this should work with any brand of cinnamon rolls.
- avocado oil (for brushing on the air fryer basket)- you can use other kinds of oil, but I recommend avocado. It has a high smoke point and I've found that olive oil leaves a residue on my air fryer basket.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
1. Preheat the air fryer to 350*F. Brush avocado or other oil on your air fryer basket to prevent the rolls from sticking. I like avocado because it is mostly tasteless and odorless. I don't recommend olive oil, it seems to leave a residue over time on the air fryer.
2. Place cinnamon rolls in the air fryer basket, about ½" apart or closer for rolls that puff up and touch*. Place with cinnamon bits facing up.
*If you don't want the cinnamon rolls to touch, place more than ½" apart and reduce baking time by 2 minutes.
3. Cook cinnamon rolls in the air fryer and cook for 6-9 minutes. We use the Ninja Foodi Grill XL air fryer and found 7 minutes made them absolutely perfect. They are soft and tender on the inside with the sliiiightest thin crunchy exterior.
4. Bring frosting to room temperature and drizzle over the top of the rolls. For frosting that absorbs into the cinnamon roll and hardens on top, pour over while warm. For frosting that is sticky and sits on top, wait for the rolls to cool completely before drizzling with frosting.
Hint: Eat them while they're warm and fresh! These were specifically designed to be eaten warm, and the texture is just so much better.
Substitutions
- Oil - instead of avocado oil, feel free to use a different oil. We don't recommend coconut oil due to it's low smoke point (see more information about food safety at the bottom of the post).
Variations
- Caramel -whip up some of our Homemade Caramel Topping and drizzle it over the top.
- Nuts - add some pecan bits for a yummy cinnamon pecan flavor.
- Chocolate - drizzle chocolate over the top for that yummy Mexican Chocolate flavor. Delicious!
- Egg Nog- dress them up for the holidays with an Egg Nog Glaze- you can find our favorite Egg Nog Glaze recipe on this post.
- Maple Bacon - add a maple glaze and top with bacon bits for a fun and interesting twist!
Equipment
- Air fryer- we use the Ninja Foodi XL
Storage
We recommend waiting to cook them until ready to eat. Store uncooked rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days then make as directed.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 350*F for 3-4 minutes.
These can be frozen if necessary. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Bring to room temperature then reheat in the air fryer at 350*F for 3-4 minutes.
Top tips
Don't overcook the cinnamon rolls! If they are overcooked they will be dry and tough instead of tender and moist.
Rotate the basket: If your air fryer has a rotating basket or tray, consider giving it a gentle turn halfway through the cooking process to ensure even browning.
Adjust the cooking time: Since air fryers can vary in temperature and power, it's important to monitor the cinnamon rolls closely as they cook. Start with the recommended cooking time, but be prepared to adjust it as needed. For reference, we used a NINJA foodi air fryer.
Arrange the rolls: Place the cinnamon rolls in a single layer inside the air fryer basket. Leave some space between them to allow for expansion as they rise and bake.
Recipe
Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls (Pillsbury)
Ingredients
- 8 Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls 1 package
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 350*F and remove the basket.
- Brush avocado oil over the basket to prevent the cinnamon rolls from sticking.
- Place the cinnamon rolls in the air fryer basket in a single layer ½" apart or less*. This spacing will let them puff up and cook into each other.
- Cook for 6-9 minutes. Ours were perfect at minute 7. They will be lightly golden brown and soft and tender inside. See photos above for a great visual on this.
- *For cinnamon rolls with more crispy edges, place them more than ½" apart and reduce the cooking time by 2 minutes.
Notes
- We recommend eating these hot and fresh! Store uncooked rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- If you have cooked leftovers store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 350*F for 3-4 minutes.
- For freezing: store in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature then reheat as directed above.
- Please note that all air fryers are a little bit different. Your cooking time may vary.
Nutrition
Preheat air fryer to 360*F. Heat for around 3 minutes, start checking at minute 2.
Place rolls in a single layer in the basket, so they aren't quite touching. Air fry at 350* for 6-9 minutes total, until they are golden brown. Ours had a slight crispness on the outside and were soft and fluffy inside.
You can absolutely use aluminum foil in the air fryer basket. You can also use parchment paper, just make sure it is specific for the air fryer or it will burn.
6-9 minutes at 350°F. Make sure to preheat your air fryer before use and rotate the basket halfway through if possible, to promote more even cooking.
Food safety
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
Andrea
Making these cinnamon rolls in the air fryer definitely is easy and saves on energy. Perfect for a quick breakfast.
Nicole
Great recipe! I needed to make these last minute and this was the perfect way to make the Pillsbury cinnamon rolls taste a little better. Everyone loved them.
JC
This was fast and easy. We also have a Ninja Foodi grill, and these turned out perfect. The cinnamon rolls have a better texture made in the air fryer too.
Ieva
First time I attempted to make Pillsbury cinnamon rolls in an air fryer and it was a huge success, thanks to your recipe! Brilliant and easy way to cook them, and I swear they taste even better than made in the oven!
Shadi
This is absolutely delicious! I love that it’s such a crowd pleaser for the whole family, genius to make the cinnamon rolls in the air fryer.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
A much better idea than turning on the oven in summer. We made these and they were delicious and actually did taste better than baked. We didn't use Pillsbury, but an off brand and it still worked great.
Ali
I have just got an air fryer and I had no idea that you could make cinnamon rolls in there. These were perfect for our weekend breakfast, thank you! Will make again.
Dana
These cinnamon rolls are a DREAM. Like, total fairground food in the comfort of your own home, and in an air fryer, so we can chalk it up to being a healthier choice, right? 😉
Lori Holton
Not good! First time using my Air Fryer. Followed your directions and baked at 350 for 7 minutes. Came out burnt on top and raw on the bottom. Your recipe says nothing about flipping them over. Ended up throwing them away.
Nicole
Hi! We're so sorry you had a bad experience with our recipe and your air fryer. As I mentioned in the recipe, all air fryers are a little different and cooking times may vary. I wish there was a better way to give universal directions for all the different air fryers. They didn't need to be flipped in my air fryer and truly I felt like they had cooked perfectly. Thank you for sharing so that other readers can be aware that they might have issues.
JWH
WOW! Pillsbury level up! These are so good. I don't normally eat pillsburry cinnamon rolls but this is the only way to now. The texture was so great and in a pinch, it was a perfect substitute for homemade cinnamon rolls.