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Easy Cinnamon Swirls Recipe Using Puff Pastry
Flaky, buttery and just so tasty; when I say these cinnamon swirls are delicious, I really do mean it! I’ll show you how to make them below! Let’s get baking…
Who doesn’t love puff pastry cinnamon swirls? It’s my idea of the perfect breakfast or snack, and it takes me only 30 minutes to make.
You can make your own pastry from scratch, but I like to use ready-made puff pastry (which is my type of lazy baking). Using pre-made pastry saves me time on making and chilling dough, which is always a plus when you want to eat something quick.
The taste of these Danish cinnamon swirls are sweet, cinnamony and utterly delicious. I think serving them with a hot cup of coffee should be mandatory (I’m slightly joking), this pairing tastes so good together and it’s such a delicious way to start the day!
I’ve been eating cinnamon swirls for as long as I can remember. As you can see from my pictures, I like to drizzle icing over them (like how they were sold back in the days). Am I the only one who’s noticed that they are sold without this extra delicacy now?!
Recipe Ingredients
Here are the 4 ingredients I use to make this recipe:
- Puff Pastry: A sheet of pastry that becomes buttery, light and flaky once baked. It’s widely available and can be found in the fridge section in many supermarkets.
- Cinnamon: A must! It provides a delicious cinnamon taste and is the star ingredient in the filling mixture.
- Butter: A great tip is to use butter at room temperature as it’s a lot easier to mix than butter straight from the fridge.
- Brown Sugar: I use light brown muscovado sugar; it creates a deep flavour and caramelises when baked in the oven.
- Icing Sugar: A signature cinnamon swirl is topped with icing drizzled across diagonally. All you need is icing sugar and water to make it. Though this addition is optional.
How To Make Easy Cinnamon Swirls
Here’s a summary of how I make these puff pastry cinnamon swirls. You can get the full recipe instructions on the recipe card below:
Step One:
I start by mixing cinnamon, sugar and butter together until evenly combined, then I spread the mixture onto a sheet of readymade puff pastry.
Step Two:
I roll the pastry like a Swiss roll. Then I like to use a sharp knife or a piece of string to cut the pastry approximately 2cm wide.
Step Three:
Next, I place the pastry onto a lined baking tray and bake them in the oven for 20 minutes.
Once baked, it’s time to make the icing! In a small bowl, I mix icing sugar and water together until well combined. Then I use a spoon or a piping bag to drizzle the icing over each homemade cinnamon swirl in a diagonal motion from top to bottom.
My Top Tips
Make sure to leave a space in-between each cinnamon swirl as they do expand in the oven whilst baking.
The icing should have a runny consistency that’s also slightly thick. To check, I like to mix a spoon into the icing mixture then hold it up. It should drizzle back down into the bowl and hold its shape briefly before blending into the rest of the icing.
If the icing thickness is too runny add more icing sugar and if it’s too thick, then add more water. 2 tbsp of icing sugar and 1 tbsp of water should do the trick.
To create medium-sized cinnamon swirls instead of mini ones. Gently roll the pastry from the shortest length and lightly press the cinnamon swirl roll into place. By rolling the cinnamon roll this way instead of rolling at the widest length, your cinnamon swirls will have more rolls and therefore more of a contrasting spiral. Watch the video to see where I roll it from.
Recipe Variations & Substitutions
There are so many delicious desserts, treats and savoury snacks you can make with ready-made puff pastry, like these ideas below:
- Nutella Puff Pastry Twists: Tastes as good as it sounds! Fill your puff pastry sheet with Nutella and bake it in the oven for a delicious chocolatey dessert. This variation is also perfect for Valentine’s Day as it can be shaped into a heart.
- Cheese Straws: Puff pastry filled with cheese and twisted into long spiral straws. The perfect savoury snack that you can make in no time!
- Puff Pastry Cinnamon Twists: Keep the delicious ingredients and just change the shape of each cinnamon swirl.
How To Store & Freeze Cinnamon Swirls
I store leftover cinnamon swirls in an airtight container at room temperature. You can eat them within 2 to 3 days but they’re best eaten freshly baked.
If you want to freeze the cinnamon swirls before baking it, after you have rolled your puff pastry with the cinnamon filling inside. Freeze the pastry as either a log or cut it into 2cm sections. Then place it in a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to eat it, continue with the recipe and bake it in the oven for 20 minutes or until fully baked and golden brown.
To freeze cinnamon swirls after baking, once baked, allow the cinnamon swirls to cool down completely. Take the baking tray with the cinnamon swirls and place it in the freezer until frozen.
Once frozen, place in individual freezer bags or in one freezer bag for up to a month. When you’re ready to eat it, reheat in the oven at 180°C (160°C Fan, gas mark 4) until warmed thoroughly throughout.
What Can I Make With Puff Pastry Scraps?
If you have puff pastry leftover, below are a few recipes you can make to use it up. My favourite way to use pastry scraps is to simply bake it in the oven with sprinkled cheese – Yum!
- Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls
- Puff Pastry Gingerbread Man
- Jam Tarts With Puff Pastry
- Chocolate Puff Pastry Twists
- Puff Pastry Pizza Rolls
- Puff Pastry Mince Pies
