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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! Learn how to make delicious cinnamon swirls with this easy and simple recipe!

Who doesn’t love puff pastry cinnamon swirls? It’s the perfect breakfast or snack idea that you can make in only 30 minutes. Having a hot cup of coffee with a Danish cinnamon swirl guarantees a delicious start to the day!
You can make your own from scratch with the help of ready-made puff pastry; this cheat’s cinnamon swirl recipe is perfect for all the lazy bakers out there.
I’m not kidding when I say this is the easiest cinnamon swirls recipe ever! If you want to cut down the time needed to make and prove dough, then this recipe is perfect for you.

Using ready-made puff pastry is the secret to why this recipe only takes 30 minutes to make. Puff pastry cinnamon swirls (also called cinnamon twirls) are the best alternative to cinnamon rolls.
You can make it for breakfast, to impress your friends and family at brunch or to relax with a sweet pastry at home. This easy cinnamon swirls recipe using ready-made puff pastry is the best choice for a tasty treat.
What Are Cinnamon Swirls?
Cinnamon swirls are made from puff pastry which is covered in a mixture of cinnamon, butter and brown sugar. It’s then rolled into a log and cut into small circles. They can be coated with an egg wash before being baked in the oven. Once baked, they are usually drizzled over with icing.
This sweet pastry has many names! They’re also known as Danish cinnamon swirls, cinnamon pinwheels and cinnamon twirls.
They taste like cinnamon and are sweet and buttery. Puff pastry cinnamon swirls have a flaky and slightly crunchy texture due to the type of pastry used.
Watch How To Make It
Cinnamon Swirl Ingredients
You only need 4 ingredients to make these easy cinnamon swirls and twirls using puff pastry.
- Puff Pastry: A sheet of pastry that becomes buttery, light and flaky once baked. Puff pastry is made by alternating layers of butter and pastry. It’s widely available and can be found in the fridge section of many supermarkets.
- Cinnamon: Provides a delicious cinnamon taste and is the star ingredient in the filling mixture.
- Butter: The butter aids a delicious gooey and caramelised filling. A great tip is to use butter at room temperature. This will help when you’re mixing the filling ingredients together, it will be a lot easier to mix than butter straight from the fridge.
- Brown Sugar: I used light brown muscovado sugar; it creates a deep flavour and caramelises when baked in the oven.

Simple Icing
A signature cinnamon swirl is topped with icing drizzled across diagonally. All you need is two basic ingredients: icing sugar and water.
You’ll want your icing to have a runny consistency that’s slightly thick. To check, 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 with the rest of the icing.
If the thickness is too runny add more icing and if it’s too thick add more water. 2 tbsp of icing sugar and 1 tbsp of water should do the trick.
How To Make Easy Cinnamon Swirls
You can make this cinnamon swirl recipe in 5 easy steps mentioned below. The directions are fairly simple and can be done in just 30 minutes.
Step One:
Preheat your oven to gas mark 4/180°C/350°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Usually, ready-made puff pastry is pre-rolled in parchment paper already. If that’s true for you, then you can use the parchment paper that comes with the pastry.
Step Two:

In a mixing bowl, mix butter, light brown sugar and cinnamon together with a spoon until combined.
Step Three:

Unroll the ready-made puff pastry and spread the cinnamon, butter and light brown sugar mixture evenly over all the pastry. Leave a small 1cm gap around the surface. Then, roll the pastry like a Swiss roll.
How Do You Roll A Cinnamon Swirl?
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 twirls will have more rolls and therefore more of a contrasting spiral.
Step 4:

With a sharp knife or a piece of string, cut the pastry approximately 2cm long.
Place them on the baking tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Leave space in-between each cinnamon swirl as they do expand in the oven whilst baking.
Step 5:

Once baked, it’s time to make the icing! In a small bowl, mix the icing sugar and water together until well combined.
Using a spoon or a piping bag, drizzle the icing over each homemade cinnamon swirl in a diagonal motion from top to bottom.
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 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!
- Cinnamon Rolls: Cinnamon rolls have the same filling but is made in a yeasted dough. It’s soft, gooey, fluffy and tasty.
- Puff Pastry Cinnamon Twists: Keep the delicious ingredients and just change the shape of each cinnamon swirl.
To make cinnamon twists, after spreading the cinnamon mixture over the puff pastry sheet. Fold the puff pastry sheet in half and cut into 1.5 cm strips.
Pinch the two opposite ends of one strip and twist in the opposite direction 3-4 times and place on a baking try lined with parchment paper. Repeat for all pastry strips. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until flaky and golden brown.
You can also try this delicious Greggs yum yum recipe!

How To Store Cinnamon Swirls
Store cinnamon swirls in air-tight container and keep at room temperature in a dry space. Cinnamon swirls are best eaten freshly baked but can last for 2-3 days.
Can You Freeze Cinnamon Swirls?
Yes! To freeze before baking: after you have rolled your puff pastry with the cinnamon filling inside. You can either freeze the pastry as a log or freeze the pastries cut into 2cm sections.
Place in a freezer safe bag, a container or wrapped in cling-film for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat them continue with the recipe and bake 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 them in the freezer until frozen.
Once frozen, place in individual freezer bags or in one freezer bag for a month. When you’re ready to eat it, reheat in the oven at gas mark 4/180°C/350°F until warmed thoroughly throughout.
To make cinnamon swirls in advance: You can make cinnamon swirls ahead of time! Follow the recipe and store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Eat them as they are, or you can re-heat in the oven to gently warm them up.

How Long Do You Cook Puff Pastry?
Cook puff pastry in the oven at gas mark 4, 180°C or 350°F in the oven for 20 minutes or until slightly golden brown. The pastry will become puffed up and flaky in texture.
Ready to make your own cinnamon swirls with puff pastry? Check out the recipe card below to find this cinnamon swirls UK recipe, you’ll have whirl of a time!
Key Tools Used
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 Cinnamon Swirls
Ingredients
- 375 g Ready-Made Puff Pastry One Pack
- 50 g Butter
- 50 g Light Brown Sugar Muscovado
- 2 tbsp Cinnamon
Icing Sugar (Optional)
- 2 tbsp Icing Sugar
- 1 tbsp Water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to gas mark 4/180°C/350°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, mix butter, light brown sugar and cinnamon together with a spoon until combined.
- Unroll the ready-made puff pastry and spread the cinnamon, butter and light brown sugar mixture evenly over all the pastry. Leave a small 1cm gap around the surface. Then, roll the pastry like a Swiss roll.
- With a sharp knife or a piece of string, cut the pastry approximately 2cm long.
- Place them on the baking tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Leave space in-between each cinnamon swirl as they do expand in the oven whilst baking.
- Once baked, it’s time to make the icing! In a small bowl, mix the icing sugar and water together until well combined.Using a spoon or a piping bag, drizzle the icing over each homemade cinnamon swirl in a diagonal motion from top to bottom.
Video
Notes

Nutrition
That’s how to make homemade puff pastry cinnamon swirls, hope you enjoy!
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Township Ghost
I’ve made these and omg so so tasty, I did do 10g extra butter and sugar though as we like these with extra filling.;-)
Michelle
Thanks for the comment 😊, it’s nice to know that you liked the recipe!
Kristy
They are soo tasty! My family loved it.
Michelle
Yay, I’m glad they liked it! 😊
Karen
Amazing, they taste really nice.
Michelle
Thank you!
Emily
I made this for breakfast, it was so quick and tasty.
Michelle
I’m glad you liked it Emily!
Beth
I love them! Thank you for the great recipe.
Michelle
Hi Beth, thanks for trying the recipe.
Natasha
Fab recipe, I will be making this again.
Michelle
Thank you Natasha 🙂
Samantha
Husband hates cinnamon… but loved these. Thank you!
Michelle
Yay! I’m happy you both enjoyed it.
Vicki Rahman
Hi, I am going to make these today, can I add some raisins to the filling!
Michelle
Hey Vicki, you can definitely add some raisins to the filling!
Janet White
My daughter gave me this recipe but told me to add currants and sultanas and to add 75g of butter and 75g of sugar they tasted great! Never mentioned the icing so I will add that as I love icing too. Now a family favourite plus I can freeze them! Great !
Michelle
Hi Janet, I’m glad this a new family favourite! Hope you like it with icing too 🙂