Welcome to the world of effortless indulgence with this incredibly easy Glazed Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread! Crafted using convenient King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls, generously coated in a luscious blend of cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter, then finished with a delightful drizzle of homemade icing, this recipe promises an ‘ooey gooey’ experience that will captivate your taste buds. Forget the complicated steps of traditional cinnamon rolls; this shortcut version delivers all the comforting flavors and tender texture with minimal effort, making it a perfect choice for bakers of all skill levels.
A Sweet & Shareable Delight: Perfect for Dessert or Breakfast
There’s something truly magical about a dish that brings people together, and this Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Bread does just that. Imagine a magnificent, golden-brown creation, glistening with a warm, spiced glaze, just waiting to be torn into by eager hands. It’s more than just a baked good; it’s an invitation to gather, share, and savor. Whether served as a decadent dessert after a family meal, a show-stopping centerpiece for a festive brunch, or a comforting breakfast treat on a lazy weekend morning, its versatile appeal makes it a beloved staple. Each piece pulls away effortlessly, revealing layers of sweet, buttery cinnamon goodness, making every bite an unforgettable experience. It’s like a giant, soft, and unbelievably gooey cinnamon roll designed for sharing, but so utterly delicious, you might just want to keep it all to yourself!
Frequently Asked Questions About Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread
While King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls offer a unique, soft, and slightly sweet base that perfectly complements the cinnamon glaze, you can certainly use other fully baked dinner rolls. Many grocery stores carry their own brand of sweet Hawaiian-style rolls, which make an excellent “copycat” substitute. Look for rolls that are soft, slightly sweet, and relatively small, as these will absorb the glaze best and yield that characteristic pull-apart texture. If sweet rolls aren’t available, any soft, plain dinner roll can work, though you might want to slightly increase the sugar in your glaze to compensate for the difference in sweetness.
Honey plays a crucial role in creating the signature “ooey gooey” texture of the filling, adding moisture and a distinct flavor that caramelizes beautifully during baking. If honey is not available, you have a few viable options. You can simply omit it, though your glaze might be slightly less gooey and rich. Alternatively, you can substitute honey with an equal amount of light corn syrup, which will help achieve a similar sticky, syrupy consistency. Maple syrup can also be used for a different flavor profile, or a bit more brown sugar can be added along with a tablespoon of milk or water to adjust the consistency of the glaze. Experiment to find what works best for your pantry!
Absolutely! This recipe is wonderfully adaptable, making it perfect for creative twists. The cinnamon sugar filling serves as a fantastic base for various additions. Consider incorporating finely chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts for an added crunch and nutty flavor. Dried fruits such as raisins, cranberries, or finely diced apples can introduce a lovely chewiness and fruity notes. For chocolate lovers, a handful of mini chocolate chips or white chocolate chips melted into the layers can transform this into an even more decadent treat. You could also sprinkle in a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom alongside the cinnamon for a more complex spice profile. Feel free to experiment and make this recipe truly your own!
Yes, this delightful cinnamon pull-apart bread freezes beautifully, allowing you to prepare it ahead of time or save leftovers for a future craving. To ensure optimal freshness and prevent freezer burn, allow the baked bread to cool completely to room temperature after baking. Once cool, wrap the entire loaf tightly first in plastic wrap, ensuring no air gaps, and then in a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Label and date the package, and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it, simply transfer the frozen bread to the refrigerator overnight to thaw. For a quick thaw, you can microwave individual portions for a few seconds until soft and warm, or reheat the entire loaf in a low oven (around 300°F/150°C) until warmed through, usually about 15-20 minutes. Re-drizzle with fresh icing if desired for that freshly baked taste.
While this recipe is already incredibly simple, you can shave off a few more minutes by preparing the cinnamon-sugar-butter mixture ahead of time. Simply combine the brown sugar, butter, and honey in a saucepan and melt it down. Once combined, let it cool completely and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. When you’re ready to bake, gently reheat the mixture until it’s pourable, stir in the cinnamon, and proceed with the recipe. This allows you to quickly assemble and bake the bread whenever a craving strikes or unexpected guests arrive!
This Glazed Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread is incredibly versatile! For breakfast or brunch, serve it warm alongside a cup of coffee, tea, or a tall glass of milk. It pairs wonderfully with fresh fruit salad, scrambled eggs, or bacon for a complete spread. As a dessert, it’s fantastic on its own, but you could elevate it by serving it à la mode with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce. Its comforting flavors also make it an ideal treat for holiday gatherings, potlucks, or any occasion where a simple yet impressive dessert is desired.
Essential Ingredients for Your Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Bread:
Crafting this delightful treat requires a handful of simple, readily available ingredients. The beauty of this recipe lies in its minimal components, which come together to create a profoundly satisfying flavor and texture. Here’s what you’ll need to gather:
- KING’S HAWAIIAN original sweet rolls: These are the star of the show, providing the signature soft, slightly sweet, and fluffy foundation for our pull-apart bread. Their inherent sweetness and tender crumb are perfect for soaking up the cinnamon glaze.
- Light brown sugar: This provides the deep, caramelized sweetness for the gooey filling. Its moist texture helps create that rich, syrupy consistency.
- Salted butter: The essential fat that brings richness and helps the glaze achieve its smooth, melt-in-your-mouth quality. Salted butter balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor.
- Ground cinnamon: The classic spice that defines the flavor profile of cinnamon rolls. Its warm, aromatic notes are central to this comforting dessert.
- Honey: This ingredient is key for that extra layer of gooeyness and a hint of floral sweetness, contributing to the irresistible texture of the glaze.
- Powdered sugar: The base for our smooth, pourable icing, providing a delicate sweetness without any grittiness.
- Milk: Used to thin the powdered sugar into a pourable icing consistency, adding a touch of creaminess. You can use any type of milk you prefer.
- Vanilla extract: A crucial flavor enhancer for the icing, adding a warm, aromatic depth that complements the cinnamon beautifully.
Each ingredient plays a vital role in building the layers of flavor and texture that make this Glazed Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread an instant favorite. Now, let’s get baking!
How to Make Irresistible Glazed Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread: A Step-by-Step Guide
Creating this delicious pull-apart bread is a straightforward process, broken down into easy-to-follow steps. Precision in preparation ensures maximum flavor absorption and that sought-after gooey texture. Follow these instructions closely for a perfect batch every time.
First, begin by preheating your oven to 400°F (200°C). This ensures the oven is at the correct temperature for even baking once your bread is ready. While the oven preheats, lightly spray an 11×7 inch baking dish (or a 9×13 inch if you prefer a slightly thinner, wider loaf) with cooking spray. This crucial step prevents the sticky, caramelized bread from adhering to the pan, making for easy removal and serving.
Next, carefully unpackage your King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls. Using a sharp serrated knife, position the rolls with their shorter side facing you. Make three vertical slices across the top of each roll, ensuring that you stop approximately half an inch from the bottom crust. This technique creates pockets for the cinnamon glaze to seep into without completely separating the rolls, maintaining their “pull-apart” integrity.
Now, repeat the slicing process on the other side of the rolls, but this time make four horizontal slices. By doing this, you’re creating a distinctive cross-hatch pattern on the top of each individual roll. This intricate cutting pattern significantly increases the surface area for the rich cinnamon glaze to penetrate, ensuring every morsel is thoroughly coated and infused with flavor. This is key to achieving that incredibly moist and gooey interior.
Once all the rolls are expertly sliced, carefully transfer them into your prepared baking dish. Arrange them snugly side by side, ensuring they fit without too much space in between. This arrangement helps the rolls steam slightly as they bake, keeping them incredibly soft, and also encourages the glaze to distribute evenly throughout the entire loaf.
For the glorious cinnamon glaze, combine the light brown sugar, salted butter, and honey in a small saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat. This gentle heat is essential to prevent the sugar from burning and to allow the butter to melt slowly and uniformly. Stir the mixture constantly using a whisk or a spatula. Continuous stirring ensures all ingredients are thoroughly melted and integrated, creating a homogenous, syrupy consistency. This process usually takes about 5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and fully combined, with no sugar granules remaining.
Continue stirring the mixture until it becomes a rich, smooth, and uniform caramel-like syrup. The bubbling will subside, and the color will deepen slightly, indicating that the brown sugar has fully dissolved and melded with the butter and honey. This perfectly melted glaze is what will create the deeply satisfying, gooey center of your pull-apart bread.
Once the brown sugar, butter, and honey mixture is perfectly smooth and integrated, remove the saucepan from the heat. It’s important to take it off the heat before adding the cinnamon. Then, stir in the ground cinnamon until it is completely incorporated into the warm, luscious glaze. Adding cinnamon off the heat helps preserve its delicate aroma and flavor, preventing it from becoming bitter or overpowering. The intoxicating scent of cinnamon will immediately fill your kitchen!
Now comes the fun part: distributing that incredible glaze! Gently open each of the slices you made in the rolls. Using a spoon or a small ladle, carefully pour a couple of tablespoons of the warm cinnamon glaze into each opening. Take your time to ensure the glaze reaches deep into the cuts. After applying the glaze to the vertical cuts, gently press the slices back together to help spread the glaze evenly. Then, repeat this process for the horizontal cuts, making sure the glaze is generously distributed on all sides of the slices. This thorough application ensures every crevice of the bread is infused with sweet, gooey goodness.
After you’ve filled all the individual slices, pour any remaining cinnamon glaze evenly over the entire surface of the bread in the baking dish. This ensures a rich, caramelized top crust and maximizes the gooey factor. Once fully glazed, place the baking dish into your preheated oven. Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes. Keep a close eye on it; you’re looking for the bread to become golden brown, puffed up, and incredibly fragrant. The glaze should be bubbling and caramelized around the edges.
While your bread is happily baking to perfection, it’s the ideal time to whip up the simple yet essential vanilla icing. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Use a whisk to vigorously blend these ingredients together until you achieve a smooth, pourable, and lump-free icing. Adjust the consistency by adding a tiny bit more milk if it’s too thick, or a small spoonful of powdered sugar if it’s too thin. This creamy, sweet icing will provide the perfect finishing touch to your warm, gooey bread.
Once the cinnamon pull-apart bread emerges from the oven, beautifully golden and bubbling, it’s ready for the final touch. You can choose to carefully remove it from the baking pan and transfer it to a serving platter, or simply serve it directly from the pan – just remember, it will be incredibly hot and the caramelized glaze will be molten! Immediately spoon or generously drizzle the freshly prepared vanilla icing over the warm bread. The heat from the bread will slightly melt the icing, allowing it to seep into the nooks and crannies, creating an even more decadent and moist treat. Serve it warm for the ultimate experience.
And now, the best part… enjoy every single ‘ooey gooey’ bite of your homemade Glazed Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread! This simple yet spectacular creation is sure to become a beloved favorite in your home, bringing warmth, sweetness, and joy to any occasion.
Craving More Easy & Delicious Pull-Apart Recipes?
If you loved the simplicity and deliciousness of this Glazed Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread, you’re in for a treat! The “pull-apart” concept is incredibly versatile and can be adapted for a wide variety of sweet and savory dishes. Explore these other fantastic recipes that offer similar ease and shareable fun, perfect for any meal or snack:
- Taco Pull-Apart Bread: A savory sensation perfect for game nights or casual dinners, packed with all your favorite taco flavors.
- Cinnamon Apple Pull-Apart Bread: A fruity twist on the classic, combining warm apples with cinnamon for a delightful autumn-inspired treat.
- Pizza Hut Cinnamon Sticks: Recreate a beloved takeout dessert right in your own kitchen with this easy recipe.
- Crock Pot Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread: An incredibly easy and flavorful side dish or appetizer, made effortlessly in your slow cooker.
- Pizza Pull-Apart Bread: A fun and interactive way to enjoy pizza, perfect for parties and gatherings.
- Pie Crust Cinnamon Rolls: An ingenious shortcut to cinnamon rolls using store-bought pie crust for flakiness and ease.
- Cinnamon Roll Bubble Up: Another fantastic recipe leveraging pre-made dough for a quick and comforting cinnamon roll experience.
- Cinnamon Bread: For those who love the simple, rustic charm of a classic cinnamon-infused loaf.
Originally Published: June 2014
Updated photos & republished: January 2023
Glazed Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe
15 minutes
10 minutes
25 minutes
8
Brandie Skibinski
Ingredients
- 1 package (12) King’s Hawaiian original sweet rolls
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 ½ Tablespoons honey
For the icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Spray an 11×7 inch (or 9×13-inch) baking dish with cooking spray. This prepares your pan for baking and ensures easy release of the sticky, delicious bread.
- Unpackage the sweet rolls. Using a sharp serrated knife, and with the short side of the rolls facing you, make three vertical slices into the top of each roll. Stop your cuts approximately ½-inch from the bottom crust to keep the rolls connected.
- Repeat the slicing on the other side of the rolls, making four horizontal slices. This technique creates a cross-hatch pattern on each roll, maximizing the surface area for the glaze absorption.
- Carefully transfer the cut rolls into the prepared baking dish, arranging them snugly side by side.
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the brown sugar, butter, and honey. Stir constantly until all ingredients are fully melted and combined into a smooth, syrupy glaze (this should take about 5 minutes). Remove the saucepan from the heat, then stir in the ground cinnamon until well incorporated.
- Gently open each slice you made in the bread. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of the warm cinnamon glaze into each opening. Ensure the glaze penetrates deep into the cuts.
- Lightly press the slices back together to help distribute the glaze evenly on each side of the cuts. Start with the vertical cuts, then move to the horizontal ones. Spread any remaining glaze evenly over the entire top surface of the bread in the dish.
- Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and the glaze is bubbly and caramelized.
- While the bread is baking, prepare the icing: whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until completely smooth and free of lumps. Adjust the consistency as needed.
- Once the bread is finished baking, carefully remove it from the oven. You can either transfer it to a serving platter or serve it directly from the pan (caution: it will be very hot!).
- Generously spoon or drizzle the prepared vanilla icing over the warm bread, allowing it to melt slightly and coat all the delicious layers. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Dessert, Breakfast, Brunch
American
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 65g |
Fat: 11g |
Sodium: 114mg |
Sugar: 63g
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a certified dietician or nutritionist. The nutritional information provided here is an estimate calculated using online resources and should be considered as such. Calorie counts and other nutritional values can vary significantly based on the specific brands of ingredients used, preparation methods, and serving sizes. If precise nutritional data is critical for your dietary needs, we strongly recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator for the most accurate results tailored to your specific choices.
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