Cake Mix Cinnamon Roll Pastries (with cinnamon glaze)

If you want the ease of a boxed bake mix but the flavor and joy of a luscious cinnamon roll, do I have a brand new recipe for you! These tasty treats have the look of homemade cinnamon rolls but the taste and texture of a high-end pastry–light, crisp and oh, so cinnamony!

This is one of those delicious recipes you’ll turn to again and again!

Can I Make Pastries Out of Cake Mix?

Honestly? I didn’t think it would work. I was driving the car down the road when the idea hit: turn a cake mix into pie-crust-like dough and roll it up so that it that “almost” looks like cinnamon rolls. 

Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls. Is that a Thing?

Everything about it felt wrong. Cake mixes have leavening in them, after all. And sugar. Lots of sugar. And. . .did I mention? Leavening! Pie crust is a simple combination of flour, butter (or shortening), salt, and a dash of sugar, if the Spirit leads. 

Still, I couldn’t shake the idea. I’ve been on a roll (pun intended) coming up with brand new recipes that start with a white cake mix. If I’ve learned one thing over the past several months, it’s how to doctor a boxed cake mix! 

White Cake Mix Recipes are the Best!

I’m hoping to come up with a dozen new white cake mix recipes and I’m well on my way. You’ll find a list at the bottom of this post, detailing the ones I’ve already created. But, cinnamon rolls out of cake mix? Seemed like a stretch. 

Of course, I could have asked google. It occurred to me: look it up. Surely some goober before you had already thought of this. 

Sometimes I Come up with Some Crazy Ideas.

But, on the other hand, I didn’t want to borrow any ideas from folks who might be as crazy as me. No, if I failed, I would fail alone. And if I succeeded, well, I would succeed alone. 

So, I did it. With much fear and trepidation, I reached for the box of white cake mix. And some butter. And a handful of other ingredients reminiscent of my cake mix scone recipe.

Before I tell you how I went about making these delightful pastries, let me give you a full list of the ingredients. It’s a short list! 

CINNAMON ROLL INGREDIENTS

You’ll find the full printable recipe at the bottom of this post. For now, here’s a peek at what you’ll need. These are simple ingredients you probably have in your kitchen right now.

• 1 box vanilla cake mix
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup cold butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

You can use any brand of white cake mix you like. I had Duncan Hines on hand but you could use Betty Crocker, Pillsbury or whatever you like.

FILLING INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

GLAZE INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

How to Make Cake Mix Cinnamon Roll Pastries

These came together quickly and easily. I feel sure you can make them without any trouble at all. And the outcome will be just as delicious as mine!

I started with the cake mix and the butter, which I grated. I put them into my Ninja but if you don’t have a food processor you can use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for this process. You could even use an electric hand mixer, if you like.

After you fully incorporate the butter and cake mix it’s time to add the flour. You’ll have to pulse your food processor until it reaches a crumb-like texture.

Transfer your crumbs to a large bowl and add your egg and whipping cream.

Fully incorporate the egg and whipping cream. You can do this with a stand mixer or electric mixer. Or, if you’re in the mood for a workout you can do it by hand. It’s kind of fun to work the dough by hand after it starts to come together. You can also use the dough hook attachment of your stand mixer.

Place dough onto a floured work surface. I used waxed paper, which always comes in handy for the rolling process.

You will want to have your filling ready to go. Chop your nuts and mix together your brown sugar and cinnamon. For best results, make sure your cinnamon and sugar are well mixed.

Now it’s time to roll out your dough. This is a firm dough, not a soft dough.

You’ll want to get it to about 1/4 inch thickness and aim for a rectangle. You can always trim off the edges with a knife. Set aside any scraps. You can use those!

Once you’ve formed your large rectangle, coat it with room temperature butter.

Yum.

Ready for some fun? Let’s add the good stuff! The cinnamon sugar mixture goes on first, followed by the pecans. (This cinnamon filling is everything, y’all!)

Look at that buttery brown sugar cinnamon coating, y’all!

It’s time to roll! Let the waxed paper help guide you on the long side of the dough. Roll dough into a tube and then slice into pieces about an inch thick.

Prepare a pan by spraying with non-stick spray. Carefully lift and set the pastries into the pan.

Place in preheated oven and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

While the pastries are baking you can make your glaze. Mix together your powdered sugar, cinnamon, and whipping cream and stir until smooth. Doesn’t that cinnamon mixture look divine?

When pastries are done baking remove them from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Place the rack over a baking sheet before you coat the pastries in glaze.

Your buttery cinnamon swirls are ready to eat! Enjoy! (And share with some friends. They’re going to love these!)

If you have any left over, (doubtful!) cover them with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. (These are just as good the next day.)

What to Expect from These Pastries

These aren’t your typical cinnamon rolls. They’re not light and fluffy. They’re crisp and delicious, like a pie crust. You’re going to swoon when you taste them, I promise! These are now a family favorite in my house!

I passed off a full batch to family members who were headed out on a road trip. Ten minutes after they left my house I got a text. They were absolutely flipping out over them!

Then, after they returned home a few days later, I got another text, saying everyone they spent their vacation with had agreed. . .these pastries were remarkable!

See this recipe at

Full Plate Thursday 

Weekend Potluck

Sunday LinkUp

Variations on this Recipe

• This recipe is a little bit like my Flaky Pie Crust Cinnamon Rolls, so you might want to give those a try if you don’t have a cake mix on hand.
• Next time, I might add some sort of preserves to the dough before rolling it up. Raspberry? Strawberry? Blackberry? The possibilities are endless!
• Another option would be an orange filling. Cinnamon and orange go well together. Adding orange zest would be just the ticket!
• I’m thinking these pastries would be yummy with finely diced apples worked into the cinnamon. I might have to give that recipe a try!
• Add a simple cream cheese frosting.

Other Cinnamon Sugar Delights from Out of the Box Baking

You’ve probably noticed a theme over here. I’m nuts about cinnamon. Here are a few of my recent favorites:

• Cinnamon Sugar Pound Cake (from scratch). I simply have no words. This one will be your go-to for a yummy breakfast cake.
• Another great breakfast treat: My Cinnamon Muffins. Yum!
• I’m also crazy about my Easy Bananas Foster Cinnamon Rolls. (You guys can tell I love cinnamon rolls, right? They’re so yummy!)
• I’ve also got a really easy Cinnamon Roll recipe that starts with canned biscuits. If you’re in a hurry you’ll love these.
• And of course I’ve got a yummy Cinnamon Streusel Muffin recipe. Easy and delicious.

There are more cinnamon-themed recipes on this site! Just go to the search bar at the top of this page and type in the word “cinnamon” to see the rest. In fact, you can type in anything you might be looking for and you’ll come up with all sorts of recipe.

I sure hope you enjoyed this one! I’ll see you next time with more sweet treats!

---

About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 150 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.