This Pumpkin-Flavored Product Is The Key To Decadent Fall Cinnamon Rolls

Show of hands: Who loves a good cinnamon roll? And who hates a dry cinnamon roll? Everyone, right? Good cinnamon rolls are few and far between, especially if you're unwilling to shell out money for fancy bakery fare. Making cinnamon rolls from scratch is tricky and labor-intensive, and you aren't necessarily guaranteed good results. Canned cinnamon rolls are often dry and dense, with skimpy servings of cinnamon and sugar. 

TikTok has the answer. Even though the app is known for dubious culinary advice — We can't condone TikTok's viral fluffy Coke — The Takeout has tested and given our stamp of approval to a solid cinnamon roll hack. As @recipes recommends, adding a quarter inch of heavy whipping cream to the bottom of your pan before baking makes for fat, fluffy, and flavorful rolls. If you want a little extra flavor, you can top the rolls with a mixture of melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, too.

But if you want even more flavor, consider giving the recipe an autumnal upgrade this fall by swapping heavy cream with pumpkin spice creamer. The rolls' namesake ingredient, cinnamon, is already a key component in pumpkin pie spice. It stands to reason that the other warming spices that make up the iconic blend — ginger, nutmeg, and cloves — would work with the rolls as well. Most creamers include added sugar, so you might want to cut down on the brown sugar when you make the syrupy cinnamon sauce. 

Coffee creamers have a hyper-processed reputation, but not all creamers are bad. If you want to avoid the sickly flavor of the complimentary coffee at your mechanic's shop, check the ingredient list. Avoid creamers that list palm oil, preservatives, and "milk derivatives" in favor of whole milk and natural flavors. Dairy-free creamers made with soy or oat milk are readily available, too. Cinnamon rolls aren't the only way to use coffee creamer, either. Use it in place of milk or heavy whipping cream to add a pumpkin spice kick to buttercream frosting, cupcakes, or French toast.

Still craving pumpkin spice after stores have switched to peppermint mocha and candy cane? You can still get your pumpkin spice cinnamon roll fix. Just add a pumpkin spice blend to the buttery sauce in addition to butter and cinnamon. The flavor may not penetrate the way it would with creamer, but it'll tide you over till next fall. If you're the type of person who prefers to stick to seasonal fare, consider trying eggnog once Christmas hits. After all, eggnog is a fantastic substitute for coffee creamer.