Air Fryer Canned Cinnamon Rolls

Skip the oven – make warm and fluffy Air Fryer Canned Cinnamon Rolls in just 15 minutes! With only a can of refrigerated Pillsbury Grands, this beginner friendly air fryer recipe is a tasty addition to brunch, dessert, or a sweet snack!

When I think of cinnamon rolls, I first think of how much I want them. It is A LOT. But then, I quickly remember the measuring, mixing, rising, rolling, and general baking work associated with them, and I remember why I don’t make them so often.

But, enter a cute little can of refrigerated cinnamon rolls, and me with my air fryer… You know what had to happen! I fully understand they don’t replace a classic homemade cinnamon roll, but they actually aren’t far behind!

After just a couple attempts, I ended up with glorious fluffy gooey Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls, made in my air fryer in 15 minutes start to finish. Quite a simple process, but I do have a couple tips for you.

What are canned cinnamon rolls?

Refrigerated canned cinnamon rolls can be found in most grocery stores. I generally find them by the yogurt section, along with the refrigerated cookie dough and crescent rolls.

Inside the pressurized cardboard container with metal ends, you’ll find a 5 to 8 count roll of prepared and pre-cut raw cinnamon roll dough. When unraveling the outer cardboard tube, be careful not to accidentally unroll any of the cinnamon roll dough. The individual cinnamon rolls should come apart with just a little bit of effort.

You’ll also find a little container of premade icing. Some people like it, some don’t. I just like it because it’s already there. If you want to do a little more work, make a homemade cream cheese frosting while the cinnamon rolls cook in the air fryer.

There are a few different brands of canned cinnamon rolls, most commonly Pillsbury, but also Annie’s and various store brands like Trader Joe’s and Kroger.

This dough is intended to be baked in the oven. However, the air fryer can get the job done in half the time with the same delicious result.

For this recipe, my personal preference is to use the Pillsbury Grands Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls. This is the 5-count container with slightly larger cinnamon rolls, as pictured here in this post. Other brands labeled as jumbo or that come in a similar 5-count container should also work the same way.

How do you make Air Fryer Canned Cinnamon Rolls?

It’s quite easy to make canned cinnamon rolls in your air fryer, and I’ve got a few tips that will help you along the way! Please note, for this recipe, I’m using a 5-count container of Pillsbury Grands cinnamon rolls. I’ve adapted this recipe from the Pillsbury website, and added my own tips as well.

First, prepare your air fryer basket by placing a piece of parchment paper along the bottom. You can either cut a piece from a roll to match the bottom, or use air fryer parchment paper liners (affiliate link!), which can save time.

Open up your canned cinnamon rolls and carefully place all five cinnamon rolls into the air fryer basket, evenly spacing if possible. I do one in each corner and one in the middle. If you have a smaller air fryer, you may need to do this in two batches so your cinnamon rolls are not too close together.

Place the basket into the air fryer and cook at 330F for 10-12 minutes total, using tongs to carefully flip the cinnamon rolls over after 6 minutes. This ensures that the tops do not over cook, and the bottoms of the cinnamon rolls are cooked through. Check the cinnamon rolls at 10 minutes and add an additional 2 minutes if the centers are not quite cooked through.

Due to the way the cinnamon rolls are precut in the can, some may be thinner or thicker than others. If any cinnamon rolls are significantly thicker than others, they may need an additional minute or two longer than the rest.

Using tongs, remove the cinnamon rolls to a plate and let them cool for 2-3 minutes, then add your desired amount of icing, and enjoy.

How long does it take to cook Pillsbury cinnamon rolls in the air fryer?

For a 5-count can of Pillsbury Grands cinnamon rolls, cook for 10-12 minutes total at 330F, flipping cinnamon rolls halfway through.

For an 8-count can of cinnamon rolls, reduce cook time by 2-3 minutes, for 7-10 minutes at 330F, checking after 5 minutes. Check the bottoms and flip if they appear doughy.

Grands/Jumbo (5-count) vs. Regular (8-count)

As you might be able to see from the photos, this recipe is designed for the 5-count cans of grands or jumbo cinnamon rolls, which are slightly larger cinnamon rolls than what come from an 8-count can.

For that reason, the cook time for an 8-count can of cinnamon rolls will be slightly less than cook time for the 5-count can. It is also not required to flip them for best results, unless you find that the bottoms are not cooking.

For a 5-count can of jumbo or grands cinnamon rolls, cook at 330F for 10-12 minutes total, flipping cinnamon rolls halfway through.

For an 8-count can of cinnamon rolls, reduce cook time by 2-3 minutes, cooking at 330F for 7-10 minutes, checking after 5 minutes. Check the bottoms and flip if they appear doughy.

However, I strongly prefer the larger grands cinnamon rolls. These taste more like a homemade cinnamon roll to me, and I just like them better.

What should you serve with these Air Fryer Canned Cinnamon Rolls?

These cinnamon rolls make delicious snacks, dessert or additions to breakfast and brunch. Serve them alongside bacon and eggs, a quiche or frittata, or have them plain as a snack anytime you’d like.

I don’t think there is a wrong way to eat a cinnamon roll!

Alternative customization ideas:

The best thing you can do to jazz up these cinnamon rolls is add a homemade cream cheese frosting! Try this Favorite Cream Cheese Frosting from Sally’s Baking Recipes.

I also sometimes see Pillsbury come out with limited edition Grands cinnamon rolls of various flavors, and I think any of those would work with this recipe too!

Which air fryer do you recommend?

The air fryer I have currently, and the one that is pictured in this post is the Cosori XL 5.8 qt Air Fryer (affiliate link!). If you’re going to invest in an air fryer to cook things for 2 or more people, you should opt for a larger size like this one, in my opinion!

I previously had a slightly smaller Philips Air Fryer with a metal grate basket which I liked, but I prefer the larger Cosori model with the nonstick coated basket.

How to store prepared cinnamon rolls:

Store leftover cooked cinnamon rolls in an airtight sealed container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.

How to reheat prepared cinnamon rolls:

Reheat refrigerated cooked cinnamon rolls in the air fryer at 300F for 3-4 minutes, or in a toaster oven on the Warm setting for 5-8 minutes.