Easy Steps for How to Store and Reheat Leftover Cinnamon Rolls

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No one wants to receive a delicious batch of gooey cinnamon rolls only to have to trash them because they turn stale and dry. There’s a trick to saving your rolls and storing them properly to keep them fresh.

Perfect baked goods come out of the oven with a golden brown outside and a soft moist inside we want to keep as long as possible. There’s tips for storing all kinds of baked goods, but cinnamon rolls are special. These are large, have a gooey cinnamon filling and often have messy frosting on top. Here’s some tips for storing and reheating your beloved cinnamon rolls that will help keep them fresh for longer.

Storing Cinnamon Rolls At Room Temperature

• Storage time: 2-3 Days

Your homemade cinnamon rolls are done early so you don’t have to think about baking the following day. How do you best keep them? The answer may just be at room temperature. In fact, you can store your hot cinnamon rolls at room temperature for 2-3 days. That’s great news for those who like to prep baking for special holidays! Here’s the best way to keep them fresh:

• If your cinnamon rolls have been baked together, don’t bother to separate them. If, there’s a lot of airways between them, though, it may be best to individually wrap the rolls.
• Using aluminum foil or plastic wrap, tightly wrap your rolls. Remember, the goal is to prevent air from getting to them as much as possible.
• Place your wrapped cinnamon rolls into an air-tight container. Before sealing the container, place one more layer of saran wrap or aluminum foil over the top of the rolls.

This should keep your yummy rolls from becoming dry cinnamon rolls for 2-3 days.

Storing Cinnamon Rolls in the Refrigerator

Storage Time: Up to a Week

For best results, it’s not recommended to store cinnamon rolls (or any baked goods for that matter) in the refrigerator. Not only can the refrigerator change the moist texture of your fresh cinnamon rolls to stale cinnamon rolls, it can also cause foods to absorb flavors of other foods. Think about the flavors of chicken broth and brussel sprouts mixing with cinnamon buns. Ick!

For this reason, I recommend choosing one of the different options of storing in the freezer for longer shelf life or on the counter for a shorter time.

Storing Cinnamon Rolls in the Freezer

Storage Time: Up to 2 months

Freezing cinnamon rolls is the best way to keep them for long term storage. The most important thing to avoid is getting freezer burn. The best way to do this is making sure to prevent as much air as possible to come in contact with the rolls.

A great option for storing rolls in the freezer is using a plastic freezer bag. The nice thing about these is the fact that they are resealable bags. You can work to take as much air out as possible and open or close them when needed. You can use these or choose an airtight container for storage!

• To do this, we’ll follow the same process of either wrapping a whole batch of connected rolls or wrapping individual cinnamon rolls. Note that if your cinnamon rolls are already apart you should wrap them individually as air can already get in between them.
• Once they are wrapped tightly, place them into an airtight container or freezer storage bags, being careful to seal with as little air as possible. As when storing on the counter, I like to add another layer of saran wrap, aluminum foil or parchment paper over the top of the rolls before sealing the airtight container. Then write the date on a piece of tape and stick INSIDE the container.
• It’s a good idea to place your rolls in a way they won’t get too squished during the freezing process.
  

These can stay fresh for up to 2 months but I’d eat them within a couple of weeks for best results. Also, be sure to check them every couple weeks for any freezer burn. You won’t be happy if you find a month later that the bag or container wasn’t sealed properly!

How to Reheat Cinnamon Rolls

Did you know reheating stale bread can actually help freshen it! I hope you don’t let your bread go stale, but know that the temperature change ( especially in a toasty oven) will give your cinnamon rolls a fresh taste whether stale or not!

Preparing to Reheat Frozen Cinnamon Rolls

To reheat leftover cinnamon rolls that have been frozen, place your airtight container with the rolls into a refrigerator 24 hours before reheating. The next day warm your cinnamon rolls in the oven as directed.

Alternatively, you can place your frozen rolls out (still covered) at room temperature for about 4-5 hours. Then follow the directions to reheat your rolls.

The Reheating Process

Yes, you can use a microwave to reheat the rolls by covering them with a damp paper towel and cooking on a microwave-safe plate. I think the best option, though, is to use a conventional oven. This creates the same texture and fresh taste they had when first made. It also encourages a moist texture instead of creating dry cinnamon rolls as a microwave can easily do.

• The first step is to preheat your oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit
• Place your thawed cinnamon rolls onto a baking pan or cookie sheet, then cover with aluminum foil ( it’s o.k. to reheat cinnamon rolls with icing on them).
• Bush the tops of the rolls with a bit of butter, then bake them in your preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until warmed through
• Enjoy hot cinnamon rolls once again!

You can even ad more frosting or powdered sugar if you so desire.

What about Icing?

Should you store cinnamon rolls with or without icing? My personal opinion is that it’s easier to store them without the icing if it’s thick. If it’s just a hardened layer of liquid, it won’t get in the way. I recommend taking frosting off the cinnamon rolls if they’ve been frosted and either saving it or re-icing when you’re ready to eat them.

The rich frosting makes delicious cinnamon rolls and it’s just fine to store at room temperature for 2-3 days as indicated above. The tricky part comes when dealing with cream cheese frosting.

Storing Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting must be stored in the refrigerator or freezer according to the directions above. This is because they contain a perishable dairy product in the frosting: cream cheese. If, however, the frosting comes in a can, it should be safe to store an in airtight container at room temperature. Read the directions on the label to be sure.

Cinnamon Roll Recipes

• To find my favorite Sourdough Cinnamon Recipe, don’t forget to check out the Einkorn for a Cozy Winter eBook

• Check out The Sourdough Cinnamon Snowflake Recipe to impress your friends and enjoy Beautiful Bread

Hope this helps you in your kitchen!

From the Hilltop,

Krista