You've Been Making Your Cinnamon Rolls Wrong Your Entire Life
If you ask us, there's no better way to start the day than with a batch of freshly baked ooey-gooey cinnamon rolls with lots of icing. It's warm, it's indulgent, and most importantly, this delicious comfort breakfast food is simply sweet. Whether you like to make cinnamon rolls from a can, spruce up premade cinnamon rolls, or make them from scratch with yeast, there's one secret trick to leveling them up.
If you've been making your cinnamon rolls and icing them only once, that's your biggest mistake. If you really want to take your cinnamon rolls up another notch, the best and easiest way is to ice them twice. No matter what kind of icing you use, be it homemade or the tube that comes with the pack, you'll want to use it to top the cinnamon rolls in two goes. If you really love icing, you can make a little extra icing to make sure you cover them all (via The Kitchn).
Why you should be icing your cinnamon rolls twice
The reason why icing your cinnamon rolls twice makes them so much better has a lot to do with heat. The first time the cinnamon rolls should be iced is when they first come out of the oven and are still hot. When the icing is spread over the steaming rolls, it will melt and seep down into the buns. The sweet topping will help fill in any cracks and crevices inside the buns too.
Wait a while for the rolls to cool, then use the rest of the icing to top them again. This time, the buns should be cool enough that the icing will simply sit on top as the beautiful smear of topping we all love.
If you need more icing to get the second coat on well, it's easy to mix up a quick batch of icing. All you need to do is combine three cups of powdered sugar with 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. Start with less water for a thicker icing and add more as needed to reach the consistency you want (via Dinner Then Dessert).
Remember, this trick is even great for premade rolls that come in cans, though some of those are better than others (via Taste of Home). We also love the idea of fixing up cinnamon rolls with your own toppings, like extra icing to get the second coat, or adding pecans before baking. That sounds like a winning combination.