Why We Ranked Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls Dead Last In Our Taste Test

Canned cinnamon rolls are so ubiquitous in American households that they might be what first comes to mind when imagining the decadent morning treat. Unlike baked goods like chocolate chip cookies, which a lot of people automatically associate with wooden spoons and mixing bowls, cinnamon rolls, in general, just seem synonymous with the signature pop of those iconic tubes. But what lies inside these convenient cylinders is not always created equal. So, we ranked six canned cinnamon rolls from worst to best, in order for you to get cracking on only the good stuff.

Pillsbury might also be the premier brand you think of when notions of cinnamon rolls come to mind. But, with apologies to Poppin' Fresh, the corporate food world's cuddliest mascot, our findings put the doughy behemoth at a distant No. 6. When evaluated explicitly for structure, consistency, flavor, included icing, and how close they came to masquerading as homemade, Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls with Original Icing just fell short in every category versus their five superior counterparts.

One chief characteristic of any cinnamon roll is its wonderfully coiled composition, a perfect pastry wound into loops from one long ribbon of dough. The Pillsbury cinnamon rolls with original icing were so close to the opposite of that conceit that they might as well go by another name. There would be nothing to unfurl, no satisfaction to be had in pulling apart cinnamon-crusted layers. That cinnamon, in fact, was isolated to the top the treats instead of generously speckling their interior with an even layer of flavor. The icing was similarly a letdown. Its packaging was hard to manage, requiring a knife to spread, and it had an unpleasantly powdery texture.

In our ranking, Annie's Organic Cinnamon Rolls with Icing ran circles around Pillsbury's. For one, they bore more of a resemblance to the cinnamon rolls most folks would actually hope to see on the kitchen table. Forget about homemade, they had even a commercial polish that could have come from the bakery. Most importantly, their flavor was sensational, with enough salt to balance the expected sweetness, which is almost always a benefit. Annie's icing packet was also much more user friendly for an elegant finish. Even though we have plenty of ways to make other cinnamon rolls taste scratch-made, Annie's rolls simply needed no improvement. Unlike, at least in this case, the Doughboy's disappointing offering.