The Canned Cinnamon Roll Brand We Ranked Best Isn't Pillsbury

Canned cinnamon rolls are pretty iconic, as far as mass-produced, grocery store pastries go. You're likely already imagining their signature "pop" as a new batch gets cracked open, their little icing packs, and the cozy fragrance that fills the air in practically no time. One big brand tends to dominate, too, and odds are that you're likewise already imagining its somewhat unsettling little doughboy's signature giggle as well. Yes, Pillsbury is so popular that it practically serves as the generic term for these and other convenience retreats. But Chowhound ranked a total of six canned cinnamon rolls, and the brand didn't get anywhere near the top spot.

Annie's Organic Cinnamon Rolls beat out not only the big guy at Pillsbury, but also swept each of the other contenders to take the No. 1 spot. While they were a little tricky to get out of the packaging (a sentiment echoed online), they actually looked like they could have come from a bakery, with the familiar loops that a true cinnamon roll lover will expect. They tasted the part, too, with the ideal combination of sweet and spice. The user-friendly icing also went on easily for a polished finish with a superior flavor and appearance.

Each of the six canned cinnamon roll entrants was baked according to its manufacturer's instructions, iced while still warm, and tasted shortly thereafter. We wanted them to look convincingly enough like they had been sourced from a bakery, not the refrigerator aisle. Composition was also key to our canned cinnamon roll evaluation. The rolls needed to have winding layers to earn a high placement. And they had to taste great, not too sweet, and with a noticeable presence of the titular spice. Only Annie's could satisfy on all accounts, presenting as high-quality enough for guests. And Pillsbury came in dead last.

The Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls with Original Icing were critically absent the wonderful layers that better options had. They were more like cinnamon blobs with a gritty texture, while Annie's were sizable and pillowy. That, of course, also meant that there weren't any of the expected spaces that layers typically create for flavor to reside. So, while Pillsbury's cinnamon rolls didn't suffer from sugar overload, they didn't taste like much, either. Even the icing container was a failure, requiring a utensil for spreading rather than offering a design better suited to drizzling, as Annie's does with its convenient squeezable plastic icing packet. 

Depending on the inventory at your local grocery store or supermarket, the only upside to Pillsbury is that it's probably going to be a little cheaper than Annie's. We just think that you'll agree it's worth spending a few extra bucks for something you'll actually enjoy.