I Tried the Viral 90-Second Cinnamon Roll and It's My New Favorite Quick Breakfast
- A content creator shared a 90-second cinnamon roll recipe that promises the joy of a warm cinnamon roll in less than two minutes, using simple ingredients like gluten-free flour, cinnamon, sugar, egg, butter, and vanilla extract.
Going gluten-free has come with its fair share of sacrifices, but the one thing I've missed the most is cinnamon rolls . The warm, gooey, swirled pastries of my dreams just haven't translated well in most gluten-free versions I've tried. Some are dry, others taste more like bread than pastry and a few have been so crumbly I could barely get them out of the pan without them falling apart. Even the ones that looked beautiful ended up being a letdown in the flavor or texture department. But despite the disappointments, I'm not giving up.
I'm always on the hunt for a cinnamon roll recipe that doesn't feel like a sad substitute. So when I came across a 90-second cinnamon roll shared by content creator @dzunglewis , I figured, "Why not?" The idea of a quick, microwaveable cinnamon roll I could make in a ramekin sounded almost too good to be true, but it seemed worth a shot because even if it wasn't great, I wouldn't be investing much in the way of ingredients or time. Here's what happened when I tried the recipe in my kitchen.
Related: The Viral Pillsbury Cinnamon Roll Hack That Made Me Look Like a Rockstar Baker
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What Is the Viral 90-Second Cinnamon Roll?
This easy recipe is a breakfast version of a microwave mug cake that promises the joy of a warm cinnamon roll in less than two minutes. The original recipe called for almond flour and baking powder, but I swapped that out for my go-to gluten-free flour blend, and I actually think it worked even better for me. The ingredients were simple and already in my pantry. They included gluten-free flour, cinnamon, sugar, one egg, melted butter, vanilla extract, and a mix of brown sugar and cinnamon for the swirl on top.
Related: The 12 Best Store-Bought Cinnamon Rolls, Ranked
These were the only ingredients needed to make an amazing 90-second cinnamon roll.
How Do You Make the 90-Second Cinnamon Roll?
To make it, I melted a tablespoon of butter in a ramekin, then cracked in the egg and added a splash of vanilla extract. I mixed that together, then stirred in the gluten-free flour, a bit of white sugar and a dash of cinnamon. Once that formed a thick batter, I added a generous layer of brown sugar and cinnamon on top—like, really generous. I wanted that gooey, sticky, cinnamon-sugar top that reminds me of my favorite bakery-style cinnamon rolls. Then, into the microwave it went for 90 seconds.
What came out was dense, warm, cinnamon-packed and shockingly satisfying. It's definitely denser than your classic yeasted cinnamon roll, and it did have a slight eggy flavor, but even with that, it was hands-down the best gluten-free cinnamon roll I've had. The eggy flavor didn't bother me too much and it reminded me a little of a bread pudding-meets-cinnamon roll hybrid, which wasn't a bad thing.
You can make a simple glaze from cream cheese and powdered sugar if you want to go the homemade route, but I took a shortcut and used cake frosting, just like my favorite local bakery does. That thick, sweet layer on top added exactly the nostalgic bakery flavor I've been missing!
Related: I Made the Giant Pillsbury Cinnamon Roll and It's the Perfect Quick & Easy Weekend Breakfast
This 90-second cinnamon roll baked up dense and delicious right in the microwave!
What I Thought of the 90-Second Cinnamon Roll
This was easy, low-mess and completely satisfied my cinnamon roll craving in less than five minutes start to finish. No dough to rise, no multiple bowls, no flour-covered counters. Just one ramekin, a few ingredients and a microwave.
I already have some tweaks in mind for the next time I make this recipe (and there will be a next time very soon). I'm planning to use a touch more butter in the batter for moisture, a bit more cinnamon for depth, and I might experiment with separating the egg yolk and white to tone down the egg flavor. But even as-is, it's a total win!
For anyone like me who thought cinnamon rolls were off the table after going gluten-free, this little microwave miracle might be the answer. Try it and you just might find yourself smiling at your first bite like I did!
This 90-second cinnamon roll was the best gluten-free version of the pastry I've ever had! Angel Albring
Related: I Tried the Reddit-Famous Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake and I Get Why It Went Viral
