Pillsbury Cinnamon Roll Flavors Ranked Worst To Best

There's something special about waking up as a kid in the morning, coming downstairs, and being greeted with a hot, freshly baked plate of cinnamon rolls covered in a melted, sugary glaze and filled with warm, flavorful spice. Cinnamon rolls are a perfect way to get your day started with something a little sweet. You can make your own homemade rolls, but if you aren't as masterful in the kitchen you can get so many delicious and easy, ready-to-bake cinnamon rolls at the grocery store — like the universally beloved Pillsbury cinnamon rolls.

The Pillsbury cinnamon rolls are debatably some of, if not the finest store-bought cinnamon rolls on the market. They're big, sweet, and full of spicy goodness, just as any solid cinnamon roll should be. This may come as a surprise to you (or not, if you're a die-hard cinnamon roll fan), but the Pillsbury brand carries loads of different flavored cinnamon rolls among their products. They're all sweet and satisfying, but some are definitely better than the others. So we ranked every Pillsbury cinnamon roll flavor from worst to best.

Who doesn't love the idea of a fresh, hot, peach cobbler paired with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream? Those flavors of sweet peaches and cinnamon come together in Pillsbury's limited edition Grands! Cinnamon Rolls with Peaches & Cream Flavored Icing. This pack comes with the huge, fluffy cinnamon rolls that typically come within an original Pillsbury Grands! pack, but features sweet peaches-and-cream flavored ice cream. You may be a bit skeptical about this strange flavor pairing, and we're right there with you, since this frosting definitely has mixed reviews.

Looking at the Pillsbury page, you'll find multiple reviewers disappointed in the flavor of the icing, stating that it tastes nothing like peaches, but rather very artificial. Some even went so far as to call the cinnamon roll glaze "cloying" and "awful." Even the less scathing reviews, such as Junk Banter's claim the icing does taste like peaches (albeit artificial peach), but wonder if it truly belongs on top of a cinnamon roll. 

The first flavor we have up on the list is an extra spiced take on an already cinnamon-heavy food — Pillsbury's Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cinnamon Rolls. If you've ever had a bowl of the Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, then you're likely familiar with this nostalgic flavor. These cinnamon rolls supposedly take on the taste of the kid-favorite cereal, which is already a sweet breakfast item on its own, so you likely expect an overly sweet and cinnamon-flavored baked good. Some people don't like overly sweet things, however. And even if you enjoy the iconic Cinnamon Toast Crunch, you might not like these limited-edition cinnamon rolls, which lack the cereal's signature crunchy texture, not to mention a cold bowl of milk to mellow out all the sugar and spice. 

You may have had high hopes for these cinnamon rolls, but after taking a bite, these may just leave you disappointed. Other than more cinnamon in the icing, these cinnamon rolls aren't really different from the original ones. They're just cinnamon rolls with extra cinnamon flavor, and even then, the inside of the rolls are relatively dry, making for a not-so-satisfying breakfast pastry, according to Junk Banter. You could just put Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal on top of regular Pillsbury rolls and you'll probably have better results.

When you're considering toppings to drizzle and spread over your cinnamon rolls, you can always go with the classic, sweet, and delicious icing, but you have other options. Pillsbury makes their classic cinnamon roll topped with thick cream cheese icing. And though we like cream cheese frosting as much as the next person, these cinnamon rolls and frosting aren't the best.

There are several reviews on the Pillsbury website in regards to this product, and when you see that the product has a low rating on the brand's own page, you know they're doing something wrong. Many reviewers note that these cinnamon rolls are less like actual cinnamon rolls, and more like cinnamon biscuits. In regards to the frosting, the reviews are mixed. Some people like the frosting, while others find it disgusting. We could definitely see why people would enjoy having cream cheese on top of their cinnamon rolls, but in this case it seems like Pillsbury's idea is much better in theory than in practice. 

Perhaps the most iconic of all the fall flavors is pumpkin spice. As soon as summer starts to wane, just about every cafe and restaurant seems to have some sort of pumpkin spice flavored item on their menu. Same goes for your favorite grocery store brands. Whether you like Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice latte, or a freshly baked batch of pumpkin spice cookies, the bright orange and warmly flavored treats are widely anticipated by many. To hop on the trend, Pillsbury offers limited-edition Grands! Pumpkin Spice Rolls with Pumpkin Spice Icing. 

Pumpkin spice lovers likely came at these sweet breakfast rolls with high expectations, and were largely disappointed. The reception of this product is quite mixed, but for the most part, many agreed that these rolls did not live up to the pumpkin spice hopes that they carried. Some note that the icing had little to no pumpkin flavor, while others feel as though the rolls tasted less like pumpkin spice, and more like a bitter coffee. 

Generally when we write food rankings, the original can often be found toward the top of the lists. When it comes to the Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, however, their original products have quite a mixed reception. They're the cinnamon rolls that started it all in terms of Pillsbury's take on the cinnamon delights. There's bound to be a reason why they are still around and being produced — that means people like them, right? Well, there's also a good amount of people who don't like the original Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, and for a good reason.

You'll find a decent amount of people who love these pastries, with many appreciating their signature, sweet, cinnamon flavor. Reviews on Amazon appreciate these cinnamon rolls, and enjoy the sugary taste. However, at the same time, many consumers note that the cinnamon rolls aren't the best, claiming that they barely have any cinnamon in them. These cinnamon rolls, along with the super sweet icing, will likely be a hit or miss, depending on how sweet you like things, and how much cinnamon you want in your rolls. 

In the same vein as the cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting, Pillsbury offers its Grands! Cinnamon Rolls with Cinnabon Cream Cheese Icing. We love a good Cinnabon treat, and their cream cheese icing is definitely one of the best when it comes to cinnamon rolls. Unfortunately, however, being packed within the Pillsbury pastry can and having been refrigerated for who knows how long makes these cinnamon rolls a little less delicious than what you could get fresh at a Cinnabon store. Even if you adore everything that has to do with Cinnabon, these cinnamon rolls might fall flat for you in terms of flavor and texture.

You'd expect the delicious cream cheese frosting to make up for the dry, not-so-flavorful cinnamon buns. Unfortunately, many saw these as incredibly dry with an overly sweet icing. And some claimed the Cinnabon cream cheese doesn't really taste too different from the original Pillsbury cream cheese, which, as previously mentioned, doesn't really do it for us. There are slightly more flavorful, and if you liked this Cinnabon collaboration, we would understand why, because there are a number of people who enjoyed these. 

If we were to describe a good cinnamon roll, we'd say that it would have a soft, fluffy interior with a slightly more firm, crisp exterior. Flaky is not necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when describing a good cinnamon roll, but if it works, it works, right? When it comes to Pillsbury's Flaky Grands! Cinnamon Rolls, it does actually work surprisingly well. However, there is a certain aspect of this particular flavor that makes it a bit more difficult to find, and overall not worth it.

The flaky aspect of this cinnamon roll isn't actually half bad, and it's a lot like one of Pillsbury's butter biscuits in terms of texture. It's not as dry as some of the other cinnamon buns, and the sweet icing, while extremely overpowering, isn't as bad when paired with a solid bun. However, these cinnamon rolls aren't that easy to find. Numerous reviews on the Pillsbury website note that they can't find this flavor in stores, and even ask if the flaky cinnamon rolls have been discontinued — which they haven't. If these were a little easier to find, we would definitely rank them higher.

Okay, let's get this out of the way — cinnamon rolls are not the healthiest breakfast to have in the morning. They're great once in a while, a treat to splurge upon every so often. When you do have them, though, you want them to be good. You want your cinnamon rolls to be full of the incredible spice that is cinnamon, and topped with a hot, light, and sweet serving of icing. You don't want to skimp. Of course, there are some people who do want to be self-conscious about their fat intake, but still desire to indulge upon cinnamon goodness, and that's completely fair.

For that reason, Pillsbury has its Reduced Fat Cinnamon Rolls with Icing, which is perfect for anyone who can tolerate the original Pillsbury cinnamon rolls. There are definitely those who appreciate having a lower-fat option of their favorite Pillsbury cinnamon rolls (via Pillsbury). However, because these taste a lot like the original cinnamon rolls, they come with the same problems that the original cinnamon rolls do. They're a little dry, and the icing is overly sweet. If you can stand that though, then you may actually like these rolls. We appreciate the idea of a treat with a lower fat content, and definitely see the appeal behind these.

Cinnabon's cinnamon rolls are not something you want to ignore. They're sticky, sweet, and filled with the warm, incredible flavor of cinnamon. If you've ever happened upon one of their shops, or small stalls at the mall, then you know just how incredible a Cinnabon cinnamon roll is. From the actual roll to the sweet, rich cream, every part of a Cinnabon cinnamon roll is amazing. Cinnabon's seem to make everything better — and that's the case with this next Pillsbury cinnamon roll, as well. The Pillsbury Grand Cinnamon Rolls with Original Icing, made with Cinnabon cinnamon, are a step above the previous two flavors — but just a step.

We'll be honest, aside from the elevated cinnamon flavor, the actual roll has all of the issues the regular Pillsbury cinnamon roll does. It's rather dry on the inside. The icing tastes quite similar to what you might find on a Cinnabon cinnamon roll, but because it's paired with a refrigerated cinnamon roll, it's not as good as the actual thing. It's not the worst, and if you like Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, you'll probably like this flavor quite a bit.

One of the best things about the holiday season is the sweet, hot drinks you get to sip on to keep yourself warm. And Hot chocolate is arguably one of the most beloved of these drinks. Who doesn't love a warm, chocolatey drink topped with whipped cream and marshmallows? Did you know you can get it in pastry form, too? Pillsbury actually does a surprisingly good job taking the flavor of a hot chocolate and turning it into a cinnamon roll. The Pillsbury Grands! Hot Cocoa Rolls with Marshmallow Icing is a limited-edition flavor that isn't actually branded as just a cinnamon roll, but a surprisingly festive and fun treat.

According to reviews like Junk Banter's, the marshmallow glaze doesn't taste as much like the marshmallows that top a hot cacao, but instead, tastes more similar to the ones you'd find in a bowl of Lucky Charms. The actual roll is only a little better than the original Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, as the chocolate is just as prevalent as the cinnamon. But it's a limited-edition flavor, so you can only purchase it for a short time during the year. This treat is definitely better than a lot of the other cinnamon rolls, so be sure to get it when you can. If only it was around longer than the winter!

It's odd that some of the better cinnamon roll flavors Pillsbury carries aren't even cinnamon flavored, but it seems Pillsbury is generally good at getting creative with their breakfast rolls. The next flavor on the Pillsbury cinnamon roll list are the Orange Rolls with Orange Icing. These take on a more citrusy flavor as opposed to the cinnamon spice of the original rolls. 

Citrus flavored sweets are something you may have not appreciated as a kid, but these orange rolls prove that citrus flavored pastries are quite delicious. If you've ever had an orange glazed donut, or some other orange flavored dessert, then you'll likely enjoy these pastries. The glaze is sweet, and you can definitely taste the citrus within it. The rolls themselves are still a bit dry, and there could be a bit more of an orange flavor throughout the treat, but overall, this flavor is pretty solid, and plenty of customers love it, based on Pillsbury's reviews. We would highly recommend to anyone who likes orange flavored treats.

The next flavor up is another fruit-flavored cinnamon roll, the Pillsbury's Grands! Cinnamon Rolls with Strawberry & Cream Flavored Icing. You may be wary about hearing about another fruityd cinnamon roll if you aren't so into the peaches and cream flavor Pillsbury carries, but believe it or not, the strawberry flavored roll is executed much better than it's fruit-and-cream counterpart. These rolls are surprisingly delicious, especially for anyone who enjoys the taste of a sweet strawberry candy.

This product is almost exactly like the regular rolls Pillsbury carries, but the frosting takes it to a whole other level. The cinnamon rolls aren't anything new. If you got the original cinnamon rolls, you'd be met with the exact same thing, except that the Grands! Rolls are a lot bigger. What really sells this treat is the icing. It doesn't taste like real strawberries, and is much more similar to strawberry candy in terms of its flavor. But hey, strawberry candy is delicious, and the icing works surprisingly well on these cinnamon rolls. The reviews on the Pillsbury website back this up, with one customer saying the rolls "literally taste like summertime!! Do yourself a favor and bless your soul with these gems!"

Up next, we have the Pillsbury Grands! Cinnamon Rolls with Extra Rich Butter Cream Icing. These cinnamon rolls are made with Pillsbury's ready-to-bake dough, along with Cinnabon cinnamon and some premade extra-rich buttercream icing. These cinnamon rolls are something we could see ourselves indulging for a breakfast treat, or even dessert.

The buttercream topping is definitely rich, and a little more on the sweet side. And since these are Grands! the rolls are a lot bigger, so you get more per serving. Which means more thicky, yummy frosting to devour along the way. We're not alone in thinking these are some of the best. Customers praised these rolls for their sweet, decadent taste. One reviewer said they "buy these twice a month at the very least." Another claimed the cinnamon rolls "taste better than Cinnabon" and shared their hack for making them even better. They say to "add a bit of buttermilk or heavy cream at the bottom and let them rise for 30 minutes then bake covered and they are soooo good!"

At the top of the list, we have Pillsbury's Flaky Cinnamon Rolls with Butter Cream Icing. These cinnamon rolls are another flaky take on Pillsbury's sweet breakfast treats. The other flaky cinnamon rolls were alright, but these are elevated to a whole other level with the buttercream frosting. There are complaints regarding the flavor and texture of several of Pillsbury's cinnamon rolls, as no product is completely perfect. However, these cinnamon rolls are probably the closest thing the Pillsbury brand gets to cinnamon perfection.

The Flaky Cinnamon Rolls with Butter Cream Icing probably have the highest rating among the Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, with customers raving about the light, fluffy texture of the pastry, almost like a croissant (via Amazon). Others compared this cinnamon roll to the experience of getting a fresh baked treat straight from the bakery. And you can't beat that, right? Of all the Pillsbury cinnamon and non-cinnamon flavored rolls that they carry, this is the one we'd recommend the most.