The Trick To Making The Gooiest Cinnamon Rolls (Without Them Becoming Soggy)

Whenever you're making cinnamon rolls from scratch, there's nothing more nerve-racking than that moment when you pick one up. Will you find a puddle of filling at the bottom of the baking dish, or will your rolls be perfectly soft and equally sticky? While it can seem like it's all luck, there are important steps to take to ensure you're baking cinnamon rolls that are super gooey, but not at all soggy.

According to Bridget Vickers, senior chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education's Los Angeles campus, it all comes down to the consistency of the filling and the bake time. "My recommendation is to use a specific ratio of butter and brown sugar for the filling, and incorporate a small amount of cornstarch or all-purpose flour into that mixture," Vickers told Food Republic in an exclusive interview. While many recipes don't use a starch in the filling, it's a powerhouse move that Vickers explained will help thicken and stabilize it. This is thanks to the heat from the oven activating the molecules in the starch, giving your cinnamon rolls the best chance of a gooey interior.

When making a standard batch of 12 rolls, Vickers suggested using ⅓ cup of melted unsalted butter mixed with 1 cup of dark brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch (or 2 teaspoons of flour if you don't have cornstarch). You could also use a teaspoon of instant clear jel, which is a modified cornstarch. Then, bake the rolls at a lower temperature, like 350 degrees Fahrenheit, for 25 to 30 minutes. "A lower, slower bake allows the dough to bake fully without creating a thick crust, and gives the filling time to caramelize and thicken," she said.

If your cinnamon rolls come out soggy, Bridget Vickers said there isn't a foolproof method for fixing them. "You can't 'un-bake' them, but you can try to improve the situation and salvage the product," she said. For mild sogginess, she recommended putting them on a wire rack for a few hours. Make sure to blot the bottom with a paper towel as well. If, on the other hand, they're pretty wet, she suggested placing them in a 300-degree Fahrenheit oven for about 5 to 10 minutes. "Be extremely careful, as the sugar will burn quickly," she warned.

And finally, Vickers recommended transforming them into something else if you can't salvage them any other way. Just like how you can use leftover buns to make bread pudding, Vickers suggests cutting up the soggy cinnamon rolls to make your own take on the classic dessert. Similarly, you could take cinnamon rolls to the next level by using them to make a French toast casserole or monkey bread. You could even pan-fry the chunks in some butter to enjoy some crispy cinnamon roll bites.