21 Cinnamon Desserts to Make for Fall (and Any Time, Really)
Chocolate is decadent and fruit desserts are refreshing, but when we want to feel all kinds of warm and fuzzy, we turn to cinnamon. The spice—which actually comes from tree bark—is sweet, spicy, warm and a welcome addition to everything from cakes and cookies to pies and pudding. Here are 21 cinnamon desserts that make the most of it.
RELATED: 50 Easy Fall Dessert Recipes That Make the Most of Baking Season
1. Cinnamon Sheet Cake with Cider Frosting
The cake is tender, moist and delicately spiced, while the flavorful cider icing is the crowning glory. Oh, and it’s ready in an hour, no big deal.
2. Giant Cinnamon Roll
When it comes to cinnamon rolls, more is more. You could serve this for dessert or breakfast.
3. Cinnamon Meringue Pie
The spicy-sweet custard filling is complemented by swoops and swirls of fluffy meringue.
4. Swedish Cinnamon Buns Topped with Salted Caramel
These rolls have ribbons of cinnamon sugar, crunchy almonds and pools of sticky salted caramel contrasting with a pillowy-soft interior.
5. Pumpkin Spice Pecan Rolls
What’s the key ingredient in pumpkin pie spice (and these sticky buns)? Cinnamon, of course.
6. Doughnut Muffins
You don’t need a deep fryer or even a doughnut pan to make these cuties.
7. ‘Potato’ Candy
These little guys are called potatoes because they look like spuds, but they’re actually made with cream cheese and coconut, dusted in cinnamon.
8. Glazed Doughnut Cookies
These cookies bake up in a measly 15 minutes, which gives you plenty of time to decorate them. (Sprinkles are optional but encouraged.)
9. Doughnut Chips
All you need is a waffle iron, a dozen doughnuts, cinnamon sugar and an appetite.
10. Spiced Palmiers
It’s worth making your own puff pastry here, so you can flavor it with cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and cloves. (It’s easy to do, promise.)
11. Giant Brown-Sugar Snickerdoodle Cookies
Extra brown sugar makes these cookies crackly and chewy. The only question: Milk or no milk?
12. Mini Caramel Pecan Pies with Cinnamon Roll Pie Crust
These pie bites have a secret: The crust is made from store-bought cinnamon rolls.
13. Carrot Cake Doughnuts with Cream Cheese Glaze
These have all the good stuff: shredded carrots, toasted pecans and, of course, a cream cheese glaze. Finish them with a dusting of cinnamon that looks cute and tastes even better.
14. Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon-Roll Crust
Once again, a tube of store-bought cinnamon rolls proves it’s worth its weight in gold.
15. Swedish Cinnamon Rolls
They’re garnished with pearl sugar instead of a blanket of frosting, so they’re just sweet enough.
16. Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
Everything is better when cream cheese is involved, right?
17. Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Cinnamon Swirl Frosting
The mini snickerdoodle cookies are totally optional, but they’re pretty hard to pass up if you ask us.
18. Blender Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake Bars
The filling gets made in a blender so it’s super smooth and creamy.
19. Cinnamon Apple Cake
It’s tender, moist and tastes just like the one Grandma used to make. Pick a crisp, tart apple like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, or use a mix of both.
RELATED: The 8 Best Apples for Baking, from Honeycrisps to Braeburns
20. Cinnamon Roll Mugs
Good news: You don’t have to share.
21. Cinnamon-Mascarpone Pudding
Our pudding is in its own class—luxurious, creamy and finished in ten minutes (even better, it can be made the night before).
RELATED: Homemade Apple Cider Is Easier to Make Than You Think
