Transform Cinnamon Rolls Into A Fruity Treat With An Iconic Pie Filling

Bakeshops with cinnamon rolls are all over the country, offering a long list of unconventional and whimsical fillings. But you don't have to go to a bakeshop for novel cinnamon rolls when you can make them yourself. Many unexpected fillings for cinnamon rolls are available on grocery store shelves or already in your pantry. If you want to put a fruity twist on cinnamon rolls, cherry pie filling is an iconic ingredient you need to try.

Cherry pie filling has many different uses, including as a stuffer for all kinds of baked goods from kolaches to pastries and thumbprint cookies. Bursting with a sweet, tart flavor, cherry pie filling brightens up cinnamon rolls. Its gooey texture, with a pop of whole fruit, also supplies a delicious contrast to the chewy, soft, fluffy crumb of the rolls. While you can pick up cherry pie filling at the grocery store, making cherry pie filling from scratch couldn't be easier — just simmer fresh or frozen cherries with sugar and a cornstarch slurry until thick and gelatinous.

Once the filling has set and cooled in the fridge, you can add it to a conventional cinnamon roll recipe. After spreading a layer of cinnamon, sugar, and butter over the rolled-out dough, spread a thin layer of cherry pie filling on top before rolling them up and slicing them. Proceed with the recipe, whether it be a second proofing or directly into the oven.

It's important that your cherry pie filling is cold. Warm or hot cherry pie filling can impede the rolling process by making the dough too soft and flimsy. If you want to streamline cherry pie cinnamon rolls, pick up a can of store-bought cinnamon rolls that are already proofed and laden with cinnamon-sugar butter to unroll fresh out of the can. Then, spread store-bought cherry pie filling over it. You can also incorporate cherry pie filling into icing for your cinnamon roll by adding a few tablespoons to cream cheese frosting or vanilla icing. For that matter, you can add flavors to the cherry filling; both almond and vanilla extracts bring a layer of richness to complement the bright, tart filling. You can also top your frosted cherry pie cinnamon rolls with toasted almond slivers.

Cherry and chocolate go well together, so you could make a chocolate brioche roll and layer both cherry pie filling and chopped bittersweet chocolate bars over the cinnamon sugar foundation. Finish with a chocolate frosting and dollops of cherry pie filling. If you're using the canned shortcut, you can take your cherry pie cinnamon rolls to the next level by combining them with store-bought cookie dough. Spread a layer of lemon cookie dough over rolled-out store-bought cinnamon rolls, for example, followed by cherry pie filling for the ultimate summer-inspired cinnamon roll.