The Simple Step That Gives Cinnamon Buns A Pop Of Maple Flavor

You can never really go wrong with cinnamon rolls. As long as you follow a good cinnamon roll recipe and keep a couple of baking tips in mind, you'll be on your way to plush yet delicate rolls that ooze a cinnamony sweet filling.

There are many ingredients worth adding to your cinnamon rolls, and maple anything is definitely one of them. Maple has a very oaky, subtle flavor and comes in many forms, including both syrup and sugar. While you could theoretically add some maple component to your cinnamon roll filling — alongside the brown sugar, cinnamon, and warming spices — the better method is to make an indent in the center of your dough before baking it and drizzle in your syrup. As the rolls bake, the syrup will be infused into the dough, leaving behind a cozy, maple wake that will elevate this treat even more. It's worth noting, though, that sugar burns relatively quickly, so you don't want to completely saturate your rolls or turn the heat up too high. Otherwise, you could be left with charred rolls that taste more like charcoal than maple syrup. 

The nice thing about this hack is that you aren't restricted to using just maple syrup for it. Although maple undoubtedly goes well with the flavors already in a cinnamon roll, you can also give your recipe a personalized touch with a more flavorful option. If you live near Rhode Island, for example, get your hands on a bottle of coffee syrup (or make your own homemade variation). The sweet, sticky condiment is an excellent coffee-flavored pairing for a classic cinnamon roll or one with an espresso powder-infused dough.

You can also seek inspiration from unique syrups you'd use for coffee, including hazelnut, which would offer a subtly nutty contrast to the spiced dough. Banana bread lattes have also become increasingly popular; you can repurpose that syrup for a banana bread twist on a classic cinnamon roll. If you want the flavor of your syrup to be especially prominent, we'd recommend adding a bit of that syrup to the frosting as well.