cinnamon roll

noun

plural cinnamon rolls

: a spiral-shaped roll of sweet bread typically with a cinnamon and sugar filling and often glazed with icing, caramel, or melted brown sugar and butter and sometimes topped with nuts

The scent of sweet cinnamon rolls swirls from the oven …

—Chris Day

The first modern cinnamon rolls … became popular in Europe, eventually migrating to the United States, where the recipe underwent a few changes. Early American versions of the roll incorporated extra ingredients such as raisins, and Americans were the ones who came up with dolloping a giant layer of icing on top.

—Isaac McGill

… a fluffy cinnamon roll covered in caramel … and plenty of pecans.

—Nathan Hutsenpiller

called also cinnamon bun

Word History

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined above