These Cinnamon Twists taste just like cinnamon rolls and are super easy to make. A great alternative to fried donuts or churros, these baked cinnamon sugar twists make a great dessert, breakfast, or treat. Complete with sweetened cream cheese for dipping.

*This post is brought to you by Rhodes Bake-N-Serv. Thanks for supporting the brands that make Dessert Now Dinner Later possible.

Twisted cinnamon sugar breadsticks on a plate with a bowl of cream cheese glaze.

What are cinnamon twists?

These cinnamon sugar twists are a cross between cinnamon breadsticks and cinnamon donuts, but taste exactly like a cinnamon roll.

Store-bought yeast dough is rolled and twisted, then dipped in butter and cinnamon-sugar, and baked to perfection in the oven.

Fresh and warm, they are slightly crisp on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, and full of fragrant cinnamon.

Focus on plate of cinnamon breadsticks with bowl of cream cheese dip and a towel in the background.

To dip or not to dip?

Sweetened cream cheese is great to dip or drizzle the cinnamon twists with, but they are pretty perfect as-is.

They taste an awful lot like a cinnamon donut or churro without any frying. And they are super fun and easy to make!

Dipping a cinnamon breadstick into a bowl of cream cheese glaze.
Plate full of cinnamon twists with a bowl of cream cheese dip.

Ingredients for Cinnamon Breadsticks

These cinnamon twists are made with 5 basic ingredients:

  • Rhodes Rolls, thawed but still cold (my shortcut for ALL yeast bread recipes)
  • Butter, melted
  • Brown Sugar
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Ground Cinnamon
Ingredients for Cinnamon Twists: Rhodes Rolls, melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

How to Make Cinnamon Twists

Once you have all the ingredients, it’s really easy to make cinnamon twists. They make a great breakfast, brunch, dessert, or treat.

  1. Simply roll the dough into a long rope. Then shape it into a twist.
  2. Dip twists in butter and cinnamon sugar.
  3. Bake and enjoy!

See photo tutorial below for more specific instructions.

Rolling the Dough

Roll each ball of Rhodes dough into a 14-inch rope. Then roll each end in opposite directions 3 or 4 times.

Demonstrating how to roll cinnamon twists. Rhodes dough is rolled into a long rope. Then each end is rolled in opposite directions.

Pick up the ends and pinch them together. The dough will twist automatically.

How to make Cinnamon Twists: After rolling the ends of the dough in opposite directions, the ends are pinched together, and the dough is lifted from the surface, automatically twisting.

Coating the Twists

Melt butter in a deep plate/dish. Combine cinnamon and sugars in another deep plate/dish.

Dip twists in butter, then in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place a couple inches apart on a prepared baking sheet.

How to make Cinnamon Twists: Each twist is dipped in a bowl of melted butter. Then coated in a plate of cinnamon sugar.

Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and let dough rest for 15-20 minutes until risen slightly.

Cinnamon Twists prepared on sheet tray prior to baking.

Baking and Serving

Bake cinnamon twists at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes.

Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk together and place in a bowl for dipping.

Top view of plate of baked cinnamon twists.

How to Store Cinnamon Twists

These cinnamon twists are best eaten fresh and warm from the oven.

You can store leftovers in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for 3-4 days. (NOTE: The cinnamon sugar does dissolve slightly while storing and makes the bread sticky.)

Store the cream cheese dip separately in the refrigerator.

Nuke leftover cinnamon twists in the microwave for 10-20 seconds.

Top view of a cinnamon twist being dipped into cream cheese glaze.

More Recipes Using Rhodes Bread

Plate full of cinnamon twists with a bowl of cream cheese dip.

Cinnamon Twists

4.56 from 18 ratings

Ingredients

  • 12 Rhodes Dinner Rolls, *thawed but still cold
  • 6 Tbsp (85 g) butter, melted
  • ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Dip:

  • 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese
  • ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1-2 Tbsp milk

Instructions
 

  • *Place frozen Rhodes rolls on a sheet tray lined with a silicone baking mat. Alternately grease pan with cooking spray. Cover the frozen rolls with sprayed plastic wrap. THAW at room temperature for 1-2 hours or in the refrigerator overnight. They should be thawed, but still cold enough to easily handle them.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Roll each ball of dough into a 14-inch rope. Then roll each end in opposite directions 3 or 4 times. Pick up the ends and pinch them together. The dough will twist automatically.
  • Melt butter in a deep plate/dish. Combine cinnamon and sugars in another deep plate/dish.
  • Dip twists in butter, then in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place coated twists a couple inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
  • Cover the twists with sprayed plastic wrap and let dough rest for 15-20 minutes until risen slightly.
  • Bake cinnamon twists at 350˚F for 15-20 minutes until baked through. (Internal temperature of 190-200˚F.) May brown only on bottom.
  • CREAM CHEESE DIP: With an electric hand mixer, beat cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Mix together. Serve as a dip or drizzle over the top of twists.

Notes

  • Best eaten immediately. Store leftover cinnamon twists in an airtight container or zip-top bag up to 3-4 days. (NOTE: The cinnamon sugar does dissolve slightly while storing and makes the bread sticky.)
  • Store the cream cheese dip separately in the refrigerator.
  • Nuke leftover cinnamon twists in the microwave for 10-20 seconds.
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 221kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 25mg, Sodium: 225mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 15g
Disclaimer: Nutritional values were calculated using a third-party tool and are provided as an estimation only.