Midnight Cinnamon Roll Craving? This Tortilla Trick Is the Only Answer

It’s a harsh reality that, most of the time, a sweet craving strikes you a bit later than ideal at night — we don’t make the rules, it just happens. 

I, too, wish that I craved all my favorite baked goods at reasonable hours, say 2 o’clock, and had all the time to prepare my dough, allowing it to rest for an hour, freeze it for 15 minutes, and then patiently roll and freeze it again.

For me, and many others, when that sudden craving for cinnamon rolls spontaneously strikes, you likely lack the essential ingredients to bake them from scratch. And even if you have all the ingredients on hand, making homemade Classic Cinnamon Rolls is an art and can take approximately four hours according to our own recipe — understandably so. 

Well, there’s a new viral hack that can get you your late-night cinnamon rolls in just about 15 minutes (including prep and cooking time) — but with a slight alteration that calls for an open mind. All you have to do is replace the cinnamon roll dough with tortillas.

The idea of using tortillas to recreate cinnamon rolls started with a TikTok video posted by content creator Deimante Dabravolskis (@dliciouslyinspired) in 2023. Dabravolskis showed her followers how to make “Sticky Tortilla Cinnamon Rolls” by brushing and sprinkling four tortillas with melted coconut oil and cinnamon sugar. She then layered each tortilla together and rolled them up before cutting them into pinwheels. Finally, she placed each pinwheel into the holes of a muffin tray. From there, the trend took off like the whispering game.

Now, there are various iterations of the tortilla-cinnamon roll recipe on social media, some of which are easier and quicker than the original. Some creators make it using butter for the filling, while others opt for cottage cheese or cream cheese. All variations share one main factor in common, though: They’re all super easy to make, no recipe required. 

How to replicate tortilla cinnamon roll bites at home

The first thing you’ll need to do is assemble all the ingredients you’ll need: burrito-sized tortilla (20 ounces), plain cream cheese, ground cinnamon, brown sugar, whole milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. 

Most recipes for the tortilla cinnamon roll bites call for soft flour tortillas, but you can substitute whole wheat tortillas as well. A classic cinnamon roll essentially requires fluffy dough, a sugary spiced cinnamon butter for the filling, and a gooey icing to create the perfect balance of tangy and sweet. The reason tortillas work in this recipe is that they provide a smooth surface for spreading your cinnamon mixture while somewhat resembling the fluffiness of cinnamon roll dough with a soft texture and subtle sweetness.

To prepare the cinnamon spread, combine cream cheese (some creators prefer to use butter instead), brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt to create a creamy cinnamon blend.

Next, instead of the delicious but time-consuming dough, use a burrito-sized tortilla and spread your cinnamon mixture over it. Once the cream cheese, cinnamon, and sugar spread is evenly distributed on the tortilla, roll it up as you would with the dough. Then, cut the rolled tortilla into bite-sized pieces — they should resemble mini cinnamon roll bites.   

Place your cinnamon tortilla bites in a microwave-safe dish, a baking dish, or in an air fryer. After brushing them with melted butter, bake for about ten minutes or until they reach the desired texture and a golden color.

While the tortilla cinnamon rolls bake, prepare the icing by combining about two tablespoons of powdered sugar, one tablespoon of milk, and a splash of vanilla extract for flavor. Once the mini cinnamon rolls are ready, drizzle the icing over them and enjoy.

As someone who loves cinnamon rolls in any shape, form, or flavor, I’m certainly not saying these cinnamon tortilla bites are exactly like classic cinnamon rolls. However, they’ll do in a pinch — especially when late-night cravings strike.