I think anyone who knows me well (and there aren’t many) knows that cinnamon rolls are one of my favorite things. Despite how it may appear given all the reviews of candies and sweets on here, I’m not typically a huge fan of them; I eat them from time-to-time (well, I guess I do have a bowl of ice cream almost every night), but I’m not as obsessed with them as the rest of my family seems to be. 

With that in mind, we’re going to try a slightly different format for this review: Since I made these for the whole family as a surprise breakfast, we’ll take a look at what all three members of my immediate family (including yours truly, of course) thought of them!

I have to admit that my wife is not at all into cinnamon rolls, so I wasn’t really expecting these to win her over. Still, she is a fan of puff pastries, and these appeared to be aiming for a different vibe than typical cinnamon rolls, so I thought maybe these had a shot. They did not. She liked the puff pastry part somewhat, but was not at all won over by the cinnamon. I think she managed to eat one of them before she was overwhelmed by her discontent. Still, eating one was actually more than I expected.

My son, on the other hand, seems to have his father’s affinity for cinnamon rolls, so I was definitely expecting his views to be more on the positive side. Although the lack of icing was definitely a big concern (as it was for me, too), I thought the cinnamon would make up for it. It did not. He did manage to eat two, though, so he was willing to give it a more proper shot, if for no other reason than to avoid hurting dada’s feelings. But he felt they were a little boring.

Personally, I liked the puff pastry part – there’s a gentle sweetness in there that plays well with the cinnamon – but even I was underwhelmed with the taste, which had a kind of weird finish. It’s hard to explain, because it’s not highly noticeable, but there’s just something about the flavor that seems a little “off” to me. It starts off very cinnamony, with that spices distinct flavor, and then finishes with an almost artificial sweetness that really detracts from the overall experience. And, if they’re going to omit the icing, then the cinnamon and pastry are going to have to do some heavy lifting to make up for it, and neither of them seemed all that interested in trying.

We were all in agreement that they were at least a little underwhelming, and that they could have been improved at least somewhat with a good icing. I guess maybe the idea is that these are more “upscale”, and upscale cinnamon rolls should be able to stand on their own, without the addition of anything else. I guess those are lofty standards, but standards don’t do anyone any good when they fail to be reached.

Overall: 5/10. I suppose I like the idea of making a more “upscale” cinnamon roll, but this one not only missed the mark for me, but also for the rest of the family. These feature some intriguingly flaky, cinnamon roll-shaped puff pastries that aren’t quite enough on their own. So, instead of including a rich, delectable icing to top things off, you get nothing. That’s right, there’s nothing included except for the pastries themselves. The cinnamon is abundant, but something about it also tasted a little bit off to me. My wife (who is not a fan of cinnamon rolls) predictably did not like it (she ate one before throwing in the towel). But my son, who shares his dada’s affinity for cinnamon rolls, also found them underwhelming. It’s a good idea, but not one we’d ever be interested in getting again.

NOTE: I’m sure these would have tasted much better with a simple, homemade icing. However, in order to make these reviews consistent across the board, the point is to review the products as-is, right out of the packaging. After all, virtually anything can be improved upon with added ingredients. That being said, I always love to hear your fixes and additions for lackluster products, so please feel free to share them in the comments box below!