Griddled Smashed Cinnamon Rolls
Canned cinnamon rolls pressed flat on a hot griddle. Crisp on both faces, soft in the middle.
- calories
- 390
- weight
- 4.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 87
- protein
- 4 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 3 min
- cook
- 10 min
- total time
- 13 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Breakfast
- Dessert
- Grill grate
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Vegetarian
- Nut free
- Real dishes
- Grab and go
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing | 1 tube (5 rolls) | Grands size; keep cold in the cooler until you cook |
|---|---|---|
| Butter or cooking oil | 2 tbsp | butter browns better, oil is less fuss |
| Parchment paper | 1 sheet | not food, but you want it |
Method
- Get the griddle or a flat pan over the fire to medium-high. Too hot and the outside is black before the middle is dough.
- Grease the surface with butter or oil.
- Open the tube, pull the icing cup out, and set it somewhere warm near the fire so it loosens.
- Lay the rolls flat on the griddle. Put the parchment over one, press it flat with a wide spatula, and move on. Press each roll once and leave it alone.
- Cook about 5 minutes a side. If the spatula drags when you go to flip, give it another 30 seconds and it will let go.
- Pull them off, spoon the softened icing over the top, eat while the icing is still running.
Smashing the rolls is not a gimmick. A cinnamon roll cooked round on a griddle burns on the two spots that touch metal and stays raw in the spiral. Pressed flat, the whole thing is about a half inch thick, so both faces caramelize and the center is done at the same moment. Ten minutes, one pan, no oven.
Press once. Every extra press tears the dough seams and pushes the cinnamon layer out, which is where the browning comes from. The parchment between spatula and dough is the difference between a flat roll and a roll stuck to your spatula. This is car camping only: the dough is refrigerated and does not survive a warm pack.
Packing
The tube lives in the cooler and needs to stay under about 40 degrees, so this is a first- or second-morning recipe. Fold a sheet of parchment into the cook kit with the spatula so you do not forget it.
Variations
- Skip the icing and dust with cinnamon sugar instead. Less mess, less sticky spatula.
- Fry a slice of ham or a sausage patty first and cook the rolls in the fat.
- Larger rolls work but need a couple more minutes per side to cook through the center.
https://campfirefoodie.com/blackstone-smashed-cinnamon-rolls-recipe