Lazy Day Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

My Bacon Cinnamon Rolls are where salty and sweet meet for a show-stopping breakfast treat! And I’m not exaggerating — between the melty icing, sweet cinnamony seasonings, and smoky bacon bits, there’s almost too much flavor going on to fit in one sweet bun! But we make it work, and this is sure to be one of your (and your family’s) all-time favorite Pillsbury Grands cinnamon rolls recipes from here on out!

Titled Image: Lazy Day Bacon Cinnamon Rolls


 

Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

Picture this: it’s Saturday morning, you’re still in your pajamas, and you get breakfast cooking away in the oven in less than 10 minutes

That’s the beauty of my lazy day bacon cinnamon rolls!! They’re soft and tender, with a golden brown exterior coated in a luscious icing, with pops of crispy crumbles to break up the sweetness… and they’re quick!

Did you know that basically all of my recipes with bacon bits are totally tasty? The list goes on: mac and cheese, bread, breakfast casserole… There are no rules! I add them to everything!

ingredients for bacon cinnamon rolls

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

  • Store-Bought Cinnamon Rolls – I always default to making my recipes with Grands cinnamon rolls.

    There are other brands out there and they’ll surely work, but these are my go-to!
  • Bacon – I’ll go ahead and say alternatives to pork are okay to use–turkey, meat alternative, and so on — but be really aware of the difference in texture.

    The turkey kind never really crisps up, and won’t have the same texture of pork bacon cinnamon rolls.
unrolling cinnamon rolls

Before Making Recipes With Bacon Bits…

…you should know that we’re not talking about using the bottled, non-refrigerated crumbles you find by the salad stuff in the grocery store.

No, we’re using the crispy homemade stuff! Thick cut, ideally, to really give it some body. 

(All this said I have made these with convenient bacon crumbles from Costco before and they were also amazing!!)

Some cinnamon rolls with bacon don’t even break it into bits! Instead, they unroll the roll, lay a slice or two along the cinnamon-coated side, and roll it right back up inside of the bun! 

Use whichever method you like, or maybe make a combination of the two to try them both out!

adding bacon bits to grands cinnamon rolls

Tricks for Homemade Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls Recipes

  • Pay attention to the icing that comes with the rolls!

I always kick myself for the time when I sent my husband to the store to get ingredients for some homemade recipes with Grands cinnamon rolls, and he came back with the kind with orange icing!

It still ended up tasty, but not exactly what I had in mind.

These tubed treats come with orange icing, cream cheese icing, strawberry and cream icing, extra rich buttercream icing, and their original icing (that’s vanilla). 

I usually make my cinnamon rolls with bacon with the vanilla icing, but I’ve tried it with the cream cheese icing, too–and it’s just as delicious!

  • You can add all kinds of texture and flavor between the layers.

In addition to the bacon-y bits, what else can we fit between that delicious dough?

What about toasted nuts, for example? Almonds, walnuts, and pecans all pair nicely with the pork and become so addictive when they’re roasted. Maybe even try candied nuts!

And what about apples? Just like my apple pie version, you can layer chunks of cinnamony apples right on top of the dough alongside the crumbles.

rolling up bacon cinnamon rolls

Storing and Reheating Recipes with Grands Cinnamon Rolls

Bacon cinnamon rolls need to be refrigerated (because of the meat) and will last for up to a week in the fridge.

Reheat in the oven at 350°F until the dough is warmed through and the icing is melted.

But I will say — this is absolutely a recipe to enjoy fresh. The crispy bacon and golden buns are never the same after reheating.

slicing bacon cinnamon rolls

Kitchen Tools You Will Need

  • Pie Dish – This is my everyday round baking dish, but it’s pretty enough to use for guests too.
  • A Sharp Knife – The fastest way to get crumbles for recipes with bacon bits.

Bacon Cinnamon Rolls Recipe FAQ

What is a “dirty cinnamon roll”?

This is a variation that adds spiced chai mix to the dough and is topped with an espresso cream cheese icing! 

It’s definitely a unique recipe full of spiced fall flavors, but hard to make with pre-made tubed dough. 

How many cinnamon rolls are there in a can of Pillsbury Grands?

5 — that’s why Pillsbury grands cinnamon rolls recipes usually say they’re 5 servings. 

The smaller size (not the Grands size) comes with 8, and this recipe works with those, too.

What is the difference between cinnamon rolls and cinnamon buns?

Rolls are nice and doughy, and very cinnamon-heavy.

Buns, on the flip side, are flipped upside down for a soft, gooey top and more bready bottom. They’ll usually have nuts, while rolls almost never do, and are more brown-sugary than cinnamony.


baked cinnamon rolls with bacon and icing on top

Other Easy Dessert Recipes With Cinnamon

lazy day bacon cinnamon rolls closeup

Lazy Day Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

Donna Elick
Bacon Cinnamon Rolls top all other recipes with Grands cinnamon rolls. Load ‘em up with savory bacon and ooey gooey icing, and enjoy!
5 stars from 2 reviews
Tried this recipe?Please comment and review!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Method Oven
Servings 5

Ingredients
 

  • 1 tube store bought cinnamon rolls with icing , (such as Grands)
  • 1 cup bacon crumbles, approximately 1 pound cooked and crumbled

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (or 325°F if using a glass pan). Spray a 9″ round pan (or square) with non-stick spray and set aside.
  • Remove cinnamon rolls from packaging, being careful not to separate the cinnamon rolls from one another. Place on a clean counter top or cutting board and unroll the dough almost completely. Sprinkle bacon crumbles on top and use hands to gently press bacon into dough.
  • Roll dough back up. If any of the filling sticks to the counter, just gently scrape it off the counter with a spatula and press into the cinnamon roll.
  • Once rolled back up, separate into 5 cinnamon rolls and place into prepared pan. Bake according to package directions.
  • Remove from oven and spread icing over top immediately.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 81cal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 679mg | Sugar: 1g | Iron: 1mg

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Lazy Day Bacon Cinnamon Rolls - PIN

Originally Published August 2015, updated and republished September 2023

Disclosure: Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link your price will remain the same and The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting us, it helps us keep creating new recipes.

The Simple Kitchen cookbook affiliate linked banner

5 Comments

  1. Salty, sweet and simply amazing! I love bacon on everything so these were perfect! So easy to make as well.

  2. The cinnamon rolls are all ready rolled up tight. I couldn’t find a way to unroll them. Oh well….

  3. 5 stars
    Worked perfectly! I used a sharp knife to re-separate the rolls. Also I added a tsp of pure maple syrup to the icing for a maple-bacon flavor. So easy and delicious.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating