Cream Cheese Cinnamon Crescent Rolls

I have really been craving cinnamon rolls lately... not sure where the craving came from or how it got stuck in my head, but once it did, it wasn't going anywhere until I satiated it. I knew I would have to break down and make them, but the problem with homemade cinnamon rolls, as delicious as they may be, is the amount of time and effort that sometimes has to go into them in order for them to be genuinely scrumptious. Unfortunately, time is not always a luxury we enjoy at our house between work and three kids to try and keep up with.

I decided that mostly what I was craving was the cinnamon flavor, along with the cream cheese frosting that I prefer my cinnamon rolls to be slathered in. I remembered coming across an idea on Pinterest (if you haven't yet experienced this addiction, I highly suggest you do, but beware, I do NOT use the word addiction lightly here!) where someone had used crescent rolls as the base for their dessert and basically just rolled up whatever they wanted inside and then baked them accordingly. I decided I should try to make that work with a cinnamon roll concept, and so I did. And it was delicious, easy, and quick! Best of all, in spite of the obvious differences between this concoction and a traditional cinnamon roll, they satisfied my craving.

Here is what you will need:

Cream Cheese Cinnamon Crescent Rolls

- 1 can refrigerated Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
- 4 tbsp. butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 tbsp. butter, melted for brushing
- 1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Using a hand mixer or whisk, in a medium bowl combine the 4 tbsp. softened butter and the softened cream cheese until smooth. Mix in 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar, again combining until mixture is smooth and you no longer get the "grittiness" of the sugar granules when tasted.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the 1 tbsp. cinnamon.

Unroll crescent rolls onto a sheet of wax paper to prevent sticking. One at a time, separate the rolls at their perforations. Brush each triangle with melted butter, then sprinkle with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Spoon roughly 1 tsp. of the cream cheese filling into the middle of the triangle and spread out. Roll the crescent roll according to the package instructions. Place onto prepared baking sheet, then brush the top with more melted butter, and again sprinkle a little of the cinnamon and sugar mixture on top. Repeat until all of the rolls have been filled and rolled.

Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until rolls are lightly golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Spread remaining cream cheese filling over the top for a nice icing-like finish, and enjoy!

The kids went crazy over these, and they were absolutely perfect for a quick Sunday morning breakfast. I served them to the kids with some cinnamon applesauce; they seemed to enjoy the pairing and I felt better about giving them the equivalent of candy for breakfast....ha! Win-win. 

One of the things I think I ended up loving the most about these pseudo cinnamon rolls was how much they ended up being a lot like one of my all-time favorite breakfast/dessert danishes- cream cheese croissants. That is my go-to pasty of choice, and the filling was really very similar to that. The cinnamon added a sweet kiss of flavor to cut through the semi-savory notes of the cream cheese- roll all of that up into a buttery, flaky, crescent roll and you have a really, really tempting dish. Whether you serve these for breakfast, dessert, or dinner party coffee treat, these are sure to impress. 

What other things do you think would pair well rolled up inside of a crescent roll? I am pretty excited about the endless opportunities that this new-found idea may lead to...