Menu Description

Reviewed in BS

Cinnamon Roll - buttercream icing, nueske bacon, candied pecans

When put on the table, it was completely covered in frosting and very warm. Cutting in with the fork, the dough was light and flakey (almost like a sweet pot pie crust), an unexpected delight. The bacon was smokey and flavorful, cut into small pieces that were slightly thick. It was a great balance to the light cinnamon flavoring and the hint of citrus in the buttercream frosting. The candied pecans added some nice crunch, but didn't do much for the flavor and too sparse to be meaningful. It comes as a large portion, so great for sharing. A really incredible first try as part of the project. Overall an 8.5/10, I would have liked more bacon, skip the nuts, and add more cinnamon. The hint of citrus was nice, but could have been a bit stronger to better offset the smokiness of the bacon.

https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipM2_FoSZamPSSjgXjYlHk2lWNYPNowo3yIB2guM/photo/AF1QipN6TWfZ8v23IWSsUNW392q2qHSu2Ab9G4cri7bm

https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipM2_FoSZamPSSjgXjYlHk2lWNYPNowo3yIB2guM/photo/AF1QipO3hoSTdiQaOUuqL20kTnpDLR8iAMwL774yqUHN

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Iced cinnamon buns

Contrary to what the menu suggested, a single large cinnamon roll was placed on the table. The frosting sat atop, looking creamy but not melting down the side of the roll. Upon first taste, the frosting was very light and was a cream cheese base. It was quite good. The roll itself was ok - the filling was more of a glaze, and while very sweet was not strong. This was a nice balance. The dough itself was fine, and clearly had not been made fresh that morning. It was a fairly standard cinnamon roll dough. Overall a 6.5/10, a very solid example of the genre but definitely not worth going out of your way for.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPIzLmw7SdlNKg1p6bHAic0E9b5zyFPEfailLJK

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Westville's cinnamon roll is a fairly normal bakery sized cinnamon roll (contrasted to a restaurant sized one). It is frosted, and comes with pecans. The frosting is a standard icing style frosting, and the dough tastes fairly standard as well. The cinnamon filling was visible and strong, which was very nice and definitely more in line with my preferences. The one I had was not fresh (on a Tuesday, they are baked on weekends), so overall flavor was a bit stale. The nuts are a nice addition for texture, but didn't add much to the flavor. 6/10 overall, would like to see a more gooey filling and creamy frosting. ////// Revisited for a fresh roll on 2020-01-11, and original score still stands. Dough was a bit crispier, but flavor wasn't outstanding. Cinnamon was almost overpowering, as there wasn't much sweet to balance it out.

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Despite being a bun and not a cinnamon roll, Fabrique sets a very high bar. Their buns are coated with a glaze that adds a very nice level of sweetness, balancing the mild cinnamon flavor that is visibly present in the cracks. The dough is very dense, but still sweet. The white crumbles on top add a nice cruncy texture to the whole package. Overall an 8/10 - amazing flavor but would prefer something more gooey or a lighter dough.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMHmxqycnYmG5FOGoN7Vq4tkQlubCWNXQJxwJw9

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPG9e5_sngmCVqMPbXhrEg7SlnH5vZEj-zVkd7S

It's a glazed cinnamon donut, not a bun or roll. The cinnamon flavor is more like a hint, the idea of cinnamon, than something omnipresent. It's a good donut, at least 8/10, but as a cinnamon roll I can't go above 5.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMWMMWHGpgrtPuNH66FhwW8wafln2ghoIyAS85b

Two Little Red Hens

At first glance, there isn't anything particularly outstanding. The dough appears a bit off-color, with a yellow hue, but beyond that it appears to be your normal cinnamon roll. Take a bit, however, and notice an interesting tang. Nothing strong or weird, but something a bit off. That's the sweet potato present in the dough. This is the most unique thing about TLRH's roll. Beyond that, the filling has a strong cinnamon flavor that is present in every bite but isn't gooey and is baked in. The icing on top is your standard fare, with enough on to sweeten but not overpower the rest of the roll. There are raisins, but not enough to note. They serve is straight out of the case, so be sure to take home and warm up for extra oomph. 7/10, it's a very solid basic cinnamon roll. I wish it had better frosting, or filling, or they served it warm.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipObUzyTWQUnRqKpina_sI4e6VZtmJrUx_PIPyon

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMJR3OiwZcc0jMuUw5eBDnjyoDSuPVKqBQaWNQH

It's a sticky roll! Not even a cinnamon roll. You can take your pick between walnuts or raisins, I went with the former. It's a fairly standard dough, but it does have a good texture and fluffiness. The cinnamon filling is very strong, but the walnuts provide a good balance. It appears the sticky buns sit in a pan of filling after/during baking, as there is some soak at the bottom. This is great! Overall a very good sticky bun in case you can't obtain a roll for whatever reason.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPJQSXp5VrtQ_EOXHgfQ_NWB7KK__CA-w9e1fvp

Orwasher's Bakery

Orwasher's calls their cinnamon bun a "morning bun", and you can get it regular or raspberry (I'm not exactly sure if the raspberry is additive to the cinnamon or a substitute). The dough is crispy and flakey and full of butter like a croissant, with a hint of orange. The cinnamon is mostly an accent, with filling that was runny and gooey at one point but has now crystallized and is sticky, overflowing out of the roll. This thing is really good, and very dense. 8/10, only defect is there's no frosting and it's not actually a cinnamon roll.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNe98JjGtt7oyAy6Ni4c1qp2pv4AIT5pKxLO0qe

The first thing you notice about Ole & Steen's cinnamon swirl is that it's kind of small. The dough is small thin strips, loosely coupled together with the cinnamon filling and then drizzled with a moderate amount of icing. Take one bit, however, and you'll notice the small swirl packs a punch. The dough is light and flakey, except in the middle where it wasn't baked all the way through and has a delicous gooey, buttery texture. The filling is strong and flavorful, with a good level of stickiness. The icing is fairly standard, but combined with the rest of the swirl gives a nice mild sweetness. Overall it's very good - 8.5/10, with the only improvements one could ask for would be to get it hot and fresh. Also debateable if it's a roll, but I'll let it slide.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMcuJMBA2GDR97AZwH2gA59AUoQ1qTmAavoJ5-Q

The most prominent note you taste when diving into Pret a Manger's cinnamon swirl is that of butter. The dough, which is light, crispy, and flakey like a croissant also tastes buttery like a croissant. The cinnamon filling, which is not quite gooey or sticky but rather a bit more solid, also tastes of butter (which mellows the cinnamon flavoring). The swirl as a whole is not that sweet, and I imagine would go rather nice with your morning coffee. Overall it's quite tasty and well balanced, being much more on the smooth side than some of the other saccharine rolls you may get elsewhere, but fails at being a roll. 7/10, would be nice to have some frosting or just a roll in general.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipN5xx75VZvDdAZ8Lgyegp554yPSvOy7BHYO0qcI

Big Booty Bread Co

Was lucky enough to get one fresh out of the oven, came with the option for glazed or not (I choose with). The dough is incredibly light, airy, and flakey. The icing was fairly standard, but there was a hint of citrus or orange in the overall flavor. Possibly due to the freshness, the dough on the inside was a bit gooey and not entirely cooked through (amazing!). The cinnamon flavor was very light, almost not there at all. Overall I give it a 7/10 - the flavor is really well balanced and a good mix of buttery and sweet with a unique and tasty dough, but I wish there was a stronger presence of cinnamon (or the filling was more gooey).

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNyAkAFO7sEEd0nlWUCDb5KNjxANPlwaRGbvxYq

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMhMomxNO8bU33wTKIsrpLMu5wL598ZRat47ADT

Bakeri (Williamsburg)

Bakeri's cinnamon roll looks incredibly delicious sitting behind the glass, unfortunately that is tempered when you actually dig into it. Bakeri has a fairly standard cinnamon roll, with standard dough and icing atop. The cinnamon was more of a dusting between the rolls, rather than a filling, contributing to the overall mild cinnamon flavor. Bakeri's cinnamon roll overall is very well done, but just not particularly interesting. It does have a good balance of flavor, it's just missing that something extra to set it apart. I'll give it a 7 overall, as it is executed well and tastes good, if not particularly unique outside of it's looks. I visited the Bakeri in Williamsburg, which is worth noting because they do all the actual baking at the one in Greenpoint and this one was not super-fresh (but by no means tasted stale or old).

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Bread's cinnamon bun is definitely a bun, rather than a roll. The dough is similar to a croissant, being fairly light and a bit flakey. The cinnamon flavor overall is quite light, and the sugar dusting atop adds a nice sweetness. A 6 overall, as it's a nice light choice but definitely not a substitute if you're in the mood for a roll.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMXjV2cw8RGOzHSjRichCElQGCFRmo_f145l3iy

The first thing you notice taking a bite is the cinnamon filling that begins falling from inside the roll. It's the first one I've tried that had a noticeable filling separate from what is applied to the dough. It almost has the texture of brown sugar, somewhat crystalline. Despite the amount of it inside the roll, the flavor of cinnamon was not as strong as you would expect. The dough was fairly light, and almost like croissant dough. There was a light glaze over the roll that added an expected amount of sweetness. Overall a 6.5 - while the filling it noticeable, it's not particularly additive. It's comparable to Pret's swirl, but not as tasty.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipP0T8SRB_DLJcLxOqr0Wat4VcyWUd0VlZr4dKnp

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Taralluci e Vino gets major bonus points for having one of the most beautiful cinnamon rolls/buns I've seen. On the counter display, they are half dusted with powdered sugar over a thin and clear glaze. When you bite into it, the first notes are the sugary sweet glaze balanced by the strong flavor of butter in the flakey dough. You can see cinnamon dusted between the rolls, however you can't quite taste it. A nice benefit of the one that I had was the glaze soaking into the dough, which gave it a nice texture and sweetness. Overally a 7, as it's very good and similar to Pret's the strong flavor of butter in the dough is a nice offset to the sweetness and would go great with your morning coffee. That being said, it's a bun. There's no icing, and I'd prefer more of a strongly flavored filling.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMcQzYFNVFUBH85n_h9FdN9o2MR2LY0WJtx-Di0

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Similar to Donut Pub, it's a cinnamon donut. They call it a coffee roll, presumedly because you should have it with coffee, as there are no flavors of actual coffee in the roll itself. It has a traditional donut glaze on it, with cinnamon dusted between the layers of the roll. The cinnamon dusting was barely present. Otherwise, it's a donut from Dunkin.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOhITXJPo3rwB690htgny8uYwEZioZnz6h-JXjV

Le Fournil has a lovely looking cinnamon roll, which is a bit small and fits in their line of mini-pastries. The dough, as you would expect from a French bakery, is light and flakey like a croissant. The cinnamon filling is visible and almost solid, however the flavor is quite mild. There is a very light glaze over the center of the roll, but beyond it's looks there isn't anything particularly outstanding. Overall a 6/10, it's a nice change of pace from a croissant but definitely not into roll territory.

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Brooklyn Kolache Co

This was not a cinnamon roll, however it was still very good. They take their kolache dough, which is nice and thick and chewy, cover it with some sort of orange creamy filling, roll it up, and then douse it with an orange zest glaze. The lightness of the citrus is an excellent balance to the weight of the dough, and it's quite tasty and filling. High marks for flavor, but again not a cinnamon roll.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMw4kr2XRFNTu4yo1Eq1yzCqc2UqN6yrU_kLKhW

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNaTgqdJgAZsp1dS0YfCCOtakC3gKTm0f-qsOpH

Clementine Bakery

Cinnamon roll (chocolate)

Clementine offers their cinnamon roll in a regular flavoar, and a chocolate flavor which is the regular with chcolate chips added. The day I visited they were out of the regular, so I got the chocolate version. It was a bit of an overload to say the least. The chocolate is oozing out of every pore, and it's hard to handle it without getting completely covered. Clementine has a traditional approach to their cinnamon roll, with a small layer of sugar frosting covering the regular style dough. Their roll layers are a bit thinner, which is nice, and the cinnamon filling is fairly strong. There were bits on the bottom where some of the butter/glaze/filling soaked through the dough, which was nice. Unfortunately, it was quite difficult to get at the core flavor with the chocolate overpowering everything else. It was just too many strong flavors that don't complement each other very well. I think there's a good potential, and will have to come back to verify, but giving this a 6/10 mostly due to the fairly traditional execution hampered by a chocolate explosion (not in a good way).

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipO7_Rc4JKDGWFsEHHXiqnsuiJjkk6uZ3mHESTT2

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Petee's is known for their pies, which come in a large variety of selections that all look quite scrumptious. Their cinnamon rolls sit quietly by the side of the register, looking quite tempting with their loose construction and thick coating of frosting. Order one to stay, and they give you a cute little saucer with a small fork that isn't strong enough to cut through. But once you do manage to get a bite, it's sheer bliss. The dough is thick and flakey, likely made from the pot pie dough, which does a great job soaking up the filling. The cinnamon flavor is perfectly balanced, not overpowering and not too quiet, and when you combine all that with the cream cheese frosting that's made with a hint of orange it's all the perfect combination. The cinnamon filling was formerly gooey and hardens a bit on the bottom, creating a lovely texture to balance the dough and frosting. It's as close to an ideal as I've tasted. A 9/10, with the hopes of a bit more gooey filling or a tad more cinnamon that would make it absolutely perfect.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNoTTSUDjT8t3Y6bJtAS8D-b0-VSuIPxf5rv6ZT

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Dominique Ansel Kitchen

Cinnamon spun roll - served warm with Applejack brandy icing

Dominique Ansel is known for his unique and interesting twists on classic pastries, and the cinnamon spun roll available from his Kitchen location is no exception. It looks something like croissant dough in a shape that his a bit hard to describe, and it's served hot and fresh for each order. Once you dig in, the crispy crust stands in stark contrast to the very gooey dough inside. It's an interesting juxtaposition, but quite delightful in texture. The dough itself isn't as buttery as a croissant, but does have a hint of vanilla. The cinnamon flavoring is almost non-existent - more of a suggestion of cinnamon than something firm. What makes the roll particularly unique is the applejack brandy icing. Personally, I was not a fan. The burn from the alcohol was too strong and masked the tang from the applejack, which unfortunately put the whole roll out of balance. Even without the icing, I don't feel there was really anything interesting flavorwise and it was all in the texture of the dough. I give it a 7, as it's still a pretty decent pastry but as a cinnamon roll it leaves much to be desired (namely the cinnamon).

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Mah-Ze-Dar Bakery

Sticky bun - cinnamon, brown sugar, cream cheese

Mah-Ze-Dar only serves their "sticky buns" on weekends, but they are absolutely worth the wait. Theirs most closely resemble exactly what you imagine when you think of a cinnamon roll. The dough is a bit flakey and tastes like your traditional cinnamon roll dough, although almost with a hint of vanilla and egg (in a good way). The cinnamon filling is omnipresent, and while it isn't gooey inside the roll the bottom is most definitely sticky and gooey in all the best ways. There's just the right amount of cinnamon - strong enough for you to taste without overpowering everything else, and the cream cheese frosting that fills all the nooks and crannies is the perfect texture and flavor. Overally a 9.5/10, the only thing left me wanting was more gooey cinnamon filling inside.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPBg3bkqBJlnAZH-qr6NbvtSCEcbBa3l5fn_eSO

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Posh Pop Bakeshop

Posh Pop's cinnamon rolls look delectable behind the glass, but unfortunately don't hold up when served. I got mine heated up, and after a quick pass through the oven the copious amounts of frosting completely covered the roll. Normally this wouldn't bother me, but the frosting was closer to traditional cupcake frosting and way too saccharine for my palette. The dough is a bit unusual, in that it's more dense than traditional cinnamon roll dough and there was basically one wrap around a very solid middle. The cinnamon filling was visible but you could hardly taste anything other than something odd and metallic. The ratios between the dough, filling, and frosting were all off, and each component missed the mark. 4/10, this was very hard to finish and everything was just out of sorts.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipO8c4LyHVIBssLg7U3f6UeNyv09uTzfjgurXhb2

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Baklava cinnamon rolls - walnut, honey, seed + mill halva

Shuka adds an interesting twist to their cinnamon rolls, calling them a "baklava" cinnamon roll and using honey and walnuts for the filling topped with an addition of sesame halva sprinkled atop. Three come to an order, which is perfect for sharing at brunch. The dough is fairly standard, being light and flakey, and incredibly well done. The cinnamon filling has a strong flavor, but is well balanced by the mild of the walnuts. I couldn't taste much of the honey on it's own, but that was fine. The frosting was very thin and light. The interesting twist was the halva, which added a quite unusual combination with the cinnamon filling. For me, the two were close enough to each other but not quite complementary, leading to something of an uncanny valley of flavor. This unfortunately scores it lower netting a 6.5/10, I think it could easily be a point higher without the unnecessary addition of the halva (and unique points for using the honey more, or incorporating filo dough).

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMYhB4ZsTOKHD5e1rQXTpTse5LVLsIz6nzV7v4z

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https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPs3OtqUXJzQ3Af6_rKk7SNEBBO_wZX0AMBXx3m

Nick + Sons Bakery

Nick + Sons Bakery serves a cinnamon roll that is unique in its overall feeling of lightness. Most rolls feel and taste very heavy, but there's something about their roll that just lifts you up on a nice sunny day. The dough is a classic cinnamon roll dough that tastes great and is a little sweet, covered in a very light glaze. The cinnamon filling just gives a small wave from its shyness - it's barely there but you can taste it under the fresh sweetness from the dough and the glaze. The dough gives a hint of spritz cookies, which is a nice surprise. Overall Nick + Sons stands out for being a unique breath of fresh air rising above the heaviness of many other rolls, balanced by a nice mild sweetness that is all-around tasty. A 7.5/10, although not sure whether it totally qualifies as a roll or a bun. Erring in favor of a roll because it's tasty enough to be in consideration with the others on the list.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipM4M4Y9X630QRdNdVAr5_I_b-l_C0IexI-dDGWl

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Sey Coffee prides themselves on their very high quality coffee, and that devotion to excellence extends to their pastries as well. The cinnamon rolls, usually sold out early on the weekends, come about standard diameter but small in height. The cinnamon filling is visibily bursting from between the rolls, with a nice layer of frosting covering the whole thing. Their dough is very light and flakey, almost like a croissant, and the particular roll I had was a bit overly toasted. The frosting is a fairly standard cinnamon roll affair (it did not appear to be a cream cheese or butter cream base), however the cinnamon filling is a whole other affair. The filling makes no attempt to hide, and boldly proclaims its flavor in every bite. There is no doubt about it when you feel the strong bitter flavor with a hint of butter dance across your tongue. Sey's roll has the strongest cinnamon flavor of any roll I've tried so far, but it's well balanced by the dough and frosting. Overall an incredibly tasty roll with a uniquely bold flavor and a nice reasonable size, easily earning an 8/10.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipN5EvlCx1dI6z4gV2rC1jaURQgYTg7DRpBKsikW

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOA-sJ6CWUDj1RT6lr0lmFLrL1T3kVEZ1p60MfY

Fat Doughtnut sells some of the largest (fattest?) doughnuts I've ever seen, but the gargantuan porportions oddly don't apply to their cinnamon roll. A bit small in diameter but tall and thick, you can see the traditional sugar frosting cover the entire roll. Upon biting in, you realize that the roll is mostly just thick, chewy doughnut dough. A lot of it. When you do bite through a layer you get a nice strong cinnamon taste, but it's not balanced by butter or sugar. This is basically a cinnamon doughnut in a different form factor. Overall it's good, and definitely the best of the doughnut places I've tried, but not uniquely better than the other rolls on the list. 6.5/10.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMsg7ZBU4qZFefh_118tEoq191oXzhOz-iXVX5b

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Saraghina Bakery

Saraghina Bakery's cinnamon roll comes with not with a traidtional frosting cover but rather a crispy coating of butter, cinnamon, sugar, and maybe brown sugar. Their roll overall tastes more like cinnamon toast in a doughy roll format rathan than a more traditional cinnamon roll, but it's a nice change. The dough in the roll I had was a bit gummy or chewy, but not in a bad way. The cinnamon flavor throughout is fairly mild, balanced heavily by the butter and sugar. I'm not totally sure this qualifies exactly as a cinnamon roll, and I may be biased due to my appreciation for a simple cinnamon and sugar combination, but overall it was good and stood out for it's uniqueness. 7/10 as I'd prefer something a bit more traditional but this was a nice change of pace.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPFd1sgC_lCbfYBl7B2ftnsoahj6mFPET7Zh2Pe

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Come for the app based ordering, stay for the incredibly dense cinnamon roll. It comes covered in frosting (a thin layer, transparent in some places), with the rolls loosely held together. The dough itself is somewhat flakey, and the cinnamon filling is almost unnoticeable amongst the overwhelmingly buttery, sugary flavor of the entirety. It's not bad if you're into that, but be prepared for the gut bomb. 6.5/10, could stand to be lighter or a more noticeable cinnamon filling.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipN8Farrl1nXzODkHJr2FXaalGdnnXUynDOch19U

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPp149kfAl3WAGA5rQjPs_M04kAoeKae3i_P6su

The classic and gold standard, and what started this whole adventure. The cinnabon classic roll I tried was served inside a Burger King, which felt a little perfect. The roll itself came just heated from the microwave, with the right amount of frosting covering the top. Cinnabon's frosting is incredibly creamy, and you can taste the fat in every bite. The dough is a bit gummy (unsurprising since they aren't fresh), and a bit sweeter than some of the other doughs. The cinnamon filling, Cinnabon's unique IP that they've licensed the world over, has a strong cinnamon flavor and is gooey in the best way possible. The entire roll is quite sweet, but it's much more mild than saccharine. You can taste the engineered perfection, which leads to fairly high marks (and this roll in particular was much better than I had expected). The only thing left wanting is a bit more authenticity (and maybe not so much grease/oil that the carton turns translucent), but honestly that's not what you come to Cinnabon for. 8/10

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMaUZAd_PnqDhwwzcmw4X9gSMZOJXKYpme16QvX

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMbk8j9mDES07jTSlShfNkl7ST-IqB8cYswjajy

Cinnamon bun, cream cheese

Crown Shy's cinnamon bun is one of the four pastries they have on the brunch menu, and their spin is quite unique. The rolls are baked in their own pan, meaning there's a crunchy crust around the entire outside, and rather than coming with a frosting there is a small pot of in-house cream cheese. The cream cheese is phenomenal, with a smooth airy texture and hints of vanilla and citrus. The roll itself has a light citrus glaze and is topped with struesel. The struesel isn't wholly necessary but it's a nice touch. The dough is a fairly light standard dough, which creates a nice contrast between the normally cooked middle and the crunchy exterior. Combined with the glaze and just a hint of cinnamon, the roll overall feels very light and refreshing with a nice balance of textures. It's quite good, and again the cream cheese is outstanding. 8/10, would like more cinnamon filling.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPxhmlUwXG4g8IrxcfCO16SsThRU-Fp5Km95F5A

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMIG_4YNWjhMzDqhRmxekM1IWFdoY5SYDakfhCy

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNevvra1CAzXDRUSyIBlrNSCtFI65WKoRZsYQWH

Tompkins Square Bagels

Come for the bagels, stay for the bagels. I don't believe the cinnamon rolls are made in house, as they don't taste near as fresh as the bagels and seem equally likely to have come out of a vending machine. The dough has that somewhat firm but airy texture, almost like a brioche, and the icing is your typical fare but with a nice drizzle. The cinnamon filling has that powdery texture you find in shelf-stable rolls, which gives a nice flavor but not much else. The whole thing is a bit bready. Overall I'm giving it a 5.5/10 - it tastes too artificial and bready, but frankly why would you get this when there's hot fresh bagels not two feet away.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNE93FJOyMb7MeyOIIQLIA1Pz_t-8PKMe8SYQ-t

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPcARzFAnSD0xMeVMfprSVIu3DfGN1wjenxCVJq

Cinnamon roll with cream cheese frosting

Why would you go to a pizza place in a bougie new food hall for a cinnamon roll? Why not? Corner Slice tends more towards flatbread square pies (corner, get it?), and it tastes like they use the same dough for their rolls. The rolls come in squat but dense little pucks covered in a delicious cream cheese frosting. The dough is thick and airy, while still being a bit dense, and the cinnamon filling buried inside has a nice smooth flavor but unfortunately there just isn't that much of it. You can ask for it warmed up, which I thought would be a good idea but ended up causing all the cinnamon filling to melt to the bottom and stick to the paper plate upon which it was served, leading to a situation where I had to pry off those tasty remnants with the dull plastic knife. The individual components of the roll are all quite good, but the overall execution just doesn't quite come together as much as I would have hoped. 7/10 for a very solid choice (especially if you end up at Gotham West in the morning), but wish for a better execution to bring it home.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPJMpy4wsmo7DyeI9vFV-vxIDSMoaOq3YGWZbbJ

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipORvqtrqAvG09B_eOb-klA3n4Vyz1mEQKVr8cfP

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https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMorbzL_t2eq3c5FuCA0eiWDC8lXK2yyWGe7gsy

Schmackary's has some very unique and interesting cookies, but unfortunately that creativity doesn't extend to their cinnamon rolls. Served in the mornings, they look incredibly beautiful with a latticed standard frosting on top, but once you take a bit all the fun stops. The dough is very dense, almost like a scone, and the cinnamon filling is almost powdery like what you would get from a vending machine roll. Similar to what they serve at Tompkin's Square Bagels, this roll was too far into shelf-stable artifice to be great. What makes it better is the dough itself, but overall a 6/10 because there's too much of it and not enough other flavors.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPeJblqXmhQ3TWGYTwOl__vvpj3P4AL-D5Ihpni

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNWwfVaqzZTuAh95Ei-1VmgU_W9uxqVEayYFI_q

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMV1VK8dIaG_udm9l9p8CtejMUJZrYHsXz-UPzf

Wogies is Philly dive-ish bar down to the bone, with cheesesteaks wit wiz and wings ever flowing, but what makes it more unique is that they have a bakery in the basement and make all their bread in house daily. Plus cinnamon rolls. It comes topped with nuts and a cream cheese frosting, The frosting is a standout - it tastes a little caramel, and has a lovely mild sweetness that is balanced very nicely with the nuts. The dough was fairly standard, with relatively thin layers. The cinnamon filling isn't overpowering, and the middle had a gooey center which was a great surprise. The nuts provide a nice texture. Overall it's a very good roll with solid execution and the frosting really brings everything together. 8/10, with the only improvements being a more interesting dough and more gooey filling.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipORPPzx2c7dxe0URU6vWL53zbMhlsLDBp-a_ASI

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPeQ-qYFgtdsmzEhKKoBLJVWcXSS7OcW3L1qLwH

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPWMSx8V2S1GZPCHzmoNfkVJBWURr9r7S-uBaes

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipM66tm5TDRrUXyq7fkMJV49anWUS72iC_F_til_

Broome Street Bakery

Cinnamon morning bun

Broome Street Bakery's cinnamon morning bun comes covered in sugar crystals, and the dough comes a bit tough on the crust not unlike a scone but gets chewier once you break through it. The cinnamon flavoring is fairly mild, and it definitely leans more into the bun side than the cinnamon side. The dough is very buttery, similar to Pret's twist, but manages to be somewhat light. A gooid choice if you're in the neighborhood and need something to go with a coffee. 7/10

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMeq5mH5UhkBsJKT50c0jN-wjqrmWnVaeLepAAd

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOrBniWNyGziEb1-518_hF6qLO_HNq0kn3ypkDm

Adir Michaeli made Breads babka's the best in the city, and that dough expertise carries through to his namesake bakery's cinnamon rolls as well. The dough of the rolls is incredible, having that light, airy, buttery flavor of a babka while being a little sweet. The cinnamon filling is a bit gooey throughout, and has a very strong flavor to offset the mild sweetness of the dough. Cover the whole thing in a light glaze, and you've got a great treat to grab with the rest of your order that's not to be missed. 8/10, only thing left wanting is for it to be a more traditional roll.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOrIg87b64PWeMpeFXlUMEfNgEa7xzy_T25TJSI

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOHPiVZmY-kFrZmzmA61_4hXTuvpLWHyzgEpbZU

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOh4Do0wZxGVEO_mHM6i9gajatY4eqOy1bSYfKs

Winner is the new kid on the block, having opened less than a month prior to my visit. Already a hit in Park Slope, the line was decently long when I arrived 20 minutes after opening. They bake fresh every morning, and the cinnamon roll comes out cute with a thick layer of creamy frosting slathered on top. The first bite leaves little to be desired. The frosting tastes as good as it looks, with a hint of orange adding a bit of zest. The dough itself is fairly dense, with a hint of molasses maybe?, almost like a scone while being more pliable. The cinnamon flavoring is quite good, but very mild and not a strong presence. Overall a 7.5/10 - it's a lovely choice for the morning but I would prefer much more cinnamon filling.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNWmmA2ty5mlEhjAJDuMzBf7W9B4Ww46n78KdVs

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPwW0pRr0plyRjFiN1G4l7oiyAtyKJC-_PYobGo

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPhckDhGaKlB1QrzCZ-RjWdwt9aDyk7eQVOIGxu

Simple Loaf Bakehouse

Simple Loaf's cinnamon bun comes flipped and dusted with sugar. Similar to Le Fournil or Breads Bakery, it appears they've taken croissant strips, dunked in cinnamon filling, and rolled into a tray. The bun I had was toasted a bit too long, which gave a nice crunch but not exactly what I was looking for. There was a caramely glaze on top, and once you got into the middle the cinnamon flavoring was very good - it was just only in the middle. Overall a 7, it's comparable to many of the better buns on the list and a great choice if you're nearby.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPtUv8wzWDDnxOBF91bZFo8tzXwt7TsZLGLirZ-

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMGsOdXeIRGBX-Zi0CxM94pPt3Tt4goUKY95ej3

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOOvvKR7iJJvBrvSl9IgWlDHlCj8ieLF9Voldt_

Cinnamon sticky buns

Everybody Eats is a lovely little gluten free bakery, and offers a to-go pack of 9 cinnamon rolls. Their rolls do the best they can, but are ultimately hampered by being gluten free. The dough is very dense and unfortunately not very flavorful. The cinnamon filling, however, is quite strong and sticky. It could use a bit more butter or brown sugar, but it's a very solid start. The frosting is unfortunately way too sugary - a more creamy frosting would go a long ways. A 5.5 - some gluten and butter would really take this to the next level.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNjc7VSpDH64WJ41xTmkvtJNRlz5UYXbcNcGvoQ

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNBgYzPXlyN7Os9PMFT_WwcNTUwv2kW9VFn6kfd

La Delice is a classic old-school bakery, with a wide arrange of cakes, cookies, pies, and pastries. Their cinnamon bun, visible through the window either with frosting or without, is something you can order. The bun is pretty much entirely bread, which is very chewy and slightly sweet. You can see evidence of cinnamon between the layers, but the taste is marginal. La Delice does add raisins, which gives a bit of pop and surprise but doesn't add much to the overall flavor. I give this a 4.5 - you can order it and it's not bad, but there's definitely other better things you should be getting from La Delice.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNjUnjDppeB-Ofc1KhKQEPspt3TaAyQiCqU8h4H

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipM1tqGHgehCODjGjPZ1TSQJuvsisfo41hQAqs7Q

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOyL3zRN4GM7atkWD67wMH-FrWKxO7wxHMNLZvQ

Bourke Street Bakery

They call it a cinnamon bun, but it's so much more. The first thing you notice before diving in are the layers upon layers of dough. It's not just the layers rolled into themselves - the dough is made up of many tiny, tiny layers of croissant dough that give the bun a nice crispy outside and a gooey buttery inside. Once you bite into it, the buttery texture of the dough comes at you from the cinnamon filling as well, which has a nice mild sweetness. The filling is omnipresent - visually almost overflowing, but just the right ratio once you get into it. There's no frosting or glaze, but frankly that might be too much. 8.5/10, this bun is incredibly well done and I would appreciate some creamy frosting or glaze (or the whole thing a bit more into roll territory and less borderline bun).

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipP9Gp3VMEvp9CzYONQugFMKjaj4R7GUiTavhK5X

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNFooMK0gXw9OysI_RRyh233U9KupRJaB4bbAgF

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipO7pO64ffNbbZ_4EHhMJRPLROQeBDVkOnSh-cLy

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPJcciGnj7bLbMzCxRX9EqLgDlNjo_hwz07OUjh

Super Nice Coffee and Bakery

Super Nice Coffee and Bakery has a wide array of tasty donuts, and that talent carries over into their cinnamon roll as well. Visually it's a masterpiece, and exactly what you want. It's covered with a thin but visible layer of frosting, consisting of the standard sugar variety. Once you bite into it, the dough is fairly traditional cinnamon roll dough but a bit more on the doughy-doughnut side. The cinnamon flavoring is nice, but unfortunately there just isn't enough of it to really stand out. Overall a 7.5, it's got a good baseline but would love more gooey-cinnamon goodness.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPrx1nUUEVrCj9GZmdRPAUDteH1YL-p9570KGO-

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPQRrTjcIi6P9d7NFIS_C7x0fVw9JAHWyR4hrOS

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPQT4jYBhpJksZjGTW02Fj6KWLZpEn0PtrB-zoV

Perhaps unsurpisingly, Moe's Doughs cinnamon roll is similar to the rolls offered by other donut shops, in that it's basically a donut rolled up with some cinnamon flavoring between. What separates Moe's from the others is that theirs is incredibly good. The one I ordered was still warm from the oven, and there was some extra flavor (cinnamon? some other tang?) in the dough that just made it quite delicious. It comes with a standard donut glaze, and the cinnamon dusting in the rolls doesn't add a ton, but it's definitely a solid choice. 6/10, wish it was more of a roll than a very well done donut.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNM8Zdt6mAkodt2L5vK0Kk_sfDU94k3sqVNJBZa

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMyxf9bavNLZ0VlparkH8nZMXePWUOsXJf8D9UE

Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop

It's a donut, masquerading as a cinnamon roll. Peter Pan does a very solid dough, but given over to a cinnamon roll it just doesn't do it justice. You can order with frosting or not (I accidentally did it without). 5/10, it's slightly better than the other donuts but not by much.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMDtW2ywt64LU9bEN5oC77ni75ERzcXFvkRfZqO

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOhipQ3v45tTTDdvm4hkY_GIkkSyMxPUpHrtwbv

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPrHF3o32y-wBdYPBFa9RuvCGgFqTKs_v3xNDsY

Bakeri (Greenpoint)

Bakeri's Greenpoint location is the HQ, and thus where all the magic happens. I was hesitant after the disappointing venture to their Williamsburg outpost, but the Greenpoint location was quite excellent. The cinnamon still looks just as beautiful, and comes covered with a cream cheese frosting. Their dough is more airy than other places, which gives a bit more balance between that and the frosting and the filling. The filling has a strong cinnamon flavor, but just the right amount of gooey-ness and is balanced well with the other components. Overall a 7.5/10 - it's very well done, but would wish for a more interesting dough and slightly more of the filling overall.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMek-v9kyS4E8IEXAMRWQq5tXcBwWNs2AdFIJfD

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPGqEQcUA9etn7OWG91gPq7DN5HJbSz3y0WWl0B

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMeVp71DpGWbi7VHYD8dL5qgBSIaAFK3eDH1PNM

Clementine Bakery

I arrived back at Clementine's first thing Sunday morning, and was lucky to get a cinnamon roll piping hot and fresh straight out of the oven. Taking a bite, you can feel the thick and airy dough that's just the right amount of chewy and sweet. The icing is a fairly typical sugar icing. The cinnamon filling was soaking out of the bottom, and when there was a decent amount together it tasted good but unfortunately it was really only gooey on the bottom and middle. It's big and thicc and delicious, but it'd be much tastier with butter. Overall 7.5 - definitely worth a visit and a solid choice.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPI-p1UwFfDlM13FNbMUcvaDnAEtrXI2J2tn8Ot

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPr1PJ4aH-8MIEhBJaHPlfF-zSZRiu8VKvTQH2S

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNATmRtLiMbAMPr9379SIqLYev9WWfktRXqErdl

Cinnamon Girl (Bed Stuy)

Cinnamon roll (maple)

Cinnamon Girl offers a variety of cinnamon rolls, and since they were out of normal when I went I chose the maple. This was a solid choice, the maple icing was really delicious and creamy (which I'm unclear how since it was vegan). Unfortunately that was the best part of the roll. The dough was a bit tough (but still decent), and the cinnamon filling suggested its presence but you couldn't really taste any of it. There were also some crushed pecans, but not enough to add anything. It was a decent roll overall with a standout of the maple icing, which I think other rolls should pick up. 6.5/10, I wish there was more cinnamon filling and the dough was a bit chewier/flavorful.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPLHzza-Xxm5pZAemndJ6HCcYYFtH8GvEsZ_fse

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BitterSweet delivers a cinnamon roll that in two words is big and doughy. The dough is a standard cinnamon roll dough, a bit sweet and a bit yeasty. There's a lot of it. The cinnamon filling is fairly light, and no real amount of gooey. The icing is a sugar icing. It's a decent roll, but doesn't do anything particularly unique. 6.5/10 for being a solid choice but could use less dough and more everything else.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPbw2EqRn30_-QnFzMb84eKWFXqu4x57Mrn0RmP

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMMIxmkwk_6UTQZtosSE4yc0Zx9qcJu1pwoFqIK

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https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOtaCLhoJxmzXkzr1uQsiUdIaMf7L05p_tLECMF

Blue Sky Bakery, known for their incredible and unique muffin combinations, also makes a darn good cinnamon roll. The dough comes a bit airy and chewy, almost like a doughnut more so than your traditional cinnamon roll dough. The cinnamon filling is thick and gooey in parts, and provides a nice strong base in just the right ratios. To top it off, you can get it with a lemon frosting (of the traditional sugar variety) that adds a nice flavor and balance. Overall a 7.5, it's really well done but would wish for more gooeyness in the cinnamon filling and something a bit more unique with the dough.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPOQFdho7T6MX7-IA0BLKVYF0DiOGw5LdIsyMfH

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMfTJBiI8niflxQTwIEYEJqMAoCPZT70qkhsMUB

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMynUL4F3MGA4GMUzUvJVtJTsK-_lIttuwJHRzr

Ciao Gloria is a very trendy italian cafe with a wide selection of interesting pastries and entrees, and their cinnamon roll is quite the standout. It comes slathered in an ultra creamy frosting, which is quite nearly the Platonic ideal of cream cheese frosting. The dough is light and fluffy and oh-so-buttery, almost like a cross between a biscuit and pizza dough. The cinnamon filling is just the right amount of gooey, but unfortunately a bit light outside of the center. It's just the right size for one person, and the flavor reminded me of the best parts of a Cinnabon (this is a high compliment). Overall a 9/10, the only wish I have is that it had more cinnamon filling.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNImlxsBrE4qYsWKqXpTcVM4yj2Gsb4aKlVQ2oz

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipM12DLVZnZi-LvSDsLJOERSOlan_em3Ghp96BEP

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After seeing Aquavit chef Emma Bengtsson's video on IGTV of her making the Swedish standard kanelbullar (cinnamon buns), I knew I had to try them. A special offering on Aquavit's adjusted COVID menu, I couldn't be sure how long it would be around and wanted a comparison point for Fabrique's version from this two Michelin starred chef. They did not disappoint. The dough, which is made with cinnamon, was a bit crumbly where baked and gooey and chewy where it wasn't and had a delicious rich flavor. The pearl sugar topping added a nice crunch, balancing well against the softness of the dough. The filling didn't have a strong flavor, and was well balanced with a buttery sweetness in the center. The cardamom gave it a uniqueness that's hard to compare with the other rolls here, and was much more present than Fabrique's version. Overall it's an 7.5 - it's very good, with the only things that left me wanting were perhaps a glaze or frosting and a stronger cinnamon flavor.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOSKFsTvpKJ6he5T5stvLEVt5xqDpb-MQ9yV3Bd

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMx3AAhEwZdMubbScn_gcQN9ou1N9JYk_MuWQNY

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOvIIbXJIIwudq0Nz-GmeobgC9iX2mAO9YOaxIJ

Tompkins Square Bagels

I popped into TSB and noticed a different supplier of cinnamon rolls had appeared, as these were much less bready than the previous ones. Unfortunately, they were not any tastier. The cinnamon filling was surpringinsly strong, almost uncomfortably so, and the dough was tough. These were not fresh. It still tasted artificial, like a gas station or vending machine version. 6/10

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMKI5nHT4aqoI1cdq0TfgiNGvzlanXis2UdABfA

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNr6GcMqccgQEXih7lZGXmJeX31_7gVsKvWpGL3

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNaxYH083qxk_xoyLy0ZmhvA-vLxdGfiPy9mqBJ

Our Daily Bread is based in Chatham, NY and has a stand at the Union Square Greenmarket with a wide variety of tasty pastries. Their cinnamon roll is no exception. It comes with a very light drizzle of sugar frosting, but the most noticeable is the strong buttery sweetness of the whole endeavor. The cinnamon filling is fairly light, and overall it tastes like butter and sugar with a hint of cinnamon. The dough is flaky and buttery like a croissant, but I wish it were fresher. Overall a 7/10, the flavor is quite good but wish there was more filling and freshness.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMGKuwvIt5sE-bd1JeAuV-QE7Av8QyRQrQ_ig8D

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNOrzl8b8HIQBvLDhvsYsszV5pWWQN-zw_2STrz

Body & Soul Seasonal Vegan Bakery

Sweet potato cinnamon roll

Body & Soul's cinnamon roll is huge, vegan, and delicious. The dough has sweet potato added, which gives a nice tang and balances the surprisingly strong cinnamon filling quite well. There isn't a ton of filling, but it stands out. The dough is chewy, but not overly so, with a mild sweetness as well. There's technically some drops of what appears to be a sugar frosting, but it's not noticeable whatsoever. Very good overall, a 7.5 - I wish the filling was more gooey or the icing more noticeable.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipO_ao9dtGszN0b7qbWFjNgizU3vQeUzt2aOX2Ri

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNL4yepI0H94ByvQBs9FsqIc0Q-olb40vx2HWwS

Bread Alone makes a beautiful morning bun, with a dusting of sugar atop, and it is just as tasty as it looks. The dough seems to be croissant dough, layered and layered and covered in butter and sugar. It's incredibly rich. There isn't a ton of cinnamon, except in the middle where it's mixed with butter and is the perfect mix. 8/10, this thing is rich and delicious and would be great with coffee.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPRsACcmTedT-F6xqEEvznsDtTjHKnNcMho6EUY

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMCp2NHgdfcY6UAKG6-NP7mMaqJmo2iKWxr-9hA

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https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipP7MpuIaQFaK6ZeoGJtiNmu5IjgmLWYWEQGA2uM

Vanilla cinnamon roll

Panera's vanilla cinnamon roll isn't a bad option whatsoever. Definitely ask for it heated up, and enjoy the thick coating of sugary frosting with the smoothness of vanilla. The vanilla aspect is unique among the many other rolls here, and it does add quite a bit to the flavor and goes well with the cinnamon flavoring. The dough is fairly airy but not necessarily unique, and you can still taste some of the artificiality like a cinnabon. Overall a 7.5, not quite as good as a cinnabon and good use a more gooey filling but still quite tasty.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNCVTifY8P66Xjkvzrh6Kl5MuDCyXkWQegVVTvF

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPXV4E-hoqthShCMtkZlsp7_PyMz_5Z1HAwr6h6

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNUdPEgNPJM0V9X6nRhasP2rsMJSwbVMkEZMovU

Hamilton's Cafe Restaurant

Hamilton's cinnamon roll comes in vanilla or nutella, and this time around I opted for the vanilla. It's a pretty decent size, and upon biting into it you see that it's just as dense as it is big. The dough is flakey, like a biscuit or pie crust, and not quite cooked all the way through. It's amazing. There isn't a ton of cinnamon filling, but it isn't overly strong and adds a nice balance to the dough. The frosting is a standard sugar frosting with a hint of vanilla, which is thick and fairly sweet but not overly so. I'll give it 7.5, it's really good but wish it had more cinnamon filling or some citrus in the frosting to lighten it up a bit.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNCJDzrNzh_oXWjYVCY5sUObEIMvrt9BFzQeZyk

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOeZWcfP-hzAIUuaf3cKF-X0Bkd4MGS9A0kXrPD

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNZxY4008ddXLBNgatXcF6I1MYO5c5O2fIS-NWe

The Hungarian Pastry Shop

This cinnamon roll is solidly in the "light pastry shop" roll rather than a true cinnamon roll. It seems like they use their croissant dough, dash some cinnnamon on it, roll it up and glaze it. It's not bad, but nothing particularly stands out.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPaz94GulKj5h0vlrPbN8RoReUlCkGNo_PoOb6X

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPS4as2geAbuGRkEPMO1ZJe1jGpdWJzxWy5dS1I

Cinnamon roll: Caramel sauce, shaved roasted coconut, coconut ice cream

Beyond Sushi is a vegan restaurant focusing on mostly Asian fair, but they happen to have a cinnamon roll on their dessert menu. I would stick to the sushi. The roll appears to be made from the same dough as their rosemary garlic bread (minus the savory seasonings, plus the sweet) and baked in a small pan. It's very bready, almost like garlic knots, and doesn't have any unique flavor to it. The cinnamon is dusted everywhere but you can't really taste any of it. There is roasted coconut flakes on top, which are interesting but unfortunately just make it taste a bit too oily. It also comes with coconut ice cream and caramel sauce, but the caramel sauce doesn't really add much. The coconut ice cream is pretty fantastic, and is actually the standout here. The roll should be accompanying that, not the other way around. It's creamy and has a texture like gelato, and the coconut flavor is quite lovely on a summer day. Overall, for the roll, I'll give it a 5. It needs to be better in, well, every category really.

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L'imprimerie is a cute little French bakery tucked under the M tracks on Myrtle Ave, and their cinnamon roll tastes as good as the bakery is cute. The dough is flakey and oh-so-buttery, and the one I tasted was a bit crispy on the outside. The bottom was covered with a cruncy layer of caramelized filling, and the top coating with a creamy, sugary frosting. The cinnamon filling in the roll wasn't overly strong and was well balanced with the buttery sweetness of the rest of the roll, but I do wish it was a bit gooier. It's a nice size as well, right where Goldilocks likes it. I'd love to try one of these fresh. Overall an 8/10, it's very well done and worth a visit.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMIbBHxVwhilZZVDa95Kh88Z_kiv6cDF5Xp4iIn

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Rudy's Bakery & Cafe

Rudy's Bakery & Cafe is a retro NYC bakery, and their cinnamon roll fits. It's clearly not their specialty, and while it's not bad it isn't particularly outstanding. The dough is fairly airy and yeasty, and while there's a lot of cinnamon filling it doesn't particularly stand out in the flavor. The icing is a very standard sugar icing, and I appreciate that they haven't gone overboard with it. This roll is kind of like what you'd expect from a vending machine cinnamon roll, but without all the artifical preservatives. 6/10, it could do better on just about every dimension but it's by no means bad.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNV1Fp2v7W6gFuR0ilQ6kBpY_QBIhP4MOT6wy8e

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Sweet potato cinnamon roll: Sourdough, whole grain ooey gooey cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting

Millers & Makers is a small bakery with a rather unique signature cinnamon roll. It's based off a whole grain sourdough, mixed with sweet potato (topping? filling?) and served with a dollop of cream cheese frosting. It's quite hard to compare to anything else here. The dough is very spongey - wet and gooey, and the sweet potato gives it a nice tang. There isn't really any filling to speak of - there's some cinnamon that appears to be baked into the dough but you won't find that brown gooey sauce between the rolls like you might expect. The frosting is good, although definitely indexes more on the cream cheese than the frosting. Overall I think it's a 7 - it's very hard to compare to many other things here due to it's uniqueness, and while it's quite good it loses some points for eschewing tradition in some sense. I would want more of that gooey cinnamon filling, but honestly I don't think that would go well with the other flavors in this roll. How about a 7 as a cinnamon roll, but an 8 as a pastry?

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOZbcQdbivyg4cNcsiXrDphDEA9P1U9N5oTGgXT

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Baked in Brooklyn

Cinnamon roll (with or without pecans)

Baked in Brooklyn is perhaps most well known for their pita chips you can buy across the city, but they also have an actual bakery storefront in South Slope with a wide variety of tasty treats. The cinnamon roll, which you can order with or without pecans, looks almost too good to be true. And it is. The looks in part are due to the frosting, which is thick and creamy and fairly stiff making the roll like somewhat plastic sitting on the counter. I ordered one with nuts, and through great pains was able to attack it with my plastic cutlery. I have no idea when it was actually made - the dough on the outside was a bit hard, but after getting more into the middle it was fairly chewy. The dough itself was pretty good - standard dough you might get on a cinnabon, that's a bit sweet and not as airy. Beneath the hard frosting coating was a mountain of nuts, far too many to be useful, and unfortunately there wasn't hardly any cinnamon filling. I can imagine this being decent if you take it home and heat it up, but unfortunately I'd stick to BiB's chips. 6/10

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Baked is a very cute bakery in Red Hook, with a decent selection of pastries. Their "NYC's best" cinnamon bun comes covered in a thick, creamy, sugary frosting that is quite good. The dough has a nice crisp on the outside but is a bit more bready than your standard cinnamon roll. Once you bite into it, you'll also notice a thick, dark, almost black cinnamon filling, That filling has a very strong, almost bitter, flavor that unfortunately makes the rest of the roll off-putting. It's not too much cinnamon (although I'm sure there's more than needed), but I think it's the same unusual flavor that made Posh Pop's so bad. I give Baked a 6/10 - there's a lot of potential here with the dough and the frosting, but the cinnamon filling just holds it back. Stick to the cupcakes.

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Doughnut Project

Cinnamon Roll topped with house-made Butter Cream

The Doughnut Project is a very creative donut shop in the West Village, and they serve one kind of roll each week. If it's not taken by one of the collabs they are so well known for, definitely grab their cinnamon roll. They take their standard donut dough, dust it with a bit of cinnamon, roll it up, fry it, slather it with a cinnamon glaze, and dollop a healthy serving of homemade butter cream frosting on top. The dough itself is quite good but not particularly outstanding, and the cinnamon glaze is the unique standout here. The butter cream frosting is a great blend to balance the whole thing out. 7/10, this is by far the best donut cinnamon roll but wish it had a gooey cinnamon filling.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPAKosibDCyKYflyVPxIJA9tkxhtbJdiuVXJFbF

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Ikea, known for stylish cheap furniture, swedish meatballs, and dollar cinnamon buns. And the buns are not to be missed. They come hot and fresh out of the oven, and you can see the cinnamon filling ooze out of the crevices. The dough is fairly light and airy, ableit a standard dough, and the frosting is your typical sugar frosting. The filling is quite gooey and oozey, wit ha very strong cinnamon flavor. There is an artificial sweetness to the whole affair, which is probably to be expected, but overall this is an excellent roll. The dough and frosting don't particularly stand out, but major bonus points for getting that filling just the right amount of gooey. 7.5/10, and definitely the best value in the city.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNNk6VsLaXYmh4gRYdrYUBHCzZev35PiEk-EcJa

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOBq0bqfGOOBgfTno_s76b6ubF2bcb1Y2jiclzI

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punkin cinny buns

Seitan Rising is a vegan bakery in Bushwick, and their roll is so good it's almost sinful. On my visit, they were sreving pumpkin cinnamon buns. The dough was nice and mild albeit a bit chewy, with the pumpkin giving it a lovely orange flavor (with a dash of sparkles on top). The frosting was very smooth, and seemed like a regular sugar frosting but had a better texture than usual. The filling is the standout here, with the right amount of gooeyness and just a hint of the bitter cinnamon filling. There's good ratios on everything, and there's not much left wanting. Maybe a bit warm? or a bit less chewy on the dough? 7.5/10

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPVlq-quW6lS1zV9ut1NZolsO0Jk73FIjecS0PV

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Brooklyn Whiskers

Cinnamon roll with candied pecan

Brooklyn Whiskers is a cute little cafe and coffee shop under the JZ in Bushwick, with a lovely array of pastries. The cinnamon roll I got came with candied pecans on top. It didn't seem fresh, and the dough was weirdly stiff on the outside but not difficult to chew through. There was a standard sugar frosting on top, not a ton but just the right amount. The filling had a nice amount of flavor but wasn't very gooey, and the pecans were a nice touch but didn't add much except for the bite you got with them in it. Overall a 6.5, there's a lot of potential here but the weirdly tough dough really holds it back (plus the lack of viscosity in the filling).

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Erin McKenna's Bakery

Erin McKenna is a GF, vegan bakery. Their cinnamon roll is pretty unique compared to everything else I've tried, mostly because the dough. It's very crumbly, and not so much dough at all. Imagine a cross between a scone, coffee cake, and a cinnamon roll, and maybe you're almost there. It's good, with a nice sweetness, but it gets dense real fast (particularly when you chew it). There is some cinnamon mixed in like a swirl, but given the consistency of the dough you won't find that gooey filling like you would in any other roll. The frosting is very sweet, and a bit creamy, which goes well wtih everything else. The sweetener is agave, so it's a bit more smooth than a standard sugar sweetener. Overall it's a 6.5, the flavor is good (particularly given the GF/vegan) but it's hard to categorize this as a roll and I wish the dough was more, well, dough-like.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMJMAENqn_znUIKrKvR0fRPLTYbMZlWzYejXhbb

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Happy Zoe Vegan Bakery

If you're looking for big, huge, vegan rolls, Happy Zoe Vegan Bakery in Greenpoint has you covered. You have to order ahead, but these rolls are giant. The dough is a fairly standard roll dough, if somewhat dry. The frosting is very sweet, but there isn't a ton so it balances well. There's a good amount of cinnamon filling with a nice strong flavor, bringing it all together. It's a very solid choice! You can't really tell it's vegan, for whatever that's worth, and I wish the dough was a bit more unique/interesting and the cinnamon filling was nice and gooey. 7/10. They also come in raspberry flavor, which is really tasty and the raspberries offset the dryness.

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Petit Chou is a new French bakery in the East Village, and while they specialize in eclairs and...chous....their cinnamon roll is also quite tasty. It comes nearly picture perfect, with a creamy frosting covering the top AND the bottom. The dough is a bit light and flakey, not quite like a croissant but in that direction. The cinnamon filling is a bit gooey, and because it's leaked out of the bottom and left a nice crispy layer. There's a good amount of it elsewhere, and it has hints of the bitter cinnamon but trends towards buttery goodness. Everything comes together nicely in this, and I can imagine it being incredibly tasty when it's hot and fresh. 7.5/10, the only things it left me wanting were a bit crispier dough and a bit more gooey filling.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipP7pa4lRuQypDIqpDS7kZvjLU-hxL0bkSS3uMjQ

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Mel is a bakery on the LES that focuses primarily on locally sourced ingredients. They bake bread wholesale during the week, and offer a limited selection of breads and pastries for retail on the weekend. Their cinnamon roll comes with a lovely coating of cream cheese frosting with a few wild flower petals to add some color and pop. The dough is very flakey, very much like a croissant, although the one I had was cooked a bit too long and therefore tasted more toasty than buttery. The cinnamon filling is very strong in flavor, but unfortunately there just isn't a ton of it. Some of it does leak out to the bottom forming a bit of a crispy crust, but I just wish there was more. The frosting is creamy deliciousness, but boy howdy there's a lot of it. And while the wild flowers look great, they just don't go as well with the rest of the pastry. The roll I had was a bit old, I can imagine these being incredibly good fresh. Overall a 7.5 - all the components are decent and have a lot of potential, but the particular execution didn't live up to it. I wish there was more filling, less frosting, and a bit less cook time.

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Cinnamon brioche

Silver Moon Bakery specializes in bread and cakes, but has a lovely pastry selection as well. They have two brioche rolls, the cinnamon and cinnamon with rasins and walnuts. I went for the regular cinnamon. The brioche dough is quite good, and a bit buttery, although the roll I had was cooked a bit on the firmer side (I prefer softer). There was a speckle of cinnamon in the roll, but just providing a hint of flavoring and not the gooey filling one would hope for. The frosting is your standard sugar frosting, but it does have a nice creamy texture. Overall a 6.5, I wish the dough was fluffier and there was way more cinnamon filling but it's a good start.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOdXhg1V7FtaYe_v-RlyLqbNCYUo8zy153fZ-lO

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California breakfast bun

The California breakfast bun is an interesting counterpoint to the cinnamon brioche. This bun is made with croissant dough rather than brioche, has much more cinnamon filling, and is dusted with sizable amount of regular sugar rather than frosting. The bun I had was a bit overcooked, but the dough was flakey enough to leave me visibly covered afterwards. The middle was a good mess of dough and filling, but I wish the filling had a stronger flavor. The dusting of sugar gives the sweetness a nice sharp bite, which I appreciated as a counterpoint to the buttery dough. A bit better than the brioche at a 7, again wish for a bit less baked and more gooey filling.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipN8bkOl6sk1w4p_9upNG3Dbtlme7aSTVOpaXCZ1

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Zabar's, the NYC institution, also sells cinnamon rolls at their cafe (and online!). Ordering one for the low price of $3, I was handed a hand-sized roll covered with a plentiful dose of cream cheese frosting. The dough is your kinda standard cinnamon roll dough - a bit sweet, a bit airy, nothing too fancy. There's a lot of filling visible, but it's a relatively mild flavor. It's a bit gooey, with some soaking up on the bottom. And the frosting, there is a lot of it. There's also a bit of artificiality to it - somewhat of a hint of that vending machine preservative flavor from some of the other rolls. Mine was also served cold, and I forgot to ask for it heated up, so definitely do that when you order. Overall a 7/10, it's got a great start but the artificiality brings the score down, I wish the filling was gooier and had a stronger flavor, and there's just too much frosting.

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Cookshop is a very hip brunch spot in Chelsea right near the high line, and happens to offer a cinnamon bun on their brunch starter menu. It's priced high (as the preceding sentence would suggest) at $8, and you get a roll slightly larger than what you might find at a bakery. The dough is thick and chewy, and unfortunately the one I had was also a bit too oily - similar to Beyond Sushi. There was visibily a lot of cinnamon filling, but you couldn't really taste much of it. The frosting told a similar story - I could see it, but I could barely taste it. It did come warm, but was otherwise just surprisingly boring. 6/10, I wish it was less oily, had more frosting, and just more flavor overall.

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McDonald's has a cinnamon roll now. It's part of their McCafe Bakery line, launched along with an apple fritter and blueberry muffin to join the already delicious apple pie. The roll comes hot, and it's roughly what you'd expect. The dough is a bit airy, but weirdly kind of stiff/firm. It's almost like vending machine dough, but fresher? Despite their claim, I would in no way call it "flakey". There's plenty of cinnamon filling with a nice flavor, but unfortunately it's more on the dry side and not very gooey. Topped with what they call cream cheese icing, it's definitely creamy but not very cheesey. It mostly just tastes like a thick vanilla frosting. Overall it's not too bad, and if you're not near a Panera, Ikea, or Cinnabon this will do in a pinch. And it's probably reliable anywhere you go. 7/10, wish the dough was more interesting and the filling was more gooey.

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Partybus Bakeshop

The first thing you notice about Partybus Bakeshop's cinnamon roll, other than it's near picture-perfect appearance, is the frosting. Specifically, that it tastes like butter. A lot like butter. And there's a lot of it. This isn't explicitly a bad thing, however. I'm a fan of a nice butter cream frosting, and butter can be a great way to mellow out the bitterness of a strong cinnamon filling. Unfortunately, the cinnamon filling isn't that strong. It's visible, as a dusting, but it's not the gooeyness you would hope for. The dough has a good texture and consistency, leaning towards the bready side, and is a little sweet but just barely. The combination of these are that you end up with what is a decent roll that just tastes a bit too buttery from the frosting. 7/10, it's good but needs a better balance of flavors.

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Davidovich Bakery

The cinnamon roll from Davidovich was not baked in house, but still pretty decent. The dough was light and airy with lots of pockets, more towards a brioche than a croissant. There was a light glaze covering it with hints of citrus. Lots of cinnamon filling that was somewhat gooey, an unexpected surprise given that it wasn't fresh. Kind of in the vein of prepackaged rolls, but nice strong flavor from the cinnamon filling and a solid texture. 6.5, would want it to be fresher and a bit gooier.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMnNZA96SptSksJp5jnJ22-lZFuQPylolGR-TxP

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787 has some very delicious in-house empanadas, but unfortunately those adjectives don't apply to their cinnamon roll. Made somewhere else (I caught the name but was unable to look it up), it's a somewhat standard wholesale cinnamon roll. Large in size and easy on the eyes, it's much less fulfilling. The dough is lightly sweet but doesn't have much texture, and the cinnamon filling is there but more crumbly than gooey. There's a drizzle of icing atop which does provide some sugary sweetness, but this definitely leans into the mass-produced wholesale affair than your local bakery made with love.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOixHuJ4iE__K0aHZMQ3aOvN-U8VYvouhoeygIM

Brown butter cinnamon roll

Harris Bakes, a small bakery opened in the spring of 2020 by Harris Maizels, a former teacher and member of the all-star Gramercy Tavern pastry team. The Michelin starred restaurant has clearly rubbed off, and Maizels' brown butter cinnamon roll ranks among the city's best. Made fresh at opening, you can order it with our without frosting but I strongly recommend ordering with. The cream cheese frosting is the perfect amount of thick and creamy, and a lovely complement to the mild nuttiness from the brown butter that pervades the roll. The dough is a standard brioche cinnamon roll dough, light and airy while still having bite and structure. The cinnamon filling, while not particularly gooey with the exception of a bit on the bottom, had a strong flavor that was overall well balanced. 8 overall - very well done execution, and while I might like a bit more gooeyness this has everything else in just the right ratios.

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Balthazar Bakery, the NY institution, has a wide selection of morning pastries to accompany your excursion into SoHo and the cinnamon bun is not to be missed. It looks like many other "coffee shop"-type cinnamon rolls - flakey, croissantish dough that's crisp on the outside and frosting free, although Balthazar's comes with a sticky gooey bottom. After biting in, you the dough is a bit firmer than a croissant - still somewhat flakey, but more texture and structure than a croissant. It's sweet, but more in a strong buttery sense than a sugary one. The filling has a fairly solid cinnamon flavor, and the sticky bottom helps provide a bit of texture to the roll otherwise. Overall a 7.5, this is maybe the best example of a "coffee shop" roll I've had and does the genre well, but still not quite the ideal gooey mess you want in a roll.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOldoIco8897G9byYiYfMjugCFxW_AVf2a36op_

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Peacefood Cafe, a vegan restaurant with outposts in Greenwich Village and the UWS, offers a wide selection of smoothies, sandwiches, and pastries. Their cinnamon roll comes big, thick, and covered in frosting. The dough is a standard roll dough, although maybe a bit more airy like a brioche. The filling is gooey and sticky, mostly due to it being a combination of frosting and cinnamon filling. That combined with the generous frosting on top leads the whole roll to being rather sweet - you can definitely taste the sugar, although it's a bit out of balance due to the lack of any sort of dairy (butter, or cream cheese) to smooth it out. There are small pieces of walnuts inside, which helps a bit but not enough to really affect the flavor. A 7.5 overall - it's almost what you want in terms of texture, gooeniess, and consistency, but unfortunately it just ends up being too sugary sweet.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipM9PGccZJMniMFxJ4FZDurnbUW-FkSjs4sKwj6d

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Madame Sousou Cafe

They serve pastries from Balthazar....so look at Balthazar's review

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipP7_qnIB1hmS4NU3BrbIzOZEw-jaIh7cTKSunwJ

Gossip Coffee is a trendy coffee shop by day, bar by night in Astoria. While their croissants are made elsewhere, their big beautiful cinnamon rolls are made in house. Made with a thin brioche dough, there's lots of layers to get wrapped up in. The dough is a bit sweet, but the main flavor of this is the cinnamon filling. There's a lot of it, and while it's not overly strong you do get a nice solid dose of the bitterness. The thin layer of icing atop cuts through the cinnamon a bit, but there isn't quite enough to make a significant difference. The dough didn't taste super fresh when I visited, so the combination of that with the crumbly but not gooey filling did present some vending machine roll vibes. Overall a 7, it's a pretty good roll generally but I wish the filling was more gooey and in this particular case a cream cheese frosting would put it over the top.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNvMbmgiH7ChV3LSI4GTHF2jrssChB5G96S9sSA

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPMTKXixHCXFJcav7q0GNmQCAgZejEI4sRhCBt9

Coffee Plus Cake

Coffee Plus Cake is a cute little bakery/coffee shop in Astoria that bakes a wide selection of pastries in house. My recent visit led to trying a fresh out of the oven cinnamon bun. And it was so sweet. The dough is very airy, not so much bready like a brioche. They come in a little flat almost cupcake like wrapper, which lets all the gooeyness soak into the bottom of the roll. There wasn't a ton of filling or goo, and with the standard icing the whole thing was very sugary sweet to a point where you couldn't taste much else. Overall a 7.5, it's very well done but wish there was a cream cheese frosting or more butter to balance out the sweetness, or just more goo overall.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMTYABIf1R_aADxMHhkiuNpxT1vQs1pnn1q-XzH

Terms of Endearment

Terms of Endearment is a very trendy vegan bakery in Williamsburg, offering an interesting selection of pastries. Their cinnamon roll comes standard or in a pineapple/coconut version, I went standard. The first though I had after biting in was that this thing is kind of like a toaster strudel, in a good way. The dough was barely cooked at all but oddly crispy on the bottom. The frosting had an incredibly creamy texture and was layered on thick, and the combination of it all just made me feel like I was eating a giant ball of cinnamon sugary goo. The cinnamon wasn't particularly strong or bitter, but provided just enough to offset the sweetness from the frosting. The whole thing is a chewy, greasy mess. 7.5/10, it's unique and maybe polarizing but I liked it. I think it's as good as it can get without becoming something else, but I would like maybe a dough that was slightly more standard and pockets of gooey filling would go the extra mile (make this thing full on toaster strudel).

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNgGxy4EHtlFlkGzSqG69KsXdn2SVUk5E86SbgL

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOz5DhiMzEdRpbIxSiDX8A3iR_cxg-HeLk10nKc

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPU6e0_uDwURwfjFHa7cGqUFyE5GqoWQpoUeC__

Ceremonia Bakeshop

Ceremonia Bakeshop is a cute cafe and bakery in Williamsburg that offers a variety of sweet breads, cookies, and of course a cinnamon roll. Their cinnamon roll is picture perfect, with many many layers and a thin layer of frosting to cover it. It has a standard brioche style dough, although a bit more towards the bready side than other cinnamon rolls. The frosting gives it a nice sharp sweetness, and the cinnamon is fairly mild but enough to complement. A few bites had some of the frosting drizzled between the layers, which made for a delicious combination, but overall this lefting me wanting a bit more. It's a good execution at 7/10, but would want something a bit more interesting with any part of it (the dough, the filling, or the frosting) to really put it over the edge.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMjCH3hYfNmI1UzN4luKteg35D3qYfEMThzXdfh

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Southside Coffee

Southside Coffee is a small coffee shop a few blocks away from Greenwood Cemetary, and makes a banging cinnamon roll on Sundays. You can get it with either a cream cheese frosting or blueberry glaze. I opted for the standard cream cheese. Size-wise it's a bit smaller than average, but it more than makes up for it in flavor. The dough is very bready and chewy, in a good way, and the frosting comes to match. It's very thick and creamy, and has a hint of orange to help lighten thigns up. There wasn't a ton of filling, but enough to make its presence known and leave a bit of stickiness on the bottom. Overall a 7.5, it's got a very good start and definitely on the thick and chewy side vs the light and flakey which is fine, but I wish there was more and a stronger filling.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipP9awr1MzNPKEGMbMLUy1aOGAsFvr4NasnIGb-f

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipM_139wpcPdJd8-PNdysapYARZ0MQ5uqRVlSqY8

Le Petit Monstre is a vegan bakery and cafe serving Clinton Hill. They offer a wide variety of mostly French pastries. I recently tried their cinnamon roll, and while it had potential I was left somewhat wanting. I don't think it was made fresh that day, so from the start it generally tasted a bit stale. The dough was fairly standard and bready, albeit somewhat tough. There was a thin sugar frosting glaze with a touch of creaminess. The filling had a nice strong flavor, and was a bit crunch and caramelized in some places. The overall vibes were a standard cinnamon and sugar, with broad overtones of oil. I think this happens with vegan pastries, and feel like it would've been much better fresh. A 7 overall, I think the filling could be good and maybe less oily if it was new, but not in the state I had it.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipM0YzKuNysXGJkHh_PFkPqyPaWul-YEracmo2VA

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https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMBZmEHjHZrWDvBtHUJrihhBBcHqfw_BN1C4Qwm

sourdough cinnamon roll (vg)

Leland Eating and Drinking House is a newish neighborhood restaurant in Prospect Heights. They offer a tasty selection of pastries on their brunch menu, including a vegan sourdough cinnamon bun. The dough is delightfully chewy, and the entire bun is coated in a delicious, creamy frosting with a good amount of orange to make it nice and sweet without being overpowering. The filling doesn't have too strong a flavor just enough to let you know it's there. Overally a 7.5, this is a very solid bun and my only wish was that the filling was more gooey.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipM3N7oTknkQnBYABZ2zkBZ3mtqqxWex0a7gYjFU

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipP4SQesoDhwIlfT6WAeeRSRwsqEQp06ykxUYETm

Barachou is a small bakery on the UWS. that specializes in the French puff pastries they're named after, but they also happen to sell a cinnamon roll on Thursdays. And it is not to be missed. The dough is a thick and doughy brioche that's a little bit sweet and a little bit creamy, almost like a milk bread. The day I had them it wasn't quite cooked all the way through, which I preferred. There's a drizzle of sguar frosting over the top, that's a bit creamy but mostly provides the saccharine sweetness. There's a good amount of cinnamon filling, and the mild flavor combines well with the sharp sweetness of the frosting. The filling is a bit gooey towards the middle, where the best bites are to be had as you might expect. Overally 8/10, it's really good on all fronts without trying to do anything flashy. I wish it was a bit more gooey, and while mine wasn't warm that's definitely the right way to have it.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPE2bJbYu7RLYF51nxuBmYpeA1Du4anUnqjI6Ex

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Coffee Land is a small coffee shop in Crown Heights, focusing mostly on the coffee but offers a variety of pastries. Their cinnamon roll, sourced from Brooklyn Patisserie, as a pleasant addition. The dough is light and flakey light a croissant, but unfortunately mine came in a muffin wrapper which ended up sticking to a bunch of the dough. There's a small dollop of cream cheese frosting atop, which was very creamy. While there was a good amount of filling, it unfortunately wasn't very gooey and had a fairly mild flavor. The middle bit was a delicious cinnamony/creamy/croissanty bite, but the rest was just ok. 7/10, it's decent but needs more gooey filling, more frosting, and definitely ask for it warmed up.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMnTrXgyjNNpSBlP0YiBe7dlmhhQZ_XGebTNFh9

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Brooklyn Artisan Bakehouse

Deep in Weeksville you'll find Brooklyn Artisan Bakehouse (they have another location in Midwood), a fairly large bakery with a variety of standard and wholesale options. A recent visit saw a tray of delicious looking cinnamon rolls sitting out, and I had to order one. The cream cheese frosting is perhaps the best looking frosting I've ever seen, and. tastes as good to boot. It's very thick, and very cheesy. The dough of the roll is light and flakey, and heavy on the butter. Unfortunately, there's almost no cinnamon filling - barely enough to give it that little bit of savoriness but not enough to make it bitter. I gave it a 7 - the dough and frosting are quite solid, but where's the cinnamon filling?? What's the point??

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMdUM9eirSz1eVh-Qvy-RK_KY2fEKu6idOMLWpE

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Off Castle Hill Ave in the Bronx lies The Way Cafe, a small joint with the eclectic menu one would expect from a cafe. They offer a cinnamon roll, which comes glazed with a unique caramel sugar frosting. The roll I got didn't seem fresh but was warmed up, which I appreciated. The dough was much morel ike bread than a sweet dough, and was a bit stale. There wasn't a ton of filling, but the little that was there had a decently strong flavor. The frosting was the best part about this roll, being a bit creamy but unique with the caramel flavoring that went really well with the roll. 6.5 overall, this could've been good with more interesting dough or more filling but the frosting was really the only thing keeping the score that high.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOrtCQaEFHtkWHHnwh-_tZOgEg1UC_TiOer44tz

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This is not a cinnamon roll, but it's damn good anyways. Malai's main fare is ice cream with Indian-inspired flavors like chai masala and cinnamon rose, but they also make a small selection of pastries. Their Malai bun is a cardamom bun with date, walnut, and raisin filling and topped with a rose water frosting. If that description wasn't tempting enough, the roll's are exceptionally well made. The dough was very light and sweet, and the closest thing to King Arthur's pillowy rolls that I've ever tasted. The filling is what you'd expect from that description, and just as tasty as you would expect too. The dates give an interesting depth against the sweetness of the dough that you don't really find in cinnamon rolls )in a good dway). The rose water frosting is ever-so-lightly sweet, but with a sharp bite, and gives a third unique flavor to the whole combination that really puts it over the edge. 8/10 overall, I mean this thing is incredibly well done and unique amongst the hundred or so other rolls I've tried on this adventure. It may not have cinnamon, but it makes up for it in other ways.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNCbOLfphLDruUtxLTkD0rv_0FlqVDy1X5nqMK0

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Knead Love Bakery

Knead Love Bakery is a vegan/gluten-free bakery that has several places to order, but most notably is the Union Square Greenmarket on Wednesdays. Their cinny bun is easily the best gluten free cinnamon roll product in the city. They're visually stunning, largely due to the incredibly light and creamy maple frosting. I've maybe never had such an airy whip, and it's the best way to take your first bite. The dough is quite crumbly, as you might expect, and given this isn't so much a roll as a cinnamon swirl muffin of sorts. Despite the texture, the dough has a good flavor akin to a bran or oat muffin, which I enjoy. The cinnamon filling, swirled throughout, has a pretty strong cinnamon flavor but isn't quite gooey (not a surprise given the dough). 7 overall, this was better than a good number of non-vegan/GF options and likely as good as you can make a cinnamon bun that's gluten free, but I still want a bready dough and some very gooey filling (although keep the frosting).

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipP_uav6fTK5SJo3nduQoFCIvYXftlXWiUCZ9ai1

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https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipM0iNYQv3DXFWTEB6IWLHKOTdEO1_xXVRMgZDrD

Skillet cinnamon bun with earl grey cream cheese icing

Sarabeth's is a classic NY brunch spot with several locations around the city. Known primarily for their incredibly tasty jams and preserves, they also have a cinnamon roll. It comes out in a skillet (!!), hot and fresh and coated with an earl grey cream cheese icing. It looks very pillowy. The dough is quite bready, very airy, and only a little sweet, The cinnamon filling is fairly light, and adds a bit of sweetness but isn't that gooey. The icing has very strong flavors of cream cheese, but not so much on the earl grey. Overall this is a very solid brunch cinnamon roll, but as always I wish it was more gooey. 7.5/10

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOzrFAtK0zJwMIBEsJDia2-XEl-NGYPyIt8oh0e

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