The Key Differences Between Cinnamon Rolls And Honey Buns

To most pastry-loving foodies, a sweet, sticky treat by any name or origin is a good thing, may it be a cinnamon roll or honey bun. The two similar treats can come pre-made and packaged for foodies in motion, hot out of the oven for dessert, or part of a meticulously created brunch spread. Honey buns and cinnamon rolls are truly "choose your own aventure" snacks. The canned refrigerated Pillsbury cinnamon roll biscuit dough requires consumers to turn on their ovens and settle in for a cozy night at home, while snack brands like Big Texas and Hostess make iced convenience-oriented cinnamon rolls in plastic envelopes to please all sorts of cravings. Likewise, honey buns can be found at the local bakery or gas station. So, what exactly makes these similar-appearing, white-glazed, golden-brown treats different from each other?

As their respective names suggest, cinnamon rolls feature the spiced depth of cinnamon while honey buns lean brighter and more mellow with a honey-forward taste. Also, while these two treats both tote a sweet glaze, the glaze is added as a finishing drizzle atop cinnamon rolls, while with honey buns, it's baked into the dough — which is different from the dough used to make cinnamon rolls, as well. Curious, discerning sweet tooth, you've come to the right place, and without further ado, the most important differences between cinnamon rolls and honey buns ...

Cinnamon rolls (not to be confused with sticky buns) are made from puff pastry loaded with sticky cinnamon-sugar filling. The yeast-based dough is flattened into thin sheets, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, then coiled around itself to form that signature spiral bun shape laced with rich brown swirls of butter and cinnamon filling oozing out from the center.

Cinnamon rolls are removed from the pan with a spatula and then glazed with a luscious, thick layer of opaque-to-translucent cream cheese frosting. The tangy frosting can be drizzled on in strips using a piping bag or smeared across the surface of the roll like a thick glaze. Because they're commonly enjoyed fresh out of the oven and loaded with fragrant cinnamon, these rolls tend to be more aromatic than milder honey buns. Homemade cinnamon rolls will keep for a few days wrapped at room temperature or a month in the freezer, but they keep best if stored un-iced. You can assemble the cream cheese glaze and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge to frost the rolls when you're ready to serve.

Honey buns share the pinwheel shape of cinnamon rolls. But instead of being drizzled with cream cheese frosting after baking, the raw dough is placed in a prepared baking pan filled with honey and, on occasion, crushed pecans, which bake into the buns as they heat and rise. Once baked, the honey buns are flipped upside down to remove from the tray, creating a flatter, denser shape compared to the plush, taller structure of cinnamon rolls. 

Honey buns run the utilitarian snack scene in a way cinnamon rolls have only dared to enter via Cinnabon kiosks in the mall food court. Packaged sticky honey buns can be found in nearly any gas station, bodega, or supermarket, where they're consistently available for sweet-toothed foodies on the go. Still, while it might be the version with which contemporary foodies are most intimately familiar, packaged isn't the only way to enjoy honey buns. You can make fresh ones at home just like cinnamon rolls, where they'll keep for up to two days wrapped in foil, sealed in a plastic bag, and stored at room temperature. Or, they'll last for up to a month in the freezer.

The primary (and most obvious) difference between these two treats lies in their titles: Honey buns are flavored with honey, while cinnamon rolls are flavored with cinnamon. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this also creates wildly different flavor profiles. Cinnamon rolls marry sweet, tangy cream cheese frosting with the spiced depth of cinnamon. Honey buns lean brighter in taste, with mellow golden honey and a sticky glaze that's more neutral-sweet and sugar. Honey buns are also blanketed in sweet glaze, while the sweetness in cinnamon rolls comes primarily from the interior filling.

Another major difference lies in their dough, which affects the treats' mouth feel. Cinnamon rolls often use yeast-based dough for a fluffy, airy rise, while honey buns are frequently made with denser, flakier biscuit dough enriched with eggs, butter, and sugar. As a result, honey buns tend to be buttery and chewy, as well as larger and more filling than cinnamon rolls, which are delicately swirled and tote a cake-like texture.

Another key difference that distinguishes these sticky beauties is their pricing and availability. Little Debbie honey buns are the darling of the convenience store with "hints of cinnamon, a touch of honey, and dripping with a light glaze," per their website, and a pack of six buns runs for just $2.68 at a Walmart in New York ($0.45 per snack). Duchess packaged honey buns are the brand's No. 1 best-selling product, and completing the Packaged Honey Bun Holy Trinity (praise be) is Mrs. Freshley's jumbo version, which has won three American Chefs Best Awards and Automatic Merchandiser magazine's "Pastry Product of the Year" award. The people have spoken, and they're all about this on-the-go treat, which costs $22.58 for an 18-pack at Walmart ($1.25 per bun). 

In the realm of packaged cinnamon rolls, Walmart's generic Great Value brand carries a 6-pack for $3.72 ($0.62 per roll). Still, as we mentioned earlier, freshly-baked cinnamon rolls are more commonly spied in local bakeries or grocery store bakery sections than honey buns. At a standalone brick-and-mortar Cinnabon location in Ridgewood, Queens, the classic cinnamon roll runs for $5.49 — a relatively affordable treat, but much pricier than the packaged versions of both snacks. Alternatively, a pack of five Pillsbury Grands canned refrigerated cinnamon rolls costs $4.88 at Walmart, lowering the cost per roll to just under a dollar, plus the time it takes to heat up your oven.