The Kitchen Scraps You Should Be Turning Into Delectable Cinnamon Rolls

While a homemade, naturally-leavened cinnamon roll is the ideal way to enjoy the delectable pastry, not all of us have the patience to wait overnight for the dough to rise. Plus, by the time it does, our craving for the spiced, sugary treat may be long gone. Thankfully, there are other ways to enjoy this fan-favorite dessert (or breakfast, depending on how you view it) without the hassle. This hack utilizes an ingredient most people just throw into the trash: bread crusts. While they might seem like a useless, throwaway ingredient, with just a bit of butter, sugar, cinnamon, and icing, they can be easily transformed into the sweet treat you need to satisfy that craving.

To make cinnamon rolls with your bread crusts, you'll want to be strategic with how you slice the crusts off of the bread. Cut each crust off in one long piece, turning the bread at each angle to follow it evenly. Then, working with one piece of crust at a time, roll it up into a pinwheel. Stick a toothpick through it to keep the crust intact. Then, melt a tablespoon of butter over medium heat until it's bubbly and clearly warmed up. Sprinkle some cinnamon over the pan, and then add your pinwheel. When one side is visibly golden and crispy, flip it over and toast the other side. Top them with your favorite homemade icing; we like making this 2-ingredient maple icing for our cinnamon rolls.

If you want a crispier, more realistic cinnamon roll snack, try baking them in the oven. This technique will allow you to achieve that classic, sweet filling that typical cinnamon rolls have. To do it, prepare your bread crusts in the same way, making sure that each one remains intact. Roll them into little pinwheels and place each one into a buttered muffin tin. To make the filling, combine melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour it over each pinwheel to give them that irresistible, buttery filling we all know and love.

If you want to add some extra sweetness and crunch, sprinkle some cinnamon sugar overtop. You could even add an easy streusel topping with your favorite boxed cake mix for a more elaborate texture. Once you've prepared your cinnamon rolls, place them in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and then bake them for about 10 minutes, or until they're nice and golden. Drizzle them with the icing of your choice, or simply eat them as-is, with a little bit of butter or a nice coating of maple syrup, and enjoy the satisfaction you'll feel for utilizing such an unappreciated ingredient.