After taste-testing six of the most popular cinnamon rolls in New York City, we can confidently say we’ve found the best. But how does our top pick, a laminated bun from Australian bakery Tall Poppy, compare to the most ubiquitous cinnamon roll of all time?
We blindfolded five editors and had them try cinnamon rolls from two places: Tall Poppy and Cinnabon, the iconic bakery chain. They each picked a winner between the two, and we tallied their votes to determine whether our local favorite can hold its own against a national icon.
Related: 6 Cinnamon Roll Recipes for Breakfast or Dessert
The contenders: Tall Poppy and Cinnabon
We ranked the cinnamon roll from Tall Poppy, a bakery in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, as our favorite in New York City. It was somewhat of a surprise, as it was one of only two cinnamon rolls we tried made with laminated dough rather than the more traditional brioche. This gives the pastry a more croissant-like texture, with buttery layers that become crunchy and deeply caramelized when baked. The cream cheese frosting, swooshed over the top, is thick and tangy, balancing out the sweetness of the cinnamon sugar. It’s a big, shareable, sophisticated cinnamon roll and the $9 price tag reflects that.
With more than 2,400 locations around the world, Cinnabon is known for its plump, gooey, yeasted buns made with brown sugar and Makara cinnamon, the bakery’s trademark blend from Indonesia. They’ve become synonymous with shopping malls and airports, where the smell of freshly baked Cinnabon fills the air.
Cinnabon’s classic cinnamon rolls, which we purchased in a four-pack, were $5.50 apiece — almost half the price of Tall Poppy’s.
How we tested
Special Projects Editor Lucy Simon
Credit: Food & Wine / Amelia Schwartz
Social Media Manager Bianca Trinidad
Credit: Food & Wine / Amelia Schwartz
Senior Social Media Manager Alexa Rockwell
Credit: Food & Wine / Amelia Schwartz
We picked up both cinnamon rolls the morning of the taste test. The Tall Poppy buns were baked that morning, while the Cinnabon classic rolls were baked the night before. (All three chain locations we visited didn’t bake their rolls or open their doors until the afternoon.)
One at a time, the five participating editors were blindfolded and instructed to taste the cinnamon rolls side by side. They were aware of the two cinnamon rolls being tasted (Tall Poppy and Cinnabon) but unaware which was which. After trying each roll, they voted on their favorite. Whichever cinnamon roll received the most votes was crowned the winner.
The winner: Cinnabon
Credit: Food & Wine / Amelia Schwartz
It was a tight match, but Cinnabon reigned supreme. Two votes went to Tall Poppy, with editors praising it for its butteriness and satisfyingly sticky texture. “I thought the crispiness would be dry but it’s actually kind of crunchy, caramelized, and yummy,” said Special Projects Editor Lucy Simon.
The editors who voted for Cinnabon also enjoyed Tall Poppy, but they had one unifying critique: It was more of a croissant than a cinnamon roll. “To me, a cinnamon roll should be an enriched, brioche-type dough,” said News & Trending Editor Merlyn Miller. “This is really rich and flavorful, but it’s not what I want out of a cinnamon roll.”
While our editors unanimously found the Cinnabon bun to be too dry, the three editors who voted for it were swayed by its classic, pillowy texture. They also noted that the flavor — especially the cream cheese frosting — tasted artificial, but they didn’t mind it. “I’m the type of girl who likes the Pillsbury packaged cinnamon buns, and this is what that tastes like,” said Senior Social Media Editor Alexa Rockwell.
Four out of five editors said that Cinnabon’s cinnamon was “nostalgic” or transportive. “It’s bringing me back to being at the mall in New Jersey,” said Social Media Editor Bianca Trinidad.
If there’s one major takeaway from this taste test, it’s the power of taste memory. Even if you’re eating the most high-quality, complex cinnamon roll in existence, you might be more likely to crave the sentimental one that can be found sandwiched between your hometown’s Wetzel’s Pretzels and Sunglass Hut.
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