Five Cinnamon Rolls to Seek Out in Austin

Courtesy of Swedish Hill

Here's a roundup of the five best cinnamon rolls in Austin. It was tough work, but someone had to do it.

Dō Artisan Bakery

If your Nana's cinnamon rolls were the Platonic ideal of cinnamon rolls, look no further than the Tiny Bread Shed at Camp East. Pastry chef Camila Velez's rolls are large, gooey, and not too sweet, with a cinnamon-sugar-laced spiral of tender bread robed in the perfect amount of icing. 12/10 would eat again and again. 2903 E. 12th, dobakery.com.

Épicerie

Taller than it is wide, the Rosedale French-Tex cafe's roll is statuesque, but hides hunks of pecans in her middle because we've all got secrets. She's got a soft center and nice flavor, and has the added benefit of not being an afternoon-obliterating gut bomb. The cylindrical shape adds an advantage when warming up the roll, as the icing melts down into the soft center. 2307 Hancock Dr., epicerieaustin.com.

Swedish Hill

When brunching with your friends at the Clarksville bakery and cafe, it's fun to pretend that this roll is like a Hallmark movie leading man: tender, strong (cinnamon flavor), and thick (icing). He also pairs well with mimosas and doesn't like to be shared. 1120 W. Sixth, swedishhillaustin.com.

Teal House

This SoCo bakery's signature baked good is soft and buttery, with a winning balance of sweetness and cinnamon flavor. The icing is more like a glaze, but it's generous and, when warmed, dramatically ups the gooeyness quotient. It's a little petite for the $4 price tag, but, you know, sometimes that maxim about quality over quantity is true. 2304 S. Congress, tealhouse.co.

Tiny's Milk & Cookies

The walk-up bakery window at Tiny Boxwoods in Bryker Woods has a large, tender pastry for those who prefer a sweeter roll. Warm it up when you get home to soften up the icing a bit; when it melts into the center of the roll, you'll approach nirvana. 1515 W. 35th, Bldg. C, tinysmilkandcookies.com.

Courtesy of Tiny Boxwoods

Austin-Adjacent Honorable Mentions:

Sweet Lemon Kitchen (sweetlemonkitchen.com) in Georgetown has buttery, gooey cinnamon rolls the size of your face. If you want to absolutely obliterate your day and have a good excuse to spend it on your couch, follow your bliss and eat the whole thing. If you need to function, pair half of one with a scrambled egg and go about your business.

Skull & Cakebones (skullandcakebones.com) in Dripping Springs has a hubcap-sized sourdough cinnamon roll that is also fluffy enough to use as a pillow. Plus, these folks know that a lot of cinnamon + (vegan) butter + salt is the secret to the perfect cinnamon roll.