Little Rock’s cinnamon roll scene

In my expertise, should you ask most Arkansans what meals the state is thought for, 9 instances out of 10 you’ll hear “cheese dip.” And whereas sure, cheese dip has its place in Arkansas meals tradition, there may be an unsung hero that flies beneath the radar. Maybe I’m simply surrounded by significantly fanatical cinnamon roll lovers, however in all of the locations I’ve lived, I by no means met as many individuals who take their cinnamon rolls as significantly because the individuals I’ve met right here in Arkansas. Once I talked about to a pal that I used to be going to jot down a bit on cinnamon rolls in Central Arkansas, she whipped out her cellphone and excitedly exclaimed that she had a working checklist of one of the best locations. And that, expensive readers, is a top-notch high quality you need to search for in a pal.

To be truthful, it’s not arduous to like cinnamon rolls. Heat, candy, fluffy, a bit doughy (apparently, I’m a cinnamon roll), what’s to not like? I’ve tried cinnamon rolls all around the nation, however I haven’t fairly discovered a metropolis that has as robust a cinnamon roll recreation as Little Rock. One week, I traversed town and picked up cinnamon rolls from seven native bakeries, plus one particular supply from Searcy, and my cinnamon roll connoisseur pal and I bought to tasting. This checklist is just not complete, however there are solely so many cinnamon rolls a human can eat in a single sitting. So, clear eyes, full stomachs, elevated blood sugar — here’s a rundown of Little Rock’s cinnamon roll scene.

Boulevard Bread Co. 

FLAKY LIKE A CROISSANT: Boulevard’s cream cheese frosting (left) by the bathtub, please.

Boulevard Bread Co. churns out top-notch pastries and baked items, so it’s no shock their cinnamon rolls are additionally prime notch. My go-to candy from Boulevard is often their pan bread. I understand now that was a mistake, and I’ve been lacking out. Boulevard’s cinnamon rolls are totally different than the traditional doughy rolls. As an alternative, their rolls are extremely flaky, extra resembling a croissant than a traditional yeasted roll. The cream cheese frosting is sweet sufficient to eat off a spoon. I’ve contemplated requesting a bath of their frosting to eat by itself, however a lady has to follow at the very least some self-control.

Stefanie Kennon-McGill

Group Bakery

Should you aren’t an enormous fan of frosting, Group Bakery’s cinnamon rolls are proper up your alley. Their rolls are solely flippantly glazed with frosting. The main target is extra on the nut filling. They’re paying homage to Little Debbie’s Pecan Spinwheels, however a next-level, selfmade model. You may get these rolls at both of the 2 Group Bakery areas, however you must also maintain an eye fixed out for them subsequent time you’re at Guillermo’s Espresso.

Outdated Mill Bread

Stefanie Kennon-McGill

Outdated Mill Bread doesn’t get fairly as a lot consideration as different native bakeries, and I feel that could be a disgrace. The bakery mills its personal flour on web site and excels at baking up classics, together with cinnamon rolls. Out of all of the rolls we tried, these have been most paying homage to traditional, selfmade cinnamon rolls. They’d an ideal ratio of frosting to dough, and the filling was gooey, candy, and had a robust cinnamon kick. Whereas these rolls are usually not as massive and fluffy as some others, they hit the spot with out going overboard.

Cinnamon Creme Bakery

Stefanie Kennon-McGill

If you would like a fluffy cinnamon roll that’s as massive as your face, you go to Cinnamon Creme, full cease. Cinnamon Creme’s rolls are basically cream cheese frosted, cinnamon swirled pillows, and I imply that in one of the best ways doable. One cinnamon roll is giant sufficient to feed a number of individuals, should you’re in a sharing temper. Not solely are these cinnamon rolls giant and fluffy, however the filling strikes the precise steadiness between sugar and cinnamon. A grievance I usually have with different cinnamon rolls is that, usually, there isn’t sufficient of a cinnamon kick within the filling, however Cinnamon Creme will get it proper. I like to recommend attending to the bakery as early as you possibly can, since their rolls do are likely to promote out later within the day.

Fidel & Co 

Stefanie Kennon-McGill

As with many different gadgets you’ll find at Fidel & Co., the cinnamon rolls are elevated and extra complicated than your normal cinnamon roll. I needed to make a particular journey to Fidel & Co on a Saturday to snag one among these unbelievable pastries, since they solely promote them on the weekends. However it was undoubtedly price the additional journey. A bit taller and fewer fluffy than your traditional American cinnamon roll, these cinnamon rolls remind me extra of morning buns. One of the best half, nonetheless, is the cream cheese frosting that tops the rolls. Look, I understand I maintain speaking about cream cheese frosting like I’ve an issue, however I can’t assist it. The frosting on these rolls is likely one of the finest issues I’ve tasted shortly. I would really like a relentless provide of it in my fridge, please.

The Croissanterie

Stefanie Kennon-McGill

The Croissanterie doesn’t simply prove superb croissants! Their cinnamon rolls are additionally incredible, however solely accessible on the weekends. The Croissanterie’s cinnamon rolls are additionally of the “pillow” selection, which is a plus in my e book. These rolls had a very robust cinnamon taste, which can not attraction to everybody, however I considered it as a constructive. Their rolls are giant sufficient to share and maintain properly for just a few days should you can’t make it by way of your entire factor by yourself.

Dempsey Bakery

Stefanie Kennon-McGill

For our pals with sure meals intolerances, fret not! I’ve you lined. I finished by Dempsey Bakery, the place they bake their cinnamon rolls contemporary on Fridays or Saturdays and if you’re fortunate, you possibly can snag one to reheat from their coolers. Dempsey’s cinnamon rolls are freed from gluten, dairy, egg, nuts and soy, which makes them appropriate for a variety of oldsters who won’t usually have the ability to bask in a cinnamon roll attributable to meals allergic reactions or intolerances. Whereas they aren’t precisely like a typical gluten-filled cinnamon roll, they’re an excellent stand-in. Along with the freshly baked rolls, you should purchase a frozen four-pack of rolls to take residence and bake by yourself.

Wild Candy William’s

Stefanie Kennon-McGill

Whereas I supposed to make this a narrative about Little Rock-specific cinnamon rolls, I acquired a particular supply from Wild Candy Williams in Searcy, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t write about their cinnamon rolls. Giant, fluffy, filled with cinnamon-y goodness, and glazed to perfection, these rolls are well worth the drive to Searcy. We additionally tried a salted cinnamon roll, which wasn’t fairly as salty as anticipated, however was nonetheless distinctive. I like to recommend each varieties.

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