Give Your Cinnamon Rolls A Sweet, Juicy Boost With One Addition

There's something about the very scent of cinnamon rolls baking in the oven that causes nearly everyone to breathe deep and relax just a little. After all, it's hard to be stressed with the promise of such a tasty treat in the near future. Whether canned, frozen, or made entirely from scratch, cinnamon rolls offer a decadent way to liven up a chilly morning, or a sweet accompaniment to your evening cup of tea. It's also easy to tailor cinnamon rolls to the seasons — lemon or other citrus curd for the summer, pumpkin spice for fall, dried cranberries for winter, and fresh berries for a sweet springtime boost.

Berries are an especially good choice for making canned cinnamon rolls taste like they were made from scratch, as their tangy juices help create a moist and fluffy final product. This is especially true if you love the Trader Joe's pizza dough hack for making cinnamon rolls, as pizza dough is formulated to crisp and stiffen a little as it bakes.

Berries also provide inspiration for a wide range of flavor combinations that could help you create dozens of different kinds of cinnamon rolls from a single recipe. Strawberries and cream is a classic combo easily achieved by adding macerated strawberries inside the rolls and topping them with cream cheese frosting. Love PB&Js? Stuff your cinnamon buns with raspberries and drizzle velvety peanut butter glaze on top. You could also go tropical by adding blackberries and draping the rolls in a rich coconut cream.

While it's perfectly acceptable to simply stud your cinnamon rolls with fresh berries before rolling them up and baking them, it's important to know how this will affect their flavor. While baking berries intensifies their taste, tossing whole fruit into your baking project may not yield the intense, tangy sweetness you're looking for — especially if the berries you're using are a bit tart to begin with. Baked blueberries and blackberries in particular can develop an intense citric acid flavor when heated unless you give them some TLC first.

In particular, marinating berries is a surefire way to intensify their beautifully fruity flavor, which will in turn bring that bright freshness into your cinnamon rolls. Simple syrup is always a good choice, as it's easy to find or make at home and doesn't overshadow your berries' inherent flavor. You can also try tossing them with brown sugar and cinnamon to create a beautifully spiced, syrupy mixture infused with classic cinnamon roll flavors.

Something else to keep in mind when adding berries to your cinnamon rolls is the added sugar. Since more sugar equals a greater chance of scorching, be sure to butter your baking pan well and keep a close eye on your rolls while they're baking. If the berry mixture looks like it's getting a little dark but your rolls need more time, tent the pan with aluminum foil. This will allow your rolls to keep baking while deflecting away direct heat.