Bake It or Buy It: Homemade Cinnamon Rolls vs. Cinnabon

Ever get hit with a craving for that gooey, iconic Cinnabon flavor? We did too — and decided to make them at home using the popular Clone of a Cinnabon recipe. But how much does it really cost to bake them yourself?

🛒 Homemade Ingredient Cost Breakdown

We priced everything out using our local Vons store in San Diego:

• Dough (milk, eggs, margarine, flour, sugar, yeast, salt): $4.40

• Filling (brown sugar, cinnamon, butter): $2.77

• Icing (powdered sugar, butter, cream cheese, vanilla): $2.33

Total cost: $9.50 — and it made 12 big cinnamon rolls.
That’s just $0.79 per roll.

🍴 Cinnabon Comparison

Buying the same treat from Cinnabon?

• Classic Roll: $8.59 each

• 6-Pack: $26.99 → $4.50 per roll

That’s nearly 6x the cost per roll compared to homemade.

6 Pack Cinnabons

1 Cinnabon

💬 Final Thoughts

There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself to a bakery visit — convenience and comfort are worth paying for sometimes. But it’s good to be aware of the price difference.

The added bonus? We made so many at home we had extra to share with friends — and that kind of generosity doesn’t come in a takeout box.

Verdict: Bake when you can. Share when you do. And enjoy every bite, no matter where it came from.

Line Item Breakdown:

🥖 Dough Ingredients

1. Milk – 1 cup (8 oz)

   • Lucerne Whole Milk, 1 gallon (128 oz): $3.99

   • Cost per oz: $3.99 ÷ 128 oz = $0.0312

   • Total: 8 oz × $0.0312 = $0.25

2. Eggs – 2 large

   • Lucerne Large Cage-Free Eggs, 12-count: $4.99

   • Cost per egg: $4.99 ÷ 12 = $0.4166

   • Total: 2 × $0.4166 = $0.83

3. Margarine – ⅓ cup (5.33 tbsp)

   • Imperial Margarine Sticks, 16 oz (32 tbsp): $1.99

   • Cost per tbsp: $1.99 ÷ 32 = $0.0622

   • Total: 5.33 × $0.0622 = $0.33

4. Bread Flour – 4½ cups (19.125 oz)

   • Signature SELECT Bread Flour, 5 lb (80 oz): $8.99

   • Cost per oz: $8.99 ÷ 80 = $0.1124

   • Total: 19.125 × $0.1124 = $2.15

5. Salt – 1 tsp (0.25 oz)

   • Morton Iodized Salt, 26 oz: $2.99

   • Cost per oz: $2.99 ÷ 26 = $0.115

   • Total: 0.25 × $0.115 = $0.03

6. White Sugar – ½ cup (3.5 oz)

   • Signature SELECT Granulated Sugar, 4 lb (64 oz): $4.49

   • Cost per oz: $4.49 ÷ 64 = $0.0702

   • Total: 3.5 × $0.0702 = $0.25

7. Bread Machine Yeast – 2½ tsp (0.25 oz)

   • Fleischmann's Bread Machine Yeast, 4 oz: $8.99

   • Cost per oz: $8.99 ÷ 4 = $2.25

   • Total: 0.25 × $2.25 = $0.56

Dough Subtotal: $0.25 + $0.83 + $0.33 + $2.15 + $0.03 + $0.25 + $0.56 = $4.40

🍬 Filling Ingredients

1. Brown Sugar – 1 cup (7.5 oz)

   • Signature SELECT Light Brown Sugar, 16 oz: $2.29

   • Cost per oz: $2.29 ÷ 16 = $0.1431

   • Total: 7.5 × $0.1431 = $1.07

2. Ground Cinnamon – 2½ tbsp (0.5 oz)

   • Signature SELECT Ground Cinnamon, 2.37 oz: $3.99

   • Cost per oz: $3.99 ÷ 2.37 = $1.6835

   • Total: 0.5 × $1.6835 = $0.84

3. Butter – ⅓ cup (5.33 tbsp)

   • Land O'Lakes Salted Butter, 1 lb (32 tbsp): $5.16

   • Cost per tbsp: $5.16 ÷ 32 = $0.1613

   • Total: 5.33 × $0.1613 = $0.86

Filling Subtotal: $1.07 + $0.84 + $0.86 = $2.77

🍥 Icing Ingredients

1. Confectioners' Sugar – 1½ cups (6 oz)

   • C&H Confectioners' Sugar, 2 lb (32 oz): $3.49

   • Cost per oz: $3.49 ÷ 32 = $0.109

   • Total: 6 × $0.109 = $0.65

2. Butter – ¼ cup (4 tbsp)

   • Land O'Lakes Salted Butter, 1 lb (32 tbsp): $5.16

   • Cost per tbsp: $5.16 ÷ 32 = $0.1613

   • Total: 4 × $0.1613 = $0.65

3. Cream Cheese – 3 oz

   • Philadelphia Cream Cheese, 8 oz: $2.19

   • Cost per oz: $2.19 ÷ 8 = $0.2738

   • Total: 3 × $0.2738 = $0.82

4. Vanilla Extract – ½ tsp (0.083 oz)

   • McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract, 2 oz: $4.99

   • Cost per oz: $4.99 ÷ 2 = $2.495

   • Total: 0.083 × $2.495 = $0.21

5. Salt – ⅛ tsp (0.02 oz)

   • Morton Iodized Salt, 26 oz: $2.99

   • Cost per oz: $2.99 ÷ 26 = $0.115

   • Total: 0.02 × $0.115 = $0.002

Icing Subtotal: $0.65 + $0.65 + $0.82 + $0.21 + $0.002 = $2.33

💰 Total Estimated Cost

• Dough: $4.40

• Filling: $2.77

• Icing: $2.33

Grand Total: $4.40 + $2.77 + $2.33 = $9.50