When was the last time you had a real, honest to goodness cinnamon roll?

Some of us dream about having one.  Why?  Let’s face it, it is irresistible. It is drool-worthy.  It is sweet, lush, hot with a squishy texture, ooey-gooey, ultra soft, pillowy, with massive amounts of sugar and cinnamon.  You are swimming in its frosting.

The benefits of a cinnamon roll or bun are many.  But the best thing about a cinnamon roll is its taste.

When do we have a cinnamon roll?  We have it in the morning.  As part of breakfast.  Or, in place of breakfast.

The other day something happened to me which just blew my mind.  It was totally unexpected.

I was having a casual lunch with a good friend at CQ’s restaurant in Palm Desert California.  We were just finishing our lunch when I asked the waitress for a dessert menu.  She came over to our table and handed me the menu, pointing to the dessert section.

But, before I read the menu, I asked her what dessert she would recommend.  Her immediate answer was a cinnamon roll!   A cinnamon roll!

Holy cow!  I looked at her in disbelief.  No way, I am saying to myself.  a cinnamon roll for dessert at lunch.  No way.

“You are kidding” I said.  “No, I am not” she retorted.  “A cinnamon roll for dessert?” I queried continuing in disbelief.  “For dessert!” I repeated.

“You have to be kidding” I continued.  The waitress had a broad smile on her face as she added, “No, I am dead serious.”

You know me well enough by now to know that this incident evoked my natural curiosity.   I had to find out more about cinnamon rolls.

Cinnamon rolls got started in Northern Europe.  Swedes, in particular, love them.  The typical Swede consumes the equivalent of 316 cinnamon buns per year!  Sweden has one day of the year, October 4^th, set aside to celebrate National Cinnamon Roll Day.

In 1985 the American chain of Cinnabon Inc. got started at Sea Tac Mall just outside of Seattle.  Today, almost 40 years later, it has 1,600 locations in some 56 countries, with 700 in the United States.  Some reports state that Cinnabon alone sells 8,000 cinnamon rolls each hour.

What makes a great cinnamon roll?

• The dough. Is it puffy?
• The buns. Are they fluffy and light?
• The cinnamon. Is it flavorful?  Aromatic?  Is it rolled into the dough?
• The topping. Is the icing sugary, clear and a brilliant white glaze?   is butter or margarine used?
• The size. Is it smaller (2 inches in diameter) or larger (4”)?  Or even larger (7.9” in Finland or 12” in diameter in Sweden)?

Where do you find the best cinnamon in the world?  Some say Sri Lanka.  Cinnabon Inc claims that their cinnamon is the best, coming from cassia trees in the mountains of Indonesia.

Are there benefits from eating cinnamon rolls, you may ask.

Believe it or not, some claim that it has many health benefits in addition to increasing energy and improving cognitive function.   Some even argue that having a cinnamon roll is a weight loss strategy.

Health benefits of cinnamon include a reduction in inflammation, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.  Also, it is anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal, and loaded with antioxidants.  It combats acne, softens the skin, and helps manage type 2 diabetes.

Energy.  Cinnamon rolls clearly provide huge amounts of two main sources of fuel—carbohydrates and fat.

Studies have shown that cinnamon and its components (eugenol, cinnamaldehyde, and cinnamic acid) significantly improve cognitive function (i.e., memory).

Even some argue that having a high calorie, high carbohydrate breakfast helps stave off hunger for the rest of the day.  An Endocrine Society study showed that eating a 600+ calorie high-carb breakfast including a dessert could help to improve weight loss.

However, let’s face it, a cinnamon roll is over the top.  A Cinnabon cinnamon roll has 880 calories, almost half the daily total calorie intake recommended for an individual.  It has 58 grams of sugar, more sugar than one is supposed to consume in a day.  It has 37 grams of fat, again almost the total daily recommended daily intake of fat.  It has 114 grams of carbohydrates, more than two times the recommended daily limit for those of us that are on a Keto diet.

There is one more interesting fact about cinnamon rolls that I was not aware of until I started to do some research.  There is such a thing as a cinnamon roll personality.  It is someone who is sweet, charming, kind, caring towards others, innocent, selfless, optimistic, lovable, endearing, and has a heart of gold.  Who knew?

Bottom line, cinnamon rolls are hard to resist.  They have so many positives associated with them, not to mention how wonderful they taste.

However, it is one thing to have a cinnamon roll for breakfast.  It is another thing to have a cinnamon roll for dessert at lunch.  In this life, you must draw the line somewhere.  This is one of those situations.  For me at least, no cinnamon rolls for dessert at lunch!