Guide: Long Island's best cinnamon rolls
The cinnamon rolls at Charlie’s Bakery in Northport are rolled with cinnamon and drizzled with icing. Credit: Emma Rose Milligan
In a throwback to the simplicity of things past, cinnamon rolls are making a comeback. Like many modern-day food trends, murmurings began in New York City where shops like Benji’s Buns in the West Village and Sunday Morning in Alphabet City opened earlier this year, exclusively selling a variety of daily-changing cinnamon roll flavors. Unsurprisingly, Long Island has caught on.
It was at Tellers, Islip’s top-notch chophouse, that we first got curious about cinnamon buns. Tellers debuted Sunday brunch service earlier this year — the Legacy Brunch — and it began with a complimentary, piping hot, oversized cinnamon roll for the table. A food lover’s sight to behold, the sticky, sugary glaze came alongside, in a doll-sized pitcher to pour over the roll. What a way to start a Sunday! Out east, the Sagaponack General Store not only touted a legendary egg sandwich that sold out daily, but a traditional cinnamon bun, gently heated, smothered in glaze. A trend, you say? Perhaps.
Layers of cinnamon, sugar and icing atop the cinnamon roll at Charlie’s Bakery in Northport. Credit: Emma Rose Milligan
A beloved breakfast treat, the cinnamon roll harks back to the Egyptian and Roman empires — sticky breads made with honey. The introduction of cinnamon in the 1600s, a direct result of the spice trade, created more widespread use of the spice in European baking. The German "schnecken," or sweet, snail-shaped pastry, gave rise to the Swedish "kanelbulle" after World War I, when spices like cinnamon and cardamom became more readily available. Though Sweden’s version relies on cardamom for its flavor, the American version — brought over by German and Swedish immigrants, arguably popularized by Cinnabon in the 1980s — is much larger and far more sweet, adding brown sugar and butter to the recipe. The cream cheese topping found on many of today’s offerings, as opposed to a simple glaze made from powdered sugar, is also an inherently American touch.
On Long Island, Tellers and Sagaponack General were clearly onto something. And while Cinnabon, long a favorite airport stopover snack, dominates the Nassau cinnamon roll landscape (womp, womp), Suffolk is swimming in freshly made cinnamon rolls. From coffee shops to bakeries, here are some of our favorite spots to get your cinnamon fix across the Island.
Duck Island Bread Company
212 Wall St., Huntington
The massive cinnamon bun at Duck Island Bread Company in Huntington has thick, creamy frosting. Credit: Newsday/Marie Elena Martinez
This massive roll, with thick, creamy frosting is full of rich, cinnamon flavor. Though its size is intimidating, the dough is airy and light, not at all dense. The frosting, white as snow, but not nearly as packed, also looks deceiving. Neither too sweet nor too thick, it has the flavor of a mild sugar glaze, staying creamy after a day of sporadic nibbling. One of our favorites of the bunch, this is a classic cinnamon roll at its finest. Don’t be surprised when you actually finish it ... and want another. ($5)
More info: 631-629-4848, duckislandbreadcompany.com. Open Wednesday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., closed Monday and Tuesday.
Hometown Bake Shop
2 Little Neck Rd., Centerport
The cinnamon roll at Hometown Bake Shop is large enough to be divided into four nicely sized servings. Credit: Newsday/Marie Elena Martinez
If you thought Duck Island’s roll was huge, get ready for the jaw-dropping cinnamon experience of Hometown Bake Shop. Known for its generous breakfast sandwiches, pastries and pies, the sheer size of this square roll is intimidating — it can easily can be split into four nicely sized portions, or two hefty ones. The cream cheese topping is tangy and generous, yet light and fluffy, while the layers of spiced dough, perfectly wrapped, wonderfully fragrant, and only served on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, sell out quickly. Get there early. ($6)
More info: 631-754-7437, hometownbakeshop.com. Open Tuesday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., closed Monday
Charlie’s Bakery
10 Fort Salonga Rd., Northport
Casey Sandler, owner of Charlie’s Bakery in Northport, holds a portrait of the shop's namesake, Charlie, his dog. Sandler's cinnamon rolls are a decadent treat.
If there were aesthetic aspirations for a cinnamon roll, the model would be sitting behind the glass at Charlie’s Bakery in Northport, waiting for her headshot. A stunning bakery that belies its no-frills strip mall location, Charlie’s roll is gorgeous, artfully spiraled and styled with thin lines of slick frosting drizzled across the exposed folds of her dough. She fits right into the demure scalloped bakery boxes, and looks just as delightful. A little bit drier of an interior than her counterparts, with less overpowering cinnamon flavor, the crispy caramelization on the bottom of this roll should be sold separately as a cult chip. ($6)
More info: 631-681-2141, charliethebaker.com. Open Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Wednesday to Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
No Gluten Kneaded
1089 Smithtown Ave., Bohemia
The gluten-free cinnamon roll from No Gluten Kneaded in Bohemia Crumbly has a crumbly texture. Credit: Newsday/Marie Elena Martinez
No gluten? No problem. With so many glutenous cinnamon rolls in sticky abundance, we weren’t ready for the near-perfection of this gluten-free option, but boy did it hit! Crumbly in texture, almost cakelike, full of moist, spicy morsels that were great for picking, this roll isn’t as glossy as Charlie’s or as large as Hometown’s, but don’t judge a book by its cover. The thick dollop of cream cheesy frosting in the center that melts, Hostess-cupcake-like, into the roll itself offsets the sweetness of the roll. Fist-sized yet filling, this roll is worth the trip to Bohemia alone. ($6)
More info: 631-750-3990, noglutenkneaded.com. Open Wednesday to Saturday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Southdown Coffee
149 Glen St., Glen Cove; 49 Audrey Ave., Oyster Bay; 40 Lido Blvd., Point Lookout
The cinnamon rolls at Southdown Coffee in Oyster Bay are smaller-sized rolls topped with a sweet vanilla bean glaze. Credit: Newsday/Marie Elena Martinez
Nassau friends, we've got you covered: You're not just Cinnabon territory. Southdown Coffee (which also has outposts across Suffolk) trades in the same buttery, lovingly-shaped buns as its counterparts, giving Nassau folks a solid option for a fantastic indulgence. With locations in Glen Cove, Oyster Bay and Point Lookout, Southdown offers smaller-sized rolls topped with a sweet vanilla bean glaze. This is the frosting of dreams. Tightly rolled, these company buns — which are made fresh in Southdown's Patchogue kitchen and delivered daily — almost always sell out by lunchtime. Paired with a Southdown Coffee, there are few better ways to start the day. ($5)
More info: southdowncoffee.com. Open daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sagaponack General Store
542 Sagg Main St., Sagaponack
The cinnamon roll at Sagaponack General Store is moist and dense. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
As much a cake as it is a morning roll, this moist, dense, compact bun smacks your taste buds with cinnamon long after its aroma hits your nose. The sugar frosting, which smothers the entirety of the bun, stays soft long after it’s presented — warm and gooey — for maximum enjoyment. Great for on-site consumption in the lilac strewed, pebble lined garden with a coffee, or as take-away for a well-deserved anytime snack, this menu item is one for the ages, just like its home, the Sagaponack General Store, which dates back to 1878. Its summer debut, after a loving restoration, was a smashing success, just like its cinnamon roll ($7).
More info: 631-536-5242, sagaponackgeneralstore.com. Open Wednesday through Mondays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., closed Tuesday.
A global freelancer who has checked her suitcase to raise her young daughter on her native Long Island, Marie Elena will always make time for good mezcal, even better tacos and killer conversation. Preferably, in a corner bar seat. She can be found on Instagram at @mariesworldeats.
