St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate than with some delicious Shamrock Cinnamon Rolls? These adorable treats are not only festive and fun, but they’re also incredibly easy to make. With just a can of refrigerated cinnamon rolls and some green food coloring, you can transform a classic breakfast pastry into a holiday masterpiece that kids and adults alike will love!
Shamrock Cinnamon Rolls
These treats are such a great way to get into the St. Paddy’s Day spirit without having to spend a lot of time or money! Not only is it festive and adorable, but it’s also incredibly quick and easy to make. Using packaged cinnamon rolls means you don’t have to fuss with making dough from scratch or spending hours in the kitchen.
They’re perfect for a quick breakfast, a tasty snack, or a fun dessert. And they’re sure to be a hit with your friends and family with their cute and creative design!
Use The Right Cinnamon Rolls
When choosing cinnamon rolls for this recipe, it’s important to pick a package that has dough that can be unrolled. Many packaged cinnamon rolls are circular and don’t unroll at all.
Be sure to check the packaging and look for cinnamon rolls that explicitly state that they can be unrolled. If you’re unsure, you can also look for pictures on the packaging or do a quick online search to see if other bakers have had success with unrolling that particular brand or type of cinnamon roll.
We use Great Value® cinnamon rolls (from Wal-Mart) for these Shamrock Cinnamon Rolls. We’ve found that many name-brand canned cinnamon rolls don’t un-roll (they’re cut in circles).
Quick Tip
If you enjoy baking and have the time, prepare from-scratch cinnamon rolls instead! This is our favorite Easy Cinnamon Roll Recipe — no kneading required!
How To Make Shamrock Cinnamon Rolls
All you need to do is carefully unroll each individual cinnamon roll, cut them into pieces, and shape them into four-leaf clovers. Then bake according to the package directions.
While they’re baking, add a few drops of green food coloring to the frosting and stir. Transfer the frosting to a bag, cut off the tip, and pipe over the clovers. Or, spread the dyed icing on the clovers with a knife. Yes, it’s really that simple!
Quick Tip
To ensure even-sized clovers, use a measuring tape to measure out five equal pieces.
Shamrock Cinnamon Rolls Tips
- Don’t over-handle the dough: When shaping the cinnamon roll pieces into clovers, try not to handle the dough too much or press it down too hard.
- Space out the clovers: When placing the clovers on the baking sheet, make sure to leave enough space between them so they have room to expand and rise in the oven.
- Keep an eye on them while they bake: Be sure to monitor the cinnamon rolls closely in the oven; they can go from perfectly golden to burnt very quickly. Start checking them a few minutes before the recommended baking time to make sure they don’t over-bake.
- Bake them on a lined baking sheet: Using a silicone mat or parchment paper will prevent the cinnamon rolls from sticking to the pan (which could cause the clover to break apart when removed from the pan).
- Use a wide metal spatula when transferring the clovers from the tray to a plate so they don’t break apart.
- Experiment with toppings: While the green frosting is a classic choice for Shamrock Cinnamon Rolls, feel free to get creative with your toppings! You could sprinkle on some green sanding sugar, add some green sprinkles, or a light dusting of powdered sugar.
Storage
As with most canned cinnamon rolls, these shamrocks are at their best when enjoyed fresh out of the oven.
More St. Patrick’s Day Fun:
- Fruit Rainbow Tray with a three-ingredient fruit dip
- Leprechaun Thumbprints only three ingredients!
- Pretzel Shamrocks simple and kid friendly
- Shamrock Shake a minty milkshake
- Lucky Charms Bars gooey marshmallow bars
Shamrock Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 can (12.4 oz) refrigerated cinnamon rolls with frosting (Note 1)
- Green food coloring
- Optional: green sanding sugar
Instructions
- PREP: Follow package directions to preheat the oven. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone liner (important so the cinnamon-roll clovers don't stick and break apart when removing!)
- FORM CLOVERS: Open a can of cinnamon rolls and carefully unroll each individual cinnamon roll. Use a measuring tape to divide the cinnamon roll "ropes" into five equal pieces and then cut (each piece is about three inches long). Pinch two ends of a piece together to make a leaf. Form a shamrock by pressing four of the loops together, add another piece for a stem, and place each shamrock on the prepared pan.
- BAKE: Bake cinnamon rolls according to package directions.
- FROSTING: While the clovers are baking, empty the frosting into a bowl and add food coloring to desired color intensity. Mix together. Transfer the dyed icing to a small plastic bag. Seal it without air and cut off a tiny bit of the tip.
- DECORATE: Pipe the icing over the top of the cinnamon rolls (or, spread it on with a knife). If desired, add a light sprinkle of sanding sugar. Enjoy promptly!
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is not actually a Shamrock – this is a 4 leaf clover – so the recipe name actually makes no sense.
Shamrocks always have three leaves, while clovers can have a fourth leaf.
Four-leaf clovers are said to ward off evil spirits and the clover’s four leaves represent luck, faith, hope, and love.
Shamrocks with the 3 leaves are known as symbols of the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Haha, I saw your fb comment as well! Thank you so much for your concern! I assure you it’s just supposed to be a fun treat and not ward off any evil spirits! 🙂