First dibs: Cinnabon — Here’s what you should get from the world-famous cinnamon roll chain

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re probably aware of Cinnabon‘s grand opening on 9 Feb 2023 at Raffles City.

Having written about them when they first announced their opening back in Dec 2022, it’s only right that I grabbed the opportunity to visit the world-famous cinnamon roll chain when they finally opened.

And like many trending items in Singapore, it starts with a queue. To be specific, 2 queues actually. The line was so long that Cinnabon had us queuing a level below the actual outlet! We were then assigned a queue number before, well, queuing again— this time right outside the shop.

On the day that I visited, we were told that we had to wait for an estimated 1 hour and 30 mins and that they had run out of normal-sized Cinnabon. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait that long— it was at most a 50 to 55 minute wait and I had already planned on getting the Minibons either way.

Also, once your queue has progressed to the point where you’re along the storefront, the queuing becomes quite manageable as you can spectate the industrious workers making fresh batches of Cinnabons before your very eyes.

Despite not being available, there were still Cinnabons being displayed. You have two options to choose from: Classic (S$6.80) and Caramel Pecanbon (S$7.60).

Flavours were slightly more varied with the Minibons, as apart from the Mini Classic (S$4.20) and Mini Caramel Pecanbon (S$4.80), there was the additional Mini Chocobon (S$4.50).

I had the Mini Mix & Match (S$17) which consists of 2 Mini Classic, a Mini Caramel Pecanbon and Mini Chocobon.

For drinks, they had ice blended options like Cinnamon Caramel, Cookies & Cream and Caramel Latte. They even have hot drinks such as Houjicha Latte (S$6) and Espresso (S$3.50).

I opted for Cinnabon’s Mochalatta Chill (S$5), which was an original creation by the founders. There was the Singapore-exclusive drink, Sweetheart Lemonberry (S$4.50), but drinking something fruity along with pastries just doesn’t sit well with me.

If you’re expecting to be bombarded with mind-waking sweetness like the now-discontinued Cinnamon Melts from McDonald’s, prepare to be pleasantly surprised (or disappointed).

Cinnabon’s Mini Classic was only slightly sweet, with an emphasis on the cream cheese frosting. It goes without saying that the cinnamon taste was prevalent throughout every bite; it even teases you with the odd hot aromatic sensation.

Similarly, the Mini Chocobun was nearly identical, apart from the additional chocolate sauce. Personally, I found the addition of chocolate to be slightly distracting when it comes to enjoying the flavours of the cinnamon roll.

The best of the lot, the Mini Caramel Pecanbon, had a satisfying sweet caramel finish. The nutty and buttery flavours of the crunchy pecans only accentuated the Makara Cinnamon used, making it doubly enjoyable.

Finally, Cinnabon’s Mochalatta Chill was a slight letdown as it tasted really similar to your average chocolate milk, even with the addition of whipped cream. I couldn’t even get a hint of coffee. At least it’s chocolatey.

As I have always maintained, nothing is worth queuing over for more than 10 minutes. Despite that, Cinnabon is a definite must-try, especially for those craving an alternative take on the tried-and-tested cinnamon roll. Just don’t queue twice for it.

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Top 11 Places for a Dose of Cinnamon Desserts in Singapore

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