What oil does Cinnabon fry in?
Cinnabon cooks with margarine (palm oil-based blend with soybean oil); palm shortening in dough; PUFA fraction ~0.15 for roll base; churro/stix fried in soybean oil 0.55.
The 5 cleanest things to order at Cinnabon
Learn this once: a salad with grilled protein and the dressing left off is nearly always the lowest seed oil order anywhere. So the list below sticks to real meals, salads included, never just a water.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Caramel Frosting | 0.5g |
| Cream Cheese Frosting | 0.5g |
| Cream Cheese Frosting (extra) | 1.0g |
| Mochalatta Chill - Small | 1.0g |
| Center of the Roll | 2.0g |
Lower PUFA is cleaner. These are estimates from published nutrition data and disclosed oils; preparation varies by location.
Why the frying oil matters
Most fast-food chains fry in seed oils like soybean, canola, corn, or a blend of them, which are high in polyunsaturated fat (PUFA). A handful still use beef tallow or other stable fats, which are far lower in PUFA. The oil a kitchen fries in is the single biggest driver of how much seed oil ends up on your plate. See the full breakdown on the Cinnabon report card, or where it lands on the Seed Oil Index.
Frequently asked
Does Cinnabon use beef tallow?
No. Cinnabon cooks with margarine (palm oil-based blend with soybean oil); palm shortening in dough; PUFA fraction ~0.15 for roll base; churro/stix fried in soybean oil 0.55, not beef tallow. See which chains fry in real fats on Tallow Watch.