Pizza Hut introduced a new dessert to its menu Monday: mini cinnamon rolls made in partnership with Cinnabon.
Dubbed Crafted by Cinnabon, a $5.99 order includes 10 bite-sized versions of Cinnabon’s classic buns, which are topped with cream cheese frosting and laced with the brand’s proprietary Makara cinnamon. Pizza Hut said the warm mini rolls are “available exclusively” at Pizza Hut restaurants, though they appear identical to Cinnabon’s BonBites found at mall locations around the U.S.
The Cinnabon rolls are the first permanent menu item added to the menu since June 2015 when Pizza Hut debuted the Hershey's Triple Chocolate Brownie, the company said. The brownie remains on the dessert menu, along with the Ultimate Hershey's Chocolate Chip Cookie and Cinnamon Sticks.
Marianne Radley, chief brand officer for Pizza Hut’s U.S. segment, said the new dessert is a perfect after-pizza pairing.
“There’s nothing better than polishing off pizza night with something sweet,” Radley said in a statement from the the Plano, Texas-based company, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands Inc.
This isn’t the first partnership between Atlanta-based Cinnabon and one of Yum’s brands. Irvine, Calif.-based Taco Bell has served bite-sized pastries called Cinnabon Delights for a few years.
Cinnabon operates more than 1,400 franchised units in the U.S. and internationally, most of which are located in shopping centers, malls and airports.
Pizza Hut said consumers who order the new dessert can start earning points from the company’s newly revamped “Hut Rewards” program. Starting in October, members can redeem a free food item with 75 points. Prior to the change, members had to earn 150 points to earn a free medium 2-topping pizza. Seventy-five points can be redeemed for breadsticks.
Points can now be earned for food ordered online, over the phone or in person. Previously, points could be earned for online orders.
Pizza Hut operates more than 16,800 restaurants around the world.
Update, Oct. 8, 2018: This story has been updated with more information about the Cinnabon rolls and Pizza Hut's dessert menu.
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