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★ Why You’ll Love this Recipe ★
This cinnamon roll casserole is made with pieces of Pillsbury cinnamon roll dough, coated in creamy eggs, for a French-toast style breakfast casserole with sweet cinnamon sugar flavor. This breakfast bake is easy to prep, can be made ahead, and tastes absolutely delicious!
Family-friendly
This cinnamon roll breakfast casserole is family-friendly so it's great for weekend breakfast, holiday mornings, a bridal or baby shower, or Mother's Day brunch.
This recipe makes a 9x12 pan so will feed a large family or a small crowd.
Can be made ahead.
This dish is perfect for overnight guests or holiday mornings. Make it ahead, then just bake it in the morning—easy and festive! We love it for Easter and Christmas breakfast.
French Toast + Cinnamon Rolls
This French-toast style breakfast casserole uses cinnamon roll dough instead of bread, so it stays moist without getting soggy. It’s the best of both worlds—cinnamon rolls meet French toast for a sticky, delicious breakfast treat!
This is basically like the best of both worlds—a cross between cinnamon rolls and cinnamon french toast which results in a perfectly a moist, sticky and deliciously perfect breakfast treat. Nom!
Pairs well with...
Serve this cinnamon roll casserole with my maple-ginger fruit salad or berry salad with honey-lime dressing and Eggs Benedict casserole to create a well-balanced and beautiful brunch spread.
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
The shortcut to make this French-toast-like casserole, in no time flat, is starting with Pillsbury cinnamon roll dough.
Here's everything you'll need:
- Pillsbury cinnamon roll dough. Use any cinnamon roll dough you like—even homemade if you're feeling ambitious! I prefer Pillsbury Grands, but any kind works. Just watch the bake time, as it may vary.
- Eggs.
- Flour. All purpose flour.
- Milk. Use any milk or cream you like—the higher the fat, the creamier it’ll be. For less fat, choose skim.
- Butter. Real butter or you can substitute with margarine.
- Vanilla extract. Go with the real extract, not the imitation for the best flavor.
- Cinnamon sugar. Use store bought or make your own cinnamon sugar by mixing 1 tablespoon sugar with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- Nutmeg (optional). This adds a nutty flavor.
- Pecans (optional). Pecans add earthy flavor, protein and some crunch.
★ How to Make this Recipe ★
You can get the full recipe and also watch how to make this cinnamon roll casserole, start to finish, by viewing the video and the recipe below.
But here is a look at the basic steps. It's quick and easy!
- Mix together eggs, cream, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.
- Cut cinnamon roll dough into pieces.
- Coat cinnamon roll pieces in egg mixture.
- Pour pieces into greased casserole dish and bake.
- Let cool then top with icing.
- Add nuts! (optional)
★ Why Others Love this Recipe ★
Inspired by Pillsbury’s Cinnamon French Toast Bake
This recipe is a variation of Pillsbury's Cinnamon French Toast Bake recipe using canned Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls. I've made my own little tweaks over the years to make it non-soggy yet moist and extra cinnamony!
Perfecting a Favorite Recipe
I started with the original Pillsbury recipe but tweaked it by adding more cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour, and cutting back on the eggs and cream to avoid a soggy, eggy texture. The flour helps the egg stick—don’t skip it.
A friend suggested skipping the maple syrup since it’s sweet enough without it, but feel free to add it back or just stir a splash into the egg batter for a hint of maple flavor.
Rave Reviews on Pinterest!
This cinnamon French toast is one of my all-time most popular recipes — it’s been pinned hundreds of thousands of times and gets rave reviews on Pinterest! I’ve tested and tweaked it to make it perfectly delicious, and I’d love to hear what you think. Tried it with a twist? Let me know in the comments!
★ Variations ★
Seasonal Variations
I've seen versions of this cinnamon roll French toast bake with pumpkin, cream cheese, or apples—great for fall! But it’s super versatile, so feel free to get creative. The recipe below is my perfected base after lots of testing. It’s delicious as-is, but once you’ve got it down, have fun with it!
Choose regular icing or cream cheese icing.
Both options are delicious! Just choose cinnamon roll dough with the kind of icing you prefer — classic icing or cream cheese icing.
★ Tips & FAQs ★
Use a pizza cutter. Quickly and evenly cut the cinnamon rolls into eight pieces. You can also cut each roll into six pieces but keep in mind, this may require a longer cook time.
The size of your baking dish matters. This recipe calls for a 9x12 baking dish. This is important because it allows enough space for the pieces of dough to be spread out and cook evenly. If you are using a very different shape or size baking pan, that will change the amount of time needed to cook and may not cook evenly.
The material of your baking dish matters. For best results, use a glass baking dish. Ceramic baking dishes can be very thick or thin so the cook time can very greatly. If you don't have a glass baking dish, just check on the cinnamon roll dough piece and if it looks like they are not yet done, give them some additional bake time.
The size of your cinnamon rolls matters. Cinnamon rolls come in varying size packages. If you choose cans larger or smaller than the 12.4oz standard size, then be sure to keep an eye on the dough as it cooks to prevent under or overcooking.
The brand of your cinnamon rolls matters. You can opt for store brand or even choose a frozen cinnamon roll brand like Rhodes, just thaw them first. Pillsbury rolls are not mandatory. Just keep in mind the cook time may vary so check on the pieces of cinnamon roll dough often as they are baking and adjust your cook time as needed.
Keep an eye on things. The dough can go from raw to cooked in just minutes and from perfectly golden brown to burned very quickly. If this is your first time making this recipe, it's best to keep an eye on things especially towards the end of the cook time. If the dough starts to brown early, cover with foil to prevent overcooking.
★ More Cinnamon Recipes ★
Love cinnamon? You'll love these other baked treats:
Want more easy breakfast ideas?
Browse all my easy breakfast recipes
This easy cinnamon roll casserole recipe using Pillsbury cinnamon roll dough is a viral fan-favorite. As seen on TikTok.
Easy Cinnamon Roll Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 17.5 oz Pillsbury Grands cinnamon roll dough (regular 12.4oz cinnamon rolls work too)
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans
- Icing from cinnamon rolls
- Powdered sugar or maple syrup if desired
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Instructions
- Prepare baking dish and oven. Melt butter and coat a 9x12 baking dish with the melted butter. Note: there will be a generous amount of butter!Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Make egg coating. In a bowl, beat together eggs, cream, flour, cinnamon sugar, nutmeg and vanilla.
- Slice dough. Open canned cinnamon rolls, slice each cinnamon roll like a pizza, into eighths.
- Coat dough. Place cinnamon roll pieces into the bowl of egg mixture and toss to thoroughly coat.
- Add dough to pan. Pour dough pieces, coated in egg mixture, into the greased baking dish and spread out evenly. Any remaining egg mixture. Pour or brush egg mixture on top of areas that look like they might get dry.
- Add pecans. (optional) Sprinkle dough with chopped pecans.
- Bake. Place casserole dish on the center rack of the oven and bake for 18-25 minutes or until pieces of dough are light golden brown. (See notes)
- Add icing. When all dough is set, remove casserole from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes to prevent icing from absorbing into the dough.Warm icing from cinnamon rolls in microwave for 15 seconds; pour evenly over cinnamon roll pieces.
- Add extras. (optional) Sprinkle with powdered sugar or top with maple syrup if desired. Serve warm. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Bake time can vary greatly based on the size of your pan as well as the material (metal, glass, ceramic, etc.) Check for doneness by carefully examining a middle piece. If it's doughy, it still needs more time.
- Smaller, deeper pans may require additional bake time. Type of cinnamon rolls used can also vary cook time. Best to keep an eye on things and check one of the middle pieces to be sure dough is set before removing from oven.
- Cover with foil and bake for a more moist casserole.
- I add a few dashes of salt in with the heavy cream. This just helps bring balance out the creaminess and brings out the flavors.
Jamie says
This looks yummy and I'm making it for the first time for a bridal shower brunch. It says serves 6-8 people so is the pan nice and full? I want a big full batch so what should I do to serve more people without making 2 pans of it? Just double all ingredients and bake longer or would that be too much that it won't fit into one pan? Kind of a dumb question but I want it to be a full pan to feed more people. Thank you.
Angela G. says
Hey Jamie,
Good question. If you follow the recipe exactly as written and use a 9x12 dish, it will look just like the photo above. If you're looking to double the recipe and you don't want to use two 9x12 dishes, then your best bet would probably be a deep, disposable 10x14 foil pan.
I've actually made this in a bread loaf pan before but the problem is you do have to bake it longer to get the middle cooked all the way and and then it comes out dry. So, keeping it shallow is best.
If you use two 9x12 pans w/ lids (like these Pyrex ones), you could put one on the table, and keep the other one warm in an insulated casserole carrier (like this one), then swap out the dishes when the first one gets low.
Linda says
I’m excited to try this! In your post under “the size of your baking dish matters” you stressed in the recipe that is important to use a 9x12 pan and mention it again in the reply to this lady about using 9x12 pans. I only have 9x13 pans so I was glad to find this comment where you put an amazon link to a Pyrex casserole dish and it’s 9x13. I’ll be making it for Christmas and a party now. Thanks!
Angela G. says
Hi Linda, Vastly different sizes may make a difference (like using a small and deep casserole dish vs. a large and shallow one) but that extra inch shouldn't throw things off too much. Just keep an eye on the dough as it bakes and you should be fine! Have a wonderful Christmas and party!! Thanks for the feedback!
Becky says
When you ssy you reduced the egg what exactly do you mean? So do you use 2 eggs
Angela G. says
Yep, just 2 eggs. Pillsbury's original recipe calls for more but I've found it comes out too eggy and soggy if you use more than 2 eggs.
Amanda says
Can you use milk or half and half instead of heavy whipping cream?
Thanks!
Angela G. says
Yes, you absolutely can. It may not be quite as tasty but it will be healthier as a trade off. 🙂
Kerri says
Can you make this the njght before or does it not work
Angela G. says
Hi Kerri, I haven't tried to make it ahead but I think as long as you cover tightly to keep the egg coating moist, and refrigerate the cinnamon roll pieces it should be fine to bake it the next day. I would toss the pieces before you bake it in case the coating settles though. Enjoy!
Abby says
So so so good. Love this recipe. So easy and so yummy. Thanks for sharing!
Angela G. says
Thanks for the feedback, Abby! Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Kristina Webster says
LOVE this recipe !! My son is a picky eater and doesn't normal eat cinnamon rolls but he loved this ! It's definitely a new Christmas tradition in our house ! Thank you !
Angela G. says
Yay! Merry Christmas to you guys!
Sandi says
Also wondering if anyone has prepared it the night before and just popped it in the oven the next morning. Please let me know. I like to do as much prep in advance if possible.
Thanks!! It sounds delicious and I can't wait to make it for our Christmas Eve brunch!!
Angela G. says
Hi Sandi! As long as you refrigerate this, it should hold up fine overnight. The only thing I'd suggest would be to give all those little pieces of coated cinnamon roll a toss in the morning before you pop it in the oven. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!!
Holly says
I did just that last night/this morning. It just needs a little extra bake time, since it's going into the oven cold. Just slide a knife in the center to make sure it's not gooey when you take it out of the oven. Delicious!
Angela G. says
Thanks for the tip about adding time when going in cold. Glad you enjoyed!
Roberta says
When you say slice into 8, what exactly does that mean. 8 skinny cinnamon roll slices or are you dissecting it like a pizza into 8th?
Angela G. says
Hi Roberta, You want to slice each cinnamon roll like a pizza so you end up with 8 chunks. Thanks for asking.
Debbie says
This looks so good. I'm going to try it tomorrow and will be back with review. Thanks for sharing.
Angela G. says
I'd love to hear what you think, Debbie! Hope you enjoy every last bite. 🙂
Steph says
Loved this. Was delicious. How do you storeleftovers after its been baked. Refrigerate or can it be left out
Angela G. says
Glad you enjoyed it! The FDA says you are supposed to throw away unshelled, cooked eggs after sitting out at room temperature for more than two hours. So to be safe I would refrigerate any leftovers and then lightly microwave them when you're ready to eat them. That being said, I live on the food edge a bit and have let mine sit out for longer and lived to tell about it. 🙂
jessica says
The recipe calls for pecans...but the instructions don't tell you where to use them! I just sprinkled them on top and it was pretty good!
Angela G. says
Thanks, Jessica! I just updated the recipe. I revised the recipe instructions the last time I made this and didn't use pecan since my kids don't like them and so forgot to write about them! Oops! Glad you figured out what to do and enjoyed. =)
Sharlene woodruff says
We made this for Christmas morning and it was excellent! The family just loved them and went back for seconds!
Gary says
Instructions are little vague. Use all melted butter? Pour all liquid contents into pan to bake? Baked 25 minutes still soggy, having to bake now an additional 20 minutes because of the liquid. Not good.
Angela G. says
Hi Gary,
Yes, use all the melted butter, there will be extra pooled at the bottom and that is OK.
You do use all of the egg yolk mixture. After coating the cinnamon roll pieces, you pour any remaining mixture over top.
This year I baked half a batch for about 20 minutes uncovered and it turned out perfect. When doubled, it takes longer and so I do cover it until the end so the top doesn't burn... but shouldn't take 45 minutes. Did you thoroughly coat the pieces with the liquid? If not the liquid could have pool at the bottom causing the cook time to be longer.
Codie C says
Could I make this tonight and pop in the oven in the morning? Wasn't sure if it would get too soggy or what the end result would be if I did so.
Angela G. says
Hi Codie,
I have not tried to prep this the night before. It could work if you tightly sealed the container but I would still worry that the egg mixture might dry up a bit over night. I know I'm a little late here, so if you tried this method, let me know how it turned out!
Kori says
This is the second year in a row I am making this for Christmas morning. We love it! It's a new family tradition. Thank you for the recipe.
Angela G. says
Hi Kori,
I'm so glad this recipe has found a place in your family's traditions. We also made it again this Christmas morning for the third year now. =)
Bethany Lykins says
This is the first time that I have made this. All I have to say is......it is delicious. My husband loves it and has gone back for seconds. My five year old daughter really enjoyed it also.
Angela G. says
That's awesome. I appreciate the feedback. I have a 5-year-old and a hubby who loves this too. My 3-year-old also loves it! It's kind of rare to find a dish that we all like so I consider this one a winner in our house. Glad it was a hit in yours as well.
Sue says
This was soooo good! I used only half the cinnamon though as I thought it would be too much since you’re using cinnamon rolls after all. I didn’t have any heavy cream so substituted milk, and it worked just fine. Delicious!
Angela G. says
Hi Sue! Thanks for the feedback and tips! Glad you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂