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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.
Natalie says
Can you make this recipe in a 9 x 13 crockpot?
Angela G. says
I think you absolutely could. I'm not sure about cook time but my guess would be an hour on high and you'd probably need to cover with the lid.
Erika Granados says
Tried it and turn out amazing. I would like to do a smaller batch. Should I just cut the recipe in half?
Angela G. says
Hi Erika, yes you can just cut it in half or use the slider to adjust the number of servings. Glad you enjoyed it!
Terry M. says
I will be trying this for company soon! Any ideas for making sure the middle is cooked without overcooking the outside? I have had difficulty with this when making the rolls by themselves.
Angela G. says
Just spread the pieces out evenly n the baking dish and you should be good to go! Enjoy!
SuzieQ House of Misfits says
We tried this for Christmas breakfast 2021 and what a HIT!! I didn’t have to wrap up leftovers❤️
Angela G. says
So glad you liked it Suzie!
Karen says
I made this and it was as a big hit. My family is mostly vegan so i veganized it by using Just Egg, cashew cream, and a vegan brand of canned cinnamon rolls. Everyone loved it! I will definitely make this again for brunch! Sort of like Monkey Bread but much better!
Angela G. says
Hi Karen, so glad you enjoyed it!
Dee says
I made this last year for Christmas morning. It was gone in no time. Family asked for it this year
Angela G. says
So glad your family enjoys this recipe!
LaDona says
If I’m baking 2 9x13 pans at the same time, what adjustments should I make to time and/or temp?
Angela G. says
You shouldn’t need to adjust cook time. Just put them both towards the middle racks and keep an eye on them to check for the dough to set in the center.
Leah says
I may have missed this in the directions … what type of flour?
Angela G. says
Hi Leah, all purpose flour. 🙂
Phil says
This is awesome! How many individuals does this recipe feed?
Thanks
Angela G. says
Hi Phil, this makes 6 hearty servings.
Jenny says
Does the cooking time change if you half the recipe?
Angela G. says
Yes, cooking time will be lower for half the portion. Set the timer for half the time to start then check it. Add more time if it's not yet done. It's done when the pieces in the center are puffy and not doughy. Thanks for asking, Jenny!
Lindsey says
Can this be made the night before and then warmed the next morning?
Angela G. says
Yes. Prepare it as directed but don't bake it. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate. Uncover before you 're ready to bake. It may need a few minutes extra bake time once refrigerated.
Pam says
Delicious! Perfect for a New Year's brunch! Omitted nutmeg. Was baking a pie at same time so oven temp was 400 for 24 minutes, perfect!
Angela G. says
Thanks for the tip about baking at 400! So glad that worked out and that you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂 Happy new year!
Ashley says
My grocery never has nutmeg in stock. Could I use allspice in place of nutmeg?
Angela G. says
Hi Ashley, good question. I would just skip the nutmeg. It’s not not a key ingredient so this dish still tastes great without it. It really just adds a bit of earthy, nutty flavor which you can get from using actual nuts too. You could try allspice but it would give this dish more of a fall, pumpkin pie-like flavor. Hope this helps!
Nancy says
Oh my goodness this looks sooooo good! It was nice to meet you!
Angela G. says
Thank you! Same to you, Nancy! I love your site. Can't wait to explore it more and check out all your lovely travel photos, recipes and crafts. The painted cactus glasses are so cool!
Penny J says
This recipe looks amazing! Where are you finding the Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls that are rolled? The last time I bought them they were not rolled with the cinnamon layered on the dough but just random chunks throughout the dough. I thought it was a fluke and bought them again at another store and they were the same way. I don’t think they are as good as when they are rolled. If indeed they changed them I will no longer be a fan😢
Angela G. says
Interesting! I haven't noticed this problem with the Pillsbury rolls near me that I get at the grocery store. Maybe it's due to where you live? I'm in Pennsylvania. You could try another brand of cinnamon rolls. Rhodes makes really excellent frozen cinnamon roll dough. You'd just need to defrost them first. Or you may have better luck with the store brand of cinnamon rolls.
Vanessa says
Can you make this recipe using only one can of cinnamon rolls? I only have one on hand.
Angela G. says
Yes, Just cut the amount of the other ingredients in half and use a smaller baking dish if you have one. A square 8x8 would work well, or even a pie pan. Cook time will be less too. I'd set the timer for half the time and then check on it as it bakes to see when it's done. It's done with the dough in the center is no longer gooey. Hope this helps. Thanks for asking!
Angela K. says
My kids love this so much! I also mix some brown sugar and cinnamon and cover the top of it and then bake for some crunch. I add the icing on top of that:)
Angela G. says
Glad you loved this. Great idea to add some brown sugar. YUM!