This cinnamon roll casserole made with Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, is essentially super easy, baked cinnamon French toast.
It's easy to prep, can be made ahead, and tastes absolutely delicious!
★ Why You’ll Love this Recipe ★
A Family-friendly Breakfast or Brunch Recipe
This cinnamon roll breakfast casserole is family-friendly so it's great for weekend breakfast, for holiday mornings, for bridal or baby showers, or Mother's Day brunch.
This recipe makes a 9x12 pan so will feed a large family or a small crowd.
This dish is also great for serving overnight guests without a lot of fuss. It can be made the night before then just popped in the oven to bake in the morning. This is also what makes it a great choice if you're wondering what to make for holidays. We like to make it for Easter and Christmas morning breakfast.
What makes this cinnamon roll casserole recipe so easy?
As I mentioned, this french toast casserole uses cinnamon roll dough instead of bread. Bread tends to get soggy when you add eggs and a creamy-cinnamon topping. The cinnamon roll dough however, holds up like a champ! In fact, think about what happens when you bake cinnamon rolls straight up, they get dry.
So this is basically like the best of both worlds—a cross between cinnamon rolls and cinnamon french toast which results in a perfectly moist, sticky and a deliciously perfect breakfast treat. Nom!
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
The shortcut to make this French-toast-like casserole is no time flat is starting with Pillsbury cinnamon rolls. I like using the flaky Pillsbury Grand rolls but any kind works, cook time will vary so best to keep an eye on these while they bake.
Here's everything you need:
- Pillsbury cinnamon roll dough. Or use your favorite brand of cinnamon roll dough. You can use homemade dough if you're feeling ambitious!
- Eggs. I prefer organic, corn-fed, hen-laid eggs. The corn feed produces a much more flavorful egg with a brighter yellow yolk.
- Flour. All purpose flour.
- Milk. You can use any percentage fat milk, half and half or even heavy cream. Your choice. The fattier, the creamier these will be. To reduce fat, go with skim milk.
- Butter. Real butter or you can substitute with margarine if that's what you prefer.
- Vanilla extract. Go with the real extract, not the imitation for the best flavor.
- Cinnamon. Ground cinnamon if what you want. The more fresh, the more flavor you'll get.
- Nutmeg (optional). This adds a nutty flavor. Feel free to leave it out if it's not your thing.
- Pecans (optional). Pecans add a nice earth flavor and some crunch. Feel free to leave these out though or do them on just half the casserole if you have picky eaters.
★ How to Make this Cinnamon Roll Casserole ★
You can get the full recipe and also watch how to make this cinnamon roll casserole, start to finish, by viewing the video beneath the recipe below.
But here are 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 ★
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!
People always say that they love how easy it is and that their whole family enjoyed it.
Perfecting a Favorite Recipe
I started with the original recipe by Pillsbury at first then experimented from there. The final version I landed on differs in that I added extra cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour; and reduced the eggs and cream so it didn't get too soggy or overly eggy. The flour helps the egg stick to the cinnamon rolls, in case you get to that and you're thinking about leaving it out. Just keep this in mind.
Per a friend's recommendation, I also left off the maple syrup because it's plenty sweet enough without it. In my opinion. If you want to go all out and add it back, by all means, do it. If you just want a little hint of maple flavor, you could add a splash into the egg batter.
Rave Reviews on Pinterest!
This is one of the most popular recipes I've ever made and shared. I've been working on this recipe for a long time to make sure it's absolutely perfectly delicious!
This cinnamon french toast recipe has actually been pinned hundreds of thousands of times and has been "tried" on Pinterest with rave reviews so I'm pretty confident you'll love it, too!
Of course, I'm always open to improving so please let me know what you like best about it and if you changed anything to make it even better. All feedback welcome! You can review the recipe below and/or leave a comment.
Perfect for Christmas morning breakfast!
I get comments from lots of people who make this baked french toast every year for Christmas. I think it's such a big hit because it's quick and easy to prep and is popular with both the kids as well as the grown ups. 🙂
★ Variations ★
I've seen variations of cinnamon roll casserole and other french toast bakes like this one that also include pumpkin (perfect for fall!), cream cheese and apples. So, have fun with this. Add sprinkles and make it into a birthday breakfast if you want. It's really a very versatile and well-loved breakfast casserole.
The recipe below includes my tweaks after making and adjusting the ingredients many times over to get everything just right. It doesn't have any of the extras nor does it need anything extra but once you master this base recipe, you can get as creative as you want.
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 ★
Frequently asked questions and concerns addressed here! Read to be sure you have success on the first try. Skip if you're a pretty confident cook.
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.
Oven temperatures can vary greatly. For best results make sure your oven is calibrated to the correct temperature. Do this by using an oven thermometer and follow the directions for adjusting your oven temperature in your oven manufacture's user manual.
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 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.
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.
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.
Changing the ingredients may affect cook time and the taste. Using milk instead of half and half for example, may lengthen the cook time and sadly won't taste as good but it's a good way to cut fat if that's what you want to do. If you make adjustments to the recipe, just keep an eye on things when cooking and allow yourself some extra time in case it needs longer to bake.
★ Helpful Tools ★
★ More Recipes You’ll Love ★
Try my cinnamon pull apart bread!
If you love this cinnamon roll casserole, try it as a pull-apart loaf.
Make Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread.
Want more breakfast ideas?
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This easy cinnamon roll casserole recipe using Pillsbury cinnamon rolls was featured on Inspire Me Monday, South Your Mouth, Wow Me Wednesday and Menu Plan Monday and Meal Plan Monday!
Easy Cinnamon Roll Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 17.5 oz tubes Pillsbury Grands cinnamon rolls (regular 12.4oz cinnamon rolls are ok too)
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 3 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans
- Icing from cinnamon rolls
- Powdered sugar or maple syrup if desired
Instructions
- Melt butter and coat a 9x12 baking dish with the melted butter. Note: there will be a generous amount of butter!
- In a bowl, beat together eggs, cream, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.
- Open canned cinnamon rolls, slice each cinnamon roll like a pizza, into eighths. Place cinnamon roll pieces into the bowl of egg mixture and toss to thoroughly coat. Then pour the pieces, coated in egg mixture, into the greased baking dish and spread out evenly. Any remaining egg mixture, you can pour or brush over top of areas that look like they might get dry. Sprinkle with pecans (optional)
- Bake in the oven at 350˚for 18-25 minutes or until light golden brown. 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.
- When all dough is set, remove the french toast bake from oven. Warm icing from cinnamon rolls in microwave for 15 seconds; pour evenly over cinnamon roll pieces. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or top with maple syrup if desired. Serve warm. Enjoy!
I just made this recipe for my family and they all LOVED it! I left the maple syrup as an option for them to add after if they wanted to. My daughter has Type 1 Diabetes and she can eat everything (it is not the same as Type 2) but it is always nice to find recipes that don’t have a lot of extra sugars added. My family told me this recipe is a keeper. Thank you for sharing this with us!
@Paula, OMGoodness! I was just reading this recipe thinking, "wow, this isn't too bad for my T1D son." Thanks for sharing your comment. Best wishes to your daughter! #warriormomsofT1Dkids
So I have my taste buds on this recipe to try but
For some reason I keep tasting eggnog instead of
Milk or cream or heavy cream ect , so my question,
Has anyone tried using eggnog on this recipe, and if so
How was it??? Waiting patiently, starving !!!
Thanks
I made this for a quick dessert. Substituted vanilla creamer and heavy cream. It was amazing! Thank you for the recipe!
Can you make ahead of time and then freeze it?
Yes, you can. Prepare it but do not bake it. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze. Thaw, remove plastic wrap, then bake as directed.
Can you make this ahead of time, such as the night before?
Yes, you can prepare it but do not bake it. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Remove plastic wrap in the morning, then bake as directed.
It was delicious and so easy to make. Definitely a keeper
I expected this to be more french-toasty so I was disappointed. It's essentially cinnamon rolls that you cut into squares. That being said, it was delicious right out of the oven. However, it was dry the next day and not as enjoyable, even though I wrapped it tightly. I have made something similar with apple pie filling that was yummy - but again, I was looking for something more french-toasty.
Hi Cindy, did you coat the cinnamon roll dough in the egg mixture? That's what gives this a French toast like quality. Also, if it's coming out dry, it's likely that it baked too long. You want to bake it just until the center of the casserole is no longer doughy. I hope you give it another try and let me know what you think. Check out the video below the recipe to watch step-by-step how it's made as that might help to see.
When making the night before, do I bake them then or the next morning?
Hi Amber, if preparing the night before, you’ll want to assemble everything, then cover and refrigerate. Bake in the morning or right before you’re ready to eat.
Super Easy to make for Mother’s Day brunch! The only thing I did different was I used three 12.4 ounce cans of the regular sized cinnamon rolls to soak up more of the egg mixture! I also cooked it in a 9x13 glass pan! Still turned out perfectly 😊
Hi Mackenzie, So glad you enjoyed it! Happy Mother's Day!
Just made this recipe for Easter! It was amazing! Any idea if I could make this ahead of time and freeze it?
Hi Leann, so glad you enjoyed it! Yes you could prepare and freeze it. I would freeze it before you bake. You'll need to add additional bake time if baking from frozen or allow time for the dough to thaw before baking.