Cinnamon Roll Casserole

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Make a cinnamon roll casserole with an icing drizzle using frozen cinnamon rolls for a quick prep overnight breakfast casserole this holiday season. Pull it from the fridge and bake it in the morning for a warm and cozy brunch.

A blue baking dish is filled with a cinnamon roll casserole that has an icing drizzle over the top.

I love overnight prep recipes for the busy holiday season. This sweet overnight breakfast casserole is the perfect make ahead recipe to prep before Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's but would make such a lovely family weekend brunch as a special treat.

Cinnamon roll casserole starts with prepared frozen cinnamon rolls and a few items you likely already have on hand. You even use the icing packet that comes with the rolls to decorate the final dish.

While I served this as a breakfast treat, it is actually delicious enough to serve as a dessert if you simply rename it "cinnamon roll bread pudding." Be sure to check out my serving suggestions at the bottom for simple dessert sauces you could pair it with.

Why This is the Best Recipe

I love budget-friendly holiday recipes I can prepare quickly. I think this is the best cinnamon roll casserole recipe because:

  1. Frozen Cinnamon Rolls: These are so much easier to work with for this dish than the canned cinnamon rolls from the refrigerated section because they absorb the custard so well.
  2. Budget-Friendly: I stalk the cinnamon rolls and as soon as they go on sale I stash them in my freezer for later. The rest of the ingredients are things I always have on hand. It's so nice to stock up for holiday recipes and spread out the expense over time.
  3. Warm and Cozy: More filling than just a pan of cinnamon rolls, this eggy breakfast casserole is warm and filling on a chilly morning.

Ingredients

The ingredients to make the cinnamon roll bread pudding are on the counter.

This easy recipe only needs a few ingredients:

  • Frozen Cinnamon Rolls: You'll find them right in the freezer section, they come in those aluminum foil baking pans.
  • Golden Raisins: I love the flavor these bring to the dish but I have lots of easy substitution ideas for you in the recipe card if you prefer.
  • Eggs
  • Milk
  • Sugar
  • Cinnamon
  • Vanilla
  • Kosher Salt
  • Butter

Prep the Cinnamon Rolls

Remove the cinnamon rolls from their container and chop them each into 4 - 6 pieces.

You want the chunks to be large enough to hold together but small enough you can spread them into the baking dish.

The cinnamon rolls are on a cutting board ready to be chopped.

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Scatter the cinnamon roll chunks into a 9x13-inch baking dish.

This is what it looked like when I chopped the rolls into 6 pieces each:

The cinnamon rolls fill the baking dish.

Sprinkle the golden raisins over the top and set the dish aside.

Prep the Custard

In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and kosher salt.

The milk, vanilla, and eggs are in a mixing bowl ready to be whisked.

Assemble the Casserole

Pour the custard over the prepared cinnamon rolls. Gently press the pieces of cinnamon roll down into the custard so they can soak up the liquid. You don't want any dry pieces alone on top.

Chop the butter into a smaller dice and scatter the pieces evenly over the dish.

The custard has been poured over the casserole and the butter has been dotted over the top.

Make Ahead Tips

At the very least you want to let the cinnamon rolls soak up the custard for 1 hour in the fridge.

However, this dish is an amazing make ahead recipe for the holidays and you can do all the work the night before and let it sit completely overnight.

Simply cover the dish in plastic wrap to keep everything moist and then be sure to tuck the icing packet from the rolls alongside it. You'll need it just before serving.

The dish has been covered in plastic wrap. A packet of icing sits on top.

Baking Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325ยฐF.

Remove the plastic wrap and bake the casserole for 55 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the egg custard is set like this:

The cinnamon roll casserole has just come out of the oven and is golden brown on top.

Serving Suggestions

The casserole has been drizzled with the reserved icing and is ready to be served.

Drizzle the reserved icing packet over the top of the cinnamon rolls just before serving.

Honestly, the entire dish tastes even better when it has had a chance to sit for 5 - 10 minutes. When it is super piping hot from the oven, the delicate flavors are not as strong. When it is a little bit cooled down, you'll taste everything much better and the icing won't completely melt into the rolls. I found myself sneaking bites of it even once it was room temperature. Soooo delicious.

If you're serving it for breakfast, pair it with a fresh fruit platter and a side of peppered bacon or turkey breakfast sausage.

If you want to call this a cinnamon roll bread pudding and bring it to a potluck party as a dessert, you could bring along a pitcher of my sweet amaretto creamer or this easy bourbon sauce for bread pudding to drizzle over it as a special festive touch.

More Breakfast Casseroles

If you love how easy breakfast casseroles are to serve in the morning, you won't want to miss these delicious recipes:

๐Ÿ“– Recipe

A blue baking dish is filled with a cinnamon roll casserole that has an icing drizzle over the top.

Overnight Cinnamon Roll Casserole

Please Rate this Recipe
Make this easy overnight cinnamon roll breakfast casserole using frozen cinnamon rolls in a simple custard base. Drizzle the icing over the top just before serving for a crowd-pleasing dish that will make any brunch more festive during the holidays.
TOTAL TIME 2 hours 15 minutes
PREP TIME 15 minutes
Soaking Time 1 hour
COOK TIME 1 hour
YIELD 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 whole eggs
  • 3 additional egg yolks
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 (16 oz) package frozen cinnamon rolls icing packet reserved
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins optional, see notes for substitution ideas
  • 2 tablespoons butter diced

Instructions

Overnight Prep (Or at least 1 hour before baking):

  • Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
  • Open the cinnamon rolls package and reserve the packet of icing in the fridge for garnishing tomorrow morning. Break apart the cinnamon rolls and chop them into 4 - 6 pieces each. Sprinkle the cinnamon roll chunks evenly in the baking dish. Sprinkle the golden raisins evenly among the cinnamon rolls if you are using them.
  • In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt.
  • Pour the egg mixture over the top of the prepared cinnamon rolls and gently press them to submerge into the liquid. Scatter the cubes of butter evenly over the top of the dish. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and chill overnight. This allows the cinnamon rolls to absorb the custard before baking. If you don't have time for an overnight prep, just allow the dish to stand for one hour before baking.

Baking Instructions:

  • Preheat the oven to 325ยฐF. Remove the plastic wrap and bake the cinnamon roll casserole for 55 minutes or until the custard is set and the top is golden brown.
  • Drizzle the reserved icing over the top of the casserole just before serving. If you want a pretty icing pattern on top, you should let the dish rest for 5 - 10 minutes before decorating. If you spread the icing immediately, it will melt into the cinnamon rolls but will still taste delicious!

Recipe Notes

Note on Golden Raisins:

I think the golden raisins add a lovely flavor and texture to the breakfast casserole but I know not everyone loves them.
Some delicious alternative substitutions include:
  • Dried Craisins
  • Currants
  • Mini Chocolate Chips
  • Chopped Pecans
  • Diced Dried Cherries
  • Dried Blueberries
  • Regular Raisins
  • Chopped Candied Orange
COURSEBrunch
CUISINEAmerican

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The casserole has been drizzled with the reserved icing and is ready to be served.

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