Cinnamon Roll Casserole
Cinnamon roll casserole tastes just like decadent cinnamon rolls, but without all the effort! This cinnamon roll casserole recipe is the ultimate brunch dish, made with Pillsbury refrigerated cinnamon rolls, eggs, milk, a touch of maple syrup, and a drizzle of icing over the top. It’s super easy to make and can even be assembled the night before. A sweet treat that will be the hit of any breakfast or brunch!
Easy Cinnamon Roll Casserole
There’s nothing better than warm cinnamon rolls, especially around the holidays! Homemade cinnamon rolls can be a bit time consuming and labor intensive, though. This cinnamon roll casserole is just as delicious and so easy to make. You will love the make-ahead option. Just like our French toast casserole, this overnight breakfast casserole will become a favorite to serve a crowd, making it perfect for Christmas or Easter brunch.
Not only is this casserole super easy and absolutely scrumptious, it makes the whole house smell amazing while it’s baking! Your friends and family will definitely be asking you for the simple recipe! It’s just SO good!
Ingredients
The ingredient list is quite simple and using prepared cinnamon rolls makes this casserole a breeze to put together.
- Butter. Melted butter is added to the bottom of the dish, so there is no sticking. It also adds deliciousness to the overall taste of the casserole.
- Cinnamon rolls. I like to use the 12.4 oz Pillsbury refrigerated cinnamon rolls. You can really use any brand you want or even the Pillsbury Grands! cinnamon rolls. You may need to adjust the bake time, though.
- Eggs. Four large eggs is the perfect amount to make this casserole that will serve 12 people.
- Milk. Whole milk makes for a richer casserole. But skim milk or even almond milk will work just fine.
- Vanilla. To enhance that classic cinnamon roll flavor!
- Cinnamon. Extra cinnamon because YUM!
- Maple syrup. A small amount of maple syrup is drizzled over the top, before baking for sweetness. If you’re sensitive to sweets, you can omit. The dish is plenty sweet without the added maple syrup.
- Icing. A must for cinnamon roll anything!
How to make cinnamon roll casserole
This whole process could not be easier! The full recipe is at the bottom of the post, but here’s the highlights:
- Prepare baking dish. Preheat oven and pour melted butter in the bottom of a glass 9×13″ baking dish.
- Cut cinnamon rolls. Using a knife, kitchen shears or a pizza cutter, cut each cinnamon roll into 8 small pieces and layer the pieces evenly over the bottom of the dish.
- Mix milk/egg custard. Whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour the egg mixture over the cinnamon rolls. Drizzle maple syrup over the egg mixture.
- Bake or refrigerate overnight. Cover and refrigerate overnight or bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
- Drizzle icing. Cool casserole for about 5 minutes. Warm icing and drizzle over the top of the casserole. Enjoy!
Tips
This cinnamon roll casserole recipe is pretty straightforward, but here are some tips that make it even easier!
- Cutting the rolls. Use a pizza cutter or kitchen shears to quickly and evenly cut the cinnamon rolls into eight pieces.
- Mixing custard. Whisk together the milk/egg mixture in a large liquid measuring glass. You can measure the milk and then add in the egg, vanilla and cinnamon, and then it makes for easy pouring.
- Warm icing. The icing is very easy to drizzle, if you pop it in the microwave to warm it. Remove the covers from the icing containers; microwave on medium (50%) 10 to 15 seconds or until thin enough to drizzle.
- Egg mixture. Be sure the egg mixture is well mixed and then very evenly distributed over the casserole before baking. If not, once baked, you will be able to see the white eggy part.
Variations
There are plenty of fun ways to change things up and make this breakfast your own.
- Bacon. Sprinkle 1/2 cup crispy cooked chopped bacon with the dough pieces for a hint of a savory-smoky taste that balances out the sweet cinnamon and maple flavors.
- Sprinkles. Add sprinkles and make it into a birthday breakfast!
- Nuts. Add chopped pecans, almonds or walnuts to the top of the casserole before baking. They really add something special when they get toasted as the casserole bakes.
- Cream cheese icing. To give this casserole a little more of a homemade taste, mix the cinnamon roll icing with 4 ounces softened cream cheese and about 1 tablespoon powdered sugar.
- Toppings. Skip the icing drizzle or in addition to the icing, top with powdered sugar, fresh fruit, yogurt and/or whipped cream.
Serving Suggestions
This easy sweet casserole recipe pairs well with a variety of breakfast sides. Below are some of my favorite sides to serve with this homemade cinnamon roll casserole:
- Hash browns or breakfast potatoes
- Fresh fruit or fruit salad
- Yogurt
- Bacon, sausage, or ham
- Eggs
Make Ahead Option
I like to prepare this and let it set in the fridge overnight, but that step isn’t necessary if you forget or are short on time. I do think the cinnamon rolls soak up the egg mixture a bit better that way, though. For the overnight cinnamon roll casserole option:
- Make recipe according to instructions, minus the baking and icing.
- Cover and refrigerate the casserole.
- The following morning, bake the breakfast casserole.
Tip. Since the overnight breakfast casserole will be cold, it may be necessary to add 5 minutes to the bake time. If you feel like the top of the casserole is browning too fast, cover with foil.
Leftovers
- Storage. This casserole will keep in the fridge for up to about 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. If you’re planning to keep your casserole in the refrigerator, you can store it in an airtight container. To store in the freezer, wrap in plastic wrap, then place the leftover casserole in a gallon size freezer bag or another freezer-safe container.
- Reheating. The casserole is best and most crisp right out of the oven, but it can be reheated. To reheat, bake at 350ºF for 10 to 15 minutes or until warmed through and the top is re-crisped.
I know your family is sure to love this breakfast treat as much as mine does! The smell of this cinnamon roll casserole baking in the oven is amazing! Enjoy on the weekend, for a special occasion like Mother’s Day brunch, Easter or Christmas morning!
Other Favorite Brunch Recipes
If you try this delicious baked cinnamon roll casserole recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. It’s so fun to see what you’re cooking! Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Cinnamon Roll Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 tubes refrigerated (16 cinnamon rolls), cut into about 8 pieces per roll (I always use Pillsbury brand.)
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- icing from the cinnamon roll tubes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Pour butter into a 9×13 glass baking dish and spread evenly.
- Cut each cinnamon roll into 8 small pieces and layer evenly over the bottom of the dish. (I like to use kitchen shears or a pizza cutter to easily cut the cinnamon rolls.)
- In a large liquid measuring glass or small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Make sure the egg is fully beaten within the milk.
- Pour egg mixture over the cinnamon rolls. Be sure the egg mixture is very evenly distributed.
- Drizzle syrup over egg mixture.
- At this point, you can cover and refrigerate overnight or immediately bake the casserole.
- Bake at 375º for 20-25 minutes or until cinnamon rolls are golden brown.
- Cool casserole for about 5 minutes. Remove covers from icing; microwave on medium (50%) 10 to 15 seconds or until thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle with icing, and enjoy!
Notes
- Make recipe according to instructions, minus the baking.
- Cover and refrigerate the casserole.
- The following day, bake the breakfast casserole.
- Storage. This casserole will keep in the fridge for up to about 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. If you’re planning to keep your casserole in the refrigerator, you can store it in an airtight container. To store in the freezer, wrap in plastic wrap, then place the leftover casserole in a gallon size freezer bag or another freezer-safe container.
- Reheating. The casserole is best and most crisp right out of the oven, but it can be reheated. To reheat, bake at 350ºF for 10 to 15 minutes or until warmed through and the top is re-crisped.
Did you make this recipe?
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When making canned cinnamon buns, we often add peanut butter to the icing. This mimics the cinnamon rolls we used to get from a bakery that unfortunately is closed. This might be another way to ice the casserole. I see this being on our Christmas morning table.
Yum! Love that idea! Enjoy!
This was such a fun and easy way to enjoy cinnamon rolls! So delicious and I’ll definitely make again!
Can eggnog be used instead of egg, milk mixture?
That’s a great idea! I’m not super familiar with eggnog, but I’m sure you could replace the milk with eggnog. I’m just not sure that you would want to leave the eggs out… possibly reduce the amount. Let me know if you give it a try.
Is there any way to use just egg whites in this recipe?
There are two egg whites to each egg or 1/4 cup of egg whites from a carton. You could definitely substitute the eggs for egg whites and give it a try. I can’t say for sure how it will turn out because I’ve never tried it. Good luck!
Silly question- but do you have to bake the cinnamon rolls before adding the egg mixture? Or the cinnamon rolls come straight out of the container raw and we prepare this with dough?
The cinnamon rolls are the dough. You don’t bake anything before baking the entire casserole. Hope that helps!
This recipe was delicious! The whole family loved it! It was so easy to make too.
This turned out great! Made it the night before and baked it in the morning. It was not too sweet or eggy… my whole family enjoyed and I’ll definitely make again!
Made for my dad this morning, the smiles and hugs were worth 5 Stars, Thank you for a simple and excellent recipe.