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As a busy mom of 3 kiddos, we eat a lot of French toast around here. Challah French Toast, Hawaiian Roll French toast casserole, and a new find, cinnamon bread French toast casserole. I love finding new breads that work well in regular and baked French toast dishes.
In another 7-ingredient or less win (much like the viral 2 ingredient cinnamon rolls with heavy cream), I've managed to turn refrigerated cinnamon roll dough into the sweetest, fluffiest, cinnamon-y French toast casserole I've made.
Think of it as a breakfast casserole with a cinnamon roll twist. Sweeter than a challah French toast bake and more decadent than cinnamon roll overnight oats. You are gonna love it and I bet at least one of your kids will try to lick their plate clean 🙂.
Ingredients
- Baked Cinnamon Rolls: Since we keep kosher, we use the Trader Joe’s cinnamon rolls. They come 5 to a can, so you’ll need two cans of them, baked. I also like using Rhode's Frozen Cinnamon Roll Dough. Rise and bake them ahead of time.
- Greek Yogurt: I always use Fage 2% fat yogurt, but you can use whatever brand you have on hand.
- Milk: You can use regular dairy milk or switch it out for a dairy free milk like almond milk or soy milk.
- Icing: An easy recipe for a cream cheese glaze can be found in the notes section, or just use icing that comes in the package with the canned cinnamon rolls.
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375℉ degrees. Spray a 8x11 glass dish with cooking spray. Cut the cinnamon roll dough into 4-6 pieces each and place in the prepared pan.
Step 1
Whisk remaining ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined. text
Step 2
Pour over the cinnamon rolls in the baking dish, being sure to cover all the pieces.
Step 3
Then, press down a bit to ensure every little bit is covered in the custard mix.
Step 4
Bake at 375℉ for 40-50 minutes. While the casserole bakes, you can make the optional icing (if your cinnamon rolls don’t already come with it in the can).
You'll know that the Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bake is done, when it's browning on top and the center is set. There will still be a little “jiggle” when it’s done, but the center should not be liquid-y.
Variations
- Make it dairy free: Swap the milk and yogurt for their dairy free equivalents.
- Swirl in fruit puree: Apple puree or pumpkin puree work well. Simply swirl into the custard mix before pouring it over the cinnamon rolls. Alternatively, drizzle with blueberry puree when it comes out of the oven.
- Make it dessert: Top each piece with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some caramel sauce on top.
- Frozen Cinnamon Roll Dough: Use the Rhodes Rolls Cinnamon Rolls and the make ahead directions.
- Make it in a crockpot: Follow the directions as written, but place the ingredients into a crock pot. Set the temp on low and bake for about 3 hours.
Topping Ideas
While you can just top this cinnamon roll breakfast casserole with the icing, it's fun to mix things up with these other topping suggestions.
- Chopped Nuts: Add chopped pecans or chopped walnuts before baking.
- Powdered Sugar: Dust over the top once it's cooled in place of the cinnamon roll icing.
- Fresh Fruit: Once the dish has a cooled a bit, add chopped berries to the top before drizzling with the icing.
Easy Cinnamon Roll Icing
While using an icing is not optional in my opinion, which one you use is 😊. I sometimes just use the one that comes with the cinnamon rolls in the can. But when I'm feeling super fancy, I'll make my own.
Here's how to make an easy cinnamon roll icing: In a medium bowl, mix together 2 cups powdered sugar, 4 tablespoons heavy cream, 2 teaspoons melted butter, a glug of vanilla. Stir until smooth and pour over the breakfast casserole.
Make Ahead Directions
To make this the night before, follow the directions as written right up until the baking. Instead of putting the casserole into the oven, cover with plastic wrap and put it into the fridge ovenight.
In the morning when you are are ready to bake it, simply preheat the oven to 375℉, remove the plastic wrap and bake.
You may need to add a few extra minutes to the bake time to account for the overnight refrigeration.
⭐Top Tip
If the top of the casserole is getting browned, but you feel like the inside isn't quite cooked through, slide a piece of aluminum foil over the top of it while it finishes cooking.
Storing Leftovers
This cinnamon roll French toast casserole can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can either store the leftovers in the pan you baked it in OR cut it up first and store in individual containers for easy breakfast on the go.
To reheat, simply pop a piece into the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Other Awesome Breakfast Recipes
Did you try this recipe and and love it? 😍 Let me know by leaving a comment below or 5 ⭐ rating!
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📖 Recipe
Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cans refrigerated cinnamon roll dough (10-12 rolls)
- 4 eggs
- 1 cups milk (heavy cream or ½ & ½ work too)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 TB cinnamon
- 1 TB vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ degrees. Spray a 8x11 glass dish with cooking spray. Cut the cinnamon roll dough into 4-6 pieces each and place in the prepared pan.
- Whisk remaining ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined. Pour over the cinnamon rolls in the baking dish, being sure to cover all the pieces. Then, press down a bit to ensure every little bit is covered in the custard mix.
- Bake at 375℉ for 40-50 minutes.
- While the casserole bakes, make the optional icing (if your cinnamon rolls don’t already come with it in the can).
- Once the you take the casserole out of the oven, let it cool for 5-10 minutes before drizzling with icing. Serve and enjoy!
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