We have recently joined the King's Hawaiian Roll fan club! For the longest time, they weren't a kosher product, so they were a no go for us. But recently that changed, and we are all in on those sweet, puffy, perfectly square little rolls. So what did I do? Found a way to make them into a Hawaiian Roll French Toast Casserole.
As a busy mom of 3 kiddos, we eat a lot of French toast around here. Challah French Toast, Sourdough French Toast, "any bread I find" French toast 🤣 are always on the menu. I even "French toasted" leftover pound cake last weekend. I also love coming up with new ways to get those same flavors without standing over the stove all the time.
In another 7-ingredient or less win, I've managed to turn Hawaiian sweet rolls into the lightest, fluffiest, creamiest French toast bake I've ever made. Think of it as French toast souffle, without the worry and work of a real souffle. It's like eating clouds! You are gonna love it!
10 Minutes from start till oven
The best part of this recipe is that the custard for this recipe is different than my other French Toast recipes. It's more like a souffle batter than a traditional custard you would coat your bread in. It whisks up quickly in one bowl, then gets poured over the torn up rolls.
The whole thing comes together in less than 10 minutes. Mix up the optional (but not really optional) topping and bake away!
Ingredients
- Hawaiian Rolls: Hawaiian rolls are a sweet bread roll that originated in Hawaii. They are delicious on their own and even better baked up in this breakfast casserole. The most popular brand is Kings Hawaiian and I use the original flavor in this recipe. You can get them in almost any grocery store. Any other brand of Hawaiian roll can also be substituted here.
- 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.
- Streusel Topping: While it's optional, it mixes up in just a minute and adds so much yumminess to the French Toast bake. If you have the extra time, make it! You won't regret it.
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 8x11 glass dish with cooking spray. Tear the Hawaiian rolls into pieces and place into prepared baking dish.
Then, whisk remaining ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined.
Pour over the Hawaiian 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.
Next, make the streusel by mixing the ingredients together with a fork (or fingers) until well combined. Sprinkle streusel over souffle and bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes.
You'll know that the Hawaiian Roll French Toast Casserole is done, when its 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.
Storage tips
This Hawaiian Roll breakfast bake 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 it a piece into the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Variations
- Make it dairy free: swap the milk and yogurt for their dairy free equivalents
- Add fresh fruit: Add in blueberries to the torn bread and then cover the whole thing in the custard. Drizzle with blueberry puree when it comes out of the oven.
- Swirl in fruit puree: Strawberry puree or cherry puree work well. Simply swirl into the custard mix before pouring it over the Hawaiian rolls.
- Make it dessert: Top each piece with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce on top
Other Uses for Hawaiian Rolls
- These egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches are awesome on the sweet and soft roll.
- Cut the whole pan of Hawaiian rolls in half and make mini grilled cheese sandwiches or tuna melts in the oven.
- Make a 6-ingredient Hawaiian Roll Cinnamon Roll without waiting for any dough to rise.
More Easy 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
Hawaiian Roll French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 18 Hawaiian Rolls Kings Hawaiian Brand - Original
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
- 2 cup milk
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 TB vanilla extract
Make the Topping
- ¼ cup butter softened
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- Pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 8x11 glass dish by spraying well with baking spray.
- Tear the Hawaiian rolls into pieces and place into prepared baking dish.
- Whisk remaining ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined. Then pour over the Hawaiian rolls in the baking dish being sure to cover all the pieces with the custard mixture.
- Make the streusel by mixing the ingredients together with a fork (or fingers) until well combined. Sprinkle streusel over souffle and bake at 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes.
- When the top is browning and the center is set you'll know the dish is ready to take out. There will still be a little "jiggle" when it's done, but the center should not be liquidy.
Lisa I says
This was really yummy. I doubled the topping and made the entire batch a little bigger for a 9x13 (24 rolls). It was very easy to make. It puffed up a bit and the edges got a little brown. Definitely a hit with the family.
Andrea says
This was surprisingly delicious. I had a similar recipe using sliced baguette bread and soaking it overnight before baking and was looking for a quicker and easier take and this is it! I also added cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg to the mix before pouring over the rolls. Next time I’m going to try vanilla Greek yogurt and separating the rolls into tops and bottoms and putting them in rows on their sides. Curious if this will give it a more uniform serving and more traditional French toast look and less of a bread pudding appearance. Overall, we enjoyed it and I’m excited for my next batch.
Marni Katz says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Dorothea says
Really delicious especially if you add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the filling!
Taryn says
This was a great recipe! Everyone went back for seconds. I used a 9x13 pan, vanilla Greek yogurt, and added cinnamon. Thank you!
Marni Katz says
I'm so glad you loved it!
Marni Katz says
So easy and so delish for my weekend brunch!