Cinnamon Roll French Toast Egg Bake
Our Weekend Cinnamon Roll French Toast Egg Bake: Kitchen Chaos Turned Cozy
You know, I still remember the first time I tried making this Cinnamon Roll French Toast Egg Bake – honestly, it was supposed to be a regular cinnamon rolls morning (the kind where you dust flour over everything except your actual dough) and, well, let’s just say the dough had other plans. So, I switched tracks and threw together what’s now a family favorite. Somewhere between French toast and those sweet, gooey cinnamon buns, this bake is just the right amount of sweet… and forgiving if you’re a bit bleary-eyed. My youngest once declared it “like if bread pudding had a cinnamon roll for a best friend.” That about sums it up. Oh, and if you hear a mysterious crunch underfoot while assembling this? That’s just some rogue sugar…or my dog’s latest snack discovery.
Why You’ll Love This – Or, Why It’s a Regular in My House
I make this when I’ve had enough of standing at the stove flipping French toast slices one by one — seriously, who has the patience before 10am? The smell alone (reminiscent of those malls in the ’90s where you could smell cinnamon rolls three shops away) is worth it, but my crowd loves it because the middle stays all soft and custardy while the top is golden and crisp. I like that you can toss it together the night before and forget about it til morning. My biggest pet peeve is when baked things are too sweet, but here, you can pull back or go wild with the icing. Once I accidentally doubled the vanilla… not a disaster, actually pretty pleasant!
The Ingredients (And What I Swap In)
- 2 cans refrigerated cinnamon rolls (I use the classic Pillsbury, but literally any store brand will do. When I’m feeling fancy, I make my own – but that’s rare…)
- 5 large eggs (sometimes I use 4 if that’s all I’ve got left by Sunday)
- 1/2 cup milk (whole milk makes it creamier, but you can totally use 2% or even oat milk if that’s your jam — almond’s a bit thin, but go for it if you prefer)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract (honestly, the generic stuff is fine here – sorry, Grandma!)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (sometimes I don’t measure, just shake it in; freshly ground if you have it, but McCormick works great too)
- Pinch of salt (I skip this half the time and it’s fine. But it does *something*)
- (Optional) 1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts — my lot is divided on nuts, so I add ’em to just one half
- (Optional) 1/4 cup raisins — no one here likes them, but put ’em in if you do
P.S. If you’re out of refrigerated rolls, brioche bread with a cinnamon-sugar sprinkle and a drizzle of melted butter works decently, though it’s not quite as gooey.
How to Make It (A Very Manageable Morning)
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (about 180°C) and grease up a 9×13-inch baking dish. Butter works best here, but I’ve used spray in a pinch.
- Pop open those cinnamon roll tubes (carefully, those things always make me jump) and cut each roll into about 6 chunks. Scatter those delightfully messy bits across your baking dish. (This is where I usually swipe a raw dough bit, even though I probably shouldn’t.)
- In a big bowl, whisk together your eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and that pinch of salt. Pour the custard mix all over the scattered rolls, trying to hit every piece. Don’t stress if some bits stick up — actually, those get nice and crunchy.
- If you’re going for nuts or raisins, sprinkle those on now. Or both. Or neither. No rules here.
- Bake it for 30–40 minutes. Check around the 30-minute mark: the top should be golden, and if you give the dish a wiggle it shouldn’t slosh much. But if it looks a bit wobbly in the center, just give it five more minutes. It always freaks me out at this step, but it settles as it cools.
- Let it cool for about 10 minutes unless you like burning your mouth (learned that the hard way). While it’s still warm, drizzle over the icing that came with the rolls, or make your own quick glaze with powdered sugar and milk if you forgot to save the packets… which, yes, I’ve done.
Now, go ahead and steal a corner bit. I always do.
Notes from My Trials (And Occasional Errors)
- Leaving it in the fridge overnight? It actually comes out even more custardy and delicious, but make sure to cover it tight. Learned this after the first time I forgot and it dried up a bit — oops.
- Once I tried tossing in frozen blueberries. It looked pretty but made it a bit soggy, which is… fine if you like that. Just don’t overdo the fruit.
- The top can look weird halfway through baking – almost mottled and dry. Resist the urge to poke it; it evens out, promise.
Tweaks and Variations I’ve Dabbled With
- Sometimes I swap in apple pie filling (the canned stuff) instead of nuts; the cinnamon apples meld right in. Maybe too sweet for some, but my uncle swears by it.
- Once, for a birthday brunch, I added a handful of chocolate chips. It was… edible, but probably a bit much for breakfast. Hey, you live and learn.
- Lately I’ve seen folks (like over at Sally’s Baking Addiction) making something similar with croissants! Croissants are expensive round here, so haven’t tried it…yet.
Equipment: What You Need (And What You Don’t)
- 9×13-inch baking dish: Glass or ceramic. I’ve used a foil tray in a crisis (college days!), but watch the cook time as thin pans run hotter.
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk (or a fork, frankly)
- Knife or kitchen scissors for snipping the rolls (try scissors if you’ve got kids helping – much less mess on your counters)
If you don’t have a 9×13, two 8×8 pans work fine. Actually, I once shoved it all in a deep cast iron skillet – took longer but the edges caramelized a treat.
How to Store Leftovers (Not That I Get Many!)
Honestly, this bake vanishes within a few hours at my place, but on the rare occasion there are leftovers (like that one time my neighbor showed up with donuts), it stores tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to three days. When you reheat, do it in the oven or toaster oven if you want crispiness; microwave if you want it gooey all the way. But, if you ask me, I think it tastes even better the next day; maybe that’s just me clutching at excuses to eat breakfast for a midnight snack.
How We Serve It At My Table
I love to pile on fresh berries — raspberries or blackberries if I’ve just been to the farmers’ market (“berries make it healthy,” or so I tell myself). My sister-in-law insists on maple syrup, so I just leave the bottle on the table (Canadian maple syrup here, if you ask me!) Next-level is a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream. Or just go classic and eat it straight up while everyone else is still shuffling around in their slippers.
Honestly, Some Pro Tips You Might Learn The Hard Way
- Don’t rush the bake. I once tried broiling the top for extra color; it burned in seconds, and my house smelled like charred sugar for a week.
- Spray or butter your dish – a lot. Otherwise, the corners stick and you’ll be muttering under your breath while trying to serve it.
- If you’re prepping the night before, give it a good stir in the morning to make sure nothing dry is hiding in the corners. I sometimes forget and end up with a few crunchy corners, which aren’t bad, just surprising.
FAQ – Real Questions From Friends (and One Nosy Neighbor)
Q: Can I use homemade cinnamon rolls?
A: Totally! If you have the time and patience. I rarely do, which is why I love this “shortcut” version so much. But if you’ve got some dough on hand, cut it up and follow the same method.
Q: Do I have to let it soak overnight?
Nope – you can bake it straight away. If you’re doing it overnight, more of that custard soaks in, which is lovely, but not required. Both work.
Q: Any way to make this dairy free?
Ha, my cousin has asked this like three times. Use non-dairy milk (I like oat) and swap the icing for a quick glaze of powdered sugar and splash of non-dairy milk, like I mentioned earlier. The Pillsbury cinnamon rolls are technically dairy free, though check the package just to be safe – ingredients can change.
Q: What’s the best part: the crunchy edges or the gooey middle?
Now, that’s a house divided. I go for the gooey middle, but my partner lives for those caramelized corners. If you want more crunch, bake it a bit longer; gooier, just bake until barely set.
Q: Can I freeze it?
Yep, portion it out and wrap it really well. Reheat in the oven for the best texture. I do think it’s a smidge drier after freezing, but nothing syrup can’t fix, right?
And now, if you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading my ramblings — I’d love to hear how it turns out (or if your dog manages to sneak a piece, too).
Ingredients
- 2 cans refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing (16.3 oz each)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
Instructions
-
1Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter.
-
2Cut each cinnamon roll into 4 pieces and spread evenly in the prepared baking dish. Set aside the icing for later.
-
3In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon.
-
4Pour the egg mixture evenly over the cinnamon roll pieces. Drizzle melted butter and maple syrup over the top.
-
5Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until the casserole is puffed and golden brown.
-
6Remove from oven and immediately drizzle with reserved cinnamon roll icing. Serve warm.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Did you make this recipe?
Please consider Pinning it!!
