All-American Cinnamon Roll French Toast (Print)

Cinnamon roll meets French toast in a cozy, crowd-pleasing breakfast casserole topped with sweet glaze.

# Ingredients:

→ Casserole

01 - 2 cans (8 rolls each) refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
02 - 4 large eggs
03 - 1 cup whole milk
04 - 1/4 cup heavy cream
05 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
06 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
07 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
08 - Pinch of salt

→ Topping

09 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
10 - 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
11 - 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

→ Glaze

12 - Reserved icing from cinnamon rolls
13 - 2 tablespoons softened cream cheese (optional, for a thicker glaze)
14 - 1 tablespoon milk

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - Open the cinnamon roll cans and reserve the icing. Cut each cinnamon roll into quarters and distribute the pieces evenly in the prepared baking dish.
03 - Whisk the eggs, milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl until combined.
04 - Pour the custard mixture evenly over the cinnamon roll pieces, ensuring all are thoroughly soaked.
05 - In a small bowl, combine melted butter and packed brown sugar. Drizzle this mixture over the casserole and sprinkle with chopped pecans or walnuts if desired.
06 - Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown and the center is set. If top browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the final 10 minutes.
07 - Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
08 - In a bowl, whisk reserved icing with cream cheese and milk until smooth. Drizzle over the warm casserole.
09 - Slice and serve warm, optionally garnished with maple syrup.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Uses easy refrigerated cinnamon rolls so there is no fussing with dough
  • Comes together in about an hour from start to finish
  • Can be assembled ahead for overnight baking
  • Perfect for entertaining or treating your family on lazy mornings
  • Kids and adults always ask for seconds
02 -
  • Great for prepping the night before so you can bake straight from the fridge
  • Freezes beautifully in portions for easy weekday treats
  • Vegetarian and truly kid friendly
03 -
  • Always bake uncovered initially for the crispiest golden top but keep foil handy to tent the casserole if it browns too quickly
  • For bakery style icing whisk in a dollop of cream cheese to the reserved icing
  • Let the casserole sit briefly before slicing so the layers stay neat and the custard holds together
  • I have made this with both pecans and walnuts for topping and both are equally delicious but sometimes nothing beats the cinnamon roll swirls all on their own

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