My mom made this awesome cinnamon french toast bake for my son Lucian’s fourth birthday celebration. Of course I’m going to have to share it. It is very sweet and an easy way to feed a crowd. While you can pour syrup on after if you like, I personally feel it is sweet enough without it and don’t even bother adding the extra calories. The recipe is altered slightly to keep it from getting mushy by reducing the amount of eggs and syrup and it works perfectly!
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 2 cans (12.4 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
- 5 eggs
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- Garnish:
- Icing from cinnamon rolls
- powdered sugar
- maple syrup, if desired
- Melt butter and pour on ungreased 13x9 inch glass dish. Separate cans of dough into 16 rolls reserving the icing for later use. Cut each roll into 8 pieces and add to buttered baking dish.
- Beat eggs in medium bowl. Add cream, cinnamon and vanilla and beat until well blended. Pour over cut pieces of cinnamon roll pieces.
- Sprinkle with pecans and drizzle ¾ cup syrup over the top. Bake at 375 for 20 to 28 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 15 minutes.
- Remove the covers from icing and microwave on medium or 50% power for 10 to 15 seconds. (Should be thin enough to drizzle.) Drizzle icing over the top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with syrup if desired. Yum!
Give this delicious recipe a try at your next brunch or celebration! Trust me, it won’t last long if you do! Works great for holiday breakfast, such as Easter or Christmas morning. Hope you love it as much as we did.
This recipe can be found at Pillsbury.com and was altered to suit our tastes.
Beth says
July 2, 2012 at 3:09 pmThis would be awesome with little bits of cooked bacon sprinkled on top!
Jen says
July 11, 2012 at 9:30 amJust made this for breakfast on vacation and it was a huge hit. Everyone adored it!! Thank you!!
Jordan says
July 15, 2012 at 8:42 amMade two bakes for our family vacation and it was a hit! Baked with foil on for the first 13mins and it came out perfectly! Thank you!!????????
Wendy Newby says
July 19, 2012 at 10:16 amLove this recipe, it is SO easy. Love that it is not complicated and easy to find ingredients. Baked this for a busy family as a gift…..one of my 40 Random Acts of Kindness to celebrate my 40th birthday. Thanks for posting recipe!
Wendy Newby says
July 19, 2012 at 10:20 amLoved everything about this recipe! Easy to find ingredients and easy to make. I baked this for a busy family and delivered it to them on my birthday. It was part of my 40 Random Acts of Kindness to celebrate my 40th birthday. Thanks for posting!!! I referenced this site in my post!!
Joan says
July 23, 2012 at 9:05 amI made this and it was delicious! Everyone loved it. You don’t need a big piece as it is very filling. Thanks for the recipe!!
Keelie says
July 24, 2012 at 4:54 pmI plan on making this for breakfast tomorrow. Do you think it would be ok to just use regular whipping cream? I don’t have heavy on hand….thoughts?
Emilie says
July 24, 2012 at 5:20 pmIf you are referring to whipping cream in its liquid form, it should work. If you are talking about some whipped cream in a can or whipped topping, then no. But there are some other substitutes like this one you could try: “To substitute 1 cup of heavy cream, mix 3/4 cup of milk and 1/3 cup of butter/margarine (melted and cooled). Just don’t try to whip this, it won’t work. Many people insist that it can only be substituted with whole milk (as opposed to skim or non-fat) but you can try it in a pinch. ”
Otherwise you could do half and half or evaporated milk but it might not have the same richness/creaminess. Let me know what you end up doing and if it turns out!
Lynda says
July 27, 2012 at 12:38 pmCan’t wait to try this! I love frosting and the packages never seem to be enough, so……. I melt marshmallow creme and butter together and pour over my cinnamon rolls. You know… a little cinnamon roll with my frosting! YUM! Great blog! Keep up the good work!
Diane says
August 23, 2012 at 9:46 amJust made this. Turned out perfect. I was worried as many said it was too soggy. The only different thing I did was instead of measuring the syrup I just poured some on top. I also cooked it the full time and did not cover. Thanks for the recipe. Will be one of my favorites!!
Nicole says
September 7, 2012 at 9:49 pmI would so chopp some thick cut bacon and add it to this…. as if this isnt enough calories already. This is an amazing share, it would be great to have the house filled with the scents of cinnimon and sugar on Christmas morning.
Life's a Bowl says
September 22, 2012 at 8:06 amOh em gee, this looks sinfully delicious! Perfect for a Christmas morning sugar rush 😛
Jenn says
September 30, 2012 at 10:35 amThis is the second time in a week that I’ve made these. I love them beyond a shadow of a doubt. Quite possibly even more than my husband.
I have found out two things from this. 1- The sogginess at the bottom of the pan was mostly syrup, if you have cold leftovers it solidifies a little. I only had 2 eggs in my fridge when I made a half batch and it still came out a little moist on the bottom because of the syrup.
2- The cinnamon rolls that are called “Flaky” don’t work very well. They’re more like crescent roll dough and don’t stay together or have as much cinnamon filling as the regular ones.
I think next I’m going to try the huge ones Pilsbury just introduced in stores. They’re amazing on their own. I bet they’re out of this world in my new favorite breakfast dish.
Elizabeth says
October 2, 2012 at 5:54 amJust made this for breakfast! The house smells soooo good!
And my 13yearold Loved it!!!yea….
will make again and again….
Ashley V says
October 4, 2012 at 10:02 pmThis was delicious! Thanks for the fabulous recipe!!
Heather Schwenk says
October 8, 2012 at 2:53 pmI made this over the last weekend and it was AMAZING!!! My husband and kids couldn’t get enough of it!! THank you for the awesome recipe!
Amanda says
October 9, 2012 at 11:47 amDo you think the syrup is something I could skip or is it important to keep it? I’m just curious, because normally for me the icing makes it sweet enough when it’s a cinnamon roll. I’m nervous of it being overly sweet.
LeahB says
December 11, 2012 at 2:31 pmIt’s important to keep the syrup. Trust me. I’m not a huge sweet person either and something too sweet is ruined for me, but this dish needs that syrup. It’s not nearly as sweet as it sounds, believe it or not, and to me, it needs both the syrup and icing at the end to bring it all together. I love love love this bake!
Stacey says
October 15, 2012 at 4:19 pmIs it okay to prepare this the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning?
Tiff says
November 10, 2012 at 11:48 amYes!
Wendy Gates says
December 24, 2015 at 11:08 pmThat’s what my plan is for tonight. I hope it works! I have a hash brown casserole on stand by
Becky says
October 28, 2012 at 10:27 amHi,
I am anxious to try this. Can this be done in the crockpot?
Melissa says
November 1, 2012 at 1:09 pmI have never met any French Toast that I don’t like – but these far surpassed anything I’ve had before! Many French Toast Casseroles can be mushy or soggy, this was perfect!
My friends and I get together every Sunday to watch football and always have a “theme” for the food we make. A couple of weeks ago was a Breakfast Theme, so of course I brought this casserole. It was devoured in a matter of minutes! Check it out here:
http://www.mycraftysoul.com/2012/11/sunday-football-week-6-breakfast.html
Thanks again for the recipe!
Alicen N says
November 4, 2012 at 7:38 amWords cannot describe how wonderful this was!!! This is my new favorite recipe!!! I must have for everyone’s recipe book!!!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! My family and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVED it!!!!
Emilie says
November 4, 2012 at 8:14 amI am so happy to see that you loved it so much! We do too! 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to comment and hope to see you back again soon!
Segar says
November 9, 2012 at 11:59 amSince I don’t do sugar. I could serve the icing on the side for people who do.
karen says
November 10, 2012 at 10:51 amHow do u cut the pieces? Do u unravel the roll to cut? Or just cut into 8 “pie slices”?
LeahB says
December 11, 2012 at 2:32 pmJust set the roll down just like you would bake it and quarter it. Super easy
Nancy says
November 14, 2012 at 10:54 amOMG, I made this for New Years morning breakfast this year and it was a huge hit!! It reheats really well too!
Ashley Krywko says
November 23, 2012 at 8:15 amI made this for my family on Thanksgiving, and it was amazing!! Thank you for such an awesome recipe, I will make this again and again. Everyone enjoyed it 🙂
Kariel says
November 29, 2012 at 7:14 pmCan I use milk instead of the heavy whipping cream cause all I got is milk.
Emilie says
November 29, 2012 at 7:25 pmKariel, regular milk might work but it will change the consistency. I know you can substitute 3/4 cup milk + 1/3 cup butter for 1 cup of heavy whipping cream. To half that it is 3 ounces of milk and 8 ts. (OR 2 TB + 2 ts) of butter.
Hope that helps!
val says
November 30, 2012 at 11:35 amThis is a brilliant recipe.
Cami says
December 2, 2012 at 6:50 pmI made this a couple weeks back and it was delish, but it was too soggy. So this time I waited to add the syrup until about 8 mins left and then added a cup of syrup all over and baked. The bottom wasn’t soggy and it was still delish!! So just some thoughts 🙂 OHHH and I substituted one of the 2 tsps of cinnamon for pumpkin spice. SO good!!
Marnie Ricci says
December 8, 2012 at 12:03 pmOMG…… MY AMAZING DAUGHTER MADE THIS
FOR ME AS A SURPRISE BECAUSE I WASN’T
FEELING WELL, I KNOW SHE’S AMAZING 🙂
This is the TGE vast thing I have put between
my two lips!!!!!! YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS
ASAP, I PROMISE YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.
We had to fight for the last piece & she said
It was the easiest thing to make 🙂
THANKS FOR TAKING CARE OF ME JULIA
I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON & BACK <3
LaKeysha says
December 10, 2012 at 11:05 amMy favorite breakfast. I love this!
Stefanie says
December 21, 2012 at 9:30 pmI am so excited to try this Christmas morning!
Sara says
December 23, 2012 at 8:42 amI just made this dish this morning and its amazing everyone loved it.
chris says
December 23, 2012 at 1:31 pmdo you think I could use rice milk??
Kelly says
December 26, 2012 at 9:14 amI made this for breakfast yesterday (Christmas) and it was amazingly wonderful!!
Sara says
December 27, 2012 at 7:56 amI made this Christmas morning for a brunch we had at our house. Everyone LOVED it!! Almost everyone asked for the recipe. SO easy and delicious. 🙂
courtney says
December 27, 2012 at 8:57 amthis was a great addition to our Christmas brunch. only question I have is what did I do wrong that caused the bottom to become gummy after it baked?? any suggestions?
Rachel says
March 25, 2014 at 1:22 pmYou can try placing foil in the pan before you put any of the ingredients. This quick and easy trick really helps with anything from sticking to the pans!
liz says
December 29, 2012 at 9:20 amDoes it have to have pecans?
Maggie says
December 29, 2012 at 2:52 pmThis was perfect for the morning after a slumber party. The kids loved it!!!
Linda says
January 1, 2013 at 2:34 pmThis was fantastic! I made it on New years morning and my 15 year old daughter took her first bite and said “oh, mom this just makes me smile”! Not bad for my first meal of 2013.
Donna says
January 20, 2013 at 4:55 pmI made this yesterday. It is
AMAZING!!
I used a slightly bigger pan and it
was not the least bit mushy!
I only cooked it for 17 minutes
and it was done perfectly.
I agree with other posts I read,
it benefits from the real cream
as well as syrup AND frosting.
It was NOT too sweet and the
grandkids have requested it again
for their next visit.
Teresa says
February 21, 2013 at 12:45 pmI am sure this will be a Christmas tradition from now on. Although I could eat this anytime!
Courtney says
February 25, 2013 at 8:25 pmMy family loves this!! I made this Sunday and my Fiance wants me to make this again tomorrow for him to take to work with him for him and the guy he works with! Made my mom and grandparents try it and they also loved it!
Erin Armontrout says
March 7, 2013 at 12:13 amI have made this several times since a link on Pinterest brought me here and it has become my family’s most requested breakfast dish. One little addition to this recipe takes it from delicious to irresistible: banana slices. Just cut up 2 bananas and put them in with the cinnamon rolls and it is heaven in your mouth.
Kristi says
March 10, 2013 at 12:32 pmI just made this dish this morning using the Pillsbury Cinnamon rolls with the cream cheese icing. Very tasty, however since it was my first time making this I can’t say whether or not the cream cheese icing makes any diff. flavor wise. As for the soggy issues some people have had, I decided not to add the entire amnt. of liquid the recipe calls for. I went ahead and blended the eggs, cream, cinnamon, and vanilla according to the recipe directions and just left about 1/4c or so out. I also decided to Bake it for 12 mins before adding the 3/4C syrup. Again, I can’t say if this made a huge diff. or not. I can say that my finished product was very good and not a bit soggy. I baked it the full 28 mins but after about 20 I added foil on top because it was a very pretty golden brown color and I wanted it to stay that way. Also, imo it needs the extra syrup drizzled on top after it comes out (or on the side for dipping). I made 1/2 with nuts and 1/2 without. The pieces with nuts were much more flavorful and we really liked the nice little crunch they provided. I am going to add some extra cinnamon and a bit more vanilla next time around as well but that’s just my personal preference.
Melissa says
May 9, 2013 at 3:41 pmhas anyone made this in crock pot over night to wake up to a cooked breakfast? Wondering how well it would work?
Beth says
July 20, 2013 at 9:05 amI tested this recipe on my friends and family and we all love it!! I did use Rhodes cinnamon rolls instead of canned. Very light and fluffy with a more homemade taste. Thanks for sharing this AMAZING recipe!
Jessica C says
August 26, 2013 at 3:56 pmHas anyone tried preparing the night before or, preferably, freezing?? I would live to have this on hand to pop in the oven when we have company
Grace Behnke says
November 17, 2013 at 8:46 pmGoing to make this tomorrow morning for the guys that are going to roof our house, Going to try Kristi’s way. Need to make sure it turns out delicious. Have a fussy son. Let your know what they all think.