Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding Breakfast Casserole

We'll be honest. The whole notion of “breakfast in bed” has been totally lost on us. We never made our parents breakfast in bed growing up. We have never been made breakfast in bed. That might be a blessing, as a breakfast in bed with two larger-than-life Golden Retrievers, one of whom is hopelessly addicted to food, could be a messy disaster. However, breakfast in the kitchen is something we can totally get behind. More specifically, an extra-special breakfast on an extra-special day is a fantastic way to start the day.

While most Valentine’s Day food is centered around extravagant dinners and indulgent desserts, we think breakfast deserves a fair shake. Often times, how our morning gets started sets the tone for how the rest the day develops. What better way to start off your Valentine’s Day than with a warm, soul-satisfying breakfast?

This recipe was inspired by a similar one over at The Cozy Apron – using cinnamon rolls in place of bread for a bread pudding is simply genius! We went with that idea and adapted our favorite bread pudding recipe [bourbon bread pudding], omitting the booze and giving it a cinnamon roll makeover. Simply put, this is phenomenal.

You could go all-in and make the cinnamon rolls from scratch, or you can use your favorite store-bought ones. The key is to leave them out to get a little stale, so that they soak up all of that good custard. We are also begging you not to skip the icing. It only takes about a minute to whisk together and puts the finishing touch on this breakfast. We went ahead and added a drizzle of maple syrup, as well, because… why not?!

If we were passing out Valentines tomorrow, we would be dropping one in each of your decorated shoeboxes! We hope you have a wonderful day filled with love! xo

One year ago: Flourless Chocolate Cake
Two years ago: Baked Hot Chocolate
Three years ago: Boston Cream Pie
Six years ago: Thin n’ Crispy Pizza Crust

Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding Breakfast Casserole

Yield: 6 to 8 servings A bread pudding using cinnamon rolls that tastes just like baked French toast.

For the Bread Pudding:

• 6 cups (2.21 kg) cubed cinnamon rolls, from-scratch or store-bought, about 6 cinnamon rolls, left out overnight to stale
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar
• 2 cups (476 ml) heavy cream
• ⅔ cup (162.67 ml) whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

For the Icing:

• ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
• 4 teaspoons heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) vanilla

• Make the Bread Pudding: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, brown sugar, cream, milk, vanilla extract, ¾ teaspoon cinnamon and salt. Toss in the stale cinnamon roll cubes until evenly coated. Let the mixture sit until the bread begins to absorb custard, about 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.
• Pour the bread mixture into the prepared baking dish. Cover the dish with foil, and bake for 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix the granulated sugar and remaining ¼ teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Using your fingers, pinch the butter into the sugar mixture until the crumbs are the size of small peas. Remove the foil from pudding, sprinkle with the butter mixture, and bake, uncovered, until the custard is set, 20 to 25 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F and bake until the top of the pudding forms a golden crust, about 2 minutes. Let the pudding cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours).
• Make the Icing: Whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla until smooth. If necessary, add a teaspoon of powdered sugar or heavy cream at a time to achieve a drizzling consistency. Using a spoon, drizzle the icing over the cinnamon roll bread pudding. Serve immediately. Leftovers should be stored, covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.

Notes

Nutritional values are based on one serving

• Yield: 6 to 8 servings
• Prep: 20 minutes
• Cook: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Total: 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

For the Bread Pudding:

• 6 cups ( 2.21 kg ) cubed cinnamon rolls, from-scratch or store-bought, about 6 cinnamon rolls, left out overnight to stale
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 cup ( 220 g ) light brown sugar
• 2 cups ( 476 ml ) heavy cream
• ⅔ cup ( 162.67 ml ) whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

For the Icing:

• ½ cup ( 60 g ) powdered sugar
• 4 teaspoons heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon ( 0.5 teaspoon ) vanilla

Method

1. Make the Bread Pudding: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, brown sugar, cream, milk, vanilla extract, ¾ teaspoon cinnamon and salt. Toss in the stale cinnamon roll cubes until evenly coated. Let the mixture sit until the bread begins to absorb custard, about 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.
3. Pour the bread mixture into the prepared baking dish. Cover the dish with foil, and bake for 45 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, mix the granulated sugar and remaining ¼ teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Using your fingers, pinch the butter into the sugar mixture until the crumbs are the size of small peas. Remove the foil from pudding, sprinkle with the butter mixture, and bake, uncovered, until the custard is set, 20 to 25 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F and bake until the top of the pudding forms a golden crust, about 2 minutes. Let the pudding cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours).
5. Make the Icing: Whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla until smooth. If necessary, add a teaspoon of powdered sugar or heavy cream at a time to achieve a drizzling consistency. Using a spoon, drizzle the icing over the cinnamon roll bread pudding. Serve immediately. Leftovers should be stored, covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.