Overnight Cinnamon Roll Casserole
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Craving homemade cinnamon rolls but don’t have the time? Try our super easy, quick to prep, overnight Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Casserole with cream cheese frosting instead. This decadent, make ahead recipe is perfect for Christmas morning breakfast or special occasions.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Our pastry chef team member, Rachel Riegel, out did herself with this one! There’s so much to love about this overnight cinnamon roll casserole:
- Mouth-Watering: This decadent, holiday-worthy casserole has a warm bread pudding-like texture with plenty of cinnamon flavor and a cream cheese icing that’s reminiscent of homemade cinnamon rolls. The cream cheese icing helps to add sweetness and a slight tang to offset the richness of the casserole.
- Easy: Like our Blueberry French Toast Casserole, this recipe is super simple and fast to put together.
- Make Ahead: Either make this the night before or prep it for the freezer and use up to 3 months later!
- Holiday-Worthy: This is the perfect make ahead Christmas breakfast. Just put the casserole all together the day before, pop it in the oven the morning of, and enjoy!
- Feeds a Crowd: Works really well for a breakfast potluck like at a tailgate party or work gathering.
Ingredients
The ingredients for the french toast casserole and icing are fairly simple and should be available at most grocery stores. See our notes below.
Ingredient Notes:
- Challah bread – This recipe uses challah (pronounce “holla”) bread, which is a braided Jewish bread made with eggs that’s often found around the holidays. You can easily sub in any kind of brioche bread, if you can’t find challah. The main difference in ingredients is that brioche uses butter and challah often uses oil to keep kosher. I find brioche buns are always in stock at Aldi. One 16 ounce loaf will give you 9-10 cups of bread cubes, enough for this recipe.
- Spice Blend: Any spice blend can be substituted for the apple or pumpkin spice blend.
- Cream Cheese Icing – The combo of real maple syrup (no fake stuff please!) and powdered sugar lend complexity to this icing.
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Casserole
Prep
Grease a 9×13 pan* with butter or cooking spray. Evenly spread bread cubes throughout the pan. Then, in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, maple syrup, 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, apple/pumpkin pie spice, salt, and vanilla until fully combined.
Soak for 4 – 24 Hours
Pour mixture evenly over top of bread cubes, and press down lightly on cubes until they are soaked with the liquid. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil, and refrigerate overnight (or for a minimum of 4 hours).
Prep & Bake
Once the casserole is ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1 tablespoon cinnamon and brown sugar and whisk until smooth. Drizzle mixture evenly over the top of the bread cubes.
Bake the casserole uncovered for 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway, until it is fully set in the middle and the top is toasted.
Cream Cheese Icing
In a small-medium bowl, microwave the cream cheese for 20-30 seconds until very soft to the touch. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. Consistency can be adjusted as needed with additional milk or powdered sugar. Cover and set aside until ready for use.
Once the casserole is removed from the oven, let cool in the pan on a wire rack and drizzle with cream cheese icing while still warm.
What to Serve With Cinnamon Roll Casserole
Can You Freeze Cinnamon Roll Casserole?
Yes, like our Blueberry French Toast or Breakfast Casserole with Hash Browns, you can make this ahead and freeze it.
Freeze for Later:
Before Baking: Prepare the casserole through Step 5. Wrap the dish tightly in several layers of plastic wrap and/or foil. Freeze.
After Baking: Let it fully cool and store in an air-tight, freezer-friendly container (or wrap tightly in several layers of foil or plastic wrap) – before icing. It can typically be stored in the freezer for 1-2 months and still maintain good quality. The icing is best made before serving.
Prepare from Frozen:
Before Baking: Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Set on the counter for 30-60 minutes to come to room temp. Follow Steps 6-9.
After Baking: Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 7-12 minutes.
FAQs
Store cooled casserole and any leftover icing covered, in the refrigerator 4-5 days. Casserole can be covered and frozen after it is baked (without icing) in the freezer for 2-3 months and reheated in the oven until warm throughout.
More Make Ahead Breakfast Casseroles
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Overnight Cinnamon Roll Casserole
Our overnight Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Casserole has a decadent bread pudding-like texture with plenty of cinnamon flavor and a cream cheese icing that’s reminiscent of homemade cinnamon rolls. This super simple, quick, make ahead recipe is perfect for Christmas morning breakfast or special occasions.
Ingredients
Casserole Base:
- 9–10 cups (16-ounce loaf) challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (sub: any type of brioche bread)
- 10 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk of choice
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons apple or pumpkin pie spice
- Pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Drizzle:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
Cream Cheese Icing:
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons milk of choice
- Pinch salt
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Prep Pan: Grease a 9×13 pan* with butter or cooking spray. Evenly spread bread cubes throughout the pan.
- Liquid Mixture: In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, maple syrup, 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, apple/pumpkin pie spice, salt, and vanilla until fully combined.
- Soak: Pour mixture evenly over top of bread cubes, and press down lightly on cubes until they are soaked with the liquid. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil, and refrigerate overnight (or for a minimum of 4 hours).
- Prep Oven: Once the casserole is ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cinnamon Drizzle: In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1 tablespoon cinnamon and brown sugar and whisk until smooth. Drizzle mixture evenly over the top of the bread cubes.
- Bake: Bake the casserole uncovered for 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway, until it is fully set in the middle and the top is toasted.
- Cream Cheese Icing: In a small-medium bowl, microwave the cream cheese for 20-30 seconds until very soft to the touch. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. Consistency can be adjusted as needed with additional milk or powdered sugar. Cover and set aside until ready for use.
- Finish: Once the casserole is removed from the oven, let cool in the pan on a wire rack and drizzle with cream cheese icing while still warm.
- Store: Store cooled casserole and any leftover icing covered, in the refrigerator 4-5 days. Casserole can be covered and frozen after it is baked (without icing) in the freezer for 2-3 months and reheated in the oven until warm throughout.
Freeze for Later:
Before Baking: Prepare the casserole through Step 5. Wrap the dish tightly in several layers of plastic wrap and/or foil. Freeze.
After Baking: Let it fully cool and store in an air-tight, freezer-friendly container (or wrap tightly in several layers of foil or plastic wrap) – before icing. It can typically be stored in the freezer for 1-2 months and still maintain good quality. The icing is best made before serving.
Prepare from Frozen:
Before Baking: Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Set on the counter for 30-60 minutes to come to room temp. Follow Steps 6-9.
After Baking: Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 7-12 minutes.
Notes/Tips
Cooking Notes:
- *The type of pan you use will determine how long it cooks. Rachel R. used a ceramic dish and it took 25-30 minutes. A metal dish may be on the lower end of that cooking time range. A glass dish may take even longer to get cooked through, up to 35 minutes.
- If cream cheese icing contains lumps, microwave for 5-10 seconds at a time and whisk vigorously. Small flecks of cream cheese in the icing are okay.
Ingredient Notes:
- If challah is unavailable, any type of brioche bread can be substituted. One 16 ounce loaf will give you 9-10 cups of bread cubes.
- Any spice blend can be substituted for the apple/pumpkin spice blend.
Variations:
- Sprinkle 1 cup of pecans, walnuts, raisins, chocolate chips, or peeled, diced apples on top of casserole before baking.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder to cream cheese icing.
Recipe Contributor: Rachel Walters
Pastry Chef Rachel Walters developed and rigorously tested this recipe for Thriving Home.
Rachel grew up in northern Michigan with a family that loved to cook and bake. She attended a career center for culinary and baking and pastry arts in high school and went to college at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. She graduated in August 2023 with a Bachelor’s in Food Business Managment and Baking and Pastry Arts.
In her free time, she loves to read, listen to true crime podcasts, go on walks, travel, and spend time with her husband.
Find more of Rachel’s desserts here.
Photos and video by Whitney Reist of Sweet Cayenne.
Served on Christmas morning and my grandsons aged 6 & 5 loved it. They both had several servings. The boys are visiting and have requested it for breakfast. This dish was a huge success.
Love to hear this Kim. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
This was so easy and delicious! Talk about time saver if you are craving that cinnamon roll flavor!
Thanks for the comment, Whitney. So glad you all enjoyed it.