Cozy Overnight Christmas Morning Cinnamon Roll Casserole
This overnight cinnamon roll casserole is everything you want on Christmas morning—warm, gooey, and made with zero effort while you’re still half asleep. It’s the recipe that saved my holiday that frantic Christmas Eve, and it’s been our family tradition ever since.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 8 hours 45 minutes (includes overnight refrigeration)
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 24 frozen dinner rolls (like Rhodes or Bridgford)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk (or heavy cream)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Butter the dish (5 minutes): Grease your 9×13 baking dish generously with butter.
- Layer the frozen rolls (5 minutes): Arrange the frozen dinner rolls in the dish in rows, slightly touching. Do 4 rows of 6 rolls.
- Make the caramel mixture (10 minutes): In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until smooth. Pour this evenly over the frozen rolls.
- Pour the cream (2 minutes): Slowly pour the heavy cream over the entire dish.
- Cover and refrigerate (overnight, 8-12 hours): Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap, then with aluminum foil. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to 12.
- Bake (30-35 minutes): In the morning, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove the dish from the fridge while the oven heats. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the center is set.
- Make the icing (5 minutes): While the casserole bakes, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, and beat until creamy.
- Cool and ice (10 minutes): Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes before drizzling with icing.
Notes
Heavy cream is non-negotiable for the best texture; half-and-half makes it thinner. If rolls don’t look doubled in size after 8 hours, let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. Use room temperature cream cheese for the icing to avoid lumps. Let casserole cool 10 minutes before icing to prevent melting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12 of casserole
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 28
- Sodium: 320
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 48
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 6
Keywords: overnight cinnamon roll casserole, Christmas breakfast, pull-apart rolls, caramel, easy breakfast casserole