Transform a store-bought favorite into a bakery-worthy treat with just a few fresh ingredients. This recipe for Apple Cinnamon Roll Bake is quick and easy, requiring only canned cinnamon roll dough, a quick custard of eggs mixed with cream, and a sprinkling of diced apples. In just 30 minutes, you’ll have a chewy and delicious breakfast that’s perfect for any occasion.
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For each of my pregnancies, I had two major cravings: blueberry bagels and cinnamon rolls. And not surprisingly, each of my kids is a big fan of chewy carbs … after all, they’ve been enjoying them since they were in utero! To satisfy their cravings (and mine!), I have a few tried-and-true recipes that I’ll make, including Easy Sticky Buns with Bacon and Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls. I’m a big fan of shortcut ingredients when it comes to morning baked goods — the sticky buns use store-bought pastry and the cinnamon rolls start with a pound of prepared pizza dough.
So when I started dreaming of a cinnamon roll casserole made with fresh apples, of course I turned to another favorite shortcut: those cinnamon rolls in a can. Chop up the dough, layer the chunks with diced Granny Smith apples, pour a quick custard mixture over the whole thing, and it transforms into a delicious apple cinnamon roll casserole.
Why You’ll Love It
- Ready in 30 minutes. This recipe can be prepped in 10 minutes and takes 20 minutes in the oven, so you can be digging in within half an hour. (And yes, it’s delicious served warm!)
- Only 5 ingredients to buy. Besides the canned cinnamon rolls, you’ll just need butter, apples, eggs and heavy whipping cream (plus cinnamon and vanilla extract from your pantry).
- Great for breakfast or dessert. This recipe is versatile enough that it would be delicious for a breakfast or brunch dish, as well as for dessert. Try serving it warm, topped with vanilla ice cream!
- Perfect fall-themed recipe. With crisp apples and a double dose of cinnamon, this recipe showcases the best of fall flavors.
There are only a few ingredients in this recipe. Most of them are probably in your fridge or pantry right now!
- Butter: Two tablespoons of melted butter coats the pan and adds richness.
- Cinnamon rolls: Don’t overthink it. Grab your favorite can of plain cinnamon rolls from the refrigerator case, the kind that makes eight rolls. I like the Pillsbury ones. Don’t throw out the icing package — you can drizzle it over the baked casserole.
- Apples: If you’re a fan of my site, you probably know by now that I always recommend Granny Smith apples in my recipes (they make an appearance in Easy Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars and another shortcut recipe, Caramel Apple Monkey Bread). They’re tart and stay firm when baked.
- Eggs and heavy cream: These ingredients, whisked together, make a custard that, when baked, thickens and binds everything together, similar to French Toast Casserole.
- Cinnamon: A sprinkling of cinnamon in the custard batter amps up the spicy flavor of the rolls.
- Vanilla extract: No custard is complete without a dash of vanilla extract to add a sweet flavor note!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Starting with a simple can of cinnamon rolls, you can really get created with this cinnamon roll casserole recipe. Try some of the seasonal flavors and varieties of cinnamon rolls like orange or pumpkin spice, and try some of these ingredient variations:
- Different Fruit: While apples are delicious in this recipe, you could try other fruit, too. Chopped peaches, strawberries or raspberries would all be delicious.
- Nuts: Add a bit of crunch by mixing in chopped pecans or walnuts with the fruit and cinnamon roll dough.
- Toppings: A dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of maple syrup would be a nice alternative to the icing.
Got 10 minutes? You have time to whip up this easy brunch or dessert recipe.
- Preheat the oven. With the oven rack in the center position, preheat the oven to 375˚F. Melt the butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave and pour it into a 9-inch round cake pan, tilting the pan to coat the bottom completely.
- Cut up the cinnamon rolls. Separate the cinnamon rolls into eight pieces, then use a sharp knife to cut each roll into eight equally sized wedges. combine the cinnamon roll chunks and the apple pieces in the pan, alternating each so they’re evenly distributed.
- Make the custard. Whisk together the eggs, heavy whipping cream, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Pour the mixture over the dough and apples.
- Bake the casserole. Bake the casserole for 15 to 20 minutes or until the custard is set and the cinnamon roll pieces are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Ice and enjoy! Drizzle the reserved icing evenly over the cinnamon roll casserole, then slice and serve.
- Choose a Crisp Apple: This recipe is pretty sweet, so choosing a crisp, tart apple like Granny Smith, will be a nice contrast to the custardy, sweet cinnamon roll casserole and the sugary icing. Plus a crisp apple will hold up to baking and won’t become mushy.
- Chill the Dough Before Cutting: The raw cinnamon rolls will be easiest to cut straight out of the fridge. Separate them into pieces on a cutting board and use your sharpest knife to cut them into wedges.
- Store It Properly: Because of the egg content, leftovers should be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to three or four days. It can be eaten cold, or you can microwave individual servings for 30 seconds to heat them up.
- Monitor the Baking Progress: Oven temperatures and different baking dishes can affect cooking times. If the custard isn’t set after 20 minutes, continue baking, checking every 5 minutes, until the custard is set and the cinnamon rolls are cooked through.
Frequently Asked Questions
No! Whether or not to peel the apples before chopping is up to you. If you leave the peel on, it will add a crispy/chewy texture; peeled apples will be more tender.
If you don’t have Granny Smith apples, any crisp, tart apple would work well in this recipe. Try Honeycrisp, Pink Lady or Braeburn.
If you don’t have a round cake pan, a 9-inch square pan would work just as well. A nonstick pan is best so the slices of the casserole come out cleanly.
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Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 (12.4-oz.) can refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
- 1 cup small diced Granny Smith apples (peeled or unpeeled)
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Pour the melted butter into a 9-inch round cake pan.
- Separate the can of cinnamon roll dough into 8 rolls then cut each roll into 8 pieces. (Reserve the icing.) Alternately arrange the chopped cinnamon rolls and the chopped apples in an even layer in the baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy whipping cream, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Pour the custard mixture over the cinnamon rolls and apples.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until it is golden brown and the custard is cooked through. Remove the baking dish from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Drizzle it with the reserved icing then slice and serve.
Kelly’s Notes
- Choosing a crisp, tart apple like Granny Smith, is a nice contrast to the custardy, sweet cinnamon roll casserole and the sugary icing. Plus a crisp apple will hold up to baking and won’t become mushy.
- The raw cinnamon rolls are easiest to cut straight out of the fridge. Separate them into pieces on a cutting board and use your sharpest knife to cut them into wedges.
- Leftovers should be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to three or four days. It can be eaten cold, or you can microwave individual servings for 30 seconds to heat them up.
- Oven temperatures and different baking dishes can affect cooking times. If the custard isn’t set after 20 minutes, continue baking, checking every 5 minutes, until the custard is set and the cinnamon rolls are cooked through.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
Overall very good, but need help figuring out why my bottom keeps coming out soggy, and some of the dough even raw.
Hi Ashley – Do you have an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is running at the correct temp? And was the rack in the center of the oven?
These were DELICIOUS!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe, Sally!
Great.
Can you use honeycrisp apples instead of granny smith?
Sure!
Made this as it says and ended up baking it for 35 minutes before the custard was set and the outside was almost burnt.
Hi Kathy – I’m sorry to hear you didn’t have success with this recipe. Ovens and baking pans can cause great discrepancies in baking times. What type of pan did you use?
My daughter loves this, very very good!
Woohoo! So glad to read that!
Can the recipe be doubled?
Absolutely, Trish!
love this recipe…..have some cinnamon rolls in refrigerator. had two and made the first one just like they said on can….didn’t like them so much. Anything to change the taste with fruit and custard is a winner for me.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Donna!
I LOVE how easy these are! I know my family would go nuts for them too!
Thank you so much, Ashley! :)