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On most days, the wee ones fend for themselves for breakfast. My son will have his Greek yogurt with preserves on it. They’ll make oatmeal. I’ll do a quick scrambled egg for Little Miss. But when we aren’t running somewhere “early” in the morning (and that definitely of early varies if you’re more of a morning person than I am), I love cooking up something special for my family. This past weekend, it was all about cinnamon rolls. Or at least that was my intention. Then I forgot about Mister Man’s Pinewood Derby, and the cinnamon rolls I had made didn’t get eaten because there wasn’t time (because someone forgot what time weigh in was). So Sunday, I took those cinnamon rolls and made cinnamon roll bread pudding instead.
Next time? I may let those cinnamon rolls go stale on purpose.
I started out buying some special cinnamon rolls, which means that of course the cinnamon roll bread pudding had to be special, too. I included the apple filling from the cinnamon rolls in layers in the bread pudding and topped it all with an orange juice glaze. My husband’s eyes glazed over when he took his first bite. And that’s a very, very good thing.
Needless to say, I was forgiven for not given anyone the sweet rolls as promised and being late for Mister Man’s Pinewood Derby. It’s even ok that my camera was magically out of batteries and I didn’t capture any good photo before it died. Everything was forgiven once they took a bite.
Besides, Mister Man won third place in design, so he’ll be moving on to the district level competition, and I’ll get my photos there, right?
I found these Pepperidge Farm Sweet Rolls in the dairy section at Walmart. I was planning to pick up some Florida OJ when I saw a coupon for $1 discount if I bought both a Florida orange juice (hey, already on the list!) and Pepperidge Farm Sweet Rolls. I snagged that coupon, and then headed to add sweet rolls to my cart.
Fortunately, both items are easy to find and near each other, and I picked up some apple sweet rolls, because… yum! There’s also a pecan caramel variety, but apples are just my thing.
Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding
They were super easy to make. Each container has four rolls, and you simply place them two inches apart on a baking sheet – making sure I had my sil pat there so they wouldn’t stick – and press down the center to make a divot to hold the filling included in the package.
I used one package of filling in the 8 rolls I baked and saved the other one to layer in my bread pudding later.
Simply bake them as you normally would, then let them sit on your counter or oven – unsealed – for a day to let them get a little stale, which is exactly what you need for bread pudding.
The next day, slice your cinnamon rolls into chunks. Simply make parallel slices all the way across each roll. The first and last slices will need you to cut them in half the other direction, but it’s a quick and easy process.
Once you’ve cut them into your chunks, mix up your liquids, which is what will create the custard for your bread pudding as it bakes. This isn’t the time to skimp out and use skim milk. Go ahead, use the full fat milk. It makes a huge difference. Mix together the milk, 1 cup of the brown sugar, egg yolks, vanilla bean paste (or extract), cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk it until it’s well combined, then add the sweet roll chunks. Stir to coat, knowing that not all the liquid will be absorbed at this point. It will be later, so don’t panic.
Let the sweet rolls soak in the liquid for a half hour or so, stirring once or twice to ensure they all evenly soak up the liquid. While they’re soaking, butter a two quart casserole dish. Once you’re ready, preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Add a little less than half the cinnamon roll bread pudding mixture to the casserole to create a base. Use half the packet of apple filling to add more flavor to the bread pudding.
Add half the remaining amount and then another layer of apple filling, then top with the last of the cinnamon roll chunks. Cover with the top to your casserole if it’s oven safe or tin foil if not. Bake for 30 minutes. While it’s baking, mix the topping, which helps to create a nice crunchy crust to your bread pudding. Mix the remaining 1/4 cup of brown sugar and butter with a pastry cutter to form pea size chunks.
After the cinnamon roll bread pudding has baked for a half hour, remove it from the oven and remove the covering. Turn up the heat in your oven to 400 degrees so you get that beautiful crust. Sprinkle the sugared butter over the half baked bread pudding, then return it to the oven uncovered to finish baking for another half hour.
Let it cool while you mix up your orange juice glaze. In a small bowl, add your powdered sugar. Add in your vanilla bean paste (or extract) and pour in the Florida orange juice. Use a fork to stir it until it’s fully mixed. If it’s a little too thick, add just a tiny bit more OJ. It’s amazing how little liquid it takes to thin out a powdered sugar based icing.
Drizzle your icing over your semi-cooled cinnamon roll bread pudding. Once it’s cooled for at least a half hour, to allow the custard to set, slice and serve it – with a glass of orange juice, of course!
Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding
A delicious breakfast bread pudding that uses those cinnamon rolls that didn't get eaten. Scale it down if you have fewer than 8, and bake in ramekins if needed.
Ingredients
For the Bread Pudding
- 1 package sweet rolls, apple flavored
- 2 1/2 c whole milk
- 5 egg yolks
- 2 t vanilla
- 1 1/4 c brown sugar, divided
- 1 t cinnamon
- 1/2 t nutmeg
- 1/2 t salt
- 4 T butter
For the Glaze
- 1/2 c powdered sugar
- 1 t vanilla bean paste (or extract)
- 2-3 T orange juice
Instructions
- Bake your cinnamon rolls as directed, reserving half the filling for later and using half the apple filling in the divots you create in each sweet roll. Once they've baked, let them sit out until the next day. You want them a little stale for the bread pudding.
- To make the bread pudding, slice your cinnamon rolls into chunks. Add 1 cup of the brown sugar to a bowl, along with the egg yolks, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and milk. Whisk until thoroughly combined, then add the cinnamon roll pieces to the liquid and stir gently.
- Let the bread pudding mixture sit for a half hour to absorb all the liquid. Stir once or twice while waiting, carefully so the chunks don't get broken up.
- Butter a two quart casserole and preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Place just under half the bread pudding mix into the casserole to form a base. Add half the remaining packet of apple filling in dollops over the bread pudding. Add half the remaining bread pudding mix and another layer of apple filling before the final layer of bread pudding mixture.
- Cover with your oven safe casserole lid or tin foil and bake at 325 degrees for a half hour.
- While the bread pudding is baking, use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut together the remaining brown sugar with the butter until you have pea size chunks. Once the bread pudding has baked for a half hour, remove from the oven and uncover. Turn the oven up to 400 degrees and add the sugared butter over the top of the bread pudding. Return it to the oven for another half hour, uncovered.
- Once the bread pudding has finished baking, let cool. While it is cooling, mix together your glaze. Use a fork to stir together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and orange juice. After a half hour to let the bread pudding set, drizzle the orange juice glaze over it. Slice and serve!
- This will keep in the fridge for two to three days. Enjoy it cold or reheat slightly, depending on your preference.
Notes
Don't have apple cinnamon rolls? You can make this with regular cinnamon rolls, too. Don't frost them, but bake them as usual or use leftover cinnamon rolls!
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 198Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 170mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 1gSugar: 28gProtein: 3g
This site uses an outside source to provide nutrition. If you need exact details, please calculate yourself.
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OOH! I think that your family should never be upset again when you are making breakfast as yummy as this! Totally pinning to my Cinnamon Roll Board!
Great idea! Thank you for the recipe.
Mouthwatering! Pinned!