The Simple Addition That Will Elevate Your Store-Bought Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon rolls are a sweet and indulgent treat that serves as both an acceptable breakfast item and a dessert. But if you're thinking of leisurely waking up and whipping up some cinnamon rolls for breakfast, think again. Homemade cinnamon rolls are made with yeast, which means they take a while to cook. Even a homemade cinnamon roll recipe with quick-rise yeast takes over an hour to rise — not including baking and cooking time.

Canned refrigerator rolls are fine in a pinch but if you really want to level up your breakfast game, cinnamon roll bread pudding is the way to go. Cinnamon roll bread pudding is the mashup of your sweet tooth dreams as store-bought cinnamon rolls make up the bread for the pudding, ensuring extra cinnamon flavor throughout. And in Jessica Morone's cinnamon roll bread pudding recipe, the sleeper ingredient is something you probably already have in your fridge.

Recipe developer Jessica Monroe created an elevated version of cinnamon roll bread pudding by adding pecans for a much-needed crunchy texture. But what really takes the pudding over the top is the addition of heavy cream. She adds cream to the cut-up cinnamon rolls, along with milk, vanilla extract, eggs, and sugar. The heavy cream helps make the custard extra rich and creamy. If you've ever had a dry bread pudding, a poor custard is typically the culprit. 

According to Pretty Simple Sweet, heavy cream makes the richest and tastiest bread pudding. You can use milk, half and half, or non-dairy milk to make a custard, but heavy cream gives the most unctuous, creamy result.

This cinnamon roll bread pudding recipe is the perfect make-ahead breakfast meal and can easily be frozen if for some reason you don't gobble down the entire thing. The milk and heavy cream keep this dish moist, even after freezing. Monroe suggests making some extra frosting to add to the top after reheating. After all, what is a cinnamon roll without the sweet, sticky frosting smothering the top?