Add extra magic to your Christmas morning this year with these "elf" sized Caramel Rolls! A can of crescent rolls makes this a super simple brunch recipe you can easily pull together in mere minutes.
This warm treat will have you and your loved ones up and ready to "Rock around the Christmas Tree".
Pair these irresistibly soft, fluffy rolls covered in luscious caramel sauce with a hot breakfast casserole and fresh fruit to have everyone begging for more!.
Heavenly Inspiration
So what exactly are Caramel Rolls and what makes them so great anyways? Think of all your favorite breakfast classics combined into one. Oh, yes! I am talking monkey bread meets cinnamon rolls, meets sticky buns wrapped up into one for a bite size piece of heaven.
One thing that makes this recipe all that more appealing is it's ingredient list! With a few pantry staples and can of crescent rolls you can have this ready to serve up with minimal effort! Plus, lets talk about the time you save by using a pre-made dough!
No mixing or kneading or having to wait for dough to rise, yes please! Let's get real, nobody's got time for that ... especially on a holiday morning! Give yourself a break, this year! Holiday and week day mornings are busy enough. The next time you are craving a warm breakfast treat use this recipe as your go to. It will be here to help you spend more time with your family and less time standing in the kitchen. Spend more time together AND serve something everyone can enjoy together, sounds like a win-win to me!
Pro Chef - Mom Hack
Here is even an extra tip to cut back on the time spent baking on those hectic mornings. Prepare this the night before so you can pull out and place in the oven the next morning! Just follow the instructions as normal in the recipe card below to assemble your caramel rolls in the pie dish. Here are some step by step photos to guide you along on your way.
Then, instead of placing in the oven to cook, generously spray plastic wrap with nonstick spray and cover the dish to place in the fridge. In the morning take the dish out of the refrigerator and place in a warm spot for 20-30 minutes while the oven pre-heats. Pick up where you left off and bake as normal!
Make it Your Own
Now for the fun part! As always, one of the best parts of baking is being able to make any recipe your own! If we may, here are a few suggestions to get your inner chef inspired!
- Looking for an additional punch? Add a teaspoon of ground clove or nutmeg to the cinnamon sugar mix before sprinkling on the crescent dough.
- Wanting added texture and earthiness? Add a cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the caramel sauce in the bottom of the pan.
- Maybe you are looking to sweeten the deal? Sautéed apples would add an extra flavor to guarantee knocking everyone's socks off. (If looking for guidance in how to sauté apples check out our favorite recipe from our friends for that here. For this particular recipe I would recommend removing the skin of the apples.)
Still working on the rest of the menu?
Have no worries. We've got your back. On the hunt for other recipes to fill your Christmas morning menu? Check out our favorites we believe would pair perfectly alongside this warm ooey-gooey show stopper.
All you need is Christmas Morning Caramel Rolls to get your holiday or weekend started off right! No matter when you choose to serve them, the smell of these bad boys will have everyone eager to roll out of bed and make their way to the kitchen!
📖 Recipe
Bite Sized Caramel Rolls
Ingredients
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 2 ½ teaspoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉ and prepare a 9" pie pan by greasing it thoroughly. Set pan off to side.
- Combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup on the stove over medium heat. Once butter is melted add milk and vanilla to sauce.½ cup brown sugar, 5 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, 2 ½ teaspoons milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Stir constantly over low to medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Make sure not to burn the sauce or allow it to seize up. When heating less is more here.
- As soon as sauce is combined and has a creamy, syrupy consistency pour sauce into the bottom of the pie pan. (If adding extra toppings like chopped nuts or small diced apples add them to pie pan now.)
- On clean surface roll out crescent dough breaking it into four seperate rectangular sections. Pinch together seams of the triangles within each individual rectangle section. (For further guidance observe the video above.)1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
- In a small bowl combine sugar and cinnamon, then evenly spread mixture over the dough.2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Starting on the long edge of each rectangle gently begin rolling the dough in on itself so each section resembles a log. Cut dough logs into one inch sections to create cinnamon rolls.
- Transfer all rolls to the syrup filled pie dish. There should be space between each roll in the dish so it has space to grow while baking.
- Place pan in the oven and allow to cook for 15-18 minutes. Once dough is cooked through remove from oven.
- Immediately turning the pie pan over on a flat serving dish or pizza pan so caramel rolls can release from the pie tin. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- Be certain to thoroughly grease bottom and sides of pie tin. You could also line the bottom of pie dish with parchment paper if preferred.
- Add chopped pecans or semi-sautéed apples to the pie tin after you have poured in sauce if desired.
- It is highly unlikely but if you have any leftovers you can store them by covering in air tight container on the counter for 1-2 days or in refrigerator for 3-4 days.