Awesome Christmas Morning Cinnamon Rolls

Here is my version of some seriously awesome Christmas morning cinnamon rolls.  The best part is that you make them the night before and then all you have to do is pop in a pre-heated oven on Christmas morning. 

I got the original recipe from the flylady website ages and ages ago, but it was never quite cinnamon-y enough for me.  As long-time readers know, I can never leave well enough alone and I've tweaked it through the years to add more cinnamony-sugary-yummy goodness.

We love these.  They get made pretty much only at Christmas these days because they are so ooey-gooey-delish and sugary but not exactly health food (which is fine for the holidays, but not something I want to be eating every day, right?).  Whenever I've brought them out for a special occasion or a "company's coming" breakfast, this recipe is always a huge hit.

Here's the recipe:



Christmas Morning Cinnamon Rolls

12 to 24 unbaked frozen cinnamon rolls (These have to be the regular frozen cinnamon rolls made with yeast dough, not the quick bake ones and NOT frozen cinnamon rolls labeled "quick rise" -- those will not work, sad to say.  If you can't find frozen cinnamon rolls at your store, use the original Flylady recipe and use frozen roll dough to make some "monkey bread" instead.)
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 large box instant french vanilla pudding mix
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 c. pecans, chopped small
1/2 c. butter, melted (1 stick)
1/4 c. coarsely chopped pecans

Lightly grease a large (at least 9x13 for 12 rolls, but it depends on how many rolls you are using as to how big the pan needs to be) baking pan with cooking spray. Place frozen rolls into the pan. Mix together brown sugar, pudding mix, cinnamon and chopped pecans. Sprinkle sugar mixture over all of the rolls evenly, tucking down in the sides of the pan, too, where there are spaces. Pour melted butter over the top. Then sprinkle with the remaining coarsely chopped pecans.

Cover with saran wrap that has been sprayed on the side touching the rolls with some cooking spray (they tend to stick otherwise), and leave overnight at room temperature to rise.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.  I preheat the oven, make my coffee, and then wait for the oven to beep and pop in the rolls in between The Peanut opening presents -- easiest Christmas breakfast ever in the morning.

The frozen cinnamon rolls that we buy come with a couple of packets of cream cheese frosting. I let that thaw in the refrigerator overnight, too.  We like to squeeze that on top of the rolls after they bake as we are eating them. Seriously yummy stuff.

Hope your Christmas season is as warm and cozy as ours has been so far. We'll be baking some cookies for Santa the rest of the week. Can't take any chances with the cookie plate not being quite awesome enough, according to The Peanut, who fervently believes in the power of lots of sprinkles.

The merriest Christmas to one and all.

(Photo via framboise.)