This Cinnamon Roll French Toast is made with refrigerated cinnamon buns sliced thick, dipped in a vanilla custard, and pan-fried until golden, then finished with the included cream cheese icing thinned into a glaze.

It’s cinnamon rolls and French toast combined into one breakfast, without picking sides.

I make this for weekend mornings when regular French toast feels a little plain, and it comes together just as fast since the dough is already pre-made. It’s a fun one for kids to help drizzle the glaze on.

If you like sweet, over-the-top breakfasts like this one, these are worth trying too:

Sweet Breakfast Cinnamon Roll French Toast with Cream Cheese Glaze

Ingredients You’ll Need

A tube of refrigerated cinnamon rolls (the kind that comes with its own icing) makes this one fast, since you get both the bread and the glaze topping in one package.

Ingredients

1 tube (12.4 oz) refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp butter, for the pan
2 tbsp milk, to thin the icing

Directions

Bake the cinnamon rolls according to the package instructions, but pull them from the oven about 3 minutes early, while they’re just barely set.
Let them cool for 10 minutes – they need to be firm enough to slice without falling apart.
Set the included icing packet aside for later.
Once cooled, slice each cinnamon roll in half horizontally, giving you two thinner rounds per roll.
In a shallow dish, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon.
Dip each cinnamon roll slice into the custard, coating both sides but not soaking too long.
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Cook the dipped slices for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown.
Work in batches, adding more butter as needed, and keep the cooked slices warm in a low oven.
This one goes quickly once the pan is hot, just so you know, since the slices are thin and already partially baked.
Keep an eye on the heat so they don’t brown too fast before warming through.
Arrange the cooked slices on plates.
Warm the included icing packet for a few seconds in the microwave, then whisk in the extra milk to thin it into a pourable glaze.
Drizzle the glaze generously over the warm French toast slices.
Serve warm and enjoy!

Important Recipe Notes

Slightly underbake the cinnamon rolls before slicing. Fully baked rolls can be harder to slice cleanly and may fall apart when dipped and cooked a second time.
Let the rolls cool before slicing. Warm dough is soft and tears easily. A 10-minute cool makes them firm enough to slice into clean rounds.
Don’t over-soak the slices in the custard. These are already soft from the dough, so a quick dip on each side is enough – too long and they fall apart in the pan.

Thin the icing with milk, a little at a time. The icing from the tube is thick on its own, and a splash of milk turns it into a glaze you can actually drizzle.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat briefly in the microwave or a toaster oven.
This is best made and eaten the same day, since the texture is best right after cooking. It doesn’t hold up as well for meal prep as a plain French toast recipe.

How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe

Serving:

Serve warm, right after drizzling with the glaze, while everything is still soft and gooey.

This is rich enough to be a standalone breakfast, though fresh fruit on the side is a nice contrast.

Storage:

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Reheat briefly in the microwave or a toaster oven, adding a fresh drizzle of glaze if the original has soaked in.

Customization:

Add a sprinkle of chopped pecans on top of the glaze for crunch, or swap the vanilla for maple extract in the custard.

A dusting of cinnamon sugar before serving adds an extra layer of flavor.