Warm from the slow cooker and covered with sweet icing, this Apple Pie Cinnamon Roll Casserole is the kind of breakfast that makes a weekend morning feel extra cozy. It has soft cinnamon rolls, tender apples, plenty of cinnamon flavor, and a gooey center—and it only takes about 10 minutes to put together.
I especially love this recipe when I want to make something sweet for breakfast without turning it into a whole morning project. Refrigerated cinnamon rolls and apple pie filling keep the prep wonderfully simple, and once everything is layered in the slow cooker, there’s very little left to do.
As it cooks, the cinnamon, vanilla, brown sugar, and apples come together into that familiar apple-pie aroma. Then there’s the best part: the icing goes on while the casserole is still warm, melting over all those soft cinnamon roll pieces. Serve it for a lazy weekend breakfast, add it to a holiday brunch table, or scoop it into bowls with vanilla ice cream and call it dessert.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
There’s a lot to love about this one, but the easy preparation is what makes me come back to it. You’re starting with two convenient ingredients—refrigerated cinnamon rolls and prepared apple pie filling—so you get all that cozy apple-cinnamon flavor without making dough or peeling and cooking a pile of apples.
It’s also made entirely in the slow cooker. That’s especially handy for brunch or holiday mornings when the oven might already be busy with other dishes. Layer everything in the crock pot, pour over the egg mixture, and let it cook on LOW.
And if you’re someone who always reaches for the softest cinnamon roll in the pan, you’ll love the texture here. The edges become more set while the middle stays wonderfully soft and gooey. Add the icing at the end, and it becomes an extra-special breakfast with very little hands-on work.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You only need a handful of easy-to-find ingredients for this apple cinnamon roll casserole. Most of the sweetness and apple flavor comes straight from the cinnamon rolls and pie filling, which keeps the prep nice and simple.
- Refrigerated Cinnamon Rolls – These make up the soft, fluffy base of the casserole. You’ll use the cinnamon rolls in the slow cooker and save the icing that comes with them to spread over the top at the end.
- Apple Pie Filling – This brings the sweet apple flavor without having to peel or cook fresh apples. If the apple slices are large, I like to cut them into smaller pieces so you get a little apple in every bite.
- Eggs – The eggs help bring everything together as the casserole cooks and give the cinnamon roll pieces a soft, custardy texture.
- Half-and-Half or Heavy Cream – Either one works here. It adds richness to the egg mixture and helps keep the casserole tender.
- Brown Sugar – Just a little brown sugar adds extra sweetness and a warm caramel-like flavor that pairs especially well with the apples.
- Cinnamon – There’s already cinnamon in the rolls, but this extra bit gives the entire casserole more of that cozy apple-cinnamon flavor.
- Vanilla Extract – Vanilla rounds out the sweetness and adds another layer of warm flavor to the apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar.
These descriptions explain what each ingredient does without changing the original recipe card or its measurements.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This casserole comes together in just a few simple layers. You’ll start with the cinnamon rolls, add the apples, and then pour a lightly sweetened egg mixture over everything before letting the slow cooker take over.
- Cut each cinnamon roll in 4 pieces.
- Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place half the cinnamon roll pieces in the bottom of the crock pot.
- Spoon half the apple pie filling on top of the cinnamon rolls as evenly as possible.
- Top with remaining cinnamon rolls.
- In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.
- Pour mixture on top of cinnamon rolls.
- Spoon remaining apple pie filling on top. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
- Spread the icing that came with the cinnamon rolls on top of the casserole and serve.
Expert Tips
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. The size matters here. It gives the cinnamon roll pieces enough room to spread out so the center can cook properly. In a smaller slow cooker, the casserole will be deeper and the middle may take much longer to set.
Cut up larger apple slices. If your canned pie filling contains big pieces of apple, chopping them into smaller bites makes it easier to distribute them throughout the casserole. That way, you’re more likely to get cinnamon roll and apple together in every scoop.
Get to know your slow cooker. Some models cook noticeably hotter than others, so 2 1/2 to 3 hours is a useful range rather than an exact guarantee. If yours tends to run hot, start checking the casserole around the 2 1/2-hour mark.
Expect a soft center. This isn’t meant to have the dry, firm texture of a traditional cake. The center is especially soft and gooey, which is part of what makes the casserole so good. You can cook it longer for a firmer middle, but watch the edges so they don’t become overdone.
Recipe Variations
Once you’ve made the apple version, there are a few easy ways to play with the idea. Try using another flavor of canned pie filling, such as cherry, blueberry, or peach, for a completely different fruit-and-cinnamon combination.
For some crunch, sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over individual portions when you serve them. If you’re making the casserole as a dessert instead of breakfast, a drizzle of caramel sauce works especially well with the apples and cinnamon.
You can also experiment with different varieties of refrigerated cinnamon rolls. Cream cheese icing, extra-cinnamon rolls, or other flavored versions can give the finished casserole a slightly different personality without changing the basic method.
Storage & Reheating
If you have leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 3 days. The cinnamon rolls will firm up somewhat once chilled, but they soften again nicely when reheated.
For the quickest option, warm individual servings in the microwave until heated through. I like reheating smaller portions rather than the entire casserole at once so the cinnamon rolls stay soft and the icing doesn’t get overheated.
Serving Suggestions
This casserole is at its best served warm, not long after you spread the icing over the top. For breakfast or brunch, I like the idea of pairing its sweetness with something simple and savory—scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, breakfast sausage, or a fresh fruit platter would all work well.
It’s also right at home on a holiday breakfast table. Because the slow cooker does the cooking, you can serve it alongside other brunch favorites without taking up valuable oven space.
And don’t feel like you have to keep this one strictly in breakfast territory. Serve a warm scoop with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a little caramel sauce, and it easily becomes a cozy apple-cinnamon dessert.
Recipe FAQs
1. Can I use a smaller slow cooker?
I recommend using a 6-quart slow cooker for this recipe. It gives the cinnamon rolls enough room to spread out and cook evenly. In a smaller crock pot, the layers can become too thick and the center may still be undercooked when the edges are done.
2. How do I know when the cinnamon roll casserole is done?
Start checking around 2 1/2 hours. The outside should look cooked and the cinnamon rolls in the center should no longer be raw, although the middle will stay deliciously soft and gooey. Every slow cooker heats a little differently, so yours may need the full 3 hours.
3. Should I cut the apples in the pie filling into smaller pieces?
You don’t have to, but I recommend it if the apple slices are large. Smaller pieces spread more evenly between the cinnamon rolls, so you get plenty of apple in every bite. The original recipe specifically notes that the apple slices can be cut into pieces.
4. Can I prepare this cinnamon roll casserole ahead of time?
Yes. For an easy morning, cut the cinnamon rolls the night before and keep them covered in the refrigerator. You can also whisk together the egg mixture and refrigerate it separately. In the morning, simply layer everything in the slow cooker and cook as directed.
5. Can I use a different pie filling?
Yes! Cherry or peach pie filling are easy swaps when you want to change up the flavor. Just keep the amount similar so you don’t add too much or too little moisture to the casserole.
Slow Cooker Apple Pie Cinnamon Roll Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 tubes refrigerated cinnamon rolls
- 1 1/2 cups apple pie filling, I like to cut the apple slices into pieces
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Cut each cinnamon roll in 4 pieces.
- Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place half the cinnamon roll pieces in the bottom of the crock pot.
- Spoon half the apple pie filling on top of the cinnamon rolls as evenly as possible.
- Top with remaining cinnamon rolls.
- In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.
- Pour mixture on top of cinnamon rolls.
- Spoon remaining apple pie filling on top. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
- Spread the icing that came with the cinnamon rolls on top of the casserole and serve.
Notes
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 704mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 2mg
