This Stuffed Hawaiian Roll French Toast Bake recipe is the perfect sweet and savory breakfast. Each sweet roll is stuffed with a brown sugar cream cheese filling and topped with a candied bacon crust. You can make it head of time or after resting for 15 minutes.
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What is Hawaiian Roll French Toast Bake with Bacon & Brown Sugar
This Hawaiian Roll French Toast Bake recipe is a delightful fusion of sweet and savory flavors.
Just imagine: each fluffy Hawaiian sweet roll, filled with a luscious cream cheese and brown sugar filling, creating a perfect harmony of creamy and sweet.
The pièce de résistance is the candied bacon crust, a crispy, caramelized topping that adds a delectable crunch and a savory smoky flavor, making each bite an irresistible blend of textures and tastes.
The beauty of this dish lies in its versatility; you can prepare it in advance or let it rest for just 15 minutes before baking, making it a convenient choice for both planned gatherings and spontaneous cravings.
And if you want to make it vegetarian, simply leave off the bacon but add a little butter in its place.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the filling
- Cream Cheese - You could also use mascarpone cheese.
- Brown Sugar - If you're not into brown sugar, you could try another sweetener like coconut sugar or something like maple syrup.
- Cinnamon - Not a fan of cinnamon? Try a dash of nutmeg.
- Salted Butter - I swear the salt just adds something special. If you're using unsalted butter, be sure to add an additional pinch of salt.
For the French toast bake
- Hawaiian Rolls - No sub for Hawaiian Rolls.
- Eggs - You can try to use vegan eggs but to be honest, I haven't subbed out the eggs for another ingredient.
- Half N Half - You could also use milk, the higher fat the better. Feel free to swap it out for a vegan alternative like unsweetened almond milk.
- Cinnamon - A dash of nutmeg can work if you're not into cinnamon or just leave it out.
- Vanilla Extract - You could try another extract like butter, rum or even almond extract.
- Crumbled Bacon - I recommend getting the pre-cooked crumbled bacon that comes in a little container. If you want to use regular bacon, just make sure it's not too crispy because you don't want it to burn in the oven.
- Brown Sugar - You can leave off the brown sugar if you don't want it to have the sugar crust.
How to make it
Making Hawaiian Roll French Toast consists of a few easy steps.
Make the filling. Add cream cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon and salted butter to a bowl and mix until combined. Set aside.
Make the french toast batter. In a medium sized bowl, beat together eggs, half n half, cinnamon and villa extract and set aside.
Make the sliders. Cut the Hawaiian Sweet Rolls in half and smear the bottom half with the filling. Place the top half of the sliders back on.
Prep the Baking Dish: Grease a baking dish with butter then add the stuffed sweet rolls. Pour the French toast batter over the top of them and let it soak in for at least 15 minutes or overnight.
Bake the French Toast: Before baking, sprinkle the bacon crumbles and brown sugar over the top of the buns.
- If baking them right away (after resting for 15 minutes), then place in the oven at 350F degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and 160F degrees in the middle.
- If baking after resting overnight, cover with foil and bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes. Remove the foil after the first 15 minutes or until golden brown and 160F degrees in the middle.
What goes with Hawaiian Roll French Toast Bake with Bacon & Brown Sugar
This easy breakfast casserole works really well with my Jimmy Dean Sausage Gravy & Biscuits, these Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes, or this Bacon and Cheese Strata.
If you want more tasty breakfast recommendations, try one of these:
- Hawaiian Roll French Toast
- Hawaiian Roll Breakfast Sliders
- Easy Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit
- Cheesy French Onion Crockpot Potatoes
- Shortcut Stuffed Bagels
Frequently asked questions
What makes Hawaiian bread unique?
Hawaiian bread stands out with its distinctively soft and fluffy texture, combined with a subtle sweetness, derived from a unique blend of ingredient. It's basically a versatile star the bread world. Its tropical twist adds a hint of island charm, elevating it from ordinary bread to a delightful culinary experience.
Why is my French Toast Casserole Soggy?
Your french toast might be soggy because you used too soft bread or had too much batter. Luckily, Hawaiian Rolls are thick and fluffy so they absorb the batter really well.
Can I make this dish vegetarian?
Absolutely! To make this stuffed french toast meat-free, sImply leave off the bacon and add a few pads of butter on top to help crisp the brown sugar.
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Recipe
Stuffed Hawaiian Roll French Toast Bake with Bacon & Brown Sugar
Ingredients
For the filling
- 8 oz. Cream Cheese room temperature
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 4 tablespoon Salted Butter
For the French toast bake
- 12 ct. Hawaiian rolls
- 3 Eggs
- ¾ cup Half N Half
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 6 slices Thick Bacon crumbled
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar
Instructions
- Make the filling. Add cream cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon and salted butter to a bowl and mix until combined. Set aside.
- Make the batter. In a medium sized bowl, beat together eggs, half n half, cinnamon and villa extract and set aside.
- Make the sliders. Cut the Hawaiian Sweet Rolls in half and smear the bottom half with the filling. Place the top half of the sliders back on.
- Prep the Baking Dish. Grease a baking dish with butter then add the stuffed sweet rolls. Pour the French toast batter over the top of them and let it soak in for at least 15 minutes or overnight.
- Bake the French Toast Casserole: Before baking, sprinkle the bacon crumbles and brown sugar over the top of the buns.
- If baking them right away (after resting for 15 minutes), then place in the oven at 350F degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and 160F degrees in the middle. If baking after resting overnight, cover with foil and bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes. Remove the foil after the first 15 minutes or until golden brown and 160F degrees in the middle.
