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These Overnight Caramel Rolls start with a bag of frozen Rhodes rolls and transform into warm, gooey caramel rolls with minimal effort. Set them up before bed and simply bake in the morning.

Why these Caramel Rolls are great

My sister in law shared this recipe with me several years ago, and it has become a staple for my family for a fun, but easy breakfast treat.

• Quick to Make: Because you’re starting with frozen dough, you skip the mixing, raising, and kneading of dough used in traditional caramel roll recipes.
• Set it and forget it overnight: Prep takes about 10 minutes, then you let the dough balls thaw and rise while you sleep.
• Crowd pleasing: The sweet caramel sauce is comfort food at its best, but it’s not overpowering. The rolls are light and fluffy, making this a great treat for Christmas morning, birthdays, brunch, bridal showers or lazy weekends.

What are Rhodes Rolls

You have probably seen the signature orange bag of Rhodes rolls in the freezer section of your grocery store. They are frozen, pre-made dough balls that you simply thaw, rise and bake for “home baked” style dinner rolls.

I always have a bag on hand in my freezer, and when I’m ready to bake, I place them in a greased pan, let them thaw and rise (either at room temperature or overnight in the fridge), then bake them until golden. I like to serve them with butter along side my Crispy Oven Baked Chicken with corn and mashed potatoes, or for dipping in soups like Italian Sausage Soup or Creamy Buffalo Chicken Soup.

Because these rolls are so simple, they are perfect as the base for sticky caramel rolls as well. I’m all about little shortcuts to save some time in kitchen.

Ingredients

• Frozen Rhodes dinner rolls
• Butter
• Brown Sugar
• “Cook n Serve” style pudding packet
• Cinnamon
• Vanilla
• Optional: chopped pecans

How to make Overnight Caramel Rolls

Prep your pan-Thoroughly grease a 9×13″ baking dish with cooking spray or butter so nothing sticks.

Lay out the frozen rolls -Open the package and place 24 of the frozen rolls in the pan evenly (space them a bit so they have room to expand).

Make the caramel sauce – In a small saucepan, melt 1/2 cup (one stick) of butter over medium heat. Stir in 1 cup brown sugar, a 3oz packet of vanilla pudding, 1 tsp of cinnamon, and 1 tsp of vanilla. Gently stir until smooth. Note: if you want to add chopped pecans, stir them into the sauce as well.

Add sauce and store – Drizzle caramel mixture evenly over the frozen rolls. Spray the underside of plastic wrap, then add the wrap over top of the pan.

Let rolls rise overnight– I leave my rolls on the counter and let them rise overnight. You can also store them in the refrigerator overnight if you prefer.

Bake in the morning– When you’re ready, preheat oven to 350°F and remove plastic wrap. If you refrigerated rolls, set them on counter and let them come to room temperature while oven heats up. Bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.

Serve – Let the rolls rest 2-3 minutes after baking. Since the caramel sauce will have dripped down the the bottom of the baking dish, you will need to “flip” the rolls right side up to serve. To serve rolls one at a time, simply use a large spoon or spatula to scoop a roll out and gently flip it onto plate. Spoon some additional sauce from pan over top.

To serve all 24 rolls at once, lay a large serving tray upside down over baking dish, then flip the pan and tray to invert the pan over a platter. Most of the caramel syrup will come with is, but use spatula to scrape anything left behind, and drizzle over the rolls on tray. Serve warm.

What to serve with these caramel rolls

• coffee or hot chocolate
• fresh fruit
• yogurt
• bacon or sausage
• an egg bake like this breakfast casserole or this quiche.

Leftover Storage, Freezing + Reheating

STORE:

To preserve the caramel sauce, these rolls are best kept covered at room temperature a short amount of time (1-2 days).

Fridge:

For longer storage, store in refrigerator for  2-3 days, in an airtight container to keep fresh.

Freezer:

Let mini pancakes cool completely, then transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Reheat instructions:

Microwave: Place roll on plate and heat in 20- 30 intervals until heated through.

Oven: 325°F for 8–10 minutes (cover with foil so the tops don’t over-brown).

FAQ’s