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Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword bread pudding, cranberry
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 16

Ingredients

  • 1 15-16 oz package Hawaiian Rolls I used either Sara Lee or King's brand
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, washed and drained
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar for topping bread pudding

Caramel Sauce

  • 1/2 cup cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup light or dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream not whipped
  • 1 teaspoon almond flavoring (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • powdered sugar for serving

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven.

  2. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray.

  3. Break each roll in quarters and place sideways to fill the pan.

  4. Blend half and half, eggs, sugar and vanilla in a blender.  When mixed well, pour over top of the rolls evenly.

  5. Sprinkle cranberries and cinnamon on top. Cover with foil.

  6. Bake for 35 minutes, then uncover and bake for 10-12 minutes until light brown. 

For Caramel Syrup

  1. While bread pudding is baking, combine butter, brown sugar and whipping cream in a heavy saucepan.

  2. Whisk sauce until smooth, bring to a boil for one minute, then remove from heat - add vanilla, almond and salt. 

  3. Pour 1/2 cup caramel sauce over the top of the bread pudding after baking, reserving the remainder for individual servings. When ready to serve, sprinkle individual serving with powdered sugar and additional caramel sauce.

Recipe Notes

  • I place the rolls on their side instead of the bottom of the roll directly on the bottom of the pan because the roll is already browned from cooking the first time! If you place the roll with the browned side down, it will often turn very dark brown on the bottom after the additional time to bake the bread pudding. This also applies to savory breakfast casseroles! The simple solution is to bake the rolls on their side.
  • If eggs are small, use enough eggs to equal 1 cup.
  • Use almond flavoring, vanilla, or both. I use both!
  • You can improvise and add chopped nuts and other berries as you like! 
  • This recipe may be made up to 24 hours in advance. If the dish is going to sit in the fridge for over 6-8 hours, make sure to add an additional 1/3 cup of half and half to the egg mixture to prevent dryness!