Carmel Pecan Rolls

The Recipe

Courtesy of: Sarah's Family

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar 
2 tbsp milk
1 pkg vanilla pudding (cook and serve)
1.5 tsp cinnamon
24 frozen dinner rolls
chopped pecans

Thaw the dinner rolls until just soft (about 2 hrs).

In a pot, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar, milk, vanilla pudding, and cinnamon, mixing until well blended.

Grease a 9x13 pan. Put the chopped pecans on the bottom of the pan. Place 12 rolls on top of the pecans. Pour butter mixture over to coat the dough. Place 12 more rolls between the butter covered pieces and pour remaining mixture over to coat.

Let the rolls sit and rise to approximately double the size, about 1.5-2 hrs, at room temperature.

After the rolls have raised, bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and invert the rolls on the cookie sheet.

Tips/Tweaks

Keeping it Healthy

There is nothing to really do to make this recipe healthy. This is a once a year (Christmas Day) family tradition where the diet takes a break for a few days anyways.

Typically, we use sugar-free pudding and unsalted butter which can help reduce the sugar and sodium intake of this dish.

The best frozen dinner rolls to use for this recipe is Rhodes Frozen Dinner Rolls (White). You can also use their bread loaves, cutting them into roll sized pieces.

Fast Version

Typically, we make the sauce and place the rolls in the baking pan the night before and store it in the refrigerator over night. The next morning, remove the rolls from the refrigerator and let them rise for about an hour or so and then bake.

Review

This is a family tradition, back from when Sarah was young, to have the rolls for Christmas morning.  And as a couple, we have continued the tradition. So, not only is it an addicting favorite of ours, but it's a wonderful Christmas tradition!