Empty Tomb Rolls (Resurrection Rolls)
Empty Tomb Rolls have become an Easter morning tradition in our home. They’re also known as Resurrection Rolls. They’re a simple recipe for young kids and a wonderful way to bring the Resurrection of Christ story to life. A marshmallow dipped in butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar, then wrapped up in a crescent roll. When baked, the marshmallow “disappears!” The best part of eating these is enjoying the sweet caramel-like sauce in the hollow center from the melted marshmallow.
Why you’ll love these Resurrection Rolls:
For 4 years now we’ve been making these for Easter Sunday (or the day before Easter sometimes if we have early church, let’s be real here!) They’re so simple to make, using only 5 ingredients you likely already have most of on hand. My kids love to make them each year and watching magic that happens in the oven making the melting marshmallow dissappear. (or the tomb become empty).
This recipe is special because it gives kids a hands-on activities in a symbolic recipe to learning the story of Easter. My kids remember nearly word for word from the last year as we make this tasty treat and I’m pretty sure it’s because this recipe is a perfect object lesson on and a great visual for kids on what happened to Jesus’ body after he was crucified. If you’re like me, you are also always looking for intentional, great ways of teaching your kids about Jesus while also being fun (and not spending $100!). I hope this Easter season You’ll make these marhmallow rolls to teach the easter story of Jesus and even turn it into an annual tradition.
If you’re looking for other favorite Easter Recipes or ideas for a heartier Easter breakfast with protein to pair with these Empty Tomb Rolls, try my yummy Breakfast Casserole or these Burrito Bowls. If you’re looking for yummy Easter desserts you’re going to love this Carrot Poke Cake or this easy Carrot Cake. As for dinner, you can’t have an easter dinner without fluffy rolls, Cheesy Potatoes, or these yummy Honey Dill Roasted Carrots.
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make these easy Empty Tomb Rolls:
Complete ingredient quantities is in the recipe card below
- Tube of Crescent Rolls (or large biscuits)
- Butter
- Large Marshmallows
- Cinnamon-Sugar mixture
How to make Empty Tomb Rolls. STEP BY STEP and what to say as you make them.
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Hand out a marshmallow to each child- The marshmallow represents Christ’s Body. It’s sinless, pure, and perfect. Even though Jesus was perfect a lot of people hated him because he told people he was God’s son. So they crucified him on the cross.
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Dip marshmallows in melted butter- Jesus’ friends and family were sad when he died but wanted to take care of his body after He died. So, they anointed Jesus’ body with special oils.
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Roll in cinnamon sugar mixture- And then they rubbed special spices on his body to get him ready for burial.
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Wrap the marshmallow in a crescent dough and seal all seams tightly- Then they wrapped his body in burial clothes.
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Place roll in a muffin tin- Then they laid Christ’s body in a tomb. The tomb was sealed with a heavy rock so no one could get in the tomb. Soldiers stood outside the tomb to guard it all day and all night.
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Bake the rolls until golden brown (as the dough bakes, the sugar-coated marshmallows will turn into a sugar syrup)- Jesus was in the tomb for 3 days. After 3 days He rose from the dead!
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Cut open the rolls- Jesus’ friends visited the tomb where they and put His body and it was empty! Jesus had risen! (your roll will be empty)
Recipe Tips
Make sure the rolls are sealed tightly all over or the marshmallow will ooze out and come undone as it bakes.
Get your kids in an assembly line and have each of them in charge of one part of making this fun Easter treat!
For a more delicious roll you can roll the sealed rolls in butter then cinnamon sugar before baking so you have cinnamon and sugar on the inside and outside. This is totally optional and not totally related to the Easter story though.
Storage & Reheating
Like all breads, Empty Tomb Rolls are best if eaten soon after being baked. If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Pop them in the microwave for about 5 seconds to rewarm.
Additions & Substitutions
You can substitute crescent roll dough for just plain biscuits. Make sure you buy large biscuits and not tiny ones. Flatten the biscuit dough so there’s enough space to fold around the marshmallow.
If you are wanting to make totally homemade resurrection rolls and making homemade dinner rolls for Easter, you can set aside a small amount of homemade dough for the Empty Tomb Rolls if you’d like. Flatten a piece of dough (roughly the same amount as you’d use for 1 small dinner roll). You can also use Rhodes Rolls from the grocery store.
Items Needed to make this recipe:
- Muffin tin (or baking sheet if you don’t have a cupcake tin)
- Oven
Frequently Asked Questions – Empty Tomb Rolls
Did you love making these Empty Tomb Rolls with your kids or grandkids? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so rate it and give it a quick review, below, or share on social media.
PrintEmpty Tomb Rolls (Resurrection Rolls)
A super fun breakfast or snack to make with your kids while also helping bring the Easter Resurrection story to life. A marshmallow dipped in butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar, then wrapped up in a crescent roll. When baked, the marshmallow “disappears!”
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 13 minutes
- Yield: 8 Tomb Rolls 1x
Ingredients
1 can Refrigerated Crescent Rolls or large biscuits *see note
8 large marshmallows
3 tablespoons melted butter and
3 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon mixed together in a small bowl
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375F.
Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray.
In a small bowl whisk together with a fork the sugar and cinnamon.
Lay out the crescent rolls so they are flat.
Dip the marshmallow in the butter so it’s coated completely. Let excess drip off.
Roll the marshmallow in cinnamon sugar and place on the crescent roll.
Wrap the crescent roll around the marshmallow and pinch to seal so the marshmallow inside.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.
Let the rolls cool for a few minutes then rip a roll in half to see how it’s empty inside.
Notes
If you use biscuits make sure they’re the large size and that you roll them out flat before you wrap the marshmallow in them. They need to be large enough to wrap around and seal the marshmallow inside. I prefer crescent rolls.
You can use water instead of butter. (butter makes it taste better)
If you want to roll your unbaked tomb roll in butter and cinnamon sugar after sealing, double the butter, sugar, and cinnamon quantities.
Keywords: Empty Tomb Rolls, Resurrection Rolls, Easter Breakfast, Bible Story, Kid Recipes, Recipes to make with your kids
I hope you love this creative way to celebrate the true meaning of Easter and that you have a wonderful Easter time!
