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These delicious rolls are the perfect object lesson for kids on Easter morning that teaches the reason for celebrating Easter. My Empty Tomb Rolls are a tradition in our family and have really become a family favorite. Plus I have a secret tip to help keep the rolls together while baking.
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Resurrection Rolls
Whether you call them Empty Tomb Rolls, Resurrection Rolls, Resurrection Buns, or Resurrection Biscuits…they are a fantastic way to explain the Easter story to young kids.
I’m always searching for creative ways to teach my children Bible stories. My kids learn better with hands-on activities while we are talking and then being able to visualize what we are talking about. Every Easter we always make Resurrection Cookies on the night before Easter Sunday and these homemade resurrection rolls on Easter morning. I first heard about Empty Tomb Rolls several years ago and I know they are all over the web now, but I’ve got one trick up my sleeve that makes them pretty much foolproof.
From my research years ago, most people complained that the resurrection buns opened during cooking allowing the marshmallow and all the goodness to flow right on pan leaving behind a sad and pathetic roll…that doesn’t help when trying to bring home the point of the story.
Resurrection Rolls Lesson
To teach the story of Easter with this Resurrection Bread Story, read the story from the Bible found in Matthew 27-28, Mark 15-16, Luke 23-24 (my favorite version), and/or John 19-20. (If you are not familiar with the Bible the same story is recounted by these four men…the story is virtually the same but is found in these four places in the Bible.) I’ve included a little legend for how to relate the story to the Empty Tomb Rolls, just in case you couldn’t figure it out.
Jesus —marshmallow
After Jesus died on the cross he was wrapped in linen— roll in butter and cinnamon
Jesus put into tomb — crescent roll dough
3rd day Jesus has risen & no longer in tomb — open cooked roll to find NO marshmallow
Looking for Gluten Free Empty Tomb Rolls…..you’ll find them HERE!
Watch how easy these Empty Tomb Rolls are to make!
Empty Tomb Rolls
Teaching kids about the true meaning of Easter with Empty Tomb Rolls is easy and makes a lasting impact...and they taste good too!
Ingredients
- 1 (10 ounce) package jumbo refrigerated crescent rolls
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 8 large marshmallows
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare muffin pan (preferably jumbo muffin pan) with non-stick cooking spray.
- Separate rolls into eight triangles and set aside. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Dip each marshmallow into butter, then roll in cinnamon-sugar and place on a triangle dough. Pinch dough around marshmallow, sealing all edges. Make sure to seal well or all the marshmallow will escape.
- Dip tops of dough into the remaining butter and then into the cinnamon-sugar. Place roll with the sugar side up into prepared muffin cups.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 13 - 15 minutes. Eat warm.
- OPTIONAL: Read the Easter story from the Bible found in Matthew 27-28, Mark 15-16, Luke 23-24, and/or John 19-20. If you are not familiar with the Bible the story is recounted by these four men...the story is virtually the same but is found in these four places in the Bible.
- Jesus —marshmallow
- After Jesus died on the cross he was wrapped in linen— roll in butter and cinnamon
- Jesus put into tomb — crescent roll dough
- 3rd day Jesus has risen and no longer in tomb — open cooked roll to find no marshmallow
- © Around My Family Table
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 rollAmount Per Serving: Calories: 419Total Fat: 19.5gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 15.5mgSodium: 48.2mgFiber: 1gSugar: 13gProtein: 2.3g
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I loooove this recipe and analogy! I went over to my sister’s hours and she made these—oh my sweet goodness, these are scrumptious!!! I want to make these, but I have everything but a cupcake tin, and I know I could borrow one from a neighbor, but I’m Just curious—could these be made in a cake tin, a Bundt cake tin, or on a regular cookie sheet?
Hi Caitlyn, so glad you love it. You can absolutely bake them in whatever you have on hand. The muffin tin just helps them stay together a little better. Enjoy. w-
Would mini marshmallows work? That’s all we have…
Hi Kim,
I’m sure they would work for the recipe, just use 5-6 of them. However, the “story” that goes with the rolls would be off since there is only one Jesus that was put in the tomb. So, you’ll need to adjust how you tell the story. 😉 w-
I wish I knew about these when my kids were little! What a great way to spend time with the kids in the kitchen and also share the faith. Thanks for the great post and recipe!
Such a great way to tell a story!
what a fun idea
I love this idea and can’t wait to make it with kids:)
I’ve wanted to try these for a long time! Thanks for an amazing recipe and all the extra tips!
What a fun lesson for the little ones to learn about the resurrection. I’m sure both the kids and adults will enjoy these rolls, too!
I have never heard of these before! But they sound delicious and what a great Easter recipe!
These rolls are delicious and I love how you turned this into a teaching lesson kids can understand easily!
I love this, I have never heard of them, but they look amazing. I can’t wait to make them.
Love this rolls it look so yummy.
The kids are going to love a lesson they get too help make and EAT! Looks delicious.
I love these so much! I used to make these when my children were small and I’m so happy to have found your recipe. Such a great recipe to make with little ones.
I love these – they look wonderful! And what’s better than a (delicious) hands-on learning experience!
I shared a link to your recipe on one of my new blog posts about how to celebrate Jesus at Easter: http://www.cornbeanspigskids.com/2018/03/7-simple-ways-to-celebrate-jesus-at.html. We love making Resurrection Rolls each year.
Thank you so much for sharing! w-
I found this on Pinterest and made it this morning. Delicious and easy! Thanks so much. My kids are tween/teens, but we still talked about the symbolism involved before putting it in the oven. I’m so glad you shared this idea.
Hi Mary, so glad you made them with your kids even though they were older. It’s always a good to remember Christ’s sacrifice for us. w-
I made these this year; thank you for sharing! This was too easy, and I might have to make them more than just around Easter! My only complaint is that I couldn’t control myself and ate an entire batch all by myself in one afternoon! O.O
I’m so glad you loved. They are an easy alternative to cinnamon rolls for sure! wendy
You ! Are an answer to my prayers!! I, for the first time ever , am a Sunday school Teacher!! We take turns as teachers , and bring all the children together for the bible story , and then go back to small groups, in different age groups. This Sunday is MY time! On EASTER!! I can use these rolls, the scriptures you gave and the bible story, along with your story behind these rolls , to explain the Crucifixion and Resurrection to children ,from 2 years old ,all the way to 13 years old! I am still a little nervous…..but, now I have a wonderful way to teach……. to me!……….. The most important day of the year!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!
It IS the most important day of the year! I’m so excited that you will be using these rolls as a lesson for your Sunday School class. It really is helpful for the kids to have a visual they can relate to in order to understand what Jesus did for us. Please tag me in any photos you share…I’d love to see how they turn out. w-
These rolls are just too neat! I have never heard of them before but found them on Pinterest! Sound easy, delicious and I love that they are inspired by scripture. My nieces and nephews would love to do this! Great post and thanks for sharing!
They are super easy Lauren! Plus they taste amazing! 🙂
We’ve always enjoyed making these, but we’re gluten free now. Any ideas how to do the empty tomb “gluten free?”
You can use the gluten free flour mix from jules gluten free (they also have a recipe to make your own) and use in any crescent recipe subbing this where all purpose flour is called for, or google many of the wonderful gluten free recipes.One of my mom’s favourite gluten free recipe sites is baking beauties.
Thank you for sharing! Definitely I’ll try them! Have never heard about them, but I like that narration and a game are combined) Thank you!
these are absolutely wonderful at Easter, either hot or cold, and are always a HUGE hit…..a little something you could add to your narrative is that the marshmallow represents Jesus, the butter and cinnamon represent the annointing oils that were rubbed on him after He was taken down from the Cross, the crescent dough represents the linens He was wrapped in, and the oven represents the tomb…..
I really like your version of the symbolism. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took Jesus’ body and prepared it for burial using an embalming ointment of myrrh and aloe (cinnamon and butter) and wrapped it in linen (dough), and placed it in the tomb (oven) Jn.19:38‑42 The women wanted to add additional spices on the 3rd day, but his body had already risen (Lk 24:1-3)
I’m sorry but reading this out of context…
“After Jesus died on the cross he was wrapped in linen — roll in butter and cinnamon”
..is hilarious.
Yes..out of context that would be pretty funny. 🙂
I think the best part is Jesus = marshmallow.
Your pictures are fantastic, and I love how you rolled the dough around.
I’ve done these before with my daughters and they are a lot of fun. Our recipe did not have pics :o)
So glad I found your blog.
-Amanda
These are so adorable!! Very creative 🙂
They tasted like little monkey bread, but so much easier! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hey I tried this for the Easter and found it was very easy to do .I even went the extra by spicing it up with peanut butter which the kids loved . Thanks so much for these simple yet wonderful ideas.
You’re so welcome! Glad to hear your family loved them.
We used your recipe this past week for Easter. Not only were they easy but they tasted great and my boys really took away something special. I’ll be linking my blog post to your site. Thanks so much!
Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m so glad your family like them and made the day a little extra special. 🙂
Do these taste good cold or do you need to heat them up before hand?
We ate them right out of the oven…we couldn’t wait. But we did have some at room temp too and they were just as good.
Love this- you could even add that just like the linens (cinnamon) bound Jesus, the guards (cinnamon again) bound the tomb! Might have to make these! Thanks
Great idea Jenny!
I’ve never heard of these before. I have been looking for a dessert my grandson can eat due to his allergies. This one would work, and it will tie in perfectly for our Easter dinner! Thank you so much for sharing, I will be doing this while we read the story from the Bible. I know he’ll love the dessert and the meaning behind it.
Debbie 🙂
Oh my gosh, that is sooooo cool! How the heck do you come up with such great things all the time?? Love it!
Thanks Jodi! 🙂
These are so neat! Love it!