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posted by Christy Denneyon Mar 26, 202472 comments »
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Empty Tomb Rolls or Marshmallow Delights – easy cinnamon sugar rolls with a melting marshmallow inside. These are a great symbolic dessert recipe for Easter. We make these every year for Easter with the kids. Even when it’s not Easter, these are a tasty and quick dessert.
RESURRECTION ROLLS
The generosity shown to me after I had my third son Wes was unbelievable. Not only did my church friends bring in meals for 5 days but my friends brought in 4 meals after that.
Usually I have food issues. I’m not sure where it stemmed from. Maybe it’s just that I have found one too many hairs in food. Anyway, unless I know you well…and know that you are a clean cook, I am wary of your food.
A bit snobbish, but it’s the truth. After I had the baby, however, I didn’t even think about any of that. I was humbled and truly grateful for everyone’s willingness to help make a meal.
My friend Wendy is an amazing cook and brought in these babies as dessert with her meal. The marshmallow melts inside the roll creating a juicy sauce. It’s like an inside out cinnamon roll.
I have heard these referred to as “Empty Tomb” rolls that can be made at Easter. They are easy to make with kids and they invite the opportunity to explain aboutthe resurrectionbecause the disappearing marshmallow is supposed to represent Jesus being risen.
Symbolism of Empty Tomb Rolls:
- Large marshmallows – body of Jesus
- Crescent roll – the wrapping of Jesus’ body or the tomb.
- Melted Butter – oils of embalming
- Cinnamon and sugar mix- spices used to anoint Christ’s body.
- Oven – the tomb
- Cavity in bun – the empty tomb or the empty cloths
HOW TO MAKE EMPTY TOMB ROLLS
- Separate rolls into eight triangles. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Dip each marshmallow into butter, roll in cinnamon-sugar and place on a triangle. Pinch dough around marshmallow, sealing all edges. Make sure to seal well or all the marshmallow will escape.
- Dip tops of dough into remaining butter and cinnamon-sugar. Place with sugar side up in greased muffin cups. It helps to use jumbo muffin tins so that the juice doesn’t overflow.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until rolls are golden brown. Allow to cool slightly then eat warm.
Other Easter Recipes:
- Easter Bunny Cake
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Coconut Macaroons
- Moist Carrot Cake
- Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Loaded Mashed Potatoes
- Funeral Potatoes
- Watergate Salad
“Empty Tomb” Rolls
4.39 from 73 votes
Empty Tomb Rolls or Marshmallow Delights - easy cinnamon sugar rolls with a melting marshmallow inside. These are a great symbolic dessert recipe for Easter.
PrintPinRate
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
Total Time: 25 minutes mins
Servings: 8 rolls
Ingredients
- 1 8 ounce or 12 ounce package refrigerated crescent rolls (the bigger size makes it a little easier to wrap around the marshmallow)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 8 large marshmallows
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
Instructions
Separate rolls into eight triangles. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Dip each marshmallow into butter, roll in cinnamon-sugar and place on a triangle. Pinch dough around marshmallow, sealing all edges. Make sure to seal well or all the marshmallow will escape.
Dip tops of dough into remaining butter and cinnamon-sugar. Place with sugar side up in greased muffin cups. It helps to use jumbo muffin tins so that the juice doesn't overflow.
Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until rolls are golden brown. Allow to cool slightly then eat warm.
Notes
Source: my friend Wendy
Serving: 1grams
Cuisine: American
Author: Christy Denney
All Recipes Bread Desserts Easter Recipes Holiday Recipes
published on Mar 26, 2024
72 comments Leave a comment »
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72 comments on “Empty Tomb Rolls”
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Wesley Tibbets — Reply
I had never heard of Empty Rolls until I tried your recipe. I love what the recipe represents and the recipe itself is delicious. Thank you!
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Christy Denney — Reply
You’re welcome! Glad you liked it!
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April — Reply
These were so yummy!!! Doubled the recipe and it was perfect for our little family gathering. They loved them!! Thank you!!❤️❤️❤️ Bonus was the lesson given to my son as we prepared them together. Breaking them open to find them empty was excellent!!
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Christy Denney — Reply
So happy to hear!
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Rita — Reply
I’m going to use puff-pastery here instead of the crescent rolls, as I don’t have anything else on hand. If I can remember, I’ll tell you how it goes. Me and my mother made these before with crescent rolls, and they were amazing, so I’ll see how much of a difference these future ones will have.
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Shambala — Reply
I made these for years with my mom, yeast dough from scratch. .. . but we called the “April Fool Buns” due to the fact when you bit into them, you discovered they were hollow. . .lol
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Christy Denney — Reply
Ooh that’s fun! The kids love them.
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Shafiq — Reply
Some suggestions: If using crescent rolls, fold the narrow end over the larger end to make more of a square. Lightly flour a cutting board and roll the dough out a bit, making a square if possible. Place the coated marshmallow in the center and brush the edges of the dough with water – you can use your fingers. Then fold the dough up and seal the edges by squeezing. The water helps seal the dough.
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Regina — Reply
I’ve heard of other Easter desserts, but never this one. Love the idea! I can’t wait for Easter (or maybe sooner since this is just June, lol)!
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Christy Denney — Reply
Ha we love this one!
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Carol M — Reply
These are the cutest things!
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Christy Denney — Reply
Thank you!
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Carla Eng — Reply
I cannon find this recipe any where? Can you please post it or send it to me? Thank you.
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Christy Denney — Reply
Carla,
It’s at the bottom of the page. That’s strange. Maybe try a different browser!
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Terry Woodhull — Reply
I like this site very much
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Maryann Willis — Reply
I have tried every way to get the Empty Tomb Rolls recipe! Where is it; better yet, please sent it to me. I can’t eat chocolate , and love cinnamon and sugar!!! Love your recipes!
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Christy Denney — Reply
Just emailed it to you!
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Maryann Willis — Reply
I am searching for the Empty Tomb Rolls recipe! Please send it to me. I love you wide range of recipes; most I share with my daughter in So. Calif. Thanks a bunch!
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Christy Denney — Reply
It’s above Maryann!
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Olivia Smith — Reply
Made these this morning for Easter morning. Delicious and the family loved them. Thank you!
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Christy Denney — Reply
Awesome to hear. We made them Friday!
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Megan — Reply
Hi! I’m excited to try these rolls this weekend. I work with the kids at my church and would love to share this recipe with them on our Facebook page. Would that be okay?
Thank you-
Christy Denney — Reply
Of course! Recipes are meant to be shared.
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dv8 — Reply
i do not know what refrigirated crescent rolls are. if i were to replace it with homemade dough, what kind of dough to use? yeast? pastry? cookie?
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Christy Denney — Reply
I would use a pastry or yeast dough. Any bread dough will work.
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I’ve made these for five times they are amazing huge success! I will say I use the jumbo crescent rolls it’s easier to keep the marshmallow inside with that. — Reply
I’ve made these for five times they are amazing huge success! I will say I use the jumbo crescent rolls it’s easier to keep the marshmallow inside with that
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Christy Denney — Reply
Ooh great tip. Thank you!
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Syl — Reply
What a fabulous recipe!! I am thrilled you shared this with everyone.
I found your site through the pizza monkey bread recipe which by the way is absolutely tasty.
I am enjoying browsing through some of your recipes. Thumbs up! Way up! Great site-
Christy Denney — Reply
Thank you Syl!
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Chris Mergener — Reply
I have been looking for this recipe forever! I used to make these back in 70’s and lost the recipe. It is a fun recipe to make. Thank you for posting. ☺
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Christy Denney — Reply
You’re welcome!
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Krista — Reply
Has anyone tried this with homemade dough? My family and I really, really dislike the store-bought crescent dough BUT we really, really want to try this recipe!
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Tina — Reply
My family makes these every year for Easter. We call them resurrection rolls. I use homemade bread dough and they turn out great! I give each grandchild a ball of dough to roll out then follow the recipe just as written. They really look forward to them!
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Christy Denney — Reply
Homemade dough would work great!
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Judy — Reply
This recipe was a National Pillsbury winner many many years ago. I have been making them for over 20 years.
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Christy Denney — Reply
Oh! Good to know!
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Lynda — Reply
Can you add me to your emailings. I could not find a place to join, thx
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Celeste — Reply
We just made these and not only did my kids devour these but they had so much being able to help make these. Such a cute Easter activity.
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Mrs. P — Reply
We just used your recipe in my junior class to make Tomb Bread in celebration of Easter. Turned out great. Thanks for including a re-cap on the symbolism. Muffin tins not necessary: we just put them onto a baking sheet (which is probably easier for cleaning after).
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Christy Denney — Reply
Ooh! I don’t know why I haven’t tried that.
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joey — Reply
Okay, one of my favorites. We actually learned to make these in 7th grade co-ed HomeEc class and I have made them ever since. They are wonderful w/ choc. chips, or a smidge of strawberry jam inside w/ the marshmallow as well! Enjoy
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Boo Goblir — Reply
I just saw this posting on pinterest. I got a kick out of your name “the girl who ate everything” but then you admit you “won’t eat other people’s foods unless you know them really well….which is just how I am.
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Michelle — Reply
My husband made these this afternoon for Easter dessert. He put them in part way through dinner so that they were nice and warm for serving. SO YUMMY fresh out of the oven.
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Sandy — Reply
This recipe was originally called “Magic Marshmallow Crescent Puffs” and one the Pillsbury Bake-off contest in 1969. My mom’s been making them ever since, and now so do I. You can also drizzle with powder sugar icing and chopped pecans if you want.
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Brittany — Reply
So I could theoretically use the Pillsbury biscuit dough instead of the crescent roll stuff, right? These look delicious.
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Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything} — Reply
Sure. I love the texture of crescent rolls but biscuit dough would work too.
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Marianette — Reply
Hi! Could you please shed some light on what “crescent rolls” are? I live in New Zealand and would love to make this for Easter, but have no idea what our equivalent here is. I’m so glad I found your website!!
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Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything} — Reply
Shoot. Sorry. They are like buttery rolls. You could use any dough here instead.
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Nina — Reply
It is the dough used for croissants…….
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dee — Reply
I love these, the whole idea, awesome. Going to share these with my friends in a women’s group. THANKS
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Shannon — Reply
We made these in my jr. high school home economics class, only instead of crescents we used biscuts. They are sooo good and literally the first thing I ever made that people raved about. My ward used to have a bake sale to raise money for girls camp and this was the recipe I always made and we would sell out after two or three stops (we did a trunk bake sale and traveled around the neighborhoods in our ward).
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Unknown — Reply
I am so glad I found your blog! A few years ago Sonic came out with Cinnamon poppers for a few months and I made a point of eating there more often just to get them. Now I can make them for myself.
Thanks for posting this and I can’t wait to make them with my grandkids.
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Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything} — Reply
@iggyaa,
Yes, store bought marshmallows is what I used and they do disappear! -
iggyaa — Reply
Do regular, store-bought puff marshmallows work? I thought that they would just get toasty? If standard marshmallows work in these, then I’m going to try them next weekend!
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instantinsurance — Reply
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miami web design — Reply
Wow is amazing I love this product and is delicious and perfect for kids too, thanks for the recomendation
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Tristan — Reply
My roommate and I used to make these – we always called them Moose Knuckles though. No idea where the name came from!
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Ben N — Reply
My wife and I are trying these tonight (Easter Sunday) with our 9-month old son (our first child) as the beginning of our new Family Easter Tradition.
Thanks for the great idea!
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alison — Reply
these are wonderful…would love for you to link this to my fridays unfolded to share with my readers http://www.stuff-and-nonsense.net/2011/04/fridays-unfolded-14.html
blessings,
alison
stuff and nonsense -
sildenafil — Reply
Those Marshmallow Delightsare just adorable! Can I change the marshmallows for some different fruits,??? I need to prepared this recipe to my next meeting tomorrow!!22dd
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Laura — Reply
my purity bible study made this years ago, except we called them ‘resurrection rolls ! they’re fantastic!!
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Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything} — Reply
Yvonne,
A couple things to help you so they don’t leak:
Really try to seal and pinch up the dough tight so that it doesn’t leak. Also spray the muffin tins well with PAM so it doesn’t stick if it does leak. Finally, some people said that Pilsbury brand rolls work the best and leak less.
Good luck,
Christy
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Yvonne — Reply
I’ve made these twice and both times they stuck to the muffin tin. Half of them oozed out during baking. I sure would like it if I didn’t have to dig them out of the muffin tins and soak the tins in hot water to clean. What am I doing wrong? My husband and granddaughter can’t get enough of them. They don’t care how they turn out. My husband puts frozen whipped cream in the center. Please Help!
[emailprotected]-
Nina — Reply
I had the same issues….very disappointed
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Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything} — Reply
Did you seal them really well and spray the muffin tin?
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REEDER — Reply
Made these puppies for a special treat following the “Baked Ziti”, and my boy’s devoured them! Very Yummy….And soo easy!!
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Wendy — Reply
I made these for my sunday school class of 3-5 graders and they loved them. They wrapped their own and we put them in the oven – and they came out perfectly hollow (a few of the less pinched leaked), but they got the point, and they tasted WONDERFUL. Even the leftovers not warm were good – the inside turned to a wonderful GOO! 🙂
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Ernistine Cabins — Reply
These are hilarious and VERY clever! They also look and sound delicious.
I wonder if I could use homemade biscuit dough instead? It’s not the same a crescent rolls, but might be just as good… or maybe too heavy? Hmmm….
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grace — Reply
two things i love but have never consumed in combination = crescent rolls and marshmallows. these are exquisite and i intend to make a batch posthaste!
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Stella — Reply
Interesting…I want one with a cup of coffee!
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Tia — Reply
wow doesn’t rven look like theres marshmallow in there
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Mary — Reply
These look so yummy! I have always loved marshmallows.
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