Resurrection Rolls Recipe and Story: A Joyful Tradition for Easter (2024)

_{Inside: Making Resurrection Rolls together as a family is a meaningful (and delicious!) way to teach your children about the true story of the resurrection of Christ. This simple recipe and discussion guide is an excellent way to spend time together and is sure to become a treasured tradition in the years to come!}

These yummy Resurrection Rolls (also called Easter Morning Rolls or Empty Tomb Rolls) are one of our family’s favorite Easter traditions. I’ve been making them with my children since they were just little. Our church traditionally has a brunch meal together on Easter Sunday, so I like to make these and bring them to enjoy as part of the meal!

I use frozen Rhodes rolls for this recipe because I am all about keeping things both simple and delicious. If you live somewhere where you can’t purchase frozen Rhodes Dinner Rolls, or you want to make your own dough, then you can prepare your favorite recipe for dough for a batch of buns as you usually would, through the first rising, and then pick up this recipe at the thawed frozen dough step. (Here’s a recipe from Taste of Home that looks really good: Soft Buttermilk Dinner Rolls).

What you’ll need for making Resurrection Rolls (Easter Morning Rolls)

• Frozen Rhodes Rolls (or a batch of your favorite homemade roll dough)
• Ground Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Cloves
• Butter
• Marshmallows
• A cookie sheet
• A silicone baking mat or parchment paper

Since we usually eat these Resurrection rolls on Easter morning at our church’s brunch, I like to prepare them the evening ahead of time up to the rising step. Then I refrigerate them overnight (they will very slowly rise) and bake them in the morning, as they are best served warm and gooey fresh from the oven. The flavor of these yummy rolls is reminiscent of a classic cinnamon roll, and they are absolutely finger-licking good!

If you want to make Resurrection rolls and eat them the same day, I’ve included directions for doing them that way, too!

Preparing these rolls with your children is a beautiful opportunity to teach them about the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ as you prepare the rolls together. Children are tactical and visual learners, and the symbolism of these rolls is a powerful learning aid for them and just a fun, easy, and delicious tradition to do together.

Using Resurrection Rolls to Teach Your Children The True STORY OF Easter

Here is an explanation for what each of the parts of the Resurrection rolls symbolizes. I’ve also included suggested Scripture readings for sharing with your children as you prepare these Resurrection Rolls for Easter morning together. I’ve included several Bible passages from each of the Gospels. Depending on your children’s ages, you may want to choose just one or two passages to read together for each point. I highly recommend reading at least some of the verses together, though, as that will help your children understand that this is more than just a fun activity. The crucifixion and resurrection of Christ was an actual event that real people witnessed and recorded, and it changed the world forever!

The marshmallow: The marshmallow reminds us of the body of Christ, wrapped in special cloths as was the custom in ancient Israel. After Christ rose from the grave, the disciples saw the grave clothes neatly folded and left behind in the tomb! For further reading: Matthew 27:59; Mark 15:46; Luke 23:53, 24:12; John 19:40

The roll of dough: the roll represents the tomb in which Jesus Christ was buried. He wasn’t buried in the ground, as you may have seen happen at a funeral. In Bible times, people were often buried in a cave on the side of a hill or mountain. The Bible tells us that a man named Joseph of Arimethea gave his tomb to be used for Jesus’ burial. For further reading: Matthew 27:57-60; Mark 15:43-46; Luke 23:50-53; John 19:38-42, 20:6-8

The spices: We read in the Bible that several women came early Sunday morning to the tomb where Jesus had been buried three days earlier. They planned to use the spices to anoint Christ’s body. Anointing a person’s body after they died was the custom in ancient Israel and was a way to show respect for loved ones who had died. We also read that Joseph and Nicodemus used about 100 pounds of spices as they prepared Jesus’ body for burial! For further reading: Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1; John 19:39-40

The sugar: Christ’s death on the cross was a terribly sad thing. God’s enemies thought they had won, but they were wrong! In fact, this was all in God’s plan, and out of the greatest tragedy came the most wonderful thing ever – Jesus conquered death once and for all and paid the penalty for our sins! Now, all who turn to God and trust in Jesus to forgive them from their sins will receive eternal life. God is very good at making sweet and beautiful things out of what first appears to be bitter and ugly. For further reading: Mark 15:33-38; Luke 24:36-48; 1 Peter 1:3-9

The time spent rising and baking the rolls: Even though Jesus had told his followers that He would rise from the grave, they didn’t understand and believe what He was telling them. After His death, they were filled with deep sadness, hopelessness, and fear. They didn’t realize that the most amazing and wonderful thing that was about to happen! For further reading: John 11:25-26; Mark 16:9-14; Luke 24:1-8, 13-27

The empty roll: On Sunday morning, three days after Jesus had died on the cross, the women came to anoint Jesus’ body with the spices. As they walked to the tomb, they wondered who would help them roll away the huge stone that had been placed in front of the opening. But guess what?! The stone was already rolled away, and the tomb was empty! An angel appeared and said, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? Jesus has risen just as He said He would!” Can you imagine the incredible joy of Jesus’s disciples as, one by one, they realized that Jesus was no longer dead but had risen from the grave? Hallelujah! For further reading: Matthew 28:1-8; Mark 16:1-7; Luke 24:1-9; John 20:19-20

Do you find that Easter comes and goes without much fanfare? I love Christmastime, with all the beautiful, heartwarming, faith-building traditions that fill the season of celebrating the birth of our Saviour. Yet I find that, somehow, it is easy to let Easter morning come and go with little fanfare or notice in our home.

How tragic that is when the Resurrection of Christ is the cornerstone of our Christian faith! How is it that the real reason we have anything to celebrate seems to get so overshadowed by a few chocolate bunnies and candy eggs? What an excellent opportunity we as parents and “grown-ups” have to plant seeds of faith in our children’s and young friends’ hearts this Easter season. Don’t miss this chance to help your family focus on the purpose of Christ’s life on earth, the necessity of His death on the cross, and the power and promise of His resurrection.

—->You’ll also enjoy reading: Preparing Spiritually Brave Kids

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:16-17

Directions for making Resurrection Rolls for Easter Morning:

Ingredients you’ll need for making 12 rolls:

12 frozen Rhodes rolls, thawed just enough to work with the dough but not risen

12 regular-sized marshmallows

3 tablespoons butter, melted

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions for Making Resurrection Rolls for Easter Morning:

1. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Place 12 frozen Rhodes dinner rolls on the prepared baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel, and thaw at room temperature just until the dough is soft and pliable but still cold and not starting to rise, about 1 hour. (If you are using homemade roll dough, you will want to make the dough through its first rise, punch it down, separate the dough into rolls and proceed with the recipe from this point.)
3. Stir together the spices and sugar in a small bowl.
4. Working one by one, flatten each roll to approximately a three-inch circle.
5. Roll a marshmallow in the melted butter, then in the sugar and spice mixture.
6. Next, wrap the dough circle around the marshmallow, pinching the loose ends together. Lay the wrapped marshmallow back on the prepared tray, pinched side down. Repeat the process with the remaining rolls.
7. Use any remaining melted butter to brush the tops of each roll. Cover with plastic wrap.
8. If you are baking the rolls the same day, let them rise for 45 minutes at this point. If you are preparing the rolls to bake the following day, put them in the fridge. Refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, take them out of the refrigerator and let them rise on the counter for 45 minutes.
9. Heat the oven to 350°. Place the rolls on the middle rack and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until nicely golden on top, and the rolls sound hollow when tapped.
10. When the rolls are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool on the pan for about 10 minutes before serving. Pull a bit of the roll apart to symbolize the stone being rolled away, then take a peek inside: the “tomb” is empty!
11. Enjoy your yummy treat, and may this Easter season be full of rejoicing in our Risen Lord!

Note: While the rolls bake, the marshmallow will melt and ooze out of the Resurrection Roll. You’ll find that there is a lot of gooey melted caramel goodness on the pan. You can eat this, but it’s also okay to just leave it behind and enjoy the rolls!