What Are Resurrection Rolls?
Resurrection cinnamon rolls are breakfast buns (or dessert Easter rolls) where the marshmallow disappears, leaving the roll with an empty space on the inside just like the empty tomb when Jesus arose from the dead. People sometimes use the resurrection rolls recipe to illustrate the Easter story to children.
What is the resurrection rolls meaning?
This unique recipes for Easter rolls is used to tell the story of Jesus dying, being placed in a tomb, and then arising, making the tomb empty. You tell the Easter story during different steps will making, baking and eating, using resurrection rolls with Bible verses.
How Do You Make Resurrection Rolls? (The Secret)
To make these easy resurrection rolls you’ll need:
- Crescent rolls
- Large marshmallows
- Cinnamon
- Sugar
- Butter
The “miracle magic” that makes these an empty tomb food craft is simply that the marshmallow melts, but the crescent roll stays “puffed” up. So, when you cut into it the inside “tomb” of the roll is empty — just like when Jesus arose from the dead!
I was worried that this Easter project might be a little basic for their age ranges and the “magic miracle” at the end might be lost on them.
However, they actually ended up loving it and were even surprised at the “magic” that happened at the end.
Christian concepts can sometimes be a lot for little minds to process, especially when we’re talking about Easter and the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.
(It’s hard sometimes to get past the holiday being just about Easter eggs or baby chicks.)
That’s why I always love to find a great craft or cooking project to share with kids to help them visualize and understand these difficult concepts — like how to make an easy tomb!
Resurrection Rolls Story
For the resurrection rolls lesson, you’ll want to tell the Easter story while making the recipe.
The resurrection rolls story:
- The dough represents the tomb that they put Jesus into after his crucifixion.
- The white marshmallow represents Jesus.
- The cinnamon and sugar mixture represents the oils and spices that was rubbed on Jesus after his death before they placed him in the tomb.
- Wrapping each side of the dough up and over the marshmallow, explaining that the dough represents the tomb where they buried Jesus.
When making these “tomb” rolls, I walked the kids through the first one and told the story as I assembled it. (Directions in the recipe below.)
Then, I allowed the kids to make the others, having them retell the story of Easter to me as they made their rolls.
My Aunt Wanda knows that I love to pair books and stories with cooking projects, so one year she shared this recipe for resurrection rolls.
(I had never heard of these yummy resurrection desserts! Where have I been?!)
I decided to make them on Good Friday with my daughter (then 7 years old) and my niece (then 9 years old).
(Spoiler Alert: These Easter resurrection treats were a HUGE hit with the kids!)
Before making the recipe, we discussed the meaning of Good Friday and Easter.
Then, I read the Easter story from our Children’s Bible Story Book, but you can read directly from the Bible.
The “Easter story” can be found in these verses in the Bible:
- Matthew 28: 1-20
- Mark 16: 1-20
- Luke 24: 1-53
You may also like these Easter children’s books:
How To Make Resurrection Rolls
This vanishing rolls recipe is actually really easy — especially because we ditched the resurrection rolls from scratch and made the resurrection rolls with crescent rolls recipes!
(You should too!)
Resurrection Rolls
These resurrection desserts are great for Easter recipes or for a food craft to illustrate the Easter story for kids!
Ingredients
- 1 package refrigerated crescent dough
- 1 bag of large marshmallows
- ½ cup of butter, melted
- ¾ cup of white sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a muffin tin pan and set aside.
- Melt butter in a small bowl.
- Mix together the cinnamon and sugar in a separate small bowl.
- Unroll the crescent dough and separate into the triangles (along the dough perforations). Explain that the dough represents the tomb that they put Jesus into after his crucifixion.
- Next, hold up a white marshmallow and explain that it represents Jesus. Roll the marshmallow in butter and then in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Explain that it represents the oils and spices that was rubbed on Jesus after his death before they placed him in the tomb.
- Place the marshmallow onto a dough triangle near the larger end. Wrap each side of the dough up and over the marshmallow and explain that the dough represents the tomb where they buried Jesus. Roll the dough in your hands until all of the marshmallow is covered and sealed.
- Dip the rolled dough in butter and then dip in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and place in the greased muffin tin.
- Repeat until all of the dough has been used.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Allow to cool then cut the “tomb” (rolls) down the middle. Before cutting, ask if the kids remember what happened on the third day (or why we celebrate Easter). Remind them that when they went to the tomb where Jesus was buried, the tomb was empty because Jesus rose. Cut through the roll and show the kids how the “tomb” is now empty.
Notes
Make sure you get the classic crescent dough that can be separated into triangles.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 195Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 107mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 20gProtein: 0g
Nutrition information is estimated. Changes to the recipe and use of different brands may cause changes to the nutritional information to vary slightly from the ones provided here.
You may also enjoy resurrection eggs with this project:
Have you made resurrection rolls at your house?
I love this!! I had never heard of Resurrection Rolls before and this concept of how to explain to children what Easter is really about fills my heart with gladness!!
OH YAY, Marilyn! I’m so glad you loved this. Let us know how they turn out!