Instant Magnificent Cinnamon Roll Ring

Here’s the overnight shortcut to a showstopping breakfast ring. Frozen dinner rolls get rolled in cinnamon sugar, packed into a bundt pan with toasted pecans and butterscotch pudding mix, then left on the counter overnight to rise. By morning, the dough has puffed up over the rim, ready for 30 minutes in the oven.

The butterscotch pudding mix is the secret weapon. It melts into a sticky, caramel-like glaze during baking that coats every roll and bonds the pecans to the surface. Butter cubes dotted around the top melt down through the layers, creating pockets of buttery richness throughout.

Toasting the pecans with a tablespoon of butter and a pinch of salt before they go in gives them a roasted depth that raw pecans just don’t have. That salty-sweet crunch against the soft, pillowy rolls is what makes this ring disappear fast.

Pro Tips

• Spray the bundt pan liberally with non-stick spray. The sugar caramelizes and sticks aggressively. A light coating won’t cut it.
• Cover loosely with waxed paper, not tightly. The dough needs room to expand as it rises overnight.
• Cool only 5 minutes before unmolding. Wait too long and the caramel sets, gluing the ring permanently to the pan.
• Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet in the oven to catch any butter or sugar that bubbles over.

Variations

• Use walnuts or almonds instead of pecans.
• Swap butterscotch pudding mix for vanilla or cheesecake pudding for a different glaze flavor.
• Drizzle cream cheese icing over the top after unmolding for an extra-indulgent holiday version.