The Sweetest Easter Tradition: Making Resurrection Rolls with My Kids
I don’t know about you, but Easter morning at our house is usually a full-on whirlwind—baskets, candy wrappers, trying to wrangle everyone into church clothes, and me double-fisting coffee while wondering why I let the kids eat chocolate eggs before breakfast.
So this year, I decided to try something a little different. We did something quiet and intentional the day before Easter, and it turned into one of the most meaningful moments of our weekend.
We made Resurrection Rolls together—and I’m so glad we did.
A Quiet Moment Before the Crazy
I found this recipe on JoyFoodSunshine.com, and it caught my eye because it wasn’t just about baking—it was a hands-on way to teach kids the story of Jesus’s resurrection. I figured Saturday would be the perfect time to slow down and actually talk about what Easter means before the baskets and chaos set in.
We made the dough together that morning (and yes, it got a little messy—flour everywhere) but it was the good kind of mess. The kind where the kids are all-in, laughing, licking cinnamon sugar off their fingers, and actually listening while you sneak in some life lessons.
Storytelling Through Baking
Each step in the recipe represents part of the Easter story:
The marshmallow is Jesus.
The melted butter and cinnamon sugar are like the oils and spices used to prepare His body.
The dough becomes the tomb.
As we wrapped the marshmallows in the dough, I explained to my kids that this was like when Jesus was laid in the tomb and sealed inside. It was simple, but they really got it. We didn’t have some perfect, quiet devotional moment—but there were sweet questions, curious little faces, and some very thoughtful silences in between the giggles.
The Surprise Inside
After the rolls baked, we pulled them out of the oven and let them cool just enough to peek inside. And sure enough—the marshmallows had vanished. Completely melted, leaving a warm, gooey, cinnamon-sugar “empty tomb.”
Their eyes got so big. One of them whispered, “He’s not there anymore,” and I swear my heart melted right along with the marshmallows.
That moment? That’s why we’ll be doing this again next year. And probably every year after.
Why I Loved Doing It Before Easter
Doing this the day before Easter took off all the pressure. We weren’t rushing. We weren’t trying to squeeze it in between services and celebrations. It gave us time to slow down and talk. To bake and reflect. To just be together.
It was a beautiful way to prepare our hearts for Easter—not just with church clothes and casseroles, but with flour-covered hands, open hearts, and some seriously delicious cinnamon rolls.
If you’re looking for a super simple, super meaningful activity to do with your kids around Easter (and want something that doesn’t require Pinterest-level planning), I can’t recommend these Resurrection Rolls enough. You can grab the recipe here.
Whether you make them on Easter morning or a day or two before, they’re such a sweet way to bring faith into your family traditions. And bonus—they’re delicious.
Happy (almost) Easter, friends 💛
