You know what the most overlooked part of Thanksgiving is?
That’d be Turkey Day breakfast. Talk about getting no love!
I know some people are in the “starve yourself all day to make more room for dinner camp”, and I could not disagree more. I am strongly in the hearty-breakfast camp. We need our energy for turkey-basting and stuffing-making and pie-baking! Also, let’s be real – if I don’t eat breakfast, I’m going to be a total hangry mess, and nobody wants that, right?
The thing about Thanksgiving breakfast though? It has to come together really, really quickly with really, really minimal effort. We’re already going to be in the kitchen all day prepping for the main event, and we don’t need to add to the stress of the big day with a crazy-complicated breakfast. That’s where these incredibly easy dark chocolate pistachio cinnamon rolls come in – with a secret shortcut that makes these ideal for Thanksgiving morning.
My secret? Instead of making my own cinnamon roll dough from scratch, we use a glorious roll of Pillsbury crescent dough. Making your own dough is wonderful when you have time (see: homemade pigs in a blanket), but on Thanksgiving, I am all about the shortcuts – such as popping open a can of crescent dough and rolling it out for a whole delicious-breakfast-in-5-minutes kind of situation. Plus, I am totally nowhere near too much of a food snob to admit that I FREAKING LOVE crescent dough. Anyone that says they don’t like that flaky, butter-laden shit is lying to your face. That’s just the truth, people.
OK, so these dark chocolate pistachio cinnamon rolls. Guys, these are seriously decadent – the aforementioned crescent roll dough is topped with soft butter, cinnamon-sugar, chopped dark chocolate, and crunchy, salty roasted pistachios and all rolled up for the ultimate in ooey-gooey pastry perfection. The chocolate gets all melty, and the pistachios provide the perfect salty element to balance out all the sweetness. It’s gooey and cinnamon-y and cozy and perfect. And then, because it’s Thanksgiving and your diet is ruined anyways, the whole shebang is topped with the easiest, most satisfying simple vanilla glaze that puts the whole thing totally over the top. Because a cinnamon roll without a glaze is just NOT what we’re all about during the holidays, right?
Make all of your family members/friends/crazy relatives super happy this Thanksgiving with these incredible cinnamon rolls! I won’t tell anyone our crescent roll secret, I promise!
- 1 can Pillsbury crescent rolls
- ¼ cup (4 tbsp.) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- ¼ cup + 2 tbsp. chopped roasted salted shelled pistachios
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter a pie dish and set aside.
- Roll out the crescent roll dough and pinch together the seams so it forms one long sheet. Spread the butter evenly over the dough. Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl, then sprinkle evenly over the butter. Top with the chopped dark chocolate and ¼ cup pistachios, then carefully roll into one long roll. Carefully cut into 8 equal pieces and place them into the pie dish. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the top is lightly browned. Remove the cinnamon rolls from the oven and set aside to cool slightly while you make the glaze.
- In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla until smooth and glossy. Spread over the cinnamon rolls, top with the remaining 2 tbsp. chopped pistachios, and serve warm!
- These rolls are pretty small, so I'd budget about 2 per person unless you have a lot of other food on the table!
Looking for more Thanksgiving morning breakfast ideas?
Dark Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pancakes
Cinnamon Streusel Pumpkin Muffins
Pumpkin Scones with Browned Butter Vanilla Glaze
