I feel like a cinnamon roll making machine lately! I have been using the same cinnamon roll recipe for a while now, but I really wanted to see if I could successfully make a few changes that would simplify the recipe and also make it more convenient. My old recipe makes A LOT of cinnamon rolls. I really just wanted one pan. Though I’m sure my family would have no problem taking care of more! Also, I wanted to see if I could make the dough the night before, and have the rolls ready to bake in the pan the next morning.
It’s just so nice to be able to pull the cinnamon rolls out of the fridge, and not have to make too much of a mess in the kitchen first thing in the morning. Great for special occasions and holiday breakfasts.
I made these rolls three different times last week trying to get them just right. I brought some to friends, and some to my mom’s group, and then well yah, I ate a bunch myself! I used to be a little ho hum about cinnamon rolls in general, but lately I’m just wanting to dive right into that pan face first!
And this is some serious cream cheese frosting my friends. We are not messing around AT ALL! It’s not too sweet, and it really thick and fluffy too. Oh my, YUM! You could easily cover the whole pan with a thin layer if you half the frosting recipe, but if you love a good thick layer of frosting, make the full recipe and see what I mean!
Can you all guess which part of the roll is my absolute favorite? Oh man, that oh-so-soft and cinnamon-y core! I always save the best for last.
So let me give you a few tips so that your cinnamon rolls with come out just right.
1. You want to make sure that all of the liquid ingredients are warm, but not too hot. Make sure you are using good yeast, like not from two years ago.
2. Use the right amount of flour. This recipe calls for 3 1/2 cups of flour, and then more for rolling out the dough. You really want to go more by feel than by measurement. You want to add just enough flour to make your dough not too sticky to handle, but no more. The softer/stickier your dough is, the more tender your roll will be. But you can’t roll it out properly if it sticks to your work surface, so its a fine balance. Lift the dough up every now and then as your roll it out to make sure it’s not sticking, and add more flour to the counter as you need it.
3. If you haven’t worked with yeast dough very much, you will get better with practice. Don’t be afraid, just jump in there and try it!
Make sure you use a sharp serrated knife when you are cutting your dough, and let the knife do the work as you gently saw back and forth so that you don’t squish the dough. Don’t worry if they don’t look perfect. They’ll fill out as the rise and bake.
This is what your dough will look like in the morning after you have let it rise for an hour. The rolls will rise even more when you bake them, so don’t worry if there is quite a bit of space in the pan.
Hope these tips are helpful for you, and that you get a chance to make these and fall in love with them just as we did!
PrintOvernight Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting
Cinnamon Rolls you can make the night before and bake first thing in the morning! Plus the thickest, fluffiest cream cheese frosting you’ve ever had.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast (1 packet)
- 2 tablespoons warm water
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg beaten
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
For the Filling
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter softened
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
For the Frosting
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Pour the yeast into a large bowl. Pour warm water over the yeast and stir to dissolve.
- Pour the warm milk over the yeast. You want all your liquid ingredients to feel warm, but not hot.
- Stir in the sugar and beaten egg.
- Add 2 cups of the flour and salt, and then mix well by hand.
- Pour melted (but not too hot) butter in, and mix.
- Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour, and mix by hand until the dough is sticky, but pulls away from the sides of the bowl into one large ball.
- Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours.
- Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a well floured surface. I usually use another 1/4 cup of flour on my work surface, adding some to the top and bottom of the dough as I roll it out to prevent it from sticking to the counter.
- Roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick, into the shape of a rectangle measuring 12 by 18 inches.
- Smear your softened butter all over the dough. Then sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over the butter, taking care to go to the edges.
- Starting with a long edge of the rectangle, roll the dough up.
- Using a sharp serrated knife or dental floss, cut the rolled up dough in half. Cut each half in half again. Then cut each quarter into equal thirds so you have 12 pieces.
- Place each piece into a greased 9 by 13 inch baking dish with the spiral side up.
- Cover the baking dish and refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning, remove the baking dish from the fridge and let it sit in a warm spot in your kitchen for one hour. I usually turn my oven on for 30 seconds, then I turn it off and let the rolls rise covered in the just warm oven. Or you may have a “bread proof” setting on your oven.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the baking dish on the center rack of your oven, and bake for 24-27 minutes. The tops will be golden brown.
For the Frosting
- Place softened butter and cream cheese into the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk together until smooth and then add powdered sugar and whisk again on low speed. When all of the powdered sugar is mixed in, add heavy cream and whisk on medium high speed for about a minute.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cinnamon Roll
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 29g
- Sodium: 260mg
- Fat: 27g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8.2g
- Trans Fat: 0.8g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6.9g
- Cholesterol: 88mg
You’ve got me craving cinnamon rolls. Those look awesome! I love that you only have to wait an hour for it to rise the next morning.
Thank you Melanie… hope you get a cinnamon roll soon!
My husband started eating cinnamon rolls about 2 years ago. I never had seen a cinnamon roll that even looked like the ones we had. So I am going to mix tonight and ha c.f. e them tomorrow. Lovelylittlekitchen
Home you all enjoy Mimi!
Made these exactly as directed and they were delicious. Best homemade cinnamon rolls ever.
Thanks so much Kelly!
I have been craving cinnamon rolls and these look so yummy!! I actually tweeted this morning that I wanted one. lol!
See! It was meant to be. I think you are supposed to make these Tiffany!
3 batches in one week! I’m coming over!!! These look beautiful Julie!
Thank you Karen! I would so love it if you ever did come into my kitchen – I have a feeling we would laugh til our sides ached!
These look perfect Julie! I love that they are overnight and all the work is done day before. I can so use one just about now. We’re having a really cool day in MD today so a nap, coffee and something sweet is in the works for me 🙂
Thank you Katya. Enjoy staying cozy on your cool day!
Hi. Can i use unbleached all purpose flour for the cinnamon roll instead of regular one? I’ve bought it without reading it 😛 Now i don’t know what to do. 🙂
Hi, I have not used unbleached flour, but I do not think it will affect the recipe overall. No worries!
tnx for the reply. 🙂
Hello Zulaa, I only use unbleached flour, who needs their flour bleached! I use it for all baking, and everything turns out just fine. Also, I’ve used basic sewing thread for years to cut my rolls.
I never get rolls and such to cut right (without some squishing) with *maybe* one exception. Unflavored dental floss works wonders for that. Just put some under the roll, cross the ends on top, and pull quickly.
I have heard of this trick and really wanted to try it, but all I had in the house was MINT dental floss! After the fact, my husband suggested fishing line, so I’ll have to do a little testing next time. Thanks so much for sharing!
You can also use regular sewing thread. I almost used mint floss once before I thought of this…but I honestly don’t think the mint would really be strong enough to taste in the finished product!
Ah good idea! Thanks for sharing.
These look positively amazing! I have never made my own cinnamon rolls from scratch, but you are inspiring me to give it a shot with these mouth watering photos!!!! Pinned! 🙂
You should totally give them a go! Thanks so much for sharing Renee.
Spectacular! The cinnamon core is my favorite part too! And, with a little bit of cream cheese frosting = the perfect bite. I would love to enjoy your cinnamon rolls with a glass of milk!
Thank you Tiffany, and I agree – Milk is the perfect pairing here!
Hi Julie! These rolls look completely amazing! And that frosting, wow!! HAve pinned. I will definitely need to give these a try soon. ~Erin
I only make these at Christmas….my family would think they had died and gone to heaven if I made several batches this month! LOL!
Thanks for the recipe – they look delicious.
YUM!! These look so delicious. I’ve never made homemade cinnamon rolls, but these look super simple. That frosting looks amazing!
Overnight cinnamon rolls are a tradition in my house during the holidays. It’s so nice to be able to get the work done the day before and wake up to fresh, warm rolls the next morning. I love your tips and they look beautiful!
I love Cinnamon Rolls. I made some once, It was yummy as well!
Thanks for the tips!
Do you have to put these in the fridge overnight or can you bake them right away…how would the directions differ?
If you want to bake them right away, you can let the dough rise in the bowl as directed, then punch it down and roll out the dough and shape into rolls. Let them rise in the pan for another hour, then bake. Good question!
I just popped these in the fridge to have with our chili tonight but wondering how long is “overnight?” If I refridgerate them for 6 hrs, is that ok?
6 hours is fine. Hope you enjoy!
girl. These cinnamon rolls. I just made them and they are amazing. Potentially the best thing I’ve ever baked.
Oh this makes me so happy!
I Made these last night, done exactly by the recipe, & they didn’t rise this morning 🙁 what could have went wrong! I was so wanting some cinnamon rolls…. I don’t want to give up! Help! 🙂
Hi Sherita, I’m so sad they didn’t rise for you! Wish I could be with you in your kitchen and help! Did the dough rise in the bowl before you rolled them out? Also, did you bake them anyway? Sometimes they will rise quite a bit as they bake.
So I was a bit worried too — I just made these and mine rose in the fridge a little overnight but didnt really rise this morning during the one hour rising stage. I threw them in the oven anyway and they rose beautifully!!! i just ate one — fluffy, buttery, delicious. I have one very, very happy boyfriend at the moment :). I’m also baking at a high altitude (7,500 feet) so maybe that is partially why they didnt rise in that hour. However, in the end they were the right height.
really fantastic recipe, thanks so much for sharing and for your detailed instructions. I’m not a yeast dough pro and so I was slightly intimidated 🙂
This makes me so happy! So glad the recipe worked for you! Enjoy!
Hi Julie !
I would like to know if the sugar needed is white or brown? and also if the butter must be salted or not?
… Thanks
Cristina
Another question more :)…
When you say:
I usually turn my oven on for 10 seconds, then I turn it off and let the rolls rise covered in the just warm oven…
What we have to do then? …Preheat the oven and leave it for 24m more? or Removed form the oven until the it is ready?
Thanks :D.
The rolls need to rise before you bake them. It helps them rise better if they sit in a slightly warm place while they are doing this for one hour. So I was just suggesting to get your oven a tiny bit warm by turning it on for a bit and then off to let them rise in it before you bake them. So once they have risen, then take them out, preheat your oven, and bake them as directed. Hope this helps!
Hi Christina, I used white sugar, and I usually use salted butter in my recipes just for the sake of convenience. Thanks for your questions!
Thanks for everything 😀 !
I would let you know how it works 🙂
well this looks like my type of recipe. I love the fact that you can make them the night before and bake them in the morning. Only thing is, I’ll have to make room in the fridge for them LOL! Will be giving them a go this weekend as I can’t wait to dive into the soft doughy centre!
Hope you have enjoy and have a great weekend!
Hi Julie!
It’s the second time I am doing the cinnamon rolls! 😀 The recipe was amazing… !!!
I have an other question when you put the cinnamon rolls to rest overnight you cover the baking dish with a wet clothe?
Thanks again for sharing the recipe!!!!
I usually do cover it with a cloth, but have not used a wet cloth before. So glad you love the recipe!
Hi Julie! I am headed home for the holidays and I have been put in charge of Christmas morning breakfast and I really want to make these! My question is, after i have my milk/water/yeast mixture combined and it is time to add the sugar and the egg, how long do I have to let to milk/water/yeast mixture cool before I add my sugar and egg? I am always worried about my eggs scrambling! Thank you! 🙂
Hi Kate, your milk and water should be about the temperature of a baby’s bath water, warm but not hot enough to scramble an egg. Hope this helps and that you enjoy the rolls!
Make this recipe exactly as written and resulting cinnamon buns were perfect-tender dough and perfect amount of sugar/cinnamon. Great recipe that I’ll be making again Christmas morning.
Shari, how kind of you to take a moment to let me know how they turned out. I’m so glad you like them! I’ll be right there with you Christmas morning :0)
Recipe sounds great…making it for Christmas breakfast.
Preparing the night before is convenient. (Who needs sleep!)
Exactly! I’m sure I’ll be up wrapping presents :0)
Can these rolls be made several days ahead and kept in fridge then remove 1 hour to rise and bake on xmas morning. Thanks
I would not make them several days ahead Mary. I think the yeast might loose some of its rise. I have only tested the recipe making them the night before. Hope this is helpful for you!
Thanks I wondered about the yeast
hi thanks for the recipe
i want to know the butter u use is it salted or not? for the filipine, u use white sugar or browsing sugar + cinnamon powder? and also the degree of the oven use.350 degree celcius? n u keep it 350 degree for 24-27 min?
Hi Fenny,
The butter I used is salted, and the filling is white sugar with ground cinnamon. The temperature of the oven is 350 degrees fahrenheit, which is 176 degrees celcius. Thank you for your questions, hope this helps!
tks julie 🙂
sorry for the typo. my mobile autocorrect itself 🙁
^^ cheers,fenny – indonesia
Have you tried this recipe with whole wheat flour? If so, are there any changes to the recipe for that? I like whole wheat rather than white. My mother use to make rolls like that, but 40 years ago they used white unbleached flour…. do you have a good recipe for raised donuts??? She made the best of those as well… but with a family of 11 children and I was one of the youngest…. she never taught us to cook. I guess because it was faster to do it while we were in school than to wait for the weekends.
Have you tried this recipe with whole wheat flour? If so, are there any changes to the recipe for that? I like whole wheat rather than white. My mother use to make rolls like that, but 40 years ago they used white unbleached flour…. do you have a good recipe for raised donuts??? She made the best of those as well… but with a family of 11 children and I was one of the youngest…. she never taught us to cook. I guess because it was faster to do it while we were in school than to wait for the weekends. She was a great baker.
Hi Noreen, I have not tried the cinnamon rolls with whole wheat flour, but if I did, I would try subbing half of the flour for whole wheat first. Raised donuts sound so good right now, unfortunately I do not have a recipe for them yet!
If you use whole wheat flour, try half white and half wheat. Add one teaspoon vital wheat gluten. It will help the whole wheat flour rise more.
These sound amazing! If I make them now at 10am, do you think they should be ok to bake tomorrow morning, around 24 hours later? TIA!!
I haven’t tried making them that far in advance so let me know how it goes if you try it. Hope you enjoy!
They came out so awesome!!! They were the perfect amount of fluffy and sweet!!!!! I got lots of compliments and I myself ate way more than I should have 🙂 will definitely be making these again!!!
I know the feeling Karen! I appreciate you letting me know how they turned out. Makes my day to hear that you loved them too!
I was wondering how the recipe would differ if I used quick rise yeast instead of active dry. I know they are different so I wasn’t sure
Thanks!
I’m not sure because I haven’t tried it before in this recipe. I would try to search for a cinnamon roll recipe that uses that type of yeast, just to be sure. Thanks for your question!
Oh my gosh, Julie!!! You probably don’t remember me, but I used to go to your church. I’ve had this pinned for awhile now but on my mobile I never saw your pic. Have my laptop out tonight to make these for Christmas morning and I was so shocked to see your profile pic, I was like “hey, I know her!” 🙂
These look so good, can’t wait to taste them in the morning!
That is so funny! You look familiar to me too. Did we go to the same church in high school? Hope you enjoyed the cinnamon rolls and had a great Christmas.