Homemade Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Soft, fluffy overnight cinnamon rolls with buttery cinnamon-sugar filling and creamy frosting—perfect for make-ahead breakfasts or cozy weekend brunches.
Servings: 12 rolls
Calories: 430kcal
Equipment
- Stand Mixer or an electric mixer or your hands for kneading
- Pizza Cutter for cutting rolls cleanly
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup milk warmed to 90 degrees F
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (7 g), 1 packet, *see note if using instant yeast
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 4 - 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled, divided
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
Filling
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Frosting
- 1/2 cup cream cheese 4 oz, softened (1/2 block)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened (1/2 stick)
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Mix the Dough: In the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment attached, add the warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Stir to just combine. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes or until foamy. **See notes if using instant yeast
- Next add the unsalted butter. Stir to combine.
- Add 2 cups of the all-purpose flour and stir to combine.
- Add the egg and the salt, stir to combine.
- Knead the Dough: Replace the whisk attachment with the dough hook attachment and slowly add the remaining flour in 1/2 cup at a time until the dough easily pulls itself away from the sides of the bowl but is still tacky. (You may need the full amount of flour, or you may need less. It depends on how the dough feels. In step 3, we added 2 cups of the flour. In this step, start by adding 2 more cups, in 1/2 cup increments. If the dough seems too sticky, add more flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough pulls itself away from the sides of the bowl but is still tacky-just don't add too much flour, or the rolls will be dry). *The dough should be slightly sticky — avoid adding flour beyond what pulls the dough off the bowl.
- Set the stand mixer to about medium speed and knead the dough for 5 minutes or until smooth and shiny (or turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough by hand for 8-10 minutes).
- First Rise: Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 90 minutes (60–90 minutes depending on room temp).
- Line a 9x13 baking dish with a piece of parchment paper or grease the bottom and sides of the dish with oil, butter, or spray lightly with some baking spray. Set aside.
- Make the Filling: To a medium bowl add the softened unsalted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Using a fork or spoon stir to combine until a paste has been formed. Set aside. **See notes about softened butter.
- Roll Out and Shape Dough: Punch the dough down. Roll the dough into an 18x26-inch rectangle (about the size of a cookie sheet).
- Add the butter mixture to the rolled out dough. Using a spatula, spread the butter mixture out into an even layer making sure to touch the edges.
- Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 12 even strips. Roll each strip up into a cinnamon roll shape and transfer them to the prepared baking dish. (Or, you can also roll the dough into a log and use a knife or unflavored dental floss to cut into rolls.)
- Overnight Rise: Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and transfer to the refrigerator. Refrigerate the rolls overnight (8–12 hours and up to 24 hours).
- Bake the Rolls: The next morning, remove rolls from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 45-60 minutes until puffy and the dish isn’t cold any longer (putting a very cold dish into a hot oven can cause the dish to shatter while baking). Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
- Make the Frosting: Add the cream cheese and unsalted butter to the bowl of your stand mixer. With the paddle attachment combine them together. Next add the vanilla extract, salt, and half of the powdered sugar cream those together until smooth. Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar.
- Spread the frosting over warm rolls and serve.
Notes
Recipe Notes
- I ran tests with overnight timing. 8-12 hours gives you a nice subtle fermentation flavor that only increases with time. These are really delicious with a 24 hour fermentation time and will go until 36 hours. After that, the integrity of the dough starts to show.
- I found that adding 2 cups of flour earlier on reduces the amount of kneading time. This also helps incorporate the flour in early.
- This is a really great recipe to use when you are expecting a house full and can batch prep before guests arrive.
- *Instant yeast note: If using instant yeast, there’s no need to wait 5 minutes, move on to the next step.
- *Softened butter note: If your butter is not soft, you can place it in a microwave safe container/bowl and set it on defrost for 12 seconds. This will nicely soften the butter without melting it.
- Make ahead: These can stay refrigerated for up to 36 hours, making them perfect for prepping the night before a holiday breakfast.
- Flour measuring: Adding too much flour will result in dense rolls. You can measure your flour using a digital scale or by fluffing the flour first (using a whisk), then spooning the flour into the measuring cup, and finally leveling the flour using the back of a butter knife.
- Extra gooey rolls: Pour ½ cup of heavy cream over the rolls before baking for an extra rich texture.
- Flavor variations: Add orange zest to the filling for a citrus twist, or swap the frosting for a vanilla glaze if you prefer something lighter.
- Check doneness: Rolls should be golden brown on top and reach about 190 degrees F internally.
Nutrition
Serving: 1roll | Calories: 430kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 291mg | Potassium: 119mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 539IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg
