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We’ve been making these melt-in-you-mouth overnight cinnamon rolls on the regular but there’s something new and wonderful about this recipe. Did you notice the fluffy cream cheese crown of irresistible decadence on the top? That my friends is the same frosting I used on my wildly popular pumpkin cake and it will change your life.
The part that touches the cinnamon rolls melts a bit, sinking into every groove and the top stays whipped and gorgeous.
This is also an overnight cinnamon rolls recipe (meaning, there is a make-ahead option!) I’ve had so many curious folks asking if my maple cinnamon rolls would work overnight, so I’m sharing my tips and tricks (and it couldn’t be easier!). These are perfect for holidays, house guests, and you of course ;).
I’ll always remember the first time I brought a batch of my cinnamon rolls to my sister’s house and how quickly they were eaten by the children (and my sister!). They’ve been in high demand ever since ;).
Ingredients for Overnight Cinnamon Rolls:
1 cup warm milk (not hot)
1/2 Tbsp active dry yeast (we use Red Star Brand)
4 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided
3 cups (plus 2 to 4 Tbsp) all-purpose flour *measured correctly, divided (*see notes below)
1 large egg, room temp
2 Tbsp unsalted butter melted (1 Tbsp for batter and 1 Tbsp to grease pans)
1/2 tsp salt
For the Cinnamon Roll Filling:
7 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened, divided (6 Tbsp for filling and 1 Tbsp to brush tops)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
For the Cream Cheese Icing:
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
How to Make the Best Overnight Cinnamon Rolls:
1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, add 1 cup warm milk and sprinkle with 1/2 Tbsp yeast. Let sit uncovered for 7 minutes at room temp. Add 1/2 cup flour, 2 Tbsp sugar and whisk until blended. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 35-45 min (or in a 100˚ oven for 25 min). It will look puffy (**See Important Note Below).
2. Whisk in 1 egg, remaining 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp melted butter and 1/2 tsp salt.
3. Using the dough hook on speed 2, add remaining 2 1/2 cups flour (1/2 cup at a time) letting it blend with each addition. Add more flour 1 Tbsp at a time just until dough is no longer sticking to fingertips or the walls of the bowl as it mixes then knead/mix for 10 min. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temp 2 hours (or in a 100˚ oven for 1 hr). Dough should double in size.
4. Generously dust flour over a clean work surface and place dough in the center. Sprinkle dough with flour (just enough to keep the rolling pin from sticking) and roll into even 17″x10″ rectangle. Dot the top of dough with 6 Tbsp softened butter and spread it out gently with a spatula.
5. Stir together 1/4 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp cinnamon and sprinkle ALL OF IT evenly over buttered dough. Roll the dough up starting with one of the longer sides, keeping a tight roll. Once it’s rolled up, push ends in slightly to make them a little more uniform then slice into 12 equal sized cinnamon rolls.
This tip is GOLD: use unflavored floss to prevent squishing your rolls. Slide it under the roll, then bring it up, cross it at the top and pull both ends to cut through the roll easily then repeat.
6. Butter sides and bottom of a 9×13 baking pan with 1 Tbsp butter and evenly space cinnamon rolls in pan, cut-side down. If making overnight cinnamon rolls, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate (up to 18 hours). Remove from refrigerator and keeping them covered, let cinnamon rolls rise at room temp 1 to 1 1/2 hours (or in a 100˚F oven for 35 min) or until puffy.
7. Brush tops with 1 Tbsp melted butter and bake at 350˚F for 22-24 mins or until tops are light golden brown. Let cool in pan 15 minutes then frost warm buns generously with the cream cheese glaze (instructions below).
How to Make Cream Cheese Icing:
1. Using an electric mixer, cream together 4 Tbsp softened butter, 4 oz soft cream cheese and beat on medium speed until creamy and smooth. Beat in 1/2 Tbsp vanilla then add 1 cup powered sugar and continue mixing until fluffy (3-4 min), scraping down the bowl as needed.
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients for Overnight Cinnamon Rolls:
- 1 cup warm milk, not hot
- 1/2 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 4 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided* (plus 2 to 4 Tbsp)
- 1 large egg, room temp
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter melted, divided
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Cinnamon Roll Filling:
- 7 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened, divided
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
For the Cream Cheese Icing:
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup confectioners, powdered sugar
Instructions
How to Make Overnight Cinnamon Rolls:
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, add 1 cup warm milk and sprinkle with 1/2 Tbsp yeast. Let sit uncovered for 7 minutes at room temp. Add 1/2 cup flour, 2 Tbsp sugar and whisk until blended. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 35-45 min (or in a 100˚ oven** for 25 min). It will look puffy.
- Whisk in 1 egg, remaining 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp melted butter and 1/2 tsp salt.
- Using the dough hook on speed 2, add remaining 2 1/2 cups flour (1/2 cup at a time) letting it blend with each addition. Add more flour 1 Tbsp at a time just until dough is no longer sticking to fingertips or the walls of the bowl as it mixes then knead/mix for 10 min. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temp 2 hours (or in a 100˚ oven for 1 hr). Dough should double in size.
- Generously dust flour over a clean work surface and place dough in the center. Sprinkle dough with flour (just enough to keep the rolling pin from sticking) and roll into even 17″x10″ rectangle. Dot the top of dough with 6 Tbsp softened butter and spread it out gently with a spatula.
- Stir together 1/4 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp cinnamon and sprinkle ALL OF IT evenly over buttered dough. Roll the dough up starting with one of the longer sides, keeping a tight roll. Once it's rolled up, push ends in slightly to make them a little more uniform then slice into 12 equal sized cinnamon rolls.***
- Butter sides and bottom of a 9×13 baking pan with 1 Tbsp butter and evenly space cinnamon rolls in pan, cut-side down. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (up to 18 hours). The following day, remove from refrigerator and keeping them covered, let cinnamon rolls rise at room temp 1 to 1 1/2 hours (or in a 100˚F oven for 35 min) or until puffy.
- Brush tops with 1 Tbsp melted butter and bake at 350˚F for 22-24 mins or until tops are light golden brown. Let cool in pan 15 minutes then frost warm buns generously with the cream cheese glaze (instructions below).
How to Make Cream Cheese Icing:
- Using an electric mixer, cream together 4 Tbsp softened butter, 4 oz soft cream cheese and beat on medium speed until creamy and smooth. Beat in 1/2 Tbsp vanilla then add 1 cup powered sugar and continue mixing until fluffy (3-4 min), scraping down the bowl as needed.
Notes
**Oven should not be hotter than 100˚F or you will cook and ruin the yeast.
***Use unflavored floss to prevent squishing your rolls. Slide it under the roll, then bring it up, cross it at the top and pull both ends to cut through the roll easily then repeat.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
The start of September is when I roll up my sleeves, pull out the baking tools and incorporate cinnamon in as many desserts as possible! I think it’s the best way to welcome Autumn :).
Q: Which food is the heart of Autumn for you?
There were fantastic! By far, the most delicious cinnamon rolls I’ve made!
My sister forgot the cinnamon, what would you do
The cinnamon is an important component to this recipe. You can add some to the frosting to help give it more flavor.
I’ve made them several times, they freeze great! Just do the 2nd proofing as they
thaw! The review of the person who did step 1 and quit bc it was too runny cracked me up 😅 Bake on bakers!!
I love this and my family’s request every Christmas morning for breakfast. I would like to ask if you can freeze the unbaked dough and how?
Thank you.
I usually make them overnight, just be sure to keep it refrigerated until ready to do the final proof and baking. I haven’t tried freezing these, but I think it could work to freeze them fully assembled, then thaw and bake. If time permits, I would thaw in the fridge overnight then follow the instructions in the post above: “Remove from refrigerator and keeping them covered, let cinnamon rolls rise at room temp 1 to 1 1/2 hours (or in a 100˚F oven for 35 min) or until puffy.” I hope that helps.
This did NOT work. I whisked the warm milk, active yeast along with the sugar and flour and covered for 45 minutes. It was still runny after an hour of waiting. Don’t waste your money and time, this recipe doesn’t work.
Hi Christen, I hope you kept reading through the recipe – that initial step is to proof the yeast – you’ll add alot more flour later. If the mixture didn’t puff, it could be a few things. Check that your yeast wasn’t expired, also make sure the milk isn’t too hot which can deactivate the yeast.
I have made these cinnamon rolls for several years now, using the exact recipe and have never had any issues. Everyone raves about them and always asks for them at Christmas.
Hi!! Is it okay to leave the dough to double in size past 2 hours if not able to get to it in that time period?
Hi Gizelle, that should be fine, but I would keep it at room temperature for the first proof rather than putting it into a warm oven. It will slow down the process to ensure you don’t overproof and exhaust your yeast.
Have you ever cut this recipe in half to make a smaller batch?
Hi Krystal! You can cut it in half. You’ll just need to use a smaller dish, and check them 10-15 minutes earlier since they’ll likely bake faster.
Is it possible to make these cinnamon rolls in a bread machine? If so, what changes would I have to make?
Hi Elly, I don’t use a bread machine so I don’t have instructions for that, but several readers reported great results using a bread machine. Here’s one report: The BEST! I made the milk and yeast mixture ( I only had instant), mixed in the flour and sugar, let it rise, then put everything into my bread machine and let it do the work. I did have to add about 3 T flour, but they turned out wonderfully for Christmas breakfast.
Hi! We use this recipe all the time and love it.
Wondering if you could use this dough recipe for your poppyseed rolls.
Hi Anna, I personally haven’t tried that to advise.
If using yeast packets. Do I just use one?
Hi Kat, a packet has 2 1/4 teaspoons so it would be a different measurement. You can measure it, we found the perfect balance to be 1/2 TBSP (whole packet is 2.5 tsp) I hope that helps.
I don’t have a metal baking pan, can I use a glass casserole dish?
Hi Hanna, its best in a metla pan, but glass will work, just watch for it to not burn since glass heats up unevenly and gets really hot.
Can I use cake and pastry flour instead of all purpose?
I haven’t tried that to advise, I also worry that it might change the texture and how well it rises.
Your directions say …”place cut side down”… besides for the ends….all the other pieces are cut on both sides. Am I misunderstanding something?
Hi Margaret, that’s correct- just don’t lay them standing up on their side, you want the spiral facing up.
I add freshly grated orange zest to the glaze – awesome!!! Been making these for holiday breakfasts for a few years.
Can these be made ahead of time and frozen? Then left out overnight to thaw and rise to bake in the morning.
I usually make them overnight, just be sure to keep it refrigerated until ready to do the final proof and baking. I haven’t tried freezing these, but I think it could work to freeze them fully assembled, then thaw and bake. If time permits, I would thaw in the fridge overnight then follow the instructions in the post above: “Remove from refrigerator and keeping them covered, let cinnamon rolls rise at room temp 1 to 1 1/2 hours (or in a 100˚F oven for 35 min) or until puffy.” I hope that helps.
Hi! If I only have access to the mixer two days ahead could I leave it all set in the fridge for two nights instead of one? Trying to think of the best way to make these ahead but further ahead! Christmas morning we will definitely bake them though because what better way to wake up! Yum!
Hi Vanessa, if you try to refrigerate the dough for longer than 18 hours, it can exhaust the yeast and your final rise will be flat and result in dry cinnamon rolls. For this reason, I recommend making this as overnight cinnamon rolls rather than 2 days ahead.
Hello! If I use fresh yeast in this recipe (which equals 3x the quantity of dry) should I omit either the 10 minute rest or the 45 minute rest go straight to the 2 hour prove ?? As fresh yeast doesn’t need blooming? What would you reccomend. Keen to try!!
Hi Hayley, baking is such a science so without trying it myself I can’t fully advise, but it I were to try it like you said you would need 3X of fresh yeast and you can likely skip the initial seven minute bloom, but still mix your yeast in with the warm milk and sugar as written. I would still keep both rises though – that’s where the magic happens. While fresh yeast gives a great rise, the dough still needs the full proofing time. I hope that helps.
Can I make these without an electric mixer? We are headed to my in-laws (out of state) for Christmas, and she doesn’t have a mixer? 🙃
Hi Molly, I bet it could be done, but the hook & mixer replaces and makes the kneading process less labor-intensive.
Yes! I’ve done it before using this recipe (which is incredible) and am doing it again tonight. It’s tiring, but can be done without a mixer. Enjoy!