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These easy Overnight Cinnamon Rolls are made ahead the night before, so you can wake up to fresh, fluffy homemade cinnamon rolls with minimal morning effort. Perfect for Christmas morning, holidays, or weekend brunch.
You'll thank yourself in the morning for Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
You'll thank yourself in the morning for Overnight Cinnamon RollsWhen you do the work the night before, these Overnight Cinnamon Rolls change the breakfast game! In the morning all you have to do is let them come to room temperature, bake, and enjoy. No early morning kneading or waiting around for dough to rise while your stomach growls.
You can use a traditional glaze, or my favorite is the thick and creamy cream cheese frosting. These homemade overnight cinnamon rolls bake up big, fluffy, and ridiculously delicious, perfect for Christmas morning or weekend brunch.
Try more of my breakfast recipes, like Raspberry Scones, Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, French Toast Casserole, Blueberry Muffins, and Breakfast Burritos!
How to make Overnight Cinnamon Rolls:
Make Dough: Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk with a little sugar, letting it rest for 5 minutes. Add salt, sugar, egg, butter, and 2 cups flour. Add more flour slowly as needed, until the dough pulls away from the bottom and sides of the bowl. The key to bread dough is not adding too much flour. The dough should be smooth and elastic but slightly sticky. Let it rise for 1 ½ hours, or until doubled.
Roll Out and Shape: Punch the dough down then roll into a 20″x18″ rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Now we slather the fillings on–butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar–leaving a ½ inch border. Roll the dough into a tight log, starting at the short end! Slice 1.5 inch thick slices with a serrated knife or dental floss. (Alternately, you could cut the dough into 12 strips, and roll each individual strip up).
Refrigerate Overnight: Arrange the cinnamon rolls in a buttered 9×13 dish and cover tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Place in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, take the pan out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature and rise for 1 1/2-2 hours, or until doubled.
Bake these make ahead cinnamon rolls at 375 degrees F for 18-23 minutes, until cooked through and golden. Make cream cheese frosting and spread on top of warm rolls and enjoy!
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- Stand Mixer optional
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast*
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, + ½ teaspoon, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, , softened
- 3 ½ – 4 cups bread flour, , or all-purpose
Filling:
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, , softened
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
Frosting:
- 4 ounces cream cheese, , ½ block softened
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 6 Tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Proof Yeast: In a mixer add yeast, warm milk, and ½ teaspoon sugar and gently stir. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes for the yeast to “proof” and the mixture to get foamy on the top (if this does not happen, try again with fresh active yeast).2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast*, 1 cup warm milk
- Make Dough: Add salt, sugar, egg, butter, and 2 cups of flour to the mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed until combined. Add another cup of flour and continue mixing. Add more flour as needed until dough pulls away from the bottom and sides of bowl. Mix for 5 minutes. Dough should be smooth and elastic but slightly sticky.¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 large egg, ⅓ cup unsalted butter, 3 ½ – 4 cups bread flour
- First Rise: Remove dough to a large greased bowl, cover, and allow it to rise for 1 ½ hours or until doubled in volume.
- Roll and shape: Punch dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured or greased work surface. Roll dough into a 20''x18'' rectangle.
- Fill and cut: Smooth butter over the top of the dough, Mix cinnamon and brown sugar together and sprinkle evenly over the top, leaving about 1/2inch border. Starting at the short end of the dough, roll the dough into a tight “log” and use a sharp serrated knife or some tooth floss to cut the dough into 12 slices about 1.5 inches thick.6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
- Refrigerate overnight: Place rolls onto a buttered 9×13'' or rimmed bakers half sheet (18×13''). Cover pan with a lid or tightly with plastic wrap and tinfoil and refrigerate overnight, 8-12 hours. (You could also freeze at this point, if desired. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.)
- Second rise: Remove rolls from the refrigerator and allow to rise until doubled in volume, about 1 ½ – 2 hours.*
- Bake: Bake at 375 degrees F for 18-25 minutes, until golden and cooked through in the center. Spread frosting over warm from the oven rolls.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Add cream cheese to a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixers until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and beat well until smooth. Add additional milk or powdered sugar to make the frosting thicker, or thinner, as desired. Smooth frosting over cinnamon rolls.4 ounces cream cheese, 2 ½ cups powdered sugar, 6 Tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Notes
- Instant Yeast: to substitute instant yeast, skip the first step of proofing the yeast and add the yeast, 2 cups flour, sugar and salt to stand mixer before adding water, milk, egg, and butter.
- Orange Rolls
- Classic Cinnamon Rolls
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Lemon Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe February 2017. Updated December 2021 and December 2025.
These were EXCELLENT! Thank you for the awesome recipe!
My rolls taste delicious,but the centre ones are always doughy in the middle. If I cook them longer the outside ones get too dark. I was thinking of going to a larger pan spacing the rolls out. What do you think ?
You’re right on track. A larger pan or spacing them out more can really help the centers bake through.
How long can the prebaked cinnamon buns be frozen?
Dorothy
Hi Dorothy! You can freeze the unbaked cinnamon rolls after shaping and before the second rise for up to 2 months. Just make sure they’re tightly wrapped (plastic wrap + foil is best) and placed in a freezer-safe container or pan.
When you’re ready to bake, thaw them overnight in the fridge, then let them rise at room temp for 1–2 hours until puffy before baking as usual.
can i completely skip refrigeration?
We have an amazing regular cinnamon roll recipe right here!
How long can I refrigerate before baking? Would up to 48 hours be ok?
Yes, you can refrigerate the shaped cinnamon rolls for up to 48 hours before baking! Just make sure they’re tightly covered. When ready to bake, let them come to room temp and rise until doubled—usually 1.5 to 2 hours—before popping them in the oven.
Can you freeze the dough before baking?
Yes! You can freeze the shaped rolls before baking. Just thaw overnight in the fridge, let them rise, then bake as usual.
I make these for church functions, we did an auction to raise money for the kids church camp and the highest bidder was $225.00, every time we have a function they are requested.
Hi! I swear mine turned out almost sour?? Do you know what might cause this??
Did you let the cinnamon rolls rise too long? Is your yeast still good?
I do not have a stand mixer. Can I still make these using an electric mixer?
Just fyi your flour measurements are off in metric. Most people use 120-130g per cup but your recipe is double. I should have checked between the two but know I’m making an impromptu double batch!
These are delightful! I love that I just need to pull them out of the fridge and pop them in the oven in the morning. My daughter even brings them to sleepovers so she and her friends can have them for breakfast!!