These overnight cinnamon rolls are soft, fluffy, and filled with plenty of buttery cinnamon-brown sugar goodness. Make and shape them the day before, then bake and frost them in the morning for a warm, homemade breakfast without all the early-morning work.
There’s something especially good about a freshly baked cinnamon roll, but making them from start to finish first thing in the morning is a lot to ask. These overnight cinnamon rolls solve that problem by letting you do most of the work the day before. Once they’re shaped, just place them in the refrigerator and bake them the next morning.
And if working with yeast dough isn’t usually your thing, don’t let that stop you. This dough is wonderfully easy to handle, and the process is quite straightforward. Once the rolls are baked, a simple cream cheese frosting finishes them off with just the right amount of sweetness.
Why You’ll Love These Cinnamon Rolls
- Most of the work happens the day before. Make, fill, and shape the rolls in the afternoon or evening, refrigerate them overnight, and they’ll be ready to finish the next morning.
- The dough is easy to work with. It’s soft without being frustratingly sticky, making the rolling and shaping much simpler than you might expect.
- They’re soft and fluffy. Each roll is filled with swirls of buttery brown sugar and cinnamon, with plenty of cream cheese frosting on top.
- No complicated techniques. These are classic homemade cinnamon rolls made with simple ingredients and a manageable method. You don’t need to be an experienced baker to get a great result.
Key Ingredients
See the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and quantities. Here are a few notes about ingredients that are especially important for these cinnamon rolls.
- Instant yeast – Using instant yeast keeps things simple because there’s no need to activate it separately before mixing the dough. Be sure your yeast is fresh for the best rise.
- Whole milk – Milk adds richness and helps create a soft, tender dough. Using whole milk gives the rolls the best combination of flavor and texture.
- Butter – You’ll use unsalted butter in the dough, filling, and frosting. Melt and cool the butter slightly for the dough, while the dough for the filling should be quite soft so it spreads easily.
- Brown sugar and cinnamon – This simple combination makes the sweet, warmly spiced filling. Light brown sugar gives it plenty of flavor without overwhelming the cinnamon.
- Cream cheese – Full-fat block-style cream cheese makes a smooth, creamy frosting that’s thick enough to spread but softens beautifully over the warm rolls.
How to Make Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
The full instructions are in the recipe card below, but here’s a look at the basic process and what to expect along the way.
Make the dough.
Mix the warm milk, sugar, yeast, eggs, melted butter, salt, and most of the flour until a shaggy dough forms. Knead with a dough hook until the dough is smooth, soft, and just slightly tacky. Add more flour only if it’s needed. You want to keep the dough soft rather than making it dry and stiff.
Let it rise.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size. This will usually take about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, but let the dough rather than the clock be your guide.
Roll and fill the dough.
Roll the dough into a 14×18-inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter over the surface, then sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar-cinnamon filling.
Cut and shape the rolls.
From a long side, cut the filled dough into 9 strips, each about 2 inches wide. A pizza cutter makes this especially easy. Roll up each strip individually, then arrange the rolls in a greased square baking pan.
Refrigerate overnight.
Cover the pan well and place it in the refrigerator. The next morning, take the rolls out and let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or until they look nicely puffy.
Bake and frost.
Bake until the rolls are golden brown and baked through in the centers. Let them cool briefly, then spread the cream cheese frosting over the still-warm rolls so it softens slighty over the tops.
Tips for Success
- Keep the dough soft. Resist the urge to add too much flour. The dough should be smooth, soft, and slightly tacky after kneading, but it shouldn’t stick heavily to your hand or the bowl. Too much flour can make the finished rolls dry and dense.
- Let the dough tell you when the first rise is done. Rise times can vary depending on the temperature of your kitchen, so look for the dough to roughly double in size rather than relying strictly on the clock.
- Cut the strips as evenly as you can. Nine evenly sized strips will give you rolls that rise and bake at about the same rate. A pizza cutter is especially handy for making quick, clean cuts.
- Prefer the traditional shaping method? Instead of cutting the filled dough into strips, roll it up from a long side to make one large log. Cut the log into 9 equal pieces with a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss, then arrange them in the pan.
- Check the rolls in the morning. They’ll continue to rise slowly while they’re refrigerated and should look nicely expanded when you take them out. Let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking. If they don’t yet look puffy, give them a little more time.
- Don’t over-bake. Look for golden-brown tops and centers that are baked through but still soft. If the tops are browning more quickly than the centers are baking, loosely cover the pan with foil for the remainder of the baking time.
- Frost them wile they’re warm. Let the rolls cool briefly before adding the cream cheese frosting. They’ll still be warm enough to soften the frosting slightly without melting it completely.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Freezing
Make ahead: These rolls are designed to do most of the work ahead of time. Once they’re filled and shaped, cover the pan well and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes until they’re puffy before baking. This gives you plenty of flexibility to prepare them in the afternoon or evening.
Storing leftovers: Store leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Warm individual rolls briefly in the microwave before serving to soften them and take the chill off the frosting.
Freezing: The baked cinnamon rolls freeze very well, either frosted or unfrosted. Wrap them individually and place them in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for a shorter time at room temperature, then warm gently before serving.
For the best appearance, freeze the rolls without frosting and add it after reheating. Frosted rolls still taste great after freezing and maintain their soft texture, but the cream cheese frosting may lose a little of its smooth appearance as it thaws.
Breakfast Is Almost Ready
Do the work today, and tomorrow morning you’ll have soft, warm cinnamon rolls ready for the oven and a generous swipe of cream cheese frosting. And if make-ahead breakfasts are your thing, try my baked French toast, too. It’s another favorite that’s assembled the day before and baked in the morning.
More Breakfast and Brunch Favorites
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast, one packet
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 to 4 ½ cups (480 to 540 g) all-purpose flour
For the filling:
- ¾ cup (150 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- pinch salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened (very soft)
For the frosting:
- 4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups (165 g) confectioners’ sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) milk or cream, if needed
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Instructions
To make the dough:
- Warm the milk until warm but not hot (about 100-110°F/38-43°C).
- Combine the milk, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the eggs, melted butter, salt, and 4 cups (480g) flour.
- Using the dough hook, mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead for 5 to 7 minutes, adding more flour a tablespoon at a time if needed. The dough should be soft, smooth, and slightly tacky but shouldn't stick heavily to the the bowl or your hands.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until roughly doubled in size.
To fill and shape:
- Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
- Stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and salt. Set aside.
- Gently deflate the dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Roll into a rectangle about 14×18 inches.
- Spread the softened butter over the dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the butter.
- With a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough crosswise into 9 strips, each about 2 inches wide. Roll up each strip and arrange the rolls in the prepared pan.
- Cover the pan tightly and refrigerate overnight (about 8 to 18 hours).
To bake:
- Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. They should look nicely risen and puffy. If they haven't risen much overnight, give them a little more time.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown and the centers are baked through. If the rolls are browning too quickly, loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil.
To make the frosting:
- While the rolls cool slightly, beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until combined. Mix in the vanilla. Add milk or cream, a little at a time, if needed to make a soft, spreadable consistency.
- Spread the frosting over the warm rolls. Serve warm.
Notes
- Flour: Start with 4 cups (480g) of flour and add more only as needed. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky, not dry or stiff.
- Shaping: If you prefer the traditional method, roll the filled dough into a log from a long side and cut it into 9 equal pieces with a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss.
- Overnight rise: The rolls will continue to rise slowly in the refrigerator. They should look nicely expanded the next morning. If they aren’t yet puffy after 30 minutes at room temperature, give them a little more time before baking.
- Freezing: Baked rolls freeze well, either frosted or unfrosted. The frosting may lose a little of its smooth appearance after freezing and thawing, but the flavor and texture are still very good.
