Easy Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Start your day off right with these easy overnight cinnamon rolls. Soft, melt-in-your-mouth rolls with warm, comforting cinnamon flavor and decadent maple cream cheese frosting — I bet you’re already drooling!

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases–at no extra cost to you–made through links in this post.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• It yields deliciously soft, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth rolls.
• It has a bold cinnamon flavor.
• The tangy cream cheese frosting is flavored with maple syrup, making the rolls extra comforting and delicious.

This recipe calls for 4 teaspoons of cinnamon, which might seem like a lot, but trust me, you don’t want to skimp on the cinnamon. If you’re using just enough to get a hint of flavor, what’s the point of making cinnamon rolls? 😉

How to make easy overnight cinnamon rolls that are soft and fluffy

1. Mix warm milk (110-115° F), yeast and part of the sugar. Let it stand a few minutes, until foamy. This helps to ensure your yeast is good and the dough will rise.
2. Add room temperature eggs and butter; using cold eggs will slow down the rising process.
3. Add just enough flour to form a tacky dough; resist the urge to add more flour, as this will result in dry cinnamon rolls. If it’s sticking to your hands too much, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until you can handle it.
4. Knead the dough for at least 5 minutes. I don’t have a stand mixer so I always knead it by hand. Knead until the dough is smooth, elastic and shiny.
5. Let the dough rise until doubled, about an hour. Halfway through the rising time, mix melted butter, sugar and cinnamon, then put this mixture in the fridge.
6. Punch down the risen dough, roll into an 8×12-inch rectangle and spread with the cinnamon filling. If it’s gotten too hard to spread nicely, let it sit at room temperature for a while.
7. Starting from a long side, roll up like a jelly roll.
8. To make clean cuts, use a piece of thread or dental floss (or if you’re impatient like me, use a bench knife or other sharp knife). I remember as I was growing up, I’d watch my mom cut cinnamon rolls with a piece of thread. She would slide the thread under the dough, cross the thread at the top and pull in opposite directions. She always ended up with smooth, clean slices.
9. Place the rolls in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Cover and place in the fridge overnight. The next morning, remove the rolls from the fridge 30-45 minutes before baking. This not only gives the cinnamon rolls time to come to room temperature, but it will also prevent a cold glass dish from shattering in a hot oven.
10. Bake the cinnamon rolls until they’re fully baked through. I’ve had cinnamon rolls that were still stretchy and raw in the middle and it was beyond disgusting. I usually bake my rolls in a ceramic dish which requires a longer baking time than a glass dish. If your cinnamon rolls are browning too fast, cover with aluminum foil and keep baking until done.
11. While the rolls are baking, mix all the frosting ingredients. I like to spread half of the frosting on the cinnamon rolls as soon as they come out of the oven so it melts into the hot rolls, then I wait for 10-15 minutes before topping them with the rest of the frosting.

12. And most importantly, serve warm. It’s the only right way to serve cinnamon rolls in my opinion.

This recipe is also perfect for serving a crowd; it makes it easy to serve fresh, warm cinnamon rolls any time of the day. This recipe yields 12 large cinnamon rolls, but feel free to make smaller cinnamon rolls. To do this, roll your dough into a long, narrow rectangle. Roll up on the long side, then slice. This will yield more, but smaller, cinnamon rolls.

More breakfast ideas for you

• Overnight Berry Cream Cheese French Toast
• Buttermilk Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel
• Raspberry, Almond & White Chocolate Scones

Happy baking, friends!

Easy Overnight Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Print

Prep Time: 50 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes 30 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• For the cinnamon roll dough:
• ¾ cup warm milk
• 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
• ¼ cup sugar, divided
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3½ - 4 cup all-purpose flour
• For the filling:
• 6 tablespoons melted butter
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• For the maple cream cheese frosting:
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, mix the warm milk, yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar; let it stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining sugar, eggs, vanilla, butter, salt and 2 cups flour. Mix until smooth. Add remaining flour until a soft dough forms. Knead until smooth and elastic, 5-8 minutes. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

2. Thirty minutes before the end of the rising time, mix the melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Chill in the fridge until ready to use. If it gets too hard to spread, let it stand at room temperature until softened.

3. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish; set aside.

4. Punch down the dough, then roll it into a 8x12 inch rectangle. Spread with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Starting with a long side, roll up the the dough. Use a piece of thread, dental floss or a sharp knife to cut into 1 inch slices. Place in the prepared baking dish.

5. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (See notes for instructions to bake cinnamon rolls right away.)

6. In the morning take the cinnamon rolls out of the fridge 30-45 minutes before baking. (Leave them covered.)
7. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake cinnamon rolls until golden and baked through, about 25-30 minutes. If they're browning too fast, cover with aluminum foil.
8. Meanwhile, mix all the cream cheese frosting ingredients in a small bowl. Spread half of the frosting on the rolls as soon as they come out of the oven. Let them cool 15-20 minutes before spreading with the remaining frosting. Serve warm.

Notes

To bake these cinnamon rolls right away, cover and let them rise for 45 minutes after step 4. Then proceed with the instructions in step 7. You might need to reduce the baking time; make sure to check on the rolls after they've baked 20 minutes.