Overnight Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect way to enjoy fresh, hot cinnamon rolls early in the morning without the 4AM wakeup call!
This recipe can be made as an overnight roll, or a traditional make and bake. Instructions for both methods are included on recipe notes. ABK’s Overnight Cinnamon Roll recipe is also freezer friendly!
Why overnight?
I love to serve fresh, hot cinnamon rolls right out of the oven for breakfast or brunch on a special occasion. The problem with serving cinnamon rolls fresh in the morning? It requires getting up before the sun rises to ensure they are mixed, rolled, risen, baked and frosted by the time you’re ready to serve. Overnight Cinnamon Rolls to the rescue!
The beauty of this recipe is the work and mess is finished the day before, so all you have to do on the day of serving is pull the pan out of the fridge, let rise, bake and frost.
Ingredients and method combined to make the best overnight cinnamon roll
Not all cinnamon roll recipes are created equally! This recipe comes after YEARS of trial and a lot of error. The perfect overnight sweet roll uses a combination of flours and a small, (but not too small) amount of yeast. This recipe for Overnight Cinnamon Rolls calls for Bread flour and All Purpose flour. If you omit the bread flour, the rolls will lack the texture you are looking for in a light, and slightly chewy roll.
A tablespoon of yeast in combination with the cup of bread flour will yield a rise in the dough, without rising too much overnight. Remember, the roll will rise a bit in the fridge, and then again in the oven! One last unique combination – I believe butter and oil in the dough helps to create a chewier texture we love in our cinnamon rolls!
How do you make Overnight Cinnamon Rolls?
The process of making overnight cinnamon rolls is basically the same as a traditional cinnamon roll. Mixing and waiting for the first rise of the dough is still included in the recipe. There are recipes that omit the first rise in cinnamon rolls to save time, but I don’t love the texture of the quick-rise cinnamon roll. Most bakers will tell you there is a compromise when you are making yeast rolls that only require one rise!
This recipe uses a small amount of yeast in the dough, so the roll won’t puff up too much in the fridge overnight. Once the cinnamon roll has been formed, cut and placed in the pan; simply cover and let sit in the fridge until the next morning. When morning comes, the pan needs to come out of the fridge and sit in a warm place to allow the rolls to rise and then be baked. If you have a “PROOF” setting on your oven, I suggest using it. The PROOF setting is usually set to about 85 degrees. Don’t try to force the rolls to raise too quickly, or the rolls will yield a “yeasty” flavor.
Simple cinnamon roll filling
The three key elements to a delicious cinnamon roll are: dough, filling and frosting. I think the filling is often overlooked. The secret to perfect filling is… simplicity. I like a basic filling that includes butter (no margarine!), brown sugar and cinnamon. I also like a pinch of salt to balance out the sweet. Soft and not totally melted butter works well to keep the filling from spreading out too much!
Rolling up and cutting rolls
When I make cinnamon rolls it seems like I’m either baking for a big crowd or just a few people at home. This recipe is perfect for one 9×13 pan yielding 12 cinnamon rolls. If I’m making overnight cinnamon rolls for a crowd, I double this recipe and use a jelly roll pan for baking.
Cutting cinnamon roll dough is easy if you have a sharp knife, or a pastry scraper if the edge is sharp. I’ve found a stainless steel edge is ideal for cutting cinnamon roll dough. Dental floss works well too, just make sure it is not flavored! One time I used mint flavored floss and could taste it on my cinnamon rolls. Not a good combo!
The best cream cheese cinnamon roll frosting
I’ve frosted cinnamon rolls with a huge variety of ingredients. Some I love and others are just… meh. In the end, I have a few favorites, but nothing competes with a cinnamon roll topped with cream cheese frosting. I like to keep the cream cheese on the light side. Less is more when it comes to cream cheese frosting in my opinion! I use 4oz of cream cheese in this recipe. Don’t make the mistake of using light cream cheese. If you use light cream cheese in baked goods, don’t expect the same texture as with using regular cream cheese. There’s more than just a lower calorie and fat content result! In the end, your baked product, or frosting (in this recipe) will suffer. Frosting will not set up the same when using a low fat or no fat cream cheese. Trust me!
I hope you love this Overnight Cinnamon Roll Recipe and hope it makes your morning gatherings a little easier and much sweeter!
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup warmed milk, I use whole, but any type will work
- 1 tablespoon dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar, granulated
- 2 large eggs + one yolk, at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil, *if you prefer, you may use an additional 1/4 cup of butter instead of oil
- 1/3 cup sugar, granulated
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup bread flour*
- additional all purpose flour for rolling out dough
filling
- 6 tablespoons butter, room temperature, no margarine!
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- pinch sea salt
cream cheese frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese, not light, room temperature, see post for more info
- 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk, cream or half and half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- dash salt
Instructions
Prepare dough:
- Carefully place eggs (in shells) into a small bowl of warm water to gently heat the eggs. Let sit while preparing yeast mixture. Or use room temperature eggs.
- Place warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar over the warm milk. Let sit until the yeast begins to bubble and rise.
- Add eggs, egg yolk, 4 tablespoons melted butter, oil , 1/3 cup of sugar and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix until blended with paddle in mixer on low.
- Add 3 cups all purpose flour. Mix on low until all ingredients are incorporated. Add 1 cup bread flour a little at a time, switch to dough hook. Mix until all flour is mixed in, and no white patches are visible. Mix for about 1 minute on low speed using dough hook. The dough should look smooth when finished.
- Lightly coat the inside of mixing bowl with cooking spray. Cover bowl with Saran wrap. Let sit for about 2 hours in a draft free place that is at least 72 degrees.*
- While dough is rising, prepare the filling and the pan for baking.
Prepare filling:
- Mix 6 tablespoons room temperature or slightly melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of salt together in a small bowl. Set aside. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9×13 pan (preferably not glass*) and set aside.
Form rolls:
- Using a lightly floured surface, pat and then roll the dough into a 20"x10" rectangle. Spread the filling onto the dough evenly.
- Roll up the dough, starting with the long side, until the dough is rolled into one long piece.
- Using a sharp knife, pastry scraper with sharp edge or unflavored dental floss, cut the rolled dough into half, then each half into 2 pieces, then each portion into 3 even rolls. You should have 12 rolls when finished (see photos on post)
- Place the rolls into prepared pan and cover with a sheet of parchment. Tightly cover the pan with foil or plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 2-12 hours.
- 2 1/2-3 hours before baking, place pan on top of dry dishtowel in a warm draft free place.* Do not set pan directly on a cold stone countertop! Remove cover used in refrigerator and parchment. Cover with clean, dry dishtowel. Let come to room temperature and rise. Alternately, you may use a proof setting on your oven (85 degrees) and cover the rolls with parchment and a light towel. Leave the rolls in the oven to raise for about 1 1/2 hours.
- 30 minutes before baking, heat oven to 375 regular bake OR 350 Convection. Place rack in center of oven. Prepare frosting (below) and set aside.
- When rolls are ready to bake, place in oven and bake for 15 minutes (convection) or 375 regular bake for 15-20 minutes or until tops are a light golden color. Remove from oven.
- When rolls are still hot, frost with about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the frosting. This will melt into the rolls a bit, but topping with a portion of the frosting while rolls are hot will allow the frosting to seep into the rolls and create a gooey soft, flavorful roll.
- After rolls have cooled about 15 minutes, top with remaining frosting and serve.
Make frosting:
- While rolls are baking, combine soft cream cheese and butter in a bowl. Mix until smooth. Add powdered sugar, and mix again on low speed. Add milk, vanilla, and dash of salt. Mix until smooth. Add a splash more milk if needed. See notes for make ahead.
Notes
- You may use all butter if you like. I have found the texture of the roll depends on a few factors, one being the use of a combination of butter and oil in the dough. The butter gives the rolls great flavor and the oil helps to create a bit of a dense and slightly chewy texture.
- I’ve experimented with flours in cinnamon rolls for YEARS. This combination creates a light, but still slightly dense texture in cinnamon rolls. I think using part All Purpose and part Bread Flour is the perfect combo. If you are looking for a lighter cinnamon roll, and want your roll to have a higher rise, you may use All purpose flour, and leave out the bread flour.
- Make sure to use butter in the filling and the frosting, not margarine or a butter substitute. Butter has a flavor and texture that can’t be duplicated!
- The baking time will vary according to your oven, but this recipe is most often finished in my oven right at the 15 minute mark. I use a 350 convection setting. You can also bake regular bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.
- Remember to allow about 15 minutes after the rolls are baked for the rolls to cool enough to serve and to frost in two stages.
- I recommend using a light colored pan (not a dark coated pan or glass) for best results. Glass tends to bake hot (at least 25 degrees hotter) and dark pans often result in dark bottoms on rolls!
- The frosting on this recipe may be made the day before and refrigerated. When you take the rolls out of the fridge to rise, take out the frosting and let come to room temperature.
- To freeze rolls for baking later- Prepare as directed in recipe, except when ready to refrigerate rolls, cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze immediately. The rolls may be frozen for 30 days and then removed from freezer. Unwrap and cover lightly with a dishtowel. Let thaw and rise for 3-4 hours and bake as directed.
- To make and bake this roll recipe (without refrigeration), follow instructions but do not refrigerate. Instead of refrigerating, let shaped rolls sit on countertop covered with a light dishtowel. Let rise for 1 1/2 hours. Bake and frost as directed.
Equipment
- stand mixer such as KitchenAid or Bosch
- rolling pin
Did you make this recipe?
Be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. I’d love to see a photo, tag @abountifulkitchen on Instagram!
Leslie
Wow! This is my favorite cinnamon roll recipe, and although it is time consuming it will allow you to sleep in a bit! The texture is perfect! I do like to double the icing even if I am not doubling the recipe. I have also doubled the recipe many times and it turns out great. These are perfect for Christmas morning.
Si Foster
Hi Leslie,
What a perfect Christmas morning breakfast. Happy to hear that it was enjoyed!
Happy Holidays!
XO,
Si
Jen Taylor
I love a good cinnamon roll, and these are VERY good cinnamon rolls! Love the option to do overnight or not. Light and fluffy and the frosting is so good! Can’t go wrong with this recipe!
Kiersten Nelson
I made these for General Conference weekend and they are THE BEST cinnamon rolls I have ever tasted. The perfect combination of light and dense. I used the cup of bread flour and can tell the difference it makes! The step-by-step instructions are so helpful and made it all seem so easy!
The recipe I used for years (before trying this one!) is my mother-in-law’s, whose cinnamon rolls are famous in her family. On Conference weekend, I didn’t plan on telling her I tried a new recipe until she announced that SHE had tried a different recipe… yours! We both loved this recipe and will be making again!
Leah
I’ve made a lot of cinnamon rolls and these are by far my favorite to make! The empty pan leaves me to believe the rest of the house loves them too.
Michellle
My husband made these over-night cinnamon rolls for our general conference weekend. He had the laptop open on the kitchen counter and read and followed every step of the recipe meticulously. The process took a bit longer than he expected, but the next day, we had the most amazing cinnamon rolls. Thank you Si!
Lauren Yenchik
We looooove these! Gooey, delicious and perfect for Sunday morning conference! Thank you
Sarah Rueckert
Seriously the best cinnamon roll recipe ever! Every time I make them everyone wants the recipe.
Emily Winer
Si, making these cinnamon rolls was the FIRST activity I did during the COVID lockdown! I figured since I couldn’t make Paella or the fun meals you maid in Spain on your mission, I’d try your comfort food! Low and behold, they were heavenly! I shared them with my neighbors and together your cinnamon rolls helped my little apartment feel some hope in March of 2020. Thank you!
Kylee Petersen
I’ve make this recipe every Easter morning for the past 2 years! Such an easy recipe to follow and so delicious. I honestly think these are some of the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had and the frosting is so addicting. I love this recipe!!
McCall
This is my go to cinnamon roll recipe!! So easy and sooo yummy!
Chelsie Smith
Best cinnamon rolls EVER!! Was so scared to make homemade cinnamon rolls, but this recipe made it easy and delicious.
McCall
I know you specified unsalted butter for the dough, but do you use salted or unsalted butter for the filling and icing? Does it matter? So excited to make these for Christmas morning this year!! Your recipes are always a hit!
Tamara
This was my first time making homemade cinnamon rolls. Also, first time using yeast. I was intimidated to say the least lol The recipe was really easy to follow and they turned out wonderful!
Si Foster
Hi Tamara,
Thanks so much for your review! I agree this is a very simple and straightforward recipe. And yummy too!
XO
Si
Ann de Jong
I have made and tested every cinnamon roll recipe from many books and blogs searching for the best. Today I made this recipe and finally found the one. Thank you, these are amazing!
Si Foster
Thanks Ann!
I’m honored to have posted “the one” recipe after your long cinnamon roll search! Thank you so much for your positive feedback. I love this recipe. It’s great to be able to do the work the night before and pull fresh cinnamon rolls out of the oven in the morning! YUM. Thank you for reading ABK.
xo,
Si
Julie
Half my family absolutely loved these, the other half thought they were too rich. I loved being able to do these overnight and have them ready for breakfast. I would recommend these, with a caveat that they are rich and those with sensitive pallets may not love them.
Nicole
Cinnamon rolls have always intimated me. I got the courage to make them and they were amazing! My father was visiting and he said, “these are the best cinnamon rolls I have ever had!”
Mariah
First off, these are seriously the best cinnamon rolls in the world!!! I’ve received so many compliments on them from friends and family. Secondly, do you think if I baked these in a 12 cup muffin pan I could bake them for the same amount of time or would I need to increase the time? I’m planning on making these for a wedding, in parchment liner cups for an elegant display (at least that’s what I’m going for!) Thanks!:)
Si Foster
Mariah,
Try a batch and see how they turn out. You may want to adjust the size of the cinnamon roll and make them smaller so they will bake all the way through and not overflow the liner. Test it out and take notes on size and baking times. Then when the big baking day comes, you’ll be ready!
Let me know how your baking turns out. Thank you for reading ABK!
xo,
Si
Heidi Campbell
I love, love, love this recipe! I have tried for years to successfully bake cinnamon rolls from scratch on Easter. Every year my husband sweetly says, “maybe we should just go to Cinnabon next time.” NOT THIS YEAR. This year, he and our son cleaned the plate and kept saying “This is better than Cinnabon.” Thank you! Thank you!
Si Foster
Hi Heidi!
Thank you for letting me know that this recipe topped Cinnabon! You did it! It’s great to be able to make cinnamon rolls a day ahead and then just let them rise and bake the next day. Thanks for your family’s seal of approval!
xo,
Si
Naomi
The instructions made it so easy to follow and the cinnamon rolls came were delicious! Just the right amount of cinnamon in the filling and the perfect amount of cream cheese in the frosting. My favorite part was that the texture of the rolls had a slight chew but still light and fluffy. We loved it! This is our new fave recipe!
Suzie
This is my new favorite cinnamon roll recipe. All my other roll dough recipes have the consistency of the Lion House rolls. Very yummy, but super sticky. This is much thicker (I was a bit concerned at first). I used the blend of all-purpose and bread flour. It rose just great in less than 2 hrs in UT, and it rolled out like play-doh. Easiest dough to work with, ever. And due to its overnight nature (I’ve never had great luck w those before), I may make these monthly, or more! Love.
Whitney
These are my new favorite cinnamon rolls! I didn’t use bread flour, but still they were awesome. And the frosting trick about half while hot and the other half after 15 minutes was perfect. Thanks for the recipe!
Marisa
Do you have a preference on the type of yeast to use in this recipe? Thanks!
Si Foster
Hi Marisa,
I usually purchase SAF yeast, which is dry instant yeast. I hope this helps!
xo
Si
Judy
Your introductory comments state you like “soft but not totally melted” butter, but the recipe and directions state “melted butter” – so, I’m wondering which it is. Soft or melted butter that you prefer?
Si Foster
Hi Judy,
That is a little confusing! The melted butter goes into the dough itself. The soft butter is for the filling. I don’t like to use melted butter for the filling, because it spreads too much and sometimes ends up spilling out of the roll while it is being shaped. Hope this clarifies a little better!
xo
Si
KenSie
Hello! I made a few batches of your cinnamon rolls and froze them to deliver to our grandmas Christmas Eve so they too could wake up to fresh cinnamon rolls in the Christmas morning.
I see in your instructions it says to pull them out of the freezer and then allow the rolls to thaw/rise for 3-4 hours. Then cook.
Would putting the pan of frozen cinnamon rolls in the fridge before going to bed be an option? Thanks!!
Tanne
I also need the answer to this question. I froze them but will only have a 2ish hour window in the am to bake them. Can I put frozen cinnies in the fridge over night, then take out to rise on counter on the am before baking? Thank you
Denine
Made these this weekend. Wow. Best ever. And you don’t have to wake up at 4am!!!
I’ve been making rolls every year at conference. The rolls have never been this delicious before. Everyone loved them!!!
Brittany Poulson
These cinnamon rolls are soooo yummy! We make them every general conference. My kids love to join in on the preparation process and especially in the eating! They easy to make and I love that we can prep them the night before to enjoy in the morning. I’ve used all all-purpose flour before when I don’t have any bread flour on hand and they still turn out great.
Stacy
Love these! Made them for some neighbors that helped put up a fence and they all were impressed and commented how they were even better than Cinnabon. This is now my go-to recipe! Thanks again for a great recipe!
Mollie
This is the best recipe I’ve found so far! In the pictorial instructions it would have been great to have a photo of the first rise as instructions just say let rise for 2 hours. Do you need dough to double in size or just rise and roll out after 2 hours?
Kimmi
These were delicious and so easy to make! The bread flour gave them the perfect combination of chewiness and fluffiness, and although I don’t usually love cream cheese frosting, this one was so yummy. My favorite part is that it only makes a dozen, so I can make them all the time without feeling bad about it. Highly, highly recommend!
Abby
I made these cinnamon rolls for conference and they were amazing! The recipe looked a little intimidating at first, but as I went through it I realized how simple it actually is. I used a jelly roll pan because I wanted to give the rolls plenty of room to rise and bake, and that worked extremely well for me. I also used all all-purpose flour and they were still delicious! I can’t wait to make these again.
Carrie Johnson
Hey there, it is conference weekend and I’m looking for a great cinnie roll recipe and this looks like the one! Unfortunately, we are in the middle of a pandemic and there is no flour in the store to buy, as we all know. My son brought home from the Pizza Factory where he works, a big bag of ‘high gluten flour’ that got a hole in the bag- so lucky us! How is this flour going to make the rolls different from using a combination of all-purpose and bread flour?
KrIstin
I used mostly (I switched the 3:1 ratio in the recipe to be in favor of bread flour) bread flour (which is what high gluten flour is) because I find it is chewier and just better in most breads. Using only that flour should be fine! Just ate my rolls and they are very good— though I should have cooked mine longer than 15 min at 350 convection but the flour has nothing to do with that 😉
Si Foster
Thank you Kristin, great advice!
xo
Si
Tonya boss
These cinnamon rolls are the absolute best! And worth the work. My family and I enjoyed these on Christmas morning. We had leftovers and froze them. They were just as good a few weeks later reheated. I did find I had a lot of frosting leftover. I also froze that and used it for another recipe.
Jill Hinkle
I made these for Christmas morning and they were a hit! Everyone was raving about how delicious they were! Definitely going to be a new Christmas tradition!
I want to bring these on a family weekend getaway, but I want to prep them before instead of lugging the stand mixing etc. How would you suggest transporting them? At what stage in the recipe would be best?
Love all of your recipes! Thank you!!
Si Foster
Hi Jill, I would transport them on a sheet pan, covered, after you’ve cut and rolled them and before you’ve baked them. You can make the cream cheese frosting beforehand and then bake and frost after you’ve transported them. Hope this makes sense and thank you for asking!
xo
Si
Kelly
I made these for Christmas Day Brunch and while they are still time intensive, I can’t imagine doing this all the morning of! I made a double batch. I cut the first ones wrong (*facepalm*) and they ended up wonky. They still tasted great, just not as pretty. Read the cutting instructions carefully and you will get picture perfect rolls!
My inside rolls were a bit underdone and the outsides a bit overdone, but all I had to use was either a glass pan or a dark pan, neither of which is recommended. I went with the dark pan and the bottoms were indeed dark. Now I just need the right pan so I can make these again!!
Si Foster
Hi Kelly, it’s all about trial and error when it comes to cinnamon rolls! And I’m glad you got to see how the type of pan does make a difference, thanks for sharing and for reading ABK!
xo
Si
Angie M Williams
I searched dozens of make ahead cinnamon roll recipes and decided on this one as I’ve had success with A Bountiful Kitchen’s other recipes. I followed the directions exactly and they came out perfect. The active time was manageable and it was so easy to pull out a few hours ahead of time before baking. The recipe notes are very helpful so be sure to read them! It was a great step to frost a bit while they are right out of the oven then add the rest after they’ve cooled a bit. I will definitely be making this for future special occasions. It as such a treat for Christmas morning.
Carly
I made these for Christmas morning this year and they were fantastic! This was my first time ever making cinnamon rolls and I followed the recipe and tips exactly.
JayB
My wife and I made these for our neighbors, and for ourselves 🙂 , on Christmas Eve and they were amazing. 100% best cinnamon rolls ever. Good call on the bread flour by the way! We added just a bit of lemon to the frosting… oh man. Drool-worthy.
Si Foster
Love that idea of adding lemon to the frosting, Jay, thanks for sharing and for reading ABK!
Si
Melissa Zupi
Hi Si! The cinnamon roll dough is so easy and the filling is amazing! However after several failed attempts I can’t get them to cook all the way through:( should I try a jelly roll pan and space them out? I’m wondering if using the 9×13 pan with them so crowded is the problem??
Thanks,
Melissa
Si Foster
Hi Melissa, I would definitely try baking them on a jelly roll pan next time. I would also make sure you’re giving the dough plenty of time to rise before baking it. Hope this helps and let us know how they turn out next time!
xo
Si
Tami Wassom
Hi!
I’m wanting to make these for my young women’s activity in the evening. Can I still take them out of the fridge the next day, but wait until about 3:00? Will them being in the fridge cause a problem for the final product? Thanks for your help?
Si Foster
Hi Tami, they should be fine in the fridge, just make sure to take them out and let them rise for about 2 hours before baking. Prepare everything up to step 4 in Form Rolls and make sure to cover the rolls tightly with plastic wrap. Thanks for asking and for reading ABK!
xo
Si
Kylene
These are delicious. Made them over conference weekend and the whole family gobbled them up. Loved that I could make them the night before too! Already planning on making them again over the holidays. Thanks Si!
Erica
Oooooh I’ve always wished to have homemade cinnamon rolls in the morning but never found the desire to wake up 3 hours before the sun rises. I didn’t even know it was possible to make them the night before!
Also, I love the dental floss cutting hack. My husband was so skeptical the first time I tried it and now he tells everyone about that trick! Haha
I’m looking forward to trying this delicious-looking recipe of yours as well! 💛
Si Foster
Hi Erica, I always find those little hacks make such a difference. Let me know how you like the recipe and thanks for your comment!
xo
Si
Sheryl
These were absolutely amazing and easy to make! I followed the directions exactly and they worked perfect. I like a lot of icing but the amount in the recipe was almost twice as much as needed. Thanks for sharing these, they were fabulous
Si Foster
You’re welcome, Sheryl, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for sharing!
xo
Si
Sandy
I made these for conference weekend, they were wonderful,I took some to a family member who had surgery and she was so excited she said” oh I just saw those on line and thought those would be so good for conference! I love your recipes….
Jenny
These look amazing! Also, I am planning to make your sheet pan Eggs Benny and saw you mentioned an overnight blueberry bake with vanilla sauce. Did you happen to post that recipe? I didn’t see it, but it sounds so good too!
Chelsea
This recipe is so simple, I truly believe anyone could do this for beginner bakers! Light and fluffy! I also love that it doesn’t make TOO much, just enough for some leftovers! Delicious!