Cinnamon Rolls are a favorite in our house. We seem to always get the cravings on Sunday afternoons, so after church when we’re all home being lazy, I’ll often whip up a batch. There have been lots of times where I would have loved to make them for breakfast, but who wants to get up at the crack of dawn so they’ll actually be ready in time for breakfast?? Even if you don’t mind, by the time they’re ready to eat, you’ve got a kitchen full of dirty dishes. I’ve tried putting my everyday cinnamon roll recipe in the fridge over night and I haven’t had any luck. Actually, I’ve tried a few different recipes and none of them really turn out all that well. So when I saw a recipe for overnight cinnamon rolls in my new favorite cookbook, it instantly caught my attention. I tweaked the dough just a little and then used my own filling recipe. The cinnamon rolls were were just as I imagined they would be: soft, fluffy, full of flavor, and mouthwateringly delicious. The dough takes a bit longer than my other recipes, but it works out perfectly since you can whip them up up after dinner and pop them in the fridge before bed. In the morning, they just need to sit out for about an hour (so you can either sleep in some more or take a shower and get dressed!) and then pop them in the oven.
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Recipe from Family Meals, Williams-Sonoma
Dough
1 T active dry yeast
1/2 C warm water (105 deg F)
4 1/2 C all-purpose flour (22 1/2 oz)
1t kosher salt
4 large eggs
1/4 C sugar
1/2 C (1 stick) real butter at room temp
Filling
1/2 C (1 stick) real butter at room temp, divided
3/4 C packed brown sugar
1 T cinnamon
Glaze
1 C powdered sugar
2 T butter, melted
2 T milk or cream
1 t vanilla extract
In the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the water, allow to bloom for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in 1/2 C of the flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm spot for about 30 minutes.
Add the eggs, sugar, butter, salt, and remaining 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and knead on medium speed until smooth 10-12 minutes. Add a bit more flour to reduce stickiness if needed.
Cover with plastic wrap, set in a warm spot and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.
While dough is rising, prepare filling. Take 2 T of the stick of butter and set aside. Beat remaining butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together until combined and slightly fluffy, about 1 minute. It will be rather thick.
Butter a 9×13 baking dish. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Roll out into a rectangle about 15×10 in. Spread filling onto dough. Use a spoon (or your fingers) to spread it out evenly and then roll up length-wise.
Do you all know the trick to cutting cinnamon rolls? If not, go grab your dental floss! A piece of thread works fine too.
First score the rolls so you know you’re going to cut evenly. Then slide the thread underneath the rolls, cross over the top and pull. You’ll get razor sharp cuts without smashing your pretty dough.
You can cut the rolls to your liking. This will make 12 small rolls, 10 medium ones, or 8 large rolls. I made 10, but put 2 in a little dish to cook separately.
Place cut side up in baking dish. Melt the reserved 2 T butter and brush on top of rolls. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
The next morning, remove from refrigerator and let rise until half again as high, about 1 hour.
While rising mix glaze ingredients until combined.
Preheat the oven to 350. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. If you get impatient and wait about 47 seconds like I did then your glaze will instantly melt and fall into the crevices between the rolls. Then you’ll stick your finger in the little well so you can taste it and you’ll burn yourself and possibly let out an expletive. You’ll be so hurt you’ll have to stuff a cinnamon roll in your mouth to comfort yourself. And possibly another one because the first one was too hot to enjoy. Not that I have experience with any of this. Just trust me and let the rolls cool off a bit.
Then spread the glaze over them and serve.
Don’t have time for overnight cinnamon rolls? Try my “every day” quicker version instead!
Questions & Reviews
We make these every year for Christmas- perfect because I can make them the day before! I’ve been making them for years- my kids look forward to them all year long.
We’ve made these for years and love them. They are a Christmas morning staple.
These are amazing and I’ve never had any problems with them until now! I’ve been doubling the recipe and the rolls come out dry. Any idea why??
Just make sure you’re not adding too much flour and don’t overbake!
I made these for General Conference and they were incredible!!! I didn’t have time to let it rise and then make rolls that night so I just refrigerated it overnight to let it rise then rolled and let rise that morining. I have always wanted to be a mom that made cinamon rolls and now I can be! I did a cream cheese frosting because I was worried the frosting would be too sweet and it was great! Next time I’ll add lots more walnuts and raisins becuase it’s all about the toppings.
Quick question – when you say ‘let rise in a warm spot’, where do you typically leave them? I haven’t tried this recipe (but am planning on it for Christmas) but I typically have issues getting rolls to rise correctly. I’m assuming my house is too cold and is causing issues. Do you place them in the oven at a low temp?
My favorite place to let dough rise is in the oven, but NOT turned on, even to warm. Try turning it on to warm without the dough for just a couple minutes and then turning it off. Place your dough in and place a pan full of boiling water underneath it and quickly shut the oven door. This warm, steamy setting is the perfect rising spot!
I made this for Christmas Eve brunch and they were absolutely delicious! Thank you so so much for this recipe!
Just… WOW! Homemade cinnamon rolls have never been my strength and always turn out too dry and dense. But these looked so fluffy that I decided to give a homemade version one more shot this weekend, and they turned out A-MAZING! Like all the other comments have said, this recipe is fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth, and easily the best cinnamon rolls you will ever make. These will most certainly become a family tradition for holidays, back to school, and Sundays after church! Yum!
These are in the fridge right now and I can’t wait to bake them in the morning. Is 1/2 cup of water really all the liquid? I only used about 3 3/4 cup flour. Hope they turn out! I usually make your everyday cinnamon rolls but wanted them ready for morning!
Can/have you doubled this to make 24?
Sure.
I made these last night / this morning. They are every bit as delicious as they look. I’ve also made the pioneer woman’s. These beat the frosting out of them.