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Published: | Last Updated: | Author: Lois

Homemade Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Homemade overnight cinnamon rolls are perfect for celebrating holidays, birthdays or anything special in your life. Let me show you how this recipe is prepared the night before and then rises in the refrigerator while you sleep.  

Homemade Overnight Cinnamon Rolls with icing in casserole dish

This recipe has been updated since it first appeared in 2014 with new photos and a new printable recipe card that includes nutritional information. I hope you enjoy the updates as much as I enjoyed working on them! 

Affiliate Disclosure:  This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, click here.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Do you have a favorite recipe to make for Christmas morning?  Many years ago I made homemade overnight cinnamon rolls for our breakfast on Christmas morning every year.  I had this great recipe where you put the rolls together on Christmas Eve and then the rolls would rise overnight in the refrigerator.

On Christmas morning, I would take the risen rolls out of the refrigerator and pop them into the oven while we opened our gifts and we would have these amazing overnight cinnamon rolls for breakfast. And then we moved.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Sliced on Parchment Paper from WOS

Need I say anymore?  This was BEFORE computers.  This was before everyone had the internet in their home.  But more importantly, this was way before my blog started.  My recipe was clipped from a magazine and I lost it in our move to a bigger home.

Over the years I tried a few other homemade overnight cinnamon roll recipes and have searched online but have not been able to find a recipe that came close to the one I used when my children were really little.  This year I went on a search and found a recipe that came really close.

Ingredients: 

Make sure you print out the recipe below and save it for later!

Depending on how big you slice the cinnamon rolls, you should get 12 to 15 rolls. 

For the Dough

  • 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • 1/2 cup warm water, 105 to 110 degrees. Use a Digital Meat Thermometer to help you with the water temperature. 
  • 1/2 cup scalded milk
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

For the Filling

  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon

For the Icing

  • 4 tablespoons softened butter’
  • 2 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons warm water
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add 1 teaspoon sugar. Cover the bowl with a small plate and set aside for the yeast to proof; about 5 minutes. You’ll know the yeast has proofed when there are bubbles on top and it has grown.

In the bowl of a KitchenAid mixer with the dough hook attachment, combine the  scalded milk (see note below), white sugar, melted butter, salt and 1 egg. Add in 2 cups of flour and on low speed mix until combined.

Add the yeast mixture and then the remaining flour until dough does not stick to bottom or sides of bowl. Turn the machine to low speed and allow the mixer to knead the dough for you for about 5 minutes adding a little additional flour as needed. You’ll know you need to add more flour if the dough starts to stick again to the sides of the bowl.

Proofed yeast for Homemade Cinnamon RollsTurn the dough out on to a floured board and knead a few times by hand to make it smooth. Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Cover and let rise until doubled in size; about one hour.
Homemade cinnamon rolls yeast dough rising in bowl

How to Roll out the Yeast Dough

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and remove from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is about 15 X 10 inches in length. Brush the melted butter over the entire surface of the dough. 

Roll out dough and spread melted butter on top for Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Spread the cinnamon/brown sugar mixture on top of the melted butter. Beginning at one end, start rolling the dough up to form one long roll. Slice the dough into 12 to 15 pieces or smaller if you prefer. 

Spread cinnamon sugar on dough for Cinnamon Rolls

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Sliced on Parchment Paper from WOS

How to Bake Cinnamon Rolls

Place the cinnamon rolls in a greased 9 X 13 Pyrex Glass Baking Dish, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, take the baking dish out of the refrigerator and allow the rolls to sit on the counter for about an hour. 

You want the cinnamon rolls to come to room temperature before baking.  They will even begin to rise a bit more.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

While the cinnamon rolls are baking, prepare the homemade icing by combining the ingredients together in the bowl of your KitchenAid mixer. Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool for about 15 minutes before spreading your glaze on top. If you spread the glaze too soon, it will melt and not be the proper consistency.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls before and after baking

Reviews from one reader recently said: 

I prepped these yesterday and made them this morning. They are delicious. This recipe is a keeper. I will make them a couple times a year”

– Terri Blattenberg Becktel

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @Lois_walkingonsunshinerecipes on Instagram and hashtag it #walkingonsunshinerecipes

Tips for Making Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

  • It’s really important that you allow the casserole dish to sit out on the counter for at least 30 to 60 minutes to come to room temperature the next day before baking in the oven.
  • This is especially important if you’re using a glass baking dish. You should never put a glass baking dish directly from the refrigerator into the oven.
  • You need to allow the contents of the casserole dish to come to room temperature so there’s no chance of the glass casserole dish shattering when it’s suddenly exposed to high heat from an oven. 
  • Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool for about 15 minutes before spreading your glaze on top. If you spread the glaze too soon, it will melt and not be the proper consistency.

Give Homemade Cinnamon Rolls as a Gift: 

For FREE printable gift labels and tags to give these Homemade Cinnamon Rolls as gifts, check out this post: 

More Easy Breakfast Recipes: 

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Yield: 12 - 14 cinnamon rolls
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Rising Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours

Homemade overnight cinnamon rolls are perfect for celebrating holidays, birthdays or anything special in your life. Let me show you how this recipe is prepared the night before and then rises in the refrigerator while you sleep. 

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Dough

  • 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1/2 cup scalded milk
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

Ingredients for the Filling

  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Ingredients for the Icing

  • 4 tablespoons softened butter
  • 2 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons warm water
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

How to Make the Dough

  1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add 1 teaspoon sugar. Cover the bowl with a small plate and set aside for the yeast to proof.
  2. In the bowl of a KitchenAid mixer with the dough hook attachment, combine the 1/2 cup scalded milk (see note below), 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/3 cup melted butter, salt and 1 egg.
  3. Add in 2 cups of flour and on low speed mix until combined.
  4. Add the yeast mixture and then the remaining flour until dough does not stick to bottom or sides of bowl.
  5. Turn the machine to low speed and allow the mixer to knead the dough for you for about 5 minutes adding a little additional flour as needed. You'll know you need to add more flour if the dough starts to stick again to the sides of the bowl.
  6. Turn the dough out on to a floured board and knead a few times by hand to make it smooth. Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
  7. Cover and let rise until doubled in size; about one hour.

How to Shape the Dough

  1. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and remove from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface.
  2. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a rectangle about 15 inches by 10 inches.
  3. Brush the melted butter over the entire surface of the dough using a pastry brush.
  4. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Then spread evenly over the entire surface of the dough.

How to Roll the Dough

  1. Beginning at one end, start rolling the dough up.
  2. Slice the dough into 12 to 14 pieces, or smaller if you prefer.
  3. Place the cinnamon rolls in a buttered 9 X 13 baking dish.
  4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or see notes below to FREEZE THE CINNAMON ROLLS to use at a later date.

How to Bake the Cinnamon Rolls

  1. In the morning, remove the cinnamon rolls from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature, about another hour. They will rise again.
  2. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until slightly brown.

How to Make the Icing

While the cinnamon rolls are baking, prepare your icing by combining together all the ingredients in the bowl of a KitchenAid mixer.

How to Spread the Icing on the Baked Cinnamon Rolls

  1. Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool for 15 minutes before pouring the glaze on top.
  2. If you add the glaze too soon, it will melt.

How to Freeze the Cinnamon Rolls

  1. Once you have the cinnamon rolls sliced, place them on a baking sheet that's been lined with parchment paper.
  2. Place the baking sheet in the freezer to flash freeze the rolls. This should take about an hour or two.
  3. Once the rolls are solid, remove and place then in a single layer in freezer safe plastic bags.
  4. Return to freezer for up to two to three months.

How to Bake Frozen Cinnamon Rolls

  1. When you're ready to enjoy the cinnamon rolls, remove the desired amount from the freezer and place them in a greased baking dish making sure to leave room for the cinnamon rolls to expand as they defrost.
  2. Allow them to double in size and come to room temperature.
  3. Bake and add icing as directed above.

Notes

How to Scald Milk:

  • Place the milk in a saucepan over medium heat.
  • Stir constantly.
  • When bubbles and steam start to appear remove from heat. You don't want the milk to boil, so watch it closely.
  • Allow to cool to 110 degrees before adding to yeast mixture. Use a digital thermometer to check the temperature. If you add the milk when it's too hot, it will destroy the yeast.

Very Important Note:

  • You need to allow the casserole dish to sit out on the counter for at least 60 minutes to come to room temperature the next day before baking in the oven.
  • This is especially important if you’re using a glass baking dish. You should never put a glass baking dish directly from the refrigerator into the oven.
  • You need to allow the contents of the casserole dish to come to room temperature so there’s no chance of the glass casserole dish shattering when it’s suddenly exposed to high heat from an oven.


Give Homemade Cinnamon Rolls as a Gift:

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 14 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 708Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 292mgCarbohydrates: 122gFiber: 4gSugar: 25gProtein: 14g
The nutrition information is calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you, please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator.
© Lois
Cuisine: American / Category: Bread

Homemade Overnight Cinnamon Rolls are prepared the night before and rise in the refrigerator. The next morning you bake them for a delicious breakfast!


Overnight Cinnamon Rolls are perfect for the mornings you want a special breakfast but don't want to wait forever to enjoy them from Walking on Sunshine.

 

 

 

 

 

About Lois

Originally from Queens, NY, Lois now calls northeastern PA home. You can find her blogging over at Walking on Sunshine where she shares a little of her life, but more importantly what’s for dinner at her house tonight.

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Comments

  7. Cassie says

    The name on this recipe is a little misleading. I started them at 9pm and now I’m going to bed. I didn’t read these instructions all the way through…
    These look so yummy though!

    Reply

  8. RonWill7 says

    How long can these be store in the fridge? Trying to plan all my preparing, cooking, and baking for tonight and I wonder if I can make these earlier rather than later.
    Thanks!

    Reply

  12. Andrea Lesovsky says

    I just made these…WOW! What a great recipe! I have made many cinnamon rolls before, but these were just amazing! The dough was super fluffy and soft. Best yeast dough I have ever worked with. Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe. It's a definite keeper!

    Reply

  14. Sheri says

    I made these yesterday and enjoyed them this morning!! They were so easy and AMAZING!! My family said that I better keep this recipe and not change a thing. I found your recipe on Pinterest and I'm so glad I did!! I am starting a blog and would love to make these on the blog but give the credit to you with a link to your blog. I'm just beginning to learn about blogging and wanted to make sure that you would be okay with this.

    Reply

  19. Kimberly Lewis says

    This looks so good! I’m drooling right now. Pinned. We had so much fun partying with you at our last party. We hope to see you tonight’s party at 7 pm. We love to see what you have been working on!
    Happy Monday! Lou Lou Girls

    Reply

  23. Stacy says

    These were so good and worth every bit of extra effort! 🙂 I used fresh ground wheat berries and honey granules for the sugar, and sucanat for the brown sugar. I also added 1 tablespoon of lecithin and one tsp of vital wheat gluten to help with rise. SO GOOD! Thanks for the tip on waiting to ice them – my icing always melts because I'm too eager to wait. 🙂 This time I just made sure I had something else to do for those 15 minutes. Ha, ha! My children are HUGE fans. Thanks!

    Reply

  26. Cynthia Landrie says

    I love cinnamon rolls in the morning. I'm always looking for new recipes. Thank you for linking to the In and Out of the Kitchen Link Party. Hope to see you next time.

    Reply

  27. Miz Helen says

    Oh my goodness,
    I would just love waking up to this special treat! Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a great weekend.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

    Reply

  29. Rachel Beach says

    Definitely pinned! I have made a few recipes before and the best I found included 20 tbsp of butter (waaaay too much!) so I would like to find a better alternative. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

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