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The short answer: Here's how overnight cinnamon rolls work. The night before, make a soft dough with 4 cups flour, 1 cup warm milk, 1/3 cup melted butter, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast and 1 teaspoon salt. Let it rise until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
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Roll it into a 16x12-inch rectangle, spread it with softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, roll it up and cut 12 rolls. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let them puff for 30 to 60 minutes, bake at 350°F for 22 to 28 minutes and spread with cream cheese icing.
Cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning feel like a big production, but splitting the work across two days makes it easy. The dough and shaping happen on Christmas Eve, and in the morning you just bake while everyone opens stockings. Below is the full recipe, a timeline, fixes and freezer tips. If you want the same cinnamon-sugar flavor with less shaping, monkey bread is a simpler pull-apart option.
Ingredients for overnight cinnamon rolls
Dough
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 4 cups (about 500 g), plus more for rolling |
| Granulated sugar | 1/4 cup |
| Instant yeast | 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) |
| Salt | 1 teaspoon |
| Whole milk, warmed to about 110°F | 1 cup |
| Butter, melted | 1/3 cup |
| Eggs | 2 large, room temperature |
Filling and icing
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Butter, softened | 1/2 cup |
| Brown sugar | 3/4 cup, packed |
| Ground cinnamon | 2 tablespoons |
| Cream cheese, softened | 4 ounces |
| Butter, softened (icing) | 1/4 cup |
| Powdered sugar | 1 1/2 cups |
| Vanilla | 1 teaspoon |
| Milk | 1 to 2 tablespoons |
How to make overnight cinnamon rolls, step by step
- Mix the dough. Whisk the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add the warm milk, melted butter and eggs and stir into a shaggy dough.
- Knead. Knead by hand 8 to 10 minutes or with a stand mixer 5 to 7 minutes, until smooth and slightly tacky.
- First rise. Cover and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Roll out. Roll the dough into a 16x12-inch rectangle on a floured counter.
- Fill. Spread the softened butter to the edges. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle it evenly.
- Roll and cut. Roll it up tightly from the long side. Cut 12 rolls with floss or a serrated knife and set them in a buttered 9x13-inch pan.
- Refrigerate. Cover tightly and refrigerate 8 to 16 hours.
- Morning rise. Set the pan out for 30 to 60 minutes, until the rolls are puffy and touching. Heat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake. Bake 22 to 28 minutes, until light golden. Cool 10 minutes.
- Ice. Beat the cream cheese and butter, then the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Spread on the warm rolls.
No sneaking a taste of the dough. The FDA says never to eat or taste raw flour, dough or batter, because only cooking makes flour and raw eggs safe.
Christmas Eve to Christmas morning timeline
| When | Step | Hands-on time |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas Eve, 4 PM | Mix and knead the dough | 15 min |
| 4:15 to 5:30 PM | First rise | 0 min |
| 5:30 PM | Roll, fill, cut and refrigerate | 20 min |
| Christmas morning, 7:00 AM | Pan out of the fridge | 1 min |
| 7:45 AM | Into the oven | 0 min |
| 8:15 AM | Ice and serve | 5 min |
Fixes for common cinnamon roll problems
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix next time |
|---|---|---|
| Dense rolls | Under-risen in the morning | Wait until they're puffy and touching |
| Dry rolls | Too much flour or overbaked | Keep dough tacky; pull at light golden |
| Filling leaked | Melted butter, loose rolling | Use soft butter; roll tightly |
| Yeasty or sour taste | Over 16 hours in the fridge | Bake by the next morning |
| Raw centers | Pan too crowded or cold | Let them warm up longer; tent with foil and bake a few minutes more |
Baking in the mountains? Colorado State University Extension says yeast dough rises too fast at higher elevation and recommends using less yeast. It also notes that rising dough in the refrigerator slows the process, which an overnight rise already does.
Make ahead and freezing
- Overnight: Shape, cover and refrigerate up to 16 hours.
- Freezer, unbaked: Wrap the shaped rolls in the pan and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then let them puff and bake.
- Freezer, baked: Freeze un-iced rolls, then warm at 325°F for 10 minutes and ice.
- Leftovers: Cover and keep at room temperature for a day, or refrigerate because of the cream cheese icing.
Serving brunch for a crowd? Pair the rolls with a Christmas breakfast casserole and a pitcher of homemade eggnog. A pan of French toast casserole can also be assembled the night before. For a smaller brunch, our skillet French toast recipe is quick to make.
Save the recipe and plan the week
Cinnamon rolls are the kind of recipe that becomes a tradition. Write your timeline down so it's easy to repeat.
- Family Recipe Binder, $6.99. Save the dough, filling, icing and your Christmas Eve timeline on one page.
- Meal Planner & Grocery List, $3.99. Plan Christmas week meals and add yeast, cream cheese and brown sugar to one list.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you make overnight cinnamon rolls? To make overnight cinnamon rolls, make a soft yeast dough with flour, milk, butter, eggs, sugar and instant yeast, let it rise until doubled, roll it out, spread it with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, roll and cut 12 rolls, then cover the pan and refrigerate it 8 to 16 hours. In the morning, let the rolls puff for 30 to 60 minutes and bake at 350°F for 22 to 28 minutes.
How long can cinnamon rolls rise in the fridge? Shaped cinnamon rolls can rise in the refrigerator for about 8 to 16 hours. Much longer and the dough can over-proof and taste yeasty, so plan to bake them the next morning.
Do overnight cinnamon rolls need to come to room temperature before baking? Yes, let them sit out 30 to 60 minutes, until puffy and touching each other. Cold, under-risen rolls bake up dense.
Can I put cinnamon rolls in the fridge before the first rise? Yes, you can refrigerate the dough overnight right after kneading, then shape it in the morning. It adds about 1 hour to Christmas morning, so most people prefer shaping the night before.
What is the best flour for cinnamon rolls? All-purpose flour makes soft, tender rolls. Bread flour gives a chewier, taller roll. Both work, and you can mix them half and half.
Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant? Yes, you can use active dry yeast instead of instant. Use the same amount, 2 1/4 teaspoons, and dissolve it in the warm milk with a pinch of sugar for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy before adding it to the flour.
Why are my cinnamon rolls dry? Dry cinnamon rolls usually come from too much flour or overbaking. Keep the dough soft and slightly tacky, and pull the rolls when they're light golden and the center reads about 190°F.
Why did my filling leak out? Filling leaks when the butter is melted instead of softened or the rolls are cut loose. Spread soft, room-temperature butter, roll tightly, and cut with unflavored dental floss or a sharp serrated knife.
Can I freeze cinnamon rolls? Yes, you can freeze cinnamon rolls. Freeze shaped, unbaked rolls in the pan, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, then let them puff and bake as usual. Baked rolls also freeze well without the icing.
How do I make cream cheese icing for cinnamon rolls? Beat 4 ounces softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup softened butter, then beat in 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 to 2 tablespoons milk. Spread it on warm rolls.
Can I taste the dough or filling before baking? No, you shouldn't taste the dough or filling before baking. The FDA says not to eat or taste raw flour, dough or batter, because raw flour and eggs can carry harmful bacteria. Save the tasting for the baked rolls.
Do cinnamon rolls need changes at high altitude? Cinnamon rolls often need changes at high altitude. Colorado State University Extension says yeast dough rises too fast at high elevation and suggests using less yeast. A slow overnight rise in the refrigerator also helps.
How many cinnamon rolls does this recipe make? This recipe makes 12 large rolls in a 9x13-inch pan. For smaller rolls, cut 15 to 18 and bake 2 to 4 minutes less.
Where should I keep our cinnamon roll recipe? Keep it in the Family Recipe Binder from HomeBase Paper Co. with your timeline and icing notes, so it's ready for next Christmas morning.
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Sources
- FDA: Handling flour safely fda.gov
- Colorado State University Extension: Baking at elevation extension.colostate.edu
