Overnight Cinnamon Rolls {Make Ahead Cinnamon Rolls}

Imagine waking up to the amazing scent of soft, gooey, and delicious homemade Overnight Cinnamon Rolls baking in your oven. Spoil your family with these make-ahead cinnamon buns with homemade orange cream cheese frosting.

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Imagine waking up on a cold morning with a pan of make-ahead cinnamon rolls ready to pop into the oven.

Even though I can’t be in your kitchen when you make them, I have packed so many tips into this recipe that you will totally ace it. Don’t be scared. I’m here, we’re in this together. You’re about the be the most popular person in your house.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls. Let’s do this.

Need a smaller version of this recipe that could also be cooked in an air fryer? Check out our small batch cinnamon rolls.

Let’s Talk About Rise Times

If you’ve never worked with yeasted doughs before AND like exact directions, notations like “until doubled in size ~1 hour” might make your butt clench so tightly you could turn a grain of sand into a pearl. You want specifics. I get it.

But there are many factors that go into how your dough will rise. The temperature of your house is a huge part of it, as is the age of the yeast, how much the dough was kneaded, etc.

Pay attention to the cues I give you in the recipe (noted by “Looks Like”) and just embrace that sometimes little things in life are out of our control. But hey, at least in this instance those things contain cinnamon and brown sugar (related: Homemade Brown Sugar).

What Yeast Should I Use for Make-Ahead Cinnamon Rolls?

The two main types of yeast you can buy in most stores are active dry or instant (rapid rise) yeast. I use active dry for almost all my baking because of personal brand preference and what I can find locally.

If you already have instant yeast, you can skip step 1 of the recipe and just incorporate all the dough ingredients together. I’ll also make note of this in the recipe card so no need to start taking notes. Or…you don’t knead to take notes… <—dough joke!

Active dry yeast needs to be “proofed” and mixed with a liquid (warm milk in this case) to get the party started.

How Do I Know If Yeast is Active?

If your yeast doesn’t dissolve into the milk and start to produce some bubble action within 10 minutes, your yeast has passed on. If you know the yeast is new and worked recently, chances are the milk was too hot when combined with the yeast.

Here’s How to Make Them

I’ll walk you through this process with photos, and you’ll also find a printable and detailed recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Proof the Yeast

Whisk together warm milk, honey, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let it sit until foamy and doubled in size. Looks Like: the top of a super creamy root beer!

Make the dough

Add flour, sugar, eggs, salt, and butter. Using the bread hook attachment on the stand mixer, mix the dough until it is a solid mass and the sides of the bowl are clean (about 2 minutes). If the dough is still super sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it is no longer sticking to the sides.

Gather the dough in one hand and quickly grease the bowl (I use a drizzle of olive oil). Place the dough back in and cover the bowl with a clean damp kitchen towel. Let it sit until the dough has doubled in size (about 1 hour). Looks Like: a puffed-up mass of dough with the top sides pulling away from the bowl. Feels like: the super-soft underside of your granny’s squishy arm. You know what I am talking about. Just go with it.

Pro tip proofing dough in Instant Pot: you can also proof your dough in an Instant Pot using the yogurt setting and a glass lid. Drizzle a bit of olive oil into the instant pot insert and add the dough. Cover with the glass lid and press “yogurt” and set the timer for 30 minutes. Check after 15. It took mine about 35 minutes to double in size.

Sprinkle a bit of flour onto a clean surface. Make a ball out of the dough and gently press it with your hands to create a rectangle. Pro tip: using the palm of your hand before using a rolling pin will save you a lot of work. Roll out the dough to make a large rectangle (about 18×22 inches).

Spread softened butter over the dough, leaving a small butter-less perimeter around the outside. Cover with brown sugar and top with cinnamon.

Starting with the long edge of the dough furthest from you, tightly roll the dough towards you until you have a solid “roll”.

Cut into 12-15 rolls. Pro tip: using a bread knife (aka serrated knife) will create the cleanest cuts. Some people use dental floss, but I am totally pro-bread knife for this step.

Grease a 9×13 baking dish (pro tip: use the empty butter wrapper to use all up the leftover bits of butter). Place the rolls into the dish. Set aside in a warm place until the rolls have doubled in size (about 1 hour). Looks Like: the dough will have “fluffed” up and are likely touching each other in the dish.

Tightly cover the pan and store in the fridge for up to 36 hours.

To bake: preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake! Smells like: heaven on earth.

Let’s Make the Frosting

While the rolls are baking, combine room-temperature butter and cream cheese in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium until soft and fluffy. Looks Like: whipped butter

Reduce the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time (related: how to make powdered sugar). Pro tip: taste as you go because not everyone likes their frosting the same level of sweetness.

Add in the vanilla (related: how to make vanilla extract) and almond extract and orange juice and slowly increase the mixer speed to medium until well combined. Pro tip: if you want a spreadable frosting, skip the orange juice. If you still want an orange flavor (you do!), add in 1 tbsp of orange zest with the vanilla.

Pour/spread the frosting over warmed rolls. Then stand back while your family rushes the kitchen and then starts to loudly chant your name and slow clap.

Print Recipe

4.92 from 24 ratings

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Prep Time25 mins

Cook Time28 mins

Rising time2 hrs

Total Time53 mins

Homemade Make-Ahead Cinnamon Rolls from scratch is an amazing treat to make for your loved ones.

Servings: 15

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: homemade cinnamon rolls, make ahead cinnamon rolls, overnight cinnamon rolls

Calories: 406kcal

Author: Sarah Cook – Sustainable Cooks

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

Dough

• ▢ 1 cup milk {warmed, to 110 degrees F}
• ▢ 1/4 cup honey
• ▢ 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• ▢ 2 eggs {room temperature}
• ▢ 1/3 cup butter {melted, slightly cooled}
• ▢ 1/3 cup sugar
• ▢ 1 tsp salt
• ▢ 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Filling

• ▢ 1/2 cup butter {softened}
• ▢ 3/4 cup brown sugar
• ▢ 3 tbsp cinnamon

Frosting

• ▢ 3 oz cream cheese {softened}
• ▢ 3 tbsp butter {softened}
• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/8 tsp almond extract {optional}
• ▢ 1/4 cup orange juice {or 1 tbsp orange zest}

US Customary – Metric

Equipment

• Stand mixer

Instructions

Proof the dough

• Whisk together warm milk, honey, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let it sit until foamy and doubled in size. Looks Like: the top of a super creamy root beer! If you have instant yeast, skip this step and combine all the dough ingredients together and follow directions in step 2.
  1 cup milk, 1/4 cup honey, 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

Make the dough

• Add flour, sugar, eggs, salt, and butter. Using the bread hook attachment on the stand mixer, mix the dough until it is a solid mass and the sides of the bowl are clean (about 2 minutes). If the dough is still super sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it is no longer sticking to the sides.
  2 eggs, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tsp salt, 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup butter
• Gather the dough in one hand and quickly grease the bowl (I use a drizzle of olive oil). Place the dough back in and cover bowl with a clean damp kitchen towel. Let it sit until the dough has doubled in size (about 1 hour). Looks Like: a puffed up mass of dough with the top sides pulling away from the bowl. 
• You can also proof your dough in an Instant Pot using the yogurt setting and a glass lid. Drizzle a bit of olive oil into the instant pot insert and add the dough. Cover with the glass lid and press "yogurt" and set the timer for 30 minutes. Check after 15. It will take 15-40 minutes to double in size.
• Sprinkle a bit of flour onto a clean surface. Make a ball out of the dough and gently press it with your hands to create a rectangle.
• Roll out the dough to make a large rectangle (about 18×22 inches).
• Spread softened butter over the dough, leaving a small butter-less perimeter around the outside. Cover with brown sugar and top with cinnamon.
  1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 3 tbsp cinnamon
• Starting with the long edge of the dough furthest from you, tightly roll the dough towards you until you have a solid “roll”.
• Cut into 15 rolls. Pro tip: using a bread knife (aka serrated knife) will create the cleanest cuts.
• Grease a 9×13 baking dish. Place the cinnamon rolls into the dish. Set aside in a warm place until the rolls have doubled in size (about 1 hour). Looks Like: the cinnamon rolls will have "fluffed" up and are likely touching each other in the dish.
• Tightly cover the pan and store in the fridge for up to 36 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 28 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden brown.

Make the Frosting

• While the cinnamon rolls are baking, combine butter and cream cheese in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium until soft and fluffy.
  3 oz cream cheese, 3 tbsp butter
• Reduce the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time.
  1 cup powdered sugar
• Add in the vanilla and almond extract and orange juice and slowly increase the mixer speed to medium until well combined.
  1 tsp pure vanilla extract, 1/8 tsp almond extract, 1/4 cup orange juice
• Pour/spread the frosting over warmed cinnamon rolls.

Notes

No stand mixer? You can technically mix the dough by hand, but be prepared for it to take about 10 minutes.

Types of milk – I would recommend 2%, whole, or buttermilk. Results with 1% or lower are generally poor. I have not tested this recipe with non-dairy milk.

To freeze: press a piece of plastic wrap over the cinnamon rolls after the second rise. Tightly wrap the pan in foil and freeze unbaked cinnamon rolls for up to two months. To thaw: place in the fridge overnight. Bake as normal.

Nutrition Facts

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Amount Per Serving (1 cinnamon roll)

Calories 406 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Cholesterol 62mg21%

Sodium 225mg10%

Potassium 112mg3%

Carbohydrates 60g20%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 31g34%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 530IU11%

Vitamin C 2.1mg3%

Calcium 48mg5%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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