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Overnight Cinnamon Rolls {Make Ahead Cinnamon Rolls}

Name: Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 28 min
Total time: 53 min
Ingredients: 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; 1/2 cup butter ({softened}); 3/4 cup brown sugar; 3 tbsp cinnamon; 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})

posted March 27, 2021 by Sarah // 52 Comments »

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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.

Can You Let Cinnamon Roll Dough Rise Overnight?

You sure can! Putting cinnamon roll dough in the fridge overnight will still allow for a strong second rise. But…most recipes that have the dough rise overnight in the fridge also recommend you take the dough out two hours before baking. Nobody has time for that.

The whole point of overnight cinnamon rolls is to not wake your butt up too early to do work! This recipe does all the rises the day before. You just need to stumble out to the kitchen, pop them in the oven, set a timer and go back to bed for 28 minutes.

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.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

This recipe has been written specifically for all-purpose flour because it is easy to find and economical. You’re welcome to use bread flour if you have any on hand. The extra gluten will create an even fluffier overnight cinnamon roll.
No stand mixer? You can technically mix the dough by hand, but be prepared for it to take about 10 minutes and for your arms to get freaking jacked.
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 rolls for up to two months. To thaw: place in the fridge overnight. Bake as normal.

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