Incredibly soft and melt-in-your-mouth overnight cinnamon rolls with lots of tangy cream cheese frosting AND a time-saving overnight option. These classic cinnamon rolls are the ultimate breakfast indulgence!
I’m convinced there’s no one out there that can resist a warm, gooey cinnamon roll and lucky for you, the ultimate recipe is staring you in the face.
These cinnamon rolls really just have it all: we’ve got that classic soft texture, a luscious swirl of buttery cinnamon sugar, and a thick schmear of cream cheese frosting. Really, just everything you could ever want in life.
I mean….tell me you don’t want to dive face-first into that pan.
And the best part is you do nearly all the work for these cinnamon rolls the night before so you have a BOMB breakfast waiting for you the next morning.
These Cinnamon Rolls feature…
- A soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture
- Gooey cinnamon sugar filling
- Sweet and creamy cream cheese frosting
- A convenient overnight chilling option for easy baking the next day
Making the Cinnamon Rolls
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Buttermilk
- Active dry yeast
- Honey
- Eggs
- Kosher salt
- All-purpose flour
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Powdered sugar
- Cream cheese
- Vanilla extract
- 2% or skim milk
Do I Need a Stand Mixer?
Both a stand mixer and a mixing bowl + wooden spoon will work for mixing this dough. Obviously, by hand requires a little more elbow grease and arm power, but it is definitely doable!
If you choose to go the stand mixer route, make sure you use the dough hook for mixing and let the machine knead the dough on medium speed 5-7 minutes until the dough is stretchy and elastic.
If you are making the dough by hand, use a large bowl and a wooden spoon for mixing the dough. For kneading, turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead about 10 minutes or whenever the dough is stretchy and elastic.
Tips for Perfect Cinnamon Rolls
- Heat buttermilk to 110F degrees – we recommend temping the buttermilk to ensure it’s not over 110F. If you use liquids that are too warm, it will kill the yeast and your dough will not rise.
- Measure flour correctly – we use the spoon-and-level technique for measuring flour as this will prevent over-measuring your flour. Use a spoon to scoop flour into the measuring cup, then level with the back of a knife.
- Knead dough properly – this step is where we develop the gluten in our dough which is crucial for forming the structure of the rolls. You can knead by hand or use your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.
- Allow dough to rise until doubled – turn the dough into a clean greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
- Let dough rise in a warm place – yeast dough loves warm environments for rising. We recommend 75F-80F for a rising environment in your kitchen.
- Roll dough out into a 12×16 inch circle – this gives you that perfect ratio of dough to cinnamon filling.
- Spread filling to within 1/2-inch of dough edges – this will keep the filling from spilling out the edges.
- Roll cinnamon rolls tightly – rolling tightly will give you that signature tight cinnamon swirl.
- Underbake cinnamon rolls – cinnamon rolls are best if you underbake them just a bit so they stay soft and gooey.
- Allow rolls to cool slightly before frosting – allow the rolls to cool 20 minutes before frosting so the frosting doesn’t melt off.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on these cinnamon rolls.
- Add chocolate chips – sprinkle 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips over the cinnamon sugar.
- Use a different frosting – feel free to use a traditional powdered sugar glaze and flavor it with vanilla extract, almond extract, or maple syrup.
Chilling Cinnamon Rolls
To prepare the cinnamon rolls for chilling overnight, arrange them in the pan, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to chill in refrigerator 8 hours. The rolls keep well in the refrigerator up to 16 hours but after that we do recommend baking them for best rising results.
The next morning, remove the cinnamon rolls from the refrigerator 1-1/2 hours before you are ready to bake them to allow them to come to room temperature.
Trust me, you’ll never make any other recipe once you try these cinnamon rolls! The gooey, soft texture is like something out of a dream.
Best breakfast ever to wake up to, not even a contest.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Watch these cinnamon rolls made step-by-step on Google web stories.
More keeper sweet breakfasts to try next!
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
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Ingredients
Yeast Dough
- 1 cup buttermilk, warmed to 110F
- 2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3-1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Cinnamon Filling
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Cream Cheese Icing
- 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons 2% or skim milk
Instructions
- Place warm buttermilk in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook OR a large bowl. Dissolve yeast in buttermilk and let stand 5 minutes until foamy.
- Mix honey, eggs, and salt into yeast mixture until smooth. Add 3-1/2 cups flour to bowl and mix on low speed OR with a wooden spoon if making dough by hand until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, about 2 minutes of mixing (if dough seems a bit wet, add additional flour by the tablespoon until dough pulls away from sides of bowl)
- Add softened butter by the tablespoon while mixer is running or fold in by hand with a wooden spoon until butter is combined in the dough.
- If making dough in stand mixer, knead dough in mixer on low speed 5-7 minutes until dough is stretchy and elastic. If making dough by hand, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until dough is stretchy and elastic, about 10 minutes of kneading.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place at room temperature 1 to 1-1/2 hours until dough is doubled in size.
Cinnamon Filling
- Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. In a small bowl, combine sugars and ground cinnamon. Set aside for a moment.
- Punch risen dough down and turn onto a floured surface. Roll dough out into a 12×16 inch rectangle and spread softened butter and cinnamon sugar to within 1/2-inch of edges.
- Tightly roll dough up and pinch at ends to seal. Cut into 12 even pieces and place rolls in prepared baking dish. Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours or up to 16.*
- When ready to bake rolls, remove pan from refrigerator and allow rolls to rise at room temperature 1 to 1-1/2 hours until rolls are puffy and doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Bake cinnamon rolls at 350F 25-30 minutes until rolls are a light golden brown (you want to underbake them just a bit so they stay soft) Allow rolls to cool on a wire cooling rack 20 minutes before icing.
Cream Cheese Icing
- In a medium bowl, beat powdered sugar and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy. Beat in vanilla and just enough milk to achieve a thick drizzling consistency.
- Spoon icing over slightly cooled cinnamon rolls and allow to set 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was updated with new recipe tips and photos on 12/7/23.
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
These look like the ultimate, fluffy cinnamon roll!I wish I had one for breakfast. I’ve never attempted home-made cinnamon rolls before, but I think I have to try your recipe! Beautiful pictures, too!
Sarah says
Oh, you SO need to try homemade cinnamon rolls, Gayle! They will change your life. Promise. 😀 Thanks for the photography compliment!
Kelly @ The Pretty Bee: Cooking + Creating says
Cinnamon rolls…so yummy! What a perfect treat for a special weekend breakfast!
Sarah says
A perfect weekend breakfast, right? 😉 Thanks Kelly!
Kathy @ Olives & Garlic says
I declare you the Queen of Baked Goods. Another yummy creation.
Sarah says
Thank you, Kathy! 😀
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says
These look so big and fluffy and delicious Sarah! I just want to take a bite out of them, and put on extra, extra frosting. So good!
Sarah says
“Extra, extra frosting”. Umm LOVE that. Thanks, girl! 🙂
Renee @ Two in the Kitchen says
I am a SUCKER for fresh baked cinnamon rolls too Sarah! And I have to say: These look AMAZING!! Gorgeous photos as always!! I want to lick that icing right off the screen!! 🙂
Sarah says
Yayy! Glad to know I’m not the only one obsessed with cinnamon rolls! Thanks for the sweet photography compliments, Renee!
dina says
they look yummy!
Sarah says
Thank you!
Teresa says
We liked it.
However I did the overnight version and was wondering if I should have still done a second proof? It didn’t really do much in the fridge over night (just over 12hrs). I took them out of the fridge first thing and they sat on the stove while the oven heated up plus a bit extra so maybe 20minutes, would they be fluffier if they were left out longer or should they be let to rise a bit before refrigerating over night? They weren’t real dense or anything just wondered if they could be fluffier.
I will say I used regular old whole wheat flour for this and the dough was wonderful to work with after the first proof (I only had to add like a Tbs of flour more than the 4cups) and next time more cinnamon I think for us personally (also only did 12 rolls as 15 I don’t think would have fit) also had to sub 1/2milk 1/2 Greek yogurt for the buttermilk.
Cheated the proof time too, stuck it in my oven for a few minutes (only just warmed) as I had a short window to get it done in and that cut the proof time to about an hour. (Oven temp to 200f turn off then placed my metal mixing bowl with dough in it for probably 5mins top covered, just enough to warm the bowl really, then took out and sat ontop of stove with the little light on -it’s old school still produces some heat- and it really quickened the process)
Heather says
OmGOODNESS! I will be making these for every holiday breakfast and brunch for the rest of my life. These were simple to make and were SUCH a hit with the whole family. I love that they can be assembled a day in advance and baked the next day.
Sarah says
That’s so wonderful to hear, Heather! Thanks for reporting back. 🙂