This recipe yields a pan of buttery soft, gooey cinnamon sweet, and extra fluffy homemade cinnamon rolls topped with tangy cream cheese icing. It’s been a reader favorite recipe for years and I love it so much that I turned this rich dough into apple cinnamon rolls, pecan sticky buns, maple cinnamon rolls, and even a cinnamon roll wreath. You can make the cinnamon rolls within a few hours or get started the night before using the overnight preparation option.
This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Red Star Yeast.
This cinnamon rolls recipe has lived on the site since 2014. After making countless more batches since I published the recipe plus answering readers’ comments and questions, I thought it would be beneficial to update the post with more helpful information and success tips. Homemade cinnamon rolls are a popular breakfast choice, so I want to make sure you have all the resources you need for this classic recipe.
Tell Me About These Homemade Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
- Texture: This is one of my richest homemade doughs, so you’re already promised a soft, springy, and fluffy texture. I usually use all-purpose flour, but if you use the optional bread flour, your rolls will be a little chewier. I find that these homemade cinnamon rolls are even fluffier than my easy 1 rise cinnamon rolls (and that’s because there’s the additional rise here!).
- Flavor: The smell of warm cinnamon rolls is oh-so-irresistible and inviting. Once you take that first bite, you’ll enjoy a fresh homemade dough that’s swirled with endless pockets of (Cinnabon style!) sweet and gooey cinnamon.
- Ease: Homemade dough and shaped breads require more precision and effort than making say, a coffee cake. But the dough is pretty straightforward and simple to shape, as long as you have enough flour nearby for your hands, work surface, and rolling pin.
- Time: This dough requires 2 rises. Once you understand the assembly process, the prep moves pretty quickly. Set aside at least 4-5 hours from start to finish or divide between 2 days with the overnight option. Whichever method you choose, keep in mind most of that time is hands off as the dough rises.
If you are craving cinnamon rolls right now, and just can’t wait for dough to rise, try these no yeast cinnamon rolls!
What Readers are Saying:
“I HAD to come and leave this rave review. I just baked and iced these cinnamon rolls ay 9:05 am. It’s now 10:55 am in a household of only 3 people only two are left. This recipe is the best I’ve ever tried.” – Chelsea
“Delicious and easy to follow! This was my first time cooking with yeast and my first time making homemade cinnamon rolls and this was a great recipe to start with. Everyone at brunch was blown away.” – Hannah
“Delicious! I have tried many cinnamon roll recipes, and this is my new favorite. I prefer a roll that is large, more fluffy than dense/gooey, and buttery without being overly sweet. This fit the bill!” – Brice
Are You a Yeast Beginner?
This Baking with Yeast Guide is a wonderful starting point for yeast beginners. I answer many common yeast FAQs in easy-to-understand explanations, so you can learn about the basics before beginning.
7 Crucial Ingredients in These Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Feel free to skip straight to the recipe. But if you’re new to making bread, the following explanations are points that I’ve learned over the years and will be massively helpful.
- Whole milk: Whole milk is ideal for the richest tasting cinnamon rolls. Buttermilk works just as well without any changes to the recipe. Many readers have successfully substituted nondairy milks. In a pinch, you can use 2% or 1% milk, but do not use nonfat milk.
- Sugar: You need 2/3 cup of white granulated sugar in the dough. Use 2 Tablespoons in step 1 below (the proofing step), then add the rest in step 2.
- Yeast: You can use active dry or instant yeast. Follow the directions exactly as written regardless of which you choose. You’ll still proof the yeast in warm milk with some sugar even if you use instant yeast. This step ensures that the yeast is active and not expired. Most yeast these days is already active, but it’s a quick 5-10 minute step that prevents you from wasting your time just in case the yeast has expired. If using active dry yeast, the rise times will be a little longer. For the past 10+ years, my go-to brand has been Red Star Yeast. I always recommend Platinum Yeast from Red Star.
- Butter: This is a rich dough, meaning it has fat to help guarantee softness. Use 1/2 cup of softened butter and to help it blend easier, cut it into 4 pieces before adding.
- Eggs: Like butter, eggs promise a softer, richer dough.
- Salt: Dough is bland without salt.
- Flour: Flour is the structure of the dough. You can use either all-purpose flour or bread flour. You’ll notice the rolls are a little chewier if you use bread flour. It’s not a huge difference, so don’t worry if you only have all-purpose flour. (That’s what I usually use!)
Note: You’ll notice that I use more yeast in this recipe compared to my easy cinnamon rolls. Why? These are much fluffier and larger—about twice the size.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here’s what you’re looking for after you let the warm milk, some of the sugar, and yeast sit for about 5-10 minutes. The top will be a little foamy:
After the dough comes together, it will be a little soft and sticky—that’s normal. As explained in step 3 below, knead the dough on a floured counter or keep it in the mixer for kneading.
What If I Don’t Have a Stand Mixer? If you do not own a mixer, you can mix the dough together with a large wooden spoon/rubber spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle. A hand mixer works, but the sticky dough repeatedly gets stuck in the beaters. Mixing by hand with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula is a better choice.
Let the dough rise until doubled in size:
Punch the risen dough down and roll it out.
Baker’s Tip: If the dough keeps shrinking as you roll it out, stop what you’re doing, cover it lightly, and let it rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten. When you return to the dough, it should stretch out much easier.
Spread softened butter on top, then sprinkle on a mixture of cinnamon and sugar (brown sugar or white granulated sugar).
Roll it up:
Use a very sharp knife to cut the roll into 12 rolls, each about 1.5 inches. Arrange in your greased baking pan, cover, then let the rolls rise until doubled in size and puffy, usually about 1 hour. The left photo is before rising and the right photo is after rising:
Bake the rolls and then make the tangy cream cheese icing to smother on top. If cream cheese isn’t your favorite, you could top the rolls with vanilla icing, the brown sugar icing from these pumpkin donuts, maple icing from maple cinnamon rolls, or even the caramel icing from apple cinnamon rolls. Lots of options!
5 Success Tips
- Use brown sugar or granulated sugar in the filling: I used to use granulated sugar in the cinnamon sugar filling, but recently switched to brown sugar for extra flavor. Brown sugar doesn’t necessarily make the filling more moist—there’s so much butter, so it’s moist and gooey either way. Use whichever sugar you prefer.
- Best pan to use: I recommend a 9×13-inch glass pan or metal pan. Avoid ceramic pans. If you must use ceramic, keep in mind that the rolls will likely take longer to bake through.
- Evenly baked cinnamon rolls: These are extra big and fluffy cinnamon rolls, so to help guarantee the centers AND tops cook evenly, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the rolls after about 15 minutes in the oven. This will protect the tops from browning too quickly before the centers can cook.
- Don’t have all morning to spend on this dough? Feel free to prep the dough the night before. This is a wonderful way to save time in the morning so you can wake up and eat sooner. See my make-ahead/overnight instructions in the written recipe below.
How to Freeze Homemade Cinnamon Rolls So They Still Taste Fresh
Let me share a tip I’ve learned after working with this dough for several years. You can prep the rolls and freeze them ahead of time so they still taste fresh.
- Here’s how: Bake the rolls in step 9 for only about 10 minutes. Cool completely, then cover and freeze. To serve, take the rolls out of the freezer and place in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Once thawed, finish baking them for about 15-20 minutes.
I often use this method when I gift cinnamon rolls to others—just copy/paste or write these freezing instructions down. This method is also helpful if you have company over, want to cut down on time, or are entertaining. I like to make these cinnamon rolls ahead when I’m hosting holidays like Easter. See more Easter brunch recipes, like savory quiche and frittata, to complete your menu.
Print
Homemade Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes (includes rise times)
- Yield: 12 rolls
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This recipe yields a pan of buttery soft, gooey cinnamon sweet, and extra fluffy homemade cinnamon rolls topped with tangy cream cheese icing. You can make the cinnamon rolls within a few hours or get started the night before using the overnight preparation option.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, warmed to about 100°F (38°C)
- 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar, divided
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons (14g) active dry or instant yeast (2 standard size packets)*
- 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into 4 pieces
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 and 1/2 cups (563g) all-purpose flour or bread flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed for hands/work surface
- 2 teaspoons canola, vegetable, or olive oil for bowl (or use nonstick spray)
Filling
- 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2/3 cup (135g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Icing
- 2 ounces (about 1/4 cup or 56g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) heavy cream or milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Whisk the warm milk, 2 Tablespoons sugar, and the yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and allow mixture to sit for about 5 minutes or until foamy on top. *If you do not own a mixer, you can do this in a large mixing bowl and in the next step, mix the dough together with a large wooden spoon/rubber spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle. A hand mixer works, but the sticky dough repeatedly gets stuck in the beaters. Mixing by hand with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula is a better choice.*
- On medium speed, beat in the remaining sugar (which should be 1/2 cup) and the softened butter until it is slightly broken up. Add the eggs and salt and beat on medium speed until combined. The butter won’t really be mixing into the mixture, so don’t be alarmed if it stays in pieces. Switch the mixer down to low speed and with it running, add 1 cup of flour at a time, making sure it’s fully incorporated before adding the next. After 4 cups have been added, add the last 1/2 cup and beat until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 3 minutes. Dough will be soft.
- Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer and beat on low speed for an additional 3 minutes or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 3 minutes.
- 1st Rise: Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or use nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 2 hours or until double in size. (I always let it rise on the counter and it takes about 2 hours. For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
- Grease the bottom and sides of a metal or glass 9×13-inch baking dish or line with parchment paper.
- Roll out the dough: Punch down the dough to release the air. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 12×18 inch rectangle. Make sure the dough is smooth and evenly thick. If the dough keeps shrinking as you roll it out, stop what you’re doing, cover it lightly, and let it rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten. When you return to the dough, it should stretch out much easier.
- For the filling: Spread the softened butter all over the dough. The softer the butter is, the easier it is to spread in this step. (Microwave it for a few seconds to soften if needed.) In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle evenly over the butter. Tightly roll up the dough to form an 18-inch-long log. If some filling spills out, sprinkle it on top of the roll. With an extra sharp knife, cut into 12 even rolls, about 1.5 inches each. Arrange in the prepared baking pan.
- 2nd Rise: Cover the rolls tightly and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. (Or use the overnight option below.)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Bake for about 25–28 minutes or until they are lightly browned on top. After about 15 minutes, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the pan to prevent the tops from browning too quickly and baking unevenly. Remove pan from the oven and place pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes as you make the icing.
- Make the icing: In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 1 minute. Spread the icing over the warm rolls and serve immediately.
- Cover leftover frosted or unfrosted rolls tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions – Overnight: To prepare the night before serving, prepare the rolls through step 7. Cover the rolls tightly and refrigerate for 8-12 hours. (16 hours max. 8-12 hours is best, but 16 hours is OK if absolutely needed. Do not exceed 16 hours.) The next morning, remove from the refrigerator and allow to rise on the counter for 1-2 hours before continuing with step 9.
- Make Ahead Instructions – Freezing: Baked rolls can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up before enjoying. You can also freeze the unbaked rolls and here’s how: bake the rolls in step 9 for only about 10 minutes. Cool completely, then cover tightly and freeze. To serve, take the rolls out of the freezer and place in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Once thawed, finish baking them for about 15-20 minutes.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Stand Mixer | Rolling Pin | 9×13-Inch Glass Baking Pan or Metal Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls
- Milk: We recommend using whole milk for the best, richest tasting dough. You could also use buttermilk. 2%, 1%, or nondairy milk works in a pinch. Do not use nonfat milk.
- Yeast: You can use active dry or instant yeast in this recipe. Follow all of the same instructions. If using active dry yeast, the rise times are usually slightly longer. Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
- Other Icing Options: Instead of cream cheese icing, you can top the warm rolls with vanilla icing, the brown sugar icing from these pumpkin donuts, maple icing from maple cinnamon rolls, or even the caramel icing from apple cinnamon rolls.
- Gluten Free: We have not tested this recipe with gluten free flour, so we are unsure of the results.
Keywords: overnight cinnamon rolls, homemade cinnamon rolls
Looking forward to making this recipe!! The notes mentioned that using a ceramic pan would mean baking the rolls longer. Does anyone know how much longer? Thanks!!
Hi Nina, it’s at least 5 minutes.
My first attempt at Cinnamon Rolls and these were delicious! So soft and gooey. Best thing my daughter’s ever eaten They won’t last long and I will definitely be making these again.
★★★★★
This is always my go to for cinnamon rolls! Makes a really fluffy, soft roll. The only thing I will change in the future is adding a lot more cinnamon to the filling. I’ve made other recipes recently that call for much more (like 1/3 cup!) and I honestly love the flavor better. I keep coming back to this dough recipe though as it never fails me!
★★★★★
I made this recipe using 1 tbsp of yeast and the dough cycle on my bread machine and it was perfect. Soooo good!
★★★★★
I tried this recipe in my search for recipe I have been using till a house fire. These are good but still searching for other recipe. I used heavy cream warmed over top of the rolls before I baked them and they stayed moist and gooey. No milk in icing and added vanilla to each part, the dough, brown sugar and cinnamon butter and the icing.
Has anyone tried to double the recipe? I need to make 2 pans of rolls.
For best taste and texture, we recommend making two separate batches rather than doubling.
I made a double batch today and they turned out amazing. I think with my 6qt kitchen aid I could have tripled it if needed. Instead of rolling out the dough to 12×18 I did 24×18. Got 24 rolls and they are yummy.
★★★★★
This is my favorite cinnamon roll recipe. I tried doubling it and while good it was much dryer and not nearly as delicious as it is when you make the batches separately.
★★★★★
I always wanted to try baking cinnamon rolls, I tried this recipe and they turned out perfect! I was a bit concerned with the dough as it was VERY sticky but then a bit of extra flour did the trick and after the 2 hrs rest it opened up beautifully on my kitchen table. I used the coffee icing frosting from your Easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls recipe. I didn’t taste the coffee and the frosting didn’t actually stand out much. Next time I’ll try the cream cheese frosting. I baked them for 15 mins then added the foil tent for a further 15 but they weren’t ready yet and so I baked them for a further 10 mins without the foil. The end result was fantastic and the taste out of this world. All my family was impressed, thank you! 🙂
Hi Sally! Can you elaborate on the difference between bread flour and all-purpose flour in these? I know you said bread flour will make them ‘chewier’, but does that mean softer? Or if I’m going for soft and fluffy, should I stick with AP flour? Thank you!!!
Hi Libby, for the softest and fluffiest version, we recommend sticking with the AP flour. Hope you enjoy them!
Has anyone tried making mini cinnamon rolls with this recipe?
Hi Kelli, We haven’t tried making these into mini rolls but might start by shaping the dough into two 6×18 inch rectangles and try rolling them that way. You won’t get as much of the filling in each roll though!
Mini’s galore! They worked well as Minis. I admit I actually topped the minis with butter and a smidge of filling so it dripped into each one to make up for the smaller amount of filling. Worked well and was less baking for the numbers I was feeding.
This recipe is absolutely fantastic!! I finally got them to turn out perfect…slightly gooey, fluffy, great cinnamon sugar to bread ratio. I used the oven method to rise them both times. Mine didn’t rise on the first try with them being on the counter at room temp. With the overnight method, I let the tray sit on the counter to get to room temp (about an hour). Then preheated oven to lowest temp (mine is 170F), then turned off the oven, put tray in and kept door cracked open and let it rise for another about hour and a half. I used Rapid Yeast packets which worked wonderfully. The 1/2 cup butter and 3/4 cup sugar filling was perfect. I used the dough hook which combined the dough perfectly. I would decrease the milk in the frosting to 2TBS max and let it sit for a while before frosting them. I made it while the buns were cooking so it stiffens by the time you need it. I also wanted smaller buns so I rolled it out to about 20×12, then cut it in half to two 12 inch logs. Each log I cut into 8 pieces, about 1.5” each. Lined them in 9×13 glass pan. Baked 12 min open, 12 min tented and another 3 open. If the middle isn’t cooking as fast as the edges, then tent to edges and let middle sit open. These were irresistible!! I can’t wait to make them again!
★★★★★
First time making these. Overall they turned out great. My only disappointments were the filling and frosting/icing. Next time I’ll add a bit more filling. I wished the icing was a fluffier cream cheese icing. I tried twice and after trying the second time, I gave up. There’s way too much milk for the icing, which makes it really liquid.
★★★★
I always wanted to try baking cinnamon rolls, I tried this recipe and they turned out perfect! I was a bit concerned with the dough as it was VERY sticky but then a bit of extra flour did the trick and after the 2 hrs rest it opened up beautifully on my kitchen table. I used the coffee icing frosting from your Easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls recipe. I didn’t taste the coffee and the frosting didn’t actually stand out much. Next time I’ll try the cream cheese frosting. I baked them for 15 mins then added the foil tent for a further 15 but they weren’t ready yet and so I baked them for a further 10 mins without the foil. The end result was fantastic and the taste out of this world. All my family was impressed, thank you! 🙂
This recipe has always turned out a family favorite! The cinnamon buns are so big and we end up having to cut them in half when serving. How can I make each bun a little smaller? If I’m using the same amount of dough as the recipe calls for, how big should I roll it out to get smaller buns but a larger quantity? What baking time would you suggest?
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed these! You can roll the dough out a little thinner, so the rectangle is larger or you can cut the log of dough into smaller pieces, so the cinnamon rolls are smaller and the recipe yields more.
My children requested cinnamon rolls for Easter breakfast. They’d never had them before, and I’d never made them from scratch. It was a labor of love and completely worth sacrificing the convenience of store bought. It was so satisfying to watch the children enjoy the outcome of my efforts. I will definitely make these again!
★★★★★
Always love your recipes, but I made the maple version of these. They rose beautifully, but they aren’t yeasty, but more floury. The maple icing is too sweet and sugery. Kinda bummed out!
I love this recipe! Made it before but this morning my dough would not form to a ball! Not sure what I did wrong or different but the flavor is always amazing
Followed the steps for over night but then when cooked they seemed like they were still raw! Any tips?
★★★
This recipe was a big hit with my family!! I took the butter recommendations seriously and everything worked out great! I was looking at several recipes on Pinterest and then I thought, “Why don’t I go to my trusted baker and check out her cinnamon roll recipes?” Glad I did! Thanks for your wonderful recipes and great tips!
★★★★★
Great recipe. I keep making them and people keep eating them. Made them a little smaller so I had more to give away
★★★★★
I made this recipe but it took a long time to bake and the rolls didn’t rise at all. When I took the rolls out of the oven they were hard and looked really gross. I followed the recipe but I don’t know what happened. I imagine they taste really good but it didn’t work. What should I do?
Hi Mia! Did the dough rise for you before baking? Our baking with yeast guide has some helpful troubleshooting tips!
This recipe is incredible. My partner is coeliac and I have made it with gluten free flour. I used 1.5 cups GF bread flour and 3 cups GF plain flour and got a very good dough. Keep in mind that typically gf bread doesn’t rise quite as much when resting, but the results were delicious and beautiful!
★★★★★
Having a hard time finding yeast, can this recipe be halved?
Hi Christine, instead of halving the recipe, we’d recommend our easy cinnamon rolls recipe. It makes a smaller batch. And if you can’t find yeast, here are our no-yeast cinnamon rolls!
I have made these several times, family loves them. Can I make these baking half, and follow the directions for partial baking the other half?
★★★★★
Sure can, Christine!