Today, I’m sharing my version of a beloved fall staple. Cinnamon rolls! Now, there are tons of recipes out there for cinnamon rolls. But, I’m a bit of a perfectionist. If I’m going to make a cinnamon roll, it’s going to have to hit all the marks. So, what makes a great cinnamon roll? In my opinion, it should be soft, tall, fluffy, golden, full of flavor, and topped with a delicious glaze. I didn’t want to share a cinnamon roll recipe until I felt like I nailed all those points. After much research and testing, I believe I’ve arrived at the pinnacle of cinnamon roll goodness. I’m happy to share it with you!
Fluffy. Soft. Flavorful.
These overnight cinnamon rolls are:
- Jumbo-sized
- Filled with cinnamon galore
- Soft and fluffy
- Made with a brioche dough
There are a few keys to making this recipe successful for you:
- Overnight or Same Day: Note that if you want to make this all the same day, you can and it’s delicious. However, this recipe is formatted to give you the option to prep it the day before and bake it the next morning. Either way, you’ll end up with delicious rolls.
- Time: This recipe requires time and patience. As is the case with many dough recipes, you’ll need time for resting the dough and proofing. So, just keep that in mind.
- Prep: It’s always important to prep before you cook and most certainly before you bake. But, in this recipe’s case, it’s especially important. If you prep and measure all the ingredients out beforehand, the recipe will be incredibly easy for you and you will have success with it.
- Last Key Notes: Don’t overmix. Don’t over-knead. Don’t use cold ingredients. The end 😊.
Ingredients for Overnight Cinnamon Rolls:
- Cake Flour and Bread Flour – To give the rolls their structure and tenderness.
- White & Dark Brown Sugar – This will add a sweetness and molasses flavor which adds some depth.
- Butter – It’s a brioche dough so of course, we need some butter.
- Whole Milk, Water – The water will be for our starter, and the whole milk for our dough. We use whole milk for more fat.
- Salt + Vanilla – For maximum flavor.
- Instant Yeast – Helps aid the rise of the dough.
- Unsalted Butter – Adds fat for tenderness and buttery flavor.
- Eggs – Will add richness and color.
- Cinnamon – Just a pinch adds flavor.
- Cream Cheese – For our cream cheese glaze.
- Confectioner’s sugar – For our cream cheese glaze; adds sweetness and helps thicken it.
- Heavy Cream – This will soak into our rolls while baking making them even softer!
How to Make Overnight Cinnamon Rolls:
- Prep your pan, and ingredients and make your starter- Prep your ingredients by measuring out all the amounts and setting them aside. For the dough prep, you want to combine the cake and bread flour in a bowl and set it aside. Combine the ingredients for the heavy cream mixture. Combine the ingredients for the filling. Set aside as you prep each group of ingredients. Prep your pan, I recommend using a 9×13″ square pan or a round pan that will fit 9 rolls easily. Prep the pan by greasing it with butter and dusting it with flour and cooking spray. Combine the flour and water in a medium bowl and microwave in 20-second increments for about a minute in total. Whisk in between every 20 seconds. It will thicken. Set it aside to cool slightly.
- First Dough Mixing- For the initial steps for making the dough, attach the paddle to your stand mixer and combine the starter, milk, and vanilla on low speed until the starter mostly dissolves. Add in the eggs, one at a time on low speed. Mix until combined. Add about 2 ½ cups of the flour mixture and all the yeast, slowly into the dough while the mixer is on the lowest setting. Turn the mixer off and cover the bowl with a damp towel and plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for about twenty minutes at room temperature.
- Finish mixing & kneading – After 20 minutes, switch to a dough hook attachment, turn the mixer on the lowest setting, and add in the sugar and salt. Add the butter a tablespoon at a time. Wait until the tablespoon is absorbed before adding it to the next one. Add in more flour a cup at a time, keeping the mixer on the lowest setting, until you get a “shaggy” dough. The dough ball should partially come clean from the sides of the bowl. It may appear slightly wet, but you should still be able to handle it. Mix on the lowest setting for about eight minutes. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead for about a minute or two, until you feel it’s smooth and easy to handle. Form into a round shape. Spray the stand mixer bowl with cooking spray well. Place the dough ball in the bowl. Cover with a clean, damp towel and plastic wrap. Let it sit out on the counter or in a warm room for about an hour.
- Fill & Cut – Uncover the bowl, and dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly and gently pat out into a large rectangle. Place a few spoonfuls of the cinnamon/sugar mixture on top of the rectangle and use an offset spatula to spread evenly. Begin to roll the dough with the left side vertically. Make sure to roll it tightly but not too tight. I recommend using a food-grade string, twine, or even unflavored dental floss to cut the rolls out. Cut off the edge first with a bread knife. Place the string underneath the cinnamon roll, bring both sides of the string up, so they’re parallel then cross them so they form an “x” until the string goes all the way through. Keep cutting out the rolls and place them into your prepared pan. Cover the pan with a damp towel and plastic wrap and set aside for another hour. If you are baking these the next day, at this point place them in the fridge covered well after they rested for another hour formed. If you’re baking them the same day…continue to the instructions below.
- Prep oven and bake – If you placed them in the fridge to rest overnight, you’ll have to let them come up to room temperature which can take a couple of hours. If you’re baking the same day, you’re ready to bake them after they rested for an hour as shaped rolls. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Once the oven is ready, turn the heat down to 375°F. Pour your heavy cream mixture into the pan and onto the rolls. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the rolls have risen and are golden brown. The internal temperature for the rolls should be about 190°F. If you’re not sure if they’re done, cut into one of the centers and see if the dough is fully cooked.
- Cool and Glaze – While the rolls are baking, make your glaze by combining all your ingredients and mixing until smooth. Once the rolls are cooked, allow them to cool for 10 minutes before pouring your glaze on top. You may have to re-stir the glaze occasionally to keep it from getting stiffer as it sits out. Serve the cinnamon rolls warm and enjoy!
MORE GREAT DESSERT RECIPES:
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Starter
- 37.5 grams cake flour
- 37.5 grams bread flour
- 60 ml water
Dough
- 1 recipe of the starter above
- 165 grams whole milk lukewarm
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs + 1 yolk
- 220.5 grams cake flour
- 220.5 grams bread flour + more for dusting
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 50 grams granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons or 3 ounces of unsalted butter room temp and cut into chunks
Filling
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter room temp
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
- pinch of salt
Heavy Cream Mixture
- 1/2 cup heavy cream room temp
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 6 ounces of cream cheese softened and room temp
- 4 ounces unsalted butter room temp and softened
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar sifted
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Prep your pan, and ingredients and make your starter- Prep your ingredients by measuring out all the amounts and setting them aside. For the dough prep, you want to combine the cake and bread flour in a bowl and set it aside. Combine the ingredients for the heavy cream mixture. Combine the ingredients for the filling. Set aside as you prep each group of ingredients. Prep your pan, I recommend using a 9×13" square pan or a round pan that will fit 9 rolls easily. Prep the pan by greasing it with butter and dusting it with flour and cooking spray. Combine the flour and water in a medium bowl and microwave in 20-second increments for about a minute in total. Whisk in between every 20 seconds. It will thicken. Set it aside to cool slightly.
- First Dough Mixing- For the initial steps for making the dough, attach the paddle to your stand mixer and combine the starter, milk, and vanilla on low speed until the starter mostly dissolves. Add in the eggs, one at a time on low speed. Mix until combined. Add about 2 ½ cups of the flour mixture and all the yeast, slowly into the dough while the mixer is on the lowest setting. Turn the mixer off and cover the bowl with a damp towel and plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for about twenty minutes at room temperature.
- Finish mixing & kneading – After 20 minutes, switch to a dough hook attachment, turn the mixer on the lowest setting, and add in the sugar and salt. Add the butter a tablespoon at a time. Wait until the tablespoon is absorbed before adding it to the next one. Add in more flour a cup at a time, keeping the mixer on the lowest setting, until you get a "shaggy" dough. The dough ball should partially come clean from the sides of the bowl. It may appear slightly wet, but you should still be able to handle it. Mix on the lowest setting for about eight minutes. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead for about a minute or two, until you feel it’s smooth and easy to handle. Form into a round shape. Spray the stand mixer bowl with cooking spray well. Place the dough ball in the bowl. Cover with a clean, damp towel and plastic wrap. Let it sit out on the counter or in a warm room for about an hour.
- Fill & Cut – Uncover the bowl, and dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly and gently pat out into a large rectangle. Place a few spoonfuls of the cinnamon/sugar mixture on top of the rectangle and use an offset spatula to spread evenly. Begin to roll the dough with the left side vertically. Make sure to roll it tightly but not too tight. I recommend using a food-grade string, twine, or even unflavored dental floss to cut the rolls out. Cut off the edge first with a bread knife. Place the string underneath the cinnamon roll, bring both sides of the string up, so they’re parallel then cross them so they form an "x" until the string goes all the way through. Keep cutting out the rolls and place them into your prepared pan. Cover the pan with a damp towel and plastic wrap and set aside for another hour. If you are baking these the next day, at this point place them in the fridge covered well after they rested for another hour formed. If you’re baking them the same day…continue to the instructions below.
- Prep oven and bake – If you placed them in the fridge to rest overnight, you’ll have to let them come up to room temperature which can take a couple of hours. If you’re baking the same day, you’re ready to bake them after they rested for an hour as shaped rolls. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Once the oven is ready, turn the heat down to 375°F. Pour your heavy cream mixture into the pan and onto the rolls. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the rolls have risen and are golden brown. The internal temperature for the rolls should be about 190°F. If you’re not sure if they’re done, cut into one of the centers and see if the dough is fully cooked.
- Cool and Glaze – While the rolls are baking, make your glaze by combining all your ingredients and mixing until smooth. Once the rolls are cooked, allow them to cool for 10 minutes before pouring your glaze on top. You may have to re-stir the glaze occasionally to keep it from getting stiffer as it sits out. Serve the cinnamon rolls warm and enjoy!
Video
©️ 2025 Faye's Food | Template by Maya Palmer Designs |