I’m back! I apologize it’s been so long, please forgive me. We are so happy to announce that we are expecting our fourth child in February. However, this pregnancy has been my most difficult. Between morning sickness and the severe exhaustion, I’m just not keeping up with things as well. Good news, I’m back at it! This week's new recipe is for one of my family's favorites, Overnight Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing.
These cinnamon rolls have become a staple at pretty much every holiday gathering and birthday celebration. My daughter loves having these on her birthday for breakfast and my son always requests them for Christmas morning. Even my brother puts in his plea for these when he comes in town to visit.
I love making these as an overnight recipe. Let’s be honest, cinnamon rolls take some time and are not the quickest recipe. Splitting up the work between two days makes it much more manageable. Especially if you have a busy holiday morning, but want to eat these bad boys hot and fresh!
Tips for Making Overnight Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing:
- The secret to light and fluffy cinnamon rolls is a soft dough. Make sure you don't add too much flour and don't over-knead the dough. I prefer to knead my dough half in the mixer and half by hand to make sure I can get a good feel for the dough. It should be soft and pillowy, but still smooth and elastic.
- To ensure the rolls are cooked all the way through, make sure you take them out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before baking. This is a great time to preheat your oven!
- Let the cinnamon rolls cool for at least 15 minutes after baking before you spread the icing on them. If you don't allow them to cool a little bit, the icing will melt and won't stick on the rolls very well. Don't worry, they will still be warm & gooey!
- Feel free to add nuts or raisins after topping the dough with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. Either or both would be a great addition!
- These can be made all in the same day if you like. Instead of putting them in the fridge, cover them and place them in a warm spot for about an hour or until doubled in size.
XO, Amanda
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
These fluffy, sweet cinnamon rolls are made overnight to make for an easy delicious breakfast the next morning and topped off with sweet cream cheese frosting.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 12 Servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Cinnamon Rolls
- 1 cup warm water (105-110 degrees)
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large whole egg
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ stick unsalted butter (softened)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ stick unsalted butter (softened)
- ½ cup whipped cream cheese
- 1 ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons half and half
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
Cinnamon Rolls
- Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit for 5 minutes until it starts to become foamy.
- Add in salt, egg and 3 cups of the flour. Using a paddle attachment, mix on low until ingredients are just combined. Switch to dough hook attachment and on low, slowly add the remaining cup of flour. You may or may not need the whole cup of flour and may need a little bit more. Once the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and no longer is sticky, then you can stop adding flour.
- Continue to knead the dough on low for about 5 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Remove dough from the mixing bowl and place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel and let rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch down the dough and remove from the bowl. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out into a large rectangle that is about ½ - 1 inch in thickness.
- Spread softened butter over the entire rectangle and then sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over the top of the butter.
- Starting with the long side of the rectangle, slowly roll up the dough as tightly as possible until the dough is completely rolled. Cut the rolled dough into 12 equal pieces.
- Place rolls in a greased 9x13" baking pan and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge overnight to rise again.
- The next morning, make sure to remove the rolls from the fridge and remove the plastic wrap at least 30 minutes before baking. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake cinnamon rolls for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Let rolls cool at least 15 minutes before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Combine softened butter and whipped cream cheese in a medium-sized bowl and whip with a hand mixer to combine.
- Add in powdered sugar, half and half, vanilla and salt and combine on low speed until all ingredients are combined. Spread frosting on slightly cooled cinnamon rolls.
Nutrition
- Calories: 361
Keywords: birthday, breakfast, brunch, cinnamon rolls, cream cheese, dessert, holiday, overnight, sweet rolls, sweets
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Melissa Wright says
Nothing better than gooey cinnamon rolls, and these do not disappoint! Not only that, but they are easy to throw together and perfect for around the holidays when guests are around. I love a good base recipe like this, because I know if I add in a few flavors (some nuts, citrus zest, etc) it will still turn out.
Amanda says
Yes! These would be great with nuts or citrus.
Cindy says
These are the best cinnamon rolls ever. Very light, fluffy and just delicious. Loved the tip to let the cinnamon rolls cool for at least 15 minutes before spreading the frosting! They turn out perfect that way!
Amanda says
I'm glad you like them, thank you!