Make Ahead Refrigerator Cinnamon Rolls
Overnight cinnamon rolls are the best way to make cinnamon rolls for a special breakfast. You can make the rolls the night before, store them in the refrigerator overnight, and bake them in the morning. The dough is easy to make, and the rolls are soft and fluffy with the perfect amount of cinnamon.
You can make these cinnamon rolls even if you’re not an avid baker, and I know this because I’m not one to get my hands floury regularly. I like easy baking, and these refrigerator cinnamon rolls are just that. Plus, you can make them ahead. It’s a requirement, in fact, and the little work you do the night before is paid tenfold the following day when you are greeted by a pan of warm cinnamon rolls from the oven.
Easy, fresh-baked homemade cinnamon rolls. Doesn’t that sound amazing?
One thing about this recipe: it doesn’t have any eggs. Many cinnamon rolls are made with enriched dough, but I find you can omit the eggs, and everything turns out fine. These refrigerator rolls are still fluffy and soft. I promise.
Ingredients
- Active dry yeast: What I love about this recipe is how easy it is to work with the yeast. Activate it in warm water, mix it in, and it does its magic. The dough proofs for about an hour at room temperature and the second proof happens in the refrigerator overnight.
- Granulated sugar: The rolls don’t have much sugar – a couple of tablespoons in the dough and the rest for the filling. So, the cinnamon rolls aren’t too sweet on their own. The simple glaze adds more sweetness if you’re up for it.
- Melted butter: You’ll use some in the dough, and the rest is brushed onto the dough before you add the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- All-purpose flour: For the dough, of course, plus a little extra for rolling out the dough.
- Ground cinnamon: A little of this and some sugar make the cinnamon sugar filling.
- Glaze: I like a light glaze for cinnamon rolls instead of cream cheese frosting. It’s less fussy. Mix powdered sugar with milk or half and half, and drizzle it over the rolls while they’re still warm. It’s optional but recommended.
How to Make Them
☑️ First, you need to activate the yeast. Start by adding warm water to a medium-sized mixing bowl. The water should be about 100°F, which is lukewarm. Sprinkle the yeast over the top.
☑️Once it’s a little foamy, after about five minutes, stir in 2 tablespoons of sugar, salt, and 1/4 cup of melted butter.
☑️ Add the flour and stir until the dough comes together. Once combined, it will be a little sticky.
☑️ Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let the cinnamon roll dough sit for about an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
☑️ Sprinkle a little flour on your work surface and knead the dough 10 to 12 times. If it’s still sticky, add a little more flour. The dough should be smooth after you’ve kneaded it.
☑️ Roll the dough into a 12-inch rectangle or rectangular-ish shape. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Brush the rest of the melted butter on the dough and sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar over the top.
☑️ Starting with a long edge, roll the dough up into itself like a jelly roll. Be sure the dough is rolled tight when you start rolling.
☑️ Slice the log in half. Then, slice each half in half, and then slice each piece in half again, so you have eight rolls.
☑️ Place the rolls in a baking pan and cover them with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the cinnamon rolls for eight to 12 hours overnight. They will slowly proof overnight.
☑️ Once the rolls have chilled overnight, preheat the oven and bake them for about 30 minutes. While they bake, mix the glaze. Once they come out of the oven, drizzle the glaze over the rolls, and they’re ready to devour.
Recipe Tips
- You don’t have to knead the dough for very long. Overworking it will result in tougher rolls, so use a light hand and only knead until the dough is soft and smooth. Be careful when adding too much extra flour. If your dough is still sticking, sprinkle a small amount of extra flour. You can also add a little more if you need it.
- A serrated knife works best when you slice the dough. That way, you won’t squish the rolls when you slice them. Use a gentle sawing motion.
- 12 hours in the refrigerator is about as long as you’ll want them to chill. You can stretch it a bit but don’t leave them too long, or they will overproof. I usually take them out of the fridge while the oven preheats.
More Easy Breakfast Treats
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Overnight cinnamon rolls are the easiest way to make homemade rolls for breakfast or brunch. The dough is easy to work with, and the rolls bake up soft and fluffy. Prepare them the night before, bake them the next morning, and serve them warm from the oven.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Proofing Time: 9 hours
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 9 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 cinnamon rolls 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 packet (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, divided (see note)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons half-and-half (see note)
Instructions
- Pour 3/4 cup of lukewarm water into a medium bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and let it sit until it’s foamy for about five minutes. Add two tablespoons of sugar, salt, and 1/4 cup of melted butter and stir. Add the flour and stir until the dough comes together. It will be sticky.
- Cover the bowl with a dish towel and place it in a warm area of the kitchen to rise. After about an hour, it should be almost double its original size.
- Sprinkle a tablespoon or so of flour on the counter. Knead the dough 10-12 times (adding a little bit of flour if it sticks) until it’s smooth. Roll the dough out in a rectangle, approximately 12 inches.
- Brush the dough with the rest of the melted butter. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon on top of the butter. Starting at one long end, gently roll the dough into itself like a jelly roll. Slice the log into eight even-sized pieces. A serrated knife makes it easy to slice the log without squishing it.
- Place the rolls, cut side up, in a 9-inch round pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate the rolls overnight for eight to twelve hours.
- When ready to bake the cinnamon rolls, remove them from the fridge and preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for 25 to 35 minutes or until golden on top. The internal temperature should be 190 to 200°F when they’re done.
- While the rolls bake, mix the powdered sugar with the half-and-half to make the glaze. If it’s too thick, add a little more half-and-half. If it’s too thin, add a little more sugar. Drizzle or spread the glaze on the warm rolls before serving them.
Notes
Butter: Let the butter cool off for a couple of minutes before you add it to the yeast.
Glaze: You can also use milk or heavy cream to make the glaze.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 276
- Sugar: 12.5g
- Sodium: 80.2mg
- Fat: 12.7g
- Saturated Fat: 7.8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 37.1g
- Fiber: 1.3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 33.1mg
The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.
More Recipes with Cinnamon
I hope you try this overnight cinnamon roll recipe soon! It’s always such a treat to have warm homemade rolls in the morning. I think you’ll love how easy they are, too.
Happy baking,
This post, including the photos and recipe, was updated from the archives. It was first published in February 2017.
