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Big Fluffy Overnight Cinnamon Rolls – the classic cinnamon rolls we all Google at this time of year. Buttery, soft, and fluffy dough swirled with sweet cinnamon sugar made with a mix of brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Each roll is frosted generously with the best-tasting brown butter cream cheese icing that melts into every inch of these soft and fluffy rolls. Yes, they’re melt-in-your-mouth delicious. You just can’t beat classic cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning.
Between my cookbooks and the website, I’ve created several cinnamon roll recipes, so I didn’t really think I needed another. But when my little sister, Asher, told me she made cinnamon rolls using another website’s recipe – all because she couldn’t find a simple, classic cinnamon roll on our site, I started to rethink this.
And when my sister-in-law, Lyndsie, said to me, “How about a big, fat, fluffy cinnamon roll”? I was quickly convinced that we NEEDED this recipe.
Soft, fluffy, and swirled with a little too much cinnamon sugar. Then baked and frosted with a creamy, sweet, and dreamy cream cheese Ising. CLASSIC cinnamon rolls, but far better than the can of Pillsbury rolls I grew up eating (and loving because you can’t deny that they are good). I used brown butter and a splash of hazelnut liqueur, because I swear the combination of the two just tastes like Christmas.
After making these countless times this week, I’m pretty excited to share the recipe. And just in time for Christmas Eve. Make these on Tuesday night for breakfast on Christmas morning!
Let me tell you all the details
Ingredients
- flour
- instant yeast
- brown sugar
- milk
- salted butter
- eggs
- granulated sugar
- cinnamon
- cream cheese
- powdered sugar
- hazelnut liqueur – optional, but I promise it’s a worthy addition
- vanilla extract
Special Tools
For this recipe, I do recommend using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook for mixing up the dough. It’s just easiest with a mixer and a dough hook!
You can use a spatula, but it will require more arm work.
Steps
Step 1: make the dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix all the dry ingredients: flour, instant yeast, brown sugar, and salt. Pour over the warm milk and add three large eggs. It’s best if the eggs are at room temperature.
I’ve found that using instant yeast is best for overnight dough recipes. It’s easy to use, and for whatever reason, I think it makes a better cinnamon roll.
Mix the dough with a hook until it forms a smooth ball. Now cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
Step 2: mix the cinnamon sugar
I use brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. The combination of both sugars will provide the best cinnamon swirl.
Step 3: roll the dough out and cut the rolls
Roll the puffy dough out into a big rectangle.
Spread the entire surface of the dough with softened butter. I use salted butter. Then, sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mix.
Now, roll the dough into a log and cut it into 12 rolls. Arrange the rolls in a baking pan. I love using something circular because it reminds me of the cinnamon rolls I grew up with. Mom would always bake her Pillsbury rolls in a round pie plate.
Step 4: bake or let sit overnight
You can bake these right away, or you can put the rolls in the fridge and let them sit overnight.
My mom would make her monkey bread on Christmas Eve every year. She taught me the beauty of having an overnight roll/bread recipe for Christmas morning. No one wants to miss out on any of the fun. So, if you’re making these rolls for Christmas, make the rolls (and icing) on Christmas Eve.
Step 5: the icing
Brown butter whisked in soft cream cheese with hazelnut and vanilla. To me, these are the flavors of Christmas!
Spread the warm rolls with probably too much icing. But hey, it’s Christmas, so just enjoy!
Finally, a classic cinnamon roll for you all. My hope is that this recipe becomes a tradition for many of you. The next time Asher decides to do her own baking, I hope she actually uses my cinnamon roll recipe!
Enjoy our favorite sweet rolls! See you tomorrow for the very last Christmas Cocktail Saturday of 2024!
Looking for other holiday cinnamon roll recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Maple Icing
Easy Fluffy Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls
Chocolate Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Wreath
Brown Butter Iced Mocha Cinnamon Rolls
Lastly, if you make these Big Fluffy Overnight Cinnamon Rolls, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Big and Fluffy Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Servings: 12 rolls
Calories Per Serving: 476 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 1/2 – 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup warm milk
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
Filling
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
Icing
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur (optional)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, yeast, brown sugar, and salt. Add the warm milk, eggs, and 6 tablespoons of butter. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. If the dough seems sticky, add a 1/4 cup of flour at a time. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.2. To make the filling. In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon. Butter a 9×13 inch baking pan or a similar size round pan. 3. Punch the dough down and roll out onto a lightly floured surface, creating a large rectangle about 12 x 18 inches. Spread the butter evenly over the dough. Sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar. Starting with the long edge closest to you, roll the dough into a log, keeping it tight as you go. When you reach the edge, pinch along the edge to seal. Using a sharp knife, cut into 12 rolls. Place the rolls into the prepared baking dish. 4. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 20 minutes or transfer to the fridge to rise overnight. 5. Remove the rolls from the fridge. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.6. To make the icing. Add the butter to a pot set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. In a bowl, whisk the cream cheese. Add the brown butter, then add the powdered sugar, hazelnut liqueur (if using), vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Spread the icing over the warm rolls. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
To Prepare and Freeze: assemble the rolls through step 4. Then cover the pan and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the rolls overnight in the fridge or on the counter for a few hours. Once thawed, bake as directed.
This post was originally published on December 20, 2024
Confused about the honey as well! Did you copy and paste an old recipe as a starting point? How do you mistakenly add a random ingredient into the list?
Hi Karen,
The honey is not in the recipe, I removed that mistake this morning:) It was an honest mistake, sorry for any confusion! Have a great evening! xx
Excited to try this out! I’m sorry some people are so rude! You are doing great. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
Thanks so much Luisa:) I hope you love this recipe! Merry Christmas! xT
I can’t wait to make these! I’m due with my baby any day now and really want to make cinnamon rolls Christmas morning each year as a tradition so I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect recipe. I know in your notes you mention using instant yeast, is there really a big difference using instant vs active? I usually only have active dry yeast on hand but am willing to ensure I have instant if there is truly a noticable difference 🙂 these look amazing!
She’s not going to answer your question with any kind of understanding the science of baking, but yes, there is a difference. You can just “go” when you’re using instant yeast and get right to mixing. If you have regular yeast, then put the yeast and warm milk in the mixing bowl and let it sit for about 5 minutes, and there should be some bubbling/froth. Then follow the rest of her directions.
Hi Dakota,
Congrats on your newest addition:) When using instant yeast, you can just mix everything together and follow the recipe as written. If you plan to use active yeast, that will work just fine! You will just need to add the yeast to the warm milk to proof and get bubbly. Once this happens, then you can continue with the recipe. Either yeast is perfectly fine to use. I hope you love this recipe! xxT
Can’t wait to make these Christmas eve and have ready to bake Christmas morning! I came to comments for the honey situation which has now been removed from list of ingredients BUT as of this comment is still mentioned in the instructions. Just FYI 🙂
Thanks so much for letting me know, Jenny! I hope you love these cinnamon rolls! Happy Holidays! xT
Kind of a detailed question, but do you change out the parchment paper after baking, maybe to make it prettier for serving? I noticed that the parchment looks about the same with the raw rolls and the baked rolls, is there a reason? When I bake with parchment it always gets browned or even singed in some places!
Hi Jessica,
I did not change out my parchment paper:) I use brown parchment paper to begin with. I would try trimming yours down or maybe a different brand. It shouldn’t be burning in the oven. I hope this helps! xT
There is absolutely no way a 15 minute rise is enough for the dough. Nor is baking immediately after cutting them and placing them in the baking dish. Are these typos? Or does dough rise faster in the mountains?
Hi Kalia,
You can allow the dough to rise for anywhere from 15 to 1 hour, whatever works best for you:) You are going to let them rise for an additional 20 minutes in step 4 before baking. This is really what works best for me and this recipe, but please feel free to make them to your liking. Happy Holidays! xT
In your blog, you literally say to let it rest for 15 minutes, not up to an hour. You also say you can bake it immediately after placing it in the pan. Which is different from the recipe text.
These errors are becoming so common with your blog. Please hire some additional help for proofreading because whoever is doing it now is doing a terrible job.
I am excited to make these for Christmas but had a question regarding your response to the rise time. Should they rise for 15 min or 1 hour? These are wildly different time frames. Just want to confirm because I’ve never made cinnamon rolls before and want them to turn out so I want to follow the directions exactly!
Hi Stacy,
Start with 15 minutes, if the dough has a nice rise to it you can go ahead and keep following the recipe. If the dough needs a bit more time to rise, it is good to sit for up to an hour:) I hope this helps! xx
IN the above recipe you said to add the honey, but there is no honey in the ingredients list???? Can you please explain. Thank you.
Hi Mimi,
So sorry, there is no honey in this recipe, it has been fixed:) Please let me know if you give them a try! Merry Christmas! xT
Can you make these a day before? I want to bake them and give them to my friends. Will they dry out?
Hi Elsie,
I would just make them and put in the fridge and then give your friends the baking instructions, that will work nicely for you! I hope you love this recipe! x
She has replaced the honey with brown sugar. If you look at her previous cinnamon roll recipes, this is pretty much a copy of her fluffy Christmas cinnamon rolls. Also, if you are planning to put these in the fridge overnight and bake them in the morning, you should let them sit on your counter and come to almost room temperature before baking so you get the best rise out of them. She forgot to mention that part.
The directions for the dough don’t match the ingredients.. honey vs sugar, for example
Hi Judi,
So sorry, there is no honey in this recipe, it has been fixed:) Please let me know if you give them a try! Merry Christmas! xT
Is there a substitute to the hazelnut liquor? Would almond extract work?
Hi Laura,
The hazelnut liqueur is optional so you can just skip that:) I hope this helps! xx
These look wonderful! Will a gluten free dough rise enough for these? What should I use? Thanks!
Thanks so much, Rhonda! Yes, I like Bob’s Red Mill GF flour. I hope this helps! xT
Great! I had this same question also! Thanks. And my name is Rhonda too!
You left the honey out of the ingredients. Which recipe did Asher use? Maybe that one doesn’t have mistakes.
Hi Hannah,
So sorry, there is no honey in this recipe, it has been fixed:) Please let me know if you give them a try! Merry Christmas! xT
Why would you assume everyone celebrates Christmas? That’s ignorant.
Errors in your recipes happen more often that not. Have you considered hiring a new proofreader?
Hannah, your comments are very rude and uncalled for, especially at a time of year where the focus is on just being kind. Shame on you.
Why would you assume people who don’t celebrate Christmas don’t want or enjoy Christmas recipes? I do.
Lola, I don’t think of cinnamon rolls as being tied to a specific holiday or religion. They can be enjoyed year round. But, it is ignorant for Tieghan to be in the comments assuming everyone shares the same religious beliefs as herself.
How much honey goes into the dough? I see it in the instructions, but not in the ingredient list. Thank you can’t wait to make these Tuesday night!
Hi Pam,
So sorry, there is no honey in this recipe, it has been fixed:) Please let me know if you give them a try! Merry Christmas! xT
I think you forgot to list the honey in your ingredients. It’s in the directions but not in the ingredient list. Can’t wait to try these rolls.
I too want to make these. Please tell us how much honey. Will they raise enough in the fridge overnight or should we allow them to sit out to raise more the next morning? Thanks much!
Hi Meri,
There is no honey in this recipe, I fixed it! Yes, you can let them sit out of the fridge for a bit before baking the next morning, but they should rise just fine. I hope this helps! xx
Hi Marsha,
So sorry, there is no honey in this recipe, it has been fixed:) Please let me know if you give them a try! Merry Christmas! xT