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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
I made these beautiful rolls last night. I Pulled them from the fridge this morning and omgoodness were they big and delicious. The only tweek that I made was I melted the butter for the filling and added more brown sugar and left out the white sugar.
Hey Crystal! Sooo glad you enjoyed these cinnamon rolls! 🙂 xT
hello Tieghan, – which recipe book do you have this recipe in . My daughter would like one of your recipe books but specifically one with this recipe (or other cinnamon bun recipes)
Hi Genevieve,
So sorry, this recipe is only on the blog. The HBH Original Cookbook and HBH Super Simple both have a cinnamon bun recipe in them. I hope this helps!
For some reason I don’t use yeast often. It always make me nervous…But this made it so easy. So delicious. My son moved home from college and cinnamon rolls was his first request. This recipe was simple to follow and the pay off was all we craved and more. Gooey and yummy!
Hey Deborah,
Fantastic!! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was a hit! xx
AMAZING!!!! Second time making them, 100% recommend them. I recommended them to my cousin, she loved it. I’m not sure if my oven was the problem but my cinnamon rolls barely turned golden brown. And something was off about the taste, missing something. First time I made them though they were amazing.
Thanks so much, Sana!! So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! Have a great Friday! xx
This recipe turned out great!
I will say the dough looked pretty bad for a while. The eggs are what add the most moisture and it looks pretty weird but I just trusted the recipe and kept mixing and it did eventually come together! They also didn’t really rise overnight in the fridge but once as I put them in the oven they rose and turned out absolutely delicious!
JUST TRUST THE RECIPE! 😃
Hey Abby,
Amazing! Thank you so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! So glad it turned out well for you! xx
I just made these this morning. Holy cow they’re amazing. The only thing I did differently was doubling the filling… super ooey gooey
Hi Melanie,
Amazing:) Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Have a great week!!
Absolutely delicious! My daughter said it was the best cinnamon bun she’s ever eaten!!! Easy to follow recipe, just takes some time. I will definitely be making these again! Thank you!
Hey Paula,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it turned out nicely for you! Happy Sunday! XxT
Amazing, hands down the best bun I’ve ever had and so easy to prepare. Can you make these gluten free?
Hey Jessica,
Awesome! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Yes, gluten free flour will work nicely for you. Have a nice Sunday:) xx
My dough didn’t rise. The yeast is nit expired and I followed the steps in the order you gave them.
Hi Jennifer,
So sorry to hear this! Was your milk too warm by chance? That could kill the yeast. Let me know how I can help! xx
I’ve never used butter in my dough…I’m gonna try this! 😁😋
I hope you love this recipe, Keya!
I have made multiple times and they are a hit every time! I wanted to make (pre-baked) batch and give them to a friend to bake on their own. I have frozen the rolls and had success, but how far in advance can you make the icing? How long would it last in the refrigerator?
Thanks so much!
Hey Ashley,
Love to hear this! Thanks a lot for making this recipe so often and your comment! The icing is probably good in the fridge for 1 week, you could also freeze it. Have a nice day:) xxT
These were so easy to make and love how simple the ingredients were! A big hit in our house! Can you swap the flour to make it gluten free?
Hi Jessica,
Amazing! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! Yes, you could use gluten free flour. XxT
The absolute best cinnamon rolls. Very light n fluffy. Amazing. All recipes from Tiegen are worth making.
Thanks so much, Kathi:) I’m so glad to hear that these turned out nicely for you, I appreciate you making this recipe! xx
These were delicious! They turned out great and my whole family loved them. I’m not a fan of cream cheese frosting, so I skipped that part and just made some plain icing, but the rolls themselves were fantastic! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Sharon,
Love to hear this! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your comment! So glad it turned out well! xT
Two batches were made but it only took one to convince us this one is a keeper. SO GOOD!!! A family member said “this is better than my grandma’s!” 🤫
Thanks so much, Jenni! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! Happy New Year! xxT
Made this this morning. Long process but truly worth it. Exchanged the hazelnut liquor for Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream!!
Hi Meda,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I’m so glad to hear it turned out well for you! Happy Sunday! xT