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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.
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.
Oh my goodness 🤤 these were amazing!!
Hi Inna,
Fantastic!! Thanks for trying this recipe and your comment, love to hear it turned out well! Happy New Year! xx
Hello Tieghan and Happy Holidays!
I made this recipe Christmas eve day and refrigerated them overnight. Baked them in the morning while I made the icing. I did have to bake mine longer for the middle rolls to get done. This recipe was just the best, thank you!
Hi Michelle,
Fantastic!! Thanks for trying this recipe and your comment, love to hear it turned out well! Happy New Year! xx
Wonderful! I prepped them Christmas Eve night and baked them Christmas morning, everyone loved them!
Hey Alicia,
Thank you so much for making these cinnamon rolls, I am so glad to hear they turned out nicely for you! Happy New Year! xx
So thankful that a classic cinnamon roll recipe came out just before Christmas! Made these Christmas Eve (mine didn’t rise much but still turned out fabulous!) and they were a hit! This will be my go to recipe, thanks Asher! =p
Hi Michelle,
Thank you so much for making this recipe for Christmas! I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xx
Looks like we’ve got a new tradition for Christmas morning breakfast.
Hi Chris,
Love to hear this:) Thank you so much for making these cinnamon rolls, I am so glad they were such a hit! xx
Tieghan, So, first off, I was blown away when I saw this because after I made your Sage Dinner Rolls for Thanksgiving, I was searching your recipes for a plain cinnamon roll. Like magic it appeared! My family loved this recipe. The frosting with the hazelnut liqueur was a fan favorite. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. Merry Christmas!
Aww, thanks so much, Jessica! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment! So glad it was enjoyed! xx
Just finished eating my seconds of these and they are everything I wished an hoped for a christmas morning cinnamon roll! Absolutely heavenly!! Our first Christmas married and already found my cinnamon roll recipe !!
Thanks so much, Kylie! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! Happy Holidays! xx
These cinnamon rolls are absolutely delicious and quite simple! The brown butter cream cheese frosting was spectacular. I made extra because we typically like extra frosting. It was perfect to make last night on Christmas Eve and put in fridge overnight for baking on Christmas morning. The only thing I might tweak based on my personal preference is a bit more butter/cinnamon sugar for the inside of the rolls but we loved them! Will definitely be making again!
Hi Deborah,
Happy Holidays!! Thank you so much for making these cinnamon rolls, I love to hear they turned out well for you! Thanks for your feedback:) xx
These are phenomenal! They are forgiving too- I didn’t let them rise overnight, and used a little Cointreau instead of Hazelnut liqueur and they turned out amazing. Thanks for another great recipe!
Hi Gwen,
Love to hear this! Thank you so much for trying these cinnamon rolls, I am so glad they were just a hit! xx
These rolls turned out good, but my dough didn’t rise, not sure what I did. I make pizza dough from scratch and I’ve never had an issue. I’ll definitely make these again though.
Mine also are not rising :(. I usually don’t have an issue with dough rising, so not sure what’s going on. Hopefully they still taste great.
Hi Lori,
Thanks so much for making this recipe! Sorry to hear about your dough….what kind of yeast did you use? Let me know how I can help! xx
I made these for Christmas morning and they turned out delicious! I didn’t have the instant yeast on hand so I just let it rise a little longer and they turned out fluffy and light. It was a huge hit with the family!
Thanks so much, Kelsey! So glad to hear these cinnamon rolls turned out well for you, I appreciate you making them! Happy Holidays! xx
Mine turned out super dry and dense – any tips to help prevent this?
Hi Bre,
Thanks for trying this recipe, so sorry to hear you had some issues. It’s hard to say without knowing more…what kind of yeast did you use? Did the dough rise properly? Did you keep them in the fridge overnight? Let me know:) xx
These turned out perfectly for our Christmas morning!! I made them start to finish this early this morning, and went with the lowest rise times and they turned out wonderful! My family loved them. This will be my new go-to recipe!
Hi Christine,
Happy Holidays! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and your comment, I am so glad to hear they were enjoyed! xx
Wow! These were easy and DELICIOUS. New Christmas tradition.
Hey Autumn,
So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you! Thanks for making it! Happy Holidays! xx
Exceptional! So easy and just delicious.
Thanks so much, Danielle! So glad to hear these cinnamon rolls turned out well for you, I appreciate you making them! Happy Holidays! xx