This recipe yields a pan of buttery soft, gooey cinnamon sweet, and extra fluffy homemade cinnamon rolls topped with tangy cream cheese icing. It’s been a reader favorite recipe for years and I love it so much that I turned this rich dough into apple cinnamon rolls, maple pecan sticky buns, maple cinnamon rolls, and even a cinnamon roll wreath. You can make the cinnamon rolls within a few hours or get started the night before using the overnight preparation option.
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos and a video tutorial, as well as more detailed instructions and success tips. This recipe is such a fan favorite, that it deserved a spot in print! You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
After making countless batches of these cinnamon rolls since I published the recipe many years ago, plus answering readers’ comments and questions, I thought it would be beneficial to update the post with more helpful information and success tips. Homemade cinnamon rolls are a popular breakfast choice, so I want to make sure you have all the resources you need for this classic recipe.
By the way, if you love this dough, be sure to try it as raspberry sweet rolls or strawberry sweet rolls with lemon glaze next. Or for a sprinkle loaded treat, my birthday cake cinnamon rolls use the same dough, too!
Tell Me About These Homemade Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
- Texture: This is one of my richest homemade doughs, so you’re already promised a soft, springy, and fluffy texture. I usually use all-purpose flour, but if you use the optional bread flour, your rolls will be a little chewier. I find that these homemade cinnamon rolls are even fluffier than my easy 1 rise cinnamon rolls (and that’s because there’s the additional rise here!).
- Flavor: The smell of warm cinnamon rolls is oh-so-irresistible and inviting. Once you take that first bite, you’ll enjoy a fresh homemade dough that’s swirled with endless pockets of (Cinnabon style!) sweet and gooey cinnamon.
- Ease: Homemade dough and shaped breads require more precision and effort than making say, a coffee cake. But the dough is pretty straightforward and simple to shape, as long as you have enough flour nearby for your hands, work surface, and rolling pin.
- Time: This dough requires 2 rises. Once you understand the assembly process, the prep moves pretty quickly. Set aside at least 4-5 hours from start to finish or divide between 2 days with the overnight option. Whichever method you choose, keep in mind most of that time is hands off as the dough rises.
If you are craving cinnamon rolls right now, and just can’t wait for dough to rise, try these no yeast cinnamon rolls!
What Readers are Saying:
“I HAD to come and leave this rave review. I just baked and iced these cinnamon rolls ay 9:05 am. It’s now 10:55 am in a household of only 3 people only two are left. This recipe is the best I’ve ever tried. ★★★★★” – Chelsea
“Delicious and easy to follow! This was my first time cooking with yeast and my first time making homemade cinnamon rolls and this was a great recipe to start with. Everyone at brunch was blown away. ★★★★★” – Hannah
“Delicious! I have tried many cinnamon roll recipes, and this is my new favorite. I prefer a roll that is large, more fluffy than dense/gooey, and buttery without being overly sweet. This fit the bill! ★★★★★” – Brice
Are You A Yeast Beginner?
This Baking with Yeast Guide is a wonderful starting point for beginners. I answer many common yeast FAQs in easy-to-understand explanations, so you can learn the basics before beginning.
7 Crucial Ingredients in These Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Feel free to skip straight to the recipe. But if you’re new to making bread, the following explanations are points that I’ve learned over the years and will be massively helpful.
- Whole milk: Whole milk is ideal for the richest tasting cinnamon rolls. Buttermilk works just as well without any changes to the recipe. Many readers have successfully substituted nondairy milks. In a pinch, you can use 2% or 1% milk, but do not use nonfat milk.
- Sugar: You need 2/3 cup of white granulated sugar in the dough. Use 2 Tablespoons in step 1 below (the proofing step), then add the rest in step 2.
- Yeast: You can use active dry or instant yeast. Follow the directions exactly as written regardless of which you choose. You’ll still proof the yeast in warm milk with some sugar even if you use instant yeast. This step ensures that the yeast is active and not expired. Most yeast these days is already active, but it’s a quick 5-10 minute step that prevents you from wasting your time just in case the yeast has expired. If using active dry yeast, the rise times will be a little longer. For the past 10+ years, my go-to brand has been Red Star Yeast. I always recommend Platinum Yeast from Red Star.
- Butter: This is a rich dough, meaning it has fat to help guarantee softness. Use 1/2 cup of softened butter and to help it blend easier, cut it into 4 pieces before adding.
- Eggs: Like butter, eggs promise a softer, richer dough.
- Salt: Dough is bland without salt.
- Flour: Flour is the structure of the dough. You can use either all-purpose flour or bread flour. You’ll notice the rolls are a little chewier if you use bread flour, which is exactly why we use it in recipes like these blueberry bagels. It’s not a huge difference, so don’t worry if you only have all-purpose flour. (That’s what I usually use!)
Note: You’ll notice that I use more yeast in this recipe compared to my easy cinnamon rolls. Why? These are much fluffier and larger—about twice the size.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here’s what you’re looking for after you let the warm milk, some of the sugar, and yeast sit for about 5-10 minutes. The top will be a little foamy:
After the dough comes together, it will be a little soft and sticky—that’s normal. As explained in step 3 below, knead the dough on a floured counter or keep it in the mixer for kneading. If you’d like a visual of how to knead the dough by hand, you can watch the full video tutorial in my post on how to knead dough.
What If I Don’t Have a Stand Mixer? If you do not own a mixer, you can mix the dough together with a large wooden spoon/silicone spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle. A hand mixer works, but the sticky dough repeatedly gets stuck in the beaters. Mixing by hand with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula is a better choice.
Let the dough rise until doubled in size:
Punch the risen dough down and roll it out.
Baker’s Tip: If the dough keeps shrinking as you roll it out, stop what you’re doing, cover it lightly, and let it rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten. When you return to the dough, it should stretch out much easier.
Spread softened butter on top, then sprinkle on a mixture of cinnamon and sugar (I use brown sugar, but you could use white granulated sugar if you prefer).
Roll it up:
Use a very sharp knife to cut the roll into 12 rolls, each about 1.5 inches. Arrange in your greased baking pan, cover, then let the rolls rise until doubled in size and puffy, usually about 1 hour. The left photo is before rising and the right photo is after rising:
Bake the rolls and then make the tangy cream cheese icing to smother on top. If cream cheese isn’t your favorite, you could top the rolls with vanilla icing, the brown sugar icing from these pumpkin donuts, cinnamon cream cheese frosting from these gingerbread cinnamon rolls, maple icing from maple cinnamon rolls, or even the caramel icing from apple cinnamon rolls. Lots of options!
5 Success Tips
- Use brown sugar or granulated sugar in the filling: I used to use granulated sugar in the cinnamon sugar filling, but recently switched to brown sugar for extra flavor. Brown sugar doesn’t necessarily make the filling more moist—there’s also butter, so it’s moist and gooey either way. (I love the brown sugar filling so much I used it to create this cinnamon swirl cheesecake!) Use whichever sugar you prefer.
- Best pan to use: I recommend a 9×13-inch glass pan or metal pan. Avoid ceramic pans. If you must use ceramic, keep in mind that the rolls will likely take longer to bake through.
- Evenly baked cinnamon rolls: These are extra big and fluffy cinnamon rolls, so to help guarantee the centers AND tops cook evenly, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the rolls after about 15 minutes in the oven. This will protect the tops from browning too quickly before the centers can cook.
- Don’t have all morning to spend on this dough? Feel free to prep the dough the night before. This is a wonderful way to save time in the morning so you can wake up and eat sooner. See my make-ahead/overnight instructions in the written recipe below.
How to Freeze Homemade Cinnamon Rolls So They Still Taste Fresh
Let me share a tip I’ve learned after working with this dough for several years. You can prep the rolls and freeze them ahead of time so they still taste fresh.
- Here’s how: Bake the rolls in step 9 for only about 10 minutes. Cool completely, then cover and freeze. To serve, take the rolls out of the freezer and place in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Once thawed, finish baking them for about 15-20 minutes.
I often use this method when I gift cinnamon rolls to others—just copy/paste or write these freezing instructions down. This method is also helpful if you have company over, want to cut down on time, or are entertaining. I like to make these cinnamon rolls ahead when I’m hosting holidays. For more inspiration to complete your menu, see my Easter brunch recipes, make-ahead Thanksgiving breakfast ideas, and Christmas breakfast ideas.
Print
Homemade Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
- Prep Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes (includes rises)
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours (or overnight)
- Yield: 12 rolls
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This recipe yields a pan of buttery soft, gooey cinnamon sweet, and extra fluffy homemade cinnamon rolls topped with tangy cream cheese icing. You can make the cinnamon rolls within a few hours or get started the night before using the overnight preparation option. This recipe is also in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
- 2/3 cup (133g) granulated sugar, divided
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons (14g) active dry or instant yeast (2 standard packets)*
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into 4 pieces
- 4 and 1/2 cups (563g) all-purpose flour or bread flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons oil or butter for the bowl (or use nonstick spray)
Filling
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2/3 cup (133g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 ounces (113g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) heavy cream or milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Whisk the warm milk, 2 Tablespoons of sugar, and the yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and allow mixture to sit for 5–10 minutes or until foamy on the surface. *If you do not own a mixer, you can do this in a large mixing bowl and in the next step, mix the dough together with a large wooden spoon/silicone spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle. A hand mixer works, but the sticky dough repeatedly gets stuck in the beaters. Mixing by hand with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula is a better choice.*
- Add the remaining sugar (1/2 cup or 100g) and the butter and beat on medium speed until the butter is slightly broken up. Add about 1 cup (125g) of the flour, the eggs, and salt and beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the remaining flour. Beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. Dough will be soft. If it seems too sticky and clings to the sides of the bowl instead of forming a rough mass around the dough hook or spoon, add more flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, and continue to mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl but is still moist and tacky. If it feels dry and crumbly, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer (and switch to the dough hook if you used the paddle) and beat on low speed for an additional 5 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 full minutes. (If you’re new to bread-baking, my How to Knead Dough video tutorial can help here.) If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should feel smooth, supple, and elastic. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. You can also do a “windowpane test” to see if your dough has been kneaded long enough: tear off a small (roughly golfball-size) piece of dough and gently stretch it out until it’s thin enough for light to pass through it. Hold it up to a window or light. Does light pass through the stretched dough without the dough tearing first? If so, your dough has been kneaded long enough and is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading until it passes the windowpane test.
- 1st Rise: Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or butter (or use nonstick spray). Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours or until doubled in size. (I always let it rise on the counter and it takes about 2 hours. For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
- Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking dish (glass or metal) or line it with parchment paper.
- Roll out the dough: Punch down the dough to release the air. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 12×18-inch rectangle. Make sure the dough is smooth and evenly thick. If the dough keeps shrinking as you roll it out, stop what you’re doing, cover it lightly, and let it rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten. When you return to the dough, it should stretch out much easier.
- For the filling: Spread the softened butter all over the dough. The softer the butter is, the easier it is to spread in this step. (Microwave it for a few seconds to soften if needed.) In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle evenly over the butter. Tightly roll up the dough to form an 18-inch-long log. If some filling spills out, sprinkle it on top of the roll. With an extra-sharp knife, cut into 12 even rolls, about 1.5 inches thick. Arrange in the prepared baking pan.
- 2nd Rise: Cover the pan and allow the rolls to rise until puffy, about 1 hour. (Or use the overnight option in the Notes below.)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Bake for about 25–28 minutes or until they are lightly browned on top, rotating the pan halfway through. If the tops are browning too quickly, loosely tent a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the pan. Remove pan from the oven and place pan on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes while you make the icing.
- Make the icing: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, cream/milk, and vanilla. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 1 minute. Spread the icing over the warm rolls and serve immediately.
- Cover leftover frosted or unfrosted rolls tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions – Overnight: To prepare the night before serving, prepare the rolls through step 7. Cover the rolls and refrigerate for 8–12 hours. (16 hours max. 8–12 hours is best, but 16 hours is OK if absolutely needed. Do not exceed 16 hours.) The next morning, remove from the refrigerator, keep covered, and allow to rise for 1–2 hours at room temperature before continuing with step 9.
- Make Ahead Instructions – Freezing: You can freeze cinnamon rolls for up to 3 months, and I recommend a few different methods for freezing cinnamon rolls. The first method is to freeze them after shaping, before they’ve had their 2nd rise (step 7). Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then let rise for 1.5–2 hours at room temperature before baking. The second method is to par-bake the risen rolls for 10 minutes, let cool completely, then cover and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. Finish baking for 15–20 minutes. You can also freeze fully baked cinnamon rolls. See How to Freeze Cinnamon Rolls for more details about all of these methods.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Stand Mixer or Large Glass Mixing Bowl with Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | Rolling Pin | 9×13-inch Glass Baking Pan or Metal Baking Pan | Cooling Rack
- Milk: I recommend using whole milk for the best, richest-tasting dough. You could also use buttermilk. Reduced-fat, low-fat, or nondairy milk works in a pinch. Do not use nonfat milk.
- Yeast: You can use active dry or instant yeast in this recipe. Follow all of the same instructions. If using active dry yeast, the rise times are usually slightly longer. Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
- Other Icing Options: Instead of cream cheese icing, you can top the warm rolls with vanilla icing, the brown sugar icing from these pumpkin donuts, maple icing from maple cinnamon rolls, or even the caramel icing from apple cinnamon rolls.
- Gluten Free: We have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, so we are unsure of the results.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Could I bake them then put in the fridge overnight and reheat + Frost in the morning? If so what temp and how long?
Hi Gabby, If baking them the night before you can store them covered at room temperature overnight and then warm up in a warm oven as desired in the morning. Enjoy!
Why for the love of sweet baby goats do I always have to add way more flour than a recipe calls for to get the dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl? This happens with almost every yeast recipe I make.
Hi Anna! You’re not necessarily doing anything wrong– a lot of factors go into this such as mixing time, speed, weather, yeast, and temperature of water. Feel free to add a little more flour to make a soft, yet workable dough.
Help? With the overnight option they don’t bake as well and stay dough-y. I gave a couple away as presents but sadly they Said it is not baked thru. Help?
Hi Hide! Did the dough rise properly when you let it rise overnight? Here’s our baking with yeast guide with lots of tips and tricky for the future!
Can I do this in a bread machine with the dough option?
Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth, We can’t see why not! Let us know how it goes.
Looking forward to making these. I will be making them then freezing them. But then I have to drive 4 hours with the rolls, I was going to put it in a traveling icebox bag with frozen ice packs then when I get to my destination put them back in freezer until Christmas Eve. I want to these overnight in fridge. Do you think that will work?
Hi Lee, that should be fine since you are using a travel bag with frozen ice packs.
Has anyone had any issues when doubling this recipe? Ive made it many times and loved it but doubled it today and the dough is tough and not rising well. My yeast was definitely active…
Hi Lauren! We recommend making two batches instead of doubling for best results.
Hi! I usually make these for Christmas morning but my son was recently diagnosed with an egg allergy 🙁 do you have an recommendations on something I could substitute? Happy Holidays!
Hi Peach, We have never tested this recipe with an egg substitute, but let us know if you try anything. If you are interested, here are all of our egg free baking recipes.
Thank you! I’ll try substituting and check back. But I also found a backup just in case. Thanks for the link!
Hi Sally, first I want to say how much I love your recipes. Always come out perfectly and I get lots of compliments. This Christmas, I was thinking of making braided cinnamon buns/rolls. I know the method of assembling them is a bit different and I have the instructions. But since I trust your recipes the most, I’m wondering if I can use this recipe to make the braided buns in a muffin tin. Any advice is much appreciated.
Hi Maria! We haven’t tested that but don’t see why it would be an issue – let us know if you try it!
Hello! I absolutely love your cinnamon roll recipe! I have just pulled out my second set of rolls using the overnight option for the first time and I had a question. Last night, while cutting and preparing the rolls to go in the pan and in the fridge I had two pan of rolls that pretty much rose quickly in the time it took to get them in the fridge. Would it be okay to place them directly into the oven seeing as though they have risen and doubled in size before the fridge last night.
Thank you so much and merry Christmas!
Hi Dymen, We are so glad you love these! We would still recommend allowing the rolls to rise on the counter for 1-2 hours before continuing with step 9.
These are delicious! The second time I made them getting them out of the pan, they were sticking together, not coming out as individual rolls – maybe they weren’t all the way cooked? Do you have any tips?
Thanks!!!
How long can I keep cooked unfrosted cinnamon rolls in the refrigerator?
Thank you.
Cover leftover frosted or unfrosted rolls tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Can I freeze them straight away without baking for 10 minutes or is that part essential? They’re looking great so far.
Hi Susan, We do recommend keeping that step of baking for 10 minutes first. Cool completely, then cover tightly and freeze. Enjoy!
I’ve been using this cinnamon roll recipe for years, and it’s the best one out there. But I have to say, I consistently have not-as-good results since the recipe was updated in March. What changes were made to the recipe (I noticed little things like the sugar amount is more vague now: “about half a cup”)? If possible, can I get a copy of (or can you post separately) the original overnight cinnamon roll recipe? Thank you!
Hi Mary, this recipe has not changed. I did add more details to the instructions so readers can have better directions. The dough and filling have not changed– except I believe the filling used to only say granulated sugar instead of brown sugar or granulated sugar. In step 1, you will use 2 Tablespoons of sugar, and then the rest in step 2 which is 1/2 cup.
Made these this past weekend. I was rushed for time the night before so I only let the dough rise for 1hour for the 1st rise. Everything turned out delicious. I doubled the cream cheese icing, but I feel like I should have 1.5x it. Overall I would totally make again.
I need to leave the prepared rolls in the refrigerator for longer than 16 hours…will this ruin the rolls? It would be about 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Hi Holly, the longer the rolls rise past about 12 hours, the more over-proofed they’ll be. They can deflate and have an off flavor. We don’t recommend going much past 12 hours, 16 would be the most.
Hi, I want to try this but my oven is a bit on the small side. Can I divide it into two pans? And how do I make sure that 2nd pan won’t continue to rise while the other is baking? Thanks.
Hi Chelle, you can definitely divide these into two pans. While one is baking, keep the other covered with a clean towel at room temperature. Enjoy!
Could you turn this recipe into mini cinnamon rolls? I would imagine cutting them smaller, maybe having them do the second rise in mini muffin tins?
Hi Jenna, we haven’t tried it ourselves but we can’t see why that wouldn’t work! Let us know if you try.
Can I cook then the night before and reheat and then frost them
Absolutely!
Excited to try these out for Christmas! Can I make the cream cheese frosting the night before and store in the fridge? I’m thinking about adding food coloring and doing the icing in 2 batches and piping it for green and red festive rolls.
Hi Brittany, you can definitely prep the frosting ahead of time. Just keep it covered in the refrigerator. It’ll be OK for a few days.
Thank you so much!! How long would you recommend cooking mine larger rolls?
Hi Caroline, as long as you are using the same size pan, the bake time should be about the same, maybe just a minute or two longer. Keep a close eye on them. Enjoy!
Can you make the dough in a bread machine?
Thank you, I love your recipes!!!
Hi Melanie, We can’t see why not! Let us know how it goes.
This is my go-to recipe for Christmas morning! The overnight option is such a time saver. I always do the dough in my bread maker and it turns out beautifully! Make sure the butter is a bit soft so it incorporates well enough when kneading. I also don’t bother warming the milk as the machine warms it during the pre-heat.
I make the dinner roll recipe in my bread machine and it works great.. this recipe is so similar I think it would work! I’ll have to try it myself
These are so delicious and my go-to cinnamon rolls recipe! I have made these twice now and plan to make a bunch more this Christmas! I’m leaving the details about what I’ve done when making these in case it helps others.
Filling: I just go ahead and use a whole stick of butter for the cinnamon filling, it makes it easier for me to spread the filling all around. I also use approx 3/4 cup of brown sugar and a good bit more cinnamon than the recipe calls for, it gives more to spread around.
Icing: I actually use about double the called for amount of cream cheese (so 4-5oz), about a quarter cup more powdered sugar, and a tad more vanilla in the icing. This gives a thicker icing, and more of it.
Note for anyone making these– check your yeast packet because I found that the actual amount of yeast in the instant packets I was using was way more than this recipe calls for, so I never use the entire packet (I just approximate how much is probably in accordance with the recipe).
I’ve used the overnight refrigerator method once with making these, and once making them all the way straight through, and both times turned out great.
I have made these in both a glass 9×13 pan, and in 2 9×6 metal pans (6 rolls per pan) and both times turned out wonderful.
The first time I made these, I made them in a 9×13 glass pan, and I had slight baking issues as far as the outside rolls baking more than the rolls toward the inside of the pan, even with following the instructions about tenting foil over the pan. It may have been my oven, but the ones in the back were baking more than those toward the front. If you have this issue I would recommend rotating the pan 180 degrees approximately halfway through baking and using the foil tent method recommended in the recipe.
The second time I made them, I made them in 2 9×6 disposable metal pans (not because of the baking issue, but just because I wanted to experiment with how to give them as gifts for Christmas). What I ended up doing the second time I made them was rotating both pans 180 degrees at 15 min into baking then baked for approximately 11 more minutes, but could probably have baked another 2 minutes or so, which I will do next time.
Freezing and reheating:
I have frozen these rolls fully baked and iced once, and just now reheated them in the oven about 2.5 weeks after I baked and froze them. For reference I tried this using 6 rolls in a 9×6 metal pan. Warming in the oven for approx 15 min at 350F was good to get them just warmed to the insides and didn’t make the icing a mess (since they were already iced). I took them out at about 9 min and cut out one of the middle rolls and it was still a bit cool on the edges, so I put it back in the pan and put the pan back in the oven for 5ish more min to see if I could get the middles warmed up, and they were good to go. A couple more minutes (closer to 17min) would get them hotter and I think would still be fine, probably tent some foil over them if you do that to keep the icing from getting dry around the edges.
They are sooooo delicious!! Thanks and hope this helps someone else!
Thanks for sharing your experiments!’
These rolls are really very yummy I want to keep making them and trying them. Thank you so much for posting such a beautiful recipe and making it so easy for us to try.
These are the best cinnamon rolls! I used 1.5 C white whole wheat flour and 2 C white flour. The entire batch was gone in 2 days.
I’ve made this recipe twice, and I have had trouble both times with the second rise. I have used the overnight refrigeration method. I don’t know why they don’t rise the second time. Any suggestions?
Hi Christina, If preparing these using the overnight method, a lot of the second rise will happen after you remove them from the refrigerator in the morning. When you take them out, allow them to rise on the counter for 1-2 hours before continuing with step 9. I hope this helps!
Love all your recipes, you are my go to for baking anything!
Question: is it possible to make ahead of time through step 9, cooking for 10 min, cooling, covering, refrigerating overnight, and finish baking in the morning (basically skipping the freezing part so you can make it faster to breakfast in the morning)?
NO
Before the first rise, should the dough pass the window pane test?
Hi Kristin, we find that to be an unnecessary step – following the instructions above should yield perfect cinnamon rolls!
I’m going to follow this recipe and present it tomorrow for my baking class at university! I would only have to store them for a day but considering that I will be using the cream cheese frosting I am worried about leaving them stored at room temperature. Would it be fine or should I make the icing the day of or assemble them and store them in the fridge and warm up before serving?
Hi Katherine, After decorating anything with buttercream or cream cheese frosting, it’s fine for 1 day at room temperature. After that, it’s best to refrigerate it. Good luck with your class!
Your website is my go to for all things baked goods!!! I’ve never had one of your recipes be a flop. These were no exclusion. So easy, delicious, and beautiful!!
Thank you for your kind feedback, Kira. We’re so glad you enjoyed these cinnamon rolls!
Is it ok to leave the dough for an additional hour or so after the initial rise? Thanks in advance!
Hi Liz, you want the dough to rise until doubled in size. If it rises more than that, the rolls could collapse when baked. Best to keep an eye on it while it’s rising!
Thank you! Super helpful!
Like every other recipe of yours, these were perfect on my first try! The overnight option is a game changer – I had my early-riser husband take them out of the fridge first thing, and I popped them in the oven when I woke up. This Thanksgiving also featured your pie crust and pumpkin pie. I can’t thank you enough for all the phenomenal recipes and crystal clear instructions! You’ve been a part of every holiday in my household for years 🙂
Wish I knew where I’ve gone wrong but my dough just hasn’t risen at all.