Three Christmases ago, I was pulling beautiful decorative paving bricks from the oven at 8:00 AM. In my eagerness to bake the dough, I dumped active yeast directly into the steaming melted butter and scalded it to death, leaving my family with thick, rubbery hockey pucks and tons of wrapping paper on the floor of the living room. This experience taught me that patience with the temperatures and a good overnight chill in the refrigerator are the keys to creating bakery-style rolls.
Waking up on a holiday should not require flour and pajamas, counter clean up, or an hour of kneading dough before having a cup of coffee. These soft, pillowy overnight cinnamon rolls are doused in warm cinnamon sugar and creamy cream cheese icing with no stressful morning baking required! Making your dough the night before ensures no stress when it comes time to wake up for your holiday.
Key Takeaways
Fluffy Overnight Cinnamon Rolls for Christmas Morning
Soft, pillowy yeast spirals packed with buttery cinnamon sugar and slathered in melted vanilla cream cheese icing.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) instant yeast
- 1/2 cup whole milk, warmed to 110°F
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, very soft (for filling)
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (for icing)
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Necessary Utensils & Equipment
-
-
- Stand mixer with dough hook (or large mixing bowl)
-
- Rolling pin
-
- 8-inch round or square baking dish
-
- Unflavored dental floss or clean sewing thread (for slicing)
-
- Pastry brush
-
- Plastic wrap
-
- Small hand mixer or whisk
-
Instructions
-
- Warm milk to between 105°F and 110°F. In your mixer bowl, stir milk, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes until frothy.
- Add remaining granulated sugar, egg, 1/4 cup softened butter, salt, and flour. Mix on low speed until combined, then knead on medium speed for 6 to 8 minutes until elastic and smooth.
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 10×14-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick.
- Spread 3 tablespoons softened butter evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Combine brown sugar and ground cinnamon, then sprinkle over the butter, pressing down gently with your fingers.
- Roll tightly from the long edge into a neat log. Cut into 8 equal slices using unflavored dental floss.
- Place cut rolls into a greased 8-inch baking pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and transfer straight to the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours overnight.
- On Christmas morning, pull the rolls from the fridge. Let them sit on the counter for 45 minutes to shake off the chill and puff up slightly.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake rolls for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown on the edges and bubbly in the middle.
- Beat cream cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until fluffy. Spread generously over warm rolls so the icing seeps into every crevice.
The Secret to Pillow-Soft Rolls
Most home bakers rush dough. By allowing the yeast to rise too quickly at a warm temperature, you end up with bready rolls that dry out in twenty minutes after leaving the oven. A slower rise in the coolness of a refrigerator develops a more flavorful and tender crumb that lasts for hours.
Room temperature ingredients are a must for this method. By using cold eggs straight from the fridge, you run the risk of rapidly cooling your warm milk mixture, thereby slowing the activity of your yeast before it has had a chance to awaken. Let your eggs and softened butter sit on the counter for thirty minutes before you begin mixing your dough together on Christmas Eve.
Pro Tip: Warm two tablespoons of heavy cream and pour it directly between the rolls right before you slide the pan into the oven. The dough drinks up the liquid as it bakes, creating gooey, bakery-level bottoms that never turn crusty.
Rolling and Slicing Techniques
Getting even spirals is easy. When rolling out your dough rectangle make sure to keep the corners square and not rounded, and use unflavored dental floss or sewing thread to cut your spirals.
Using a chef knife to cut your spirals will crush the delicate dough into uneven ovals. Try cutting with a piece of dental floss instead. Slide the floss under the log of dough, cross the two ends over the top of the log, and pull the ends of the floss away from each other. The floss will cut through the dough without flattening the tender layers of the pastry and squeezing out the buttery cinnamon filling.
- Wipe your workspace down thoroughly to remove excess flour before rolling.
- Press brown sugar into the softened butter with your palm to lock it in place.
- Keep roll slices uniform in height so they bake at the exact same rate.
Make-Ahead Schedule
Holidays can be stressful, so you want to make sure everything is precise so that you can keep your friends and family calm. If you make these rolls between 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm on Christmas Eve, you can just stick them in the fridge to keep them from rising on the counter. The dough will slowly finish proofing in the fridge overnight and won’t overproof.
Once you get up on Christmas morning, just put the covered pan on the counter. While your coffee is brewing and the stockings are being opened, the rolls will take about 45 minutes to come out of the fridge to bake. You can’t bake bread straight out of the fridge because the middle will still be raw dough.
Foolproof Icing Secrets
Timing your icing, makes or breaks, a holiday roll. If you were to frost it right out of the oven, your cream cheese will melt into an oily mess at the bottom of the dish. Let the rolls sit for about 5 to 7 minutes, they should still be steaming hot. Once done, the glaze should only slightly melt allowing a thick creamy topping to rest on top of the roll.
You can even whip your icing the night before and place it, in an airtight container, next to your dough pan. Letting it warm just enough so that it will blanket over your warm pastry like butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these without chilling them overnight?
Yes, you can make these rolls the same day. After slicing and placing them in your greased baking dish, cover the pan with a clean towel and let them rise in a warm spot for 60 to 75 minutes until doubled in size. Then bake as directed for 25 to 30 minutes at 350°F.
What if my rolls do not rise in the refrigerator?
Dough rises very slowly under refrigeration, which is completely normal. As long as your yeast was fresh and your milk was warm (between 105°F and 110°F), the rolls will puff up significantly during their 45-minute counter rest and through oven spring during the first 10 minutes of baking.
Can I freeze the unbaked rolls ahead of time?
Yes, you can freeze unbaked rolls after slicing them. Place them in your baking dish, freeze until solid, and then wrap tightly with foil for up to one month. Thaw the dish overnight in the refrigerator, give them 1 hour on the counter the next morning, and bake as normal.
Are you team cream cheese frosting or classic powdered sugar glaze for your holiday breakfast?
