The Best Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
I can’t stop saying “I want 'em real thick and juicyyy” in my Sir Mix-a-lot voice.
Overnight super gooey cinnamon rolls! This recipe is so easy and so good. You can play with your baking pan and make larger or smaller rolls depending on what you prefer. These buns do not disappoint!
Scroll to the bottom for the printable recipe card!
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients for Dough
¾ cup warm milk heated to no more than 110 degrees F (whole milk or 2% )
2 ¼ teaspoons quick rise yeast (1/4-ounce package yeast)
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, at room temp.
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted, room temp
3 cups bread flour, plus 3 tbs for dusting
3/4 teaspoon salt
Ingredients for Cinnamon Roll Filling
2/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, almost melted
3/4 cup walnuts (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting
4 oz cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste (extract works as well)
Instructions
Place warm milk in microwave for 40 seconds until it reaches approximately 110 degrees F. Do not make your milk too hot or your yeast will not bloom. Sprinkle yeast on top and wait 5 minutes until it bubbles around the edges.
Transfer warm milk and yeast to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg plus egg yolk, and melted butter. Mix until well combined.
Gradually pour in flour and salt until the dough begins to form.
Knead dough on medium speed for 8 minutes. Dough should form into a smooth ball and be slightly sticky. If it's sticking to the bottom of your mixer, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of flour.
Transfer dough ball to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel. Allow dough to rise for 1 ½ hours, or until it has doubled in size.
After dough has doubled in size, transfer to a floured surface and roll out into a 14x9 inch rectangle.
Spread softened butter over dough and in a small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts (if desired) and sprinkle all over the buttered dough. Press the brown sugar mixture into the buttered dough so it adheres.
Tightly roll dough up your dough from the 9-inch side up until you have a beautiful cinnamon roll log.
Cut into 1 inch sections with a serrated knife. You should get 9 large pieces or 12 smaller pieces. In the picture above I made 6 giant rolls and cooked them in a large loaf pan so they were extra gooey.
Place cinnamon rolls in a parchment lined and greased 9x9 inch baking pan or pan of choice. Cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel and let rise again for 30-45 minutes.
If you are cooking immediately you can preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap and towel and bake cinnamon rolls for 20-25 minutes if you are making 9-12 rolls or 35 minutes if you are making 6 giant rolls in a loaf pan. If you are refrigerating the rolls, place in the refrigerator overnight and allow them to come to room temperature the next morning before cooking.
Once cooked, allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before frosting.
To make the frosting, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste and mix with a handheld mixer or by hand with a whisk. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Spread over cinnamon rolls and serve. Enjoy!