❤️ My Overnight Cinnamon Rolls Recipe results in sweet, fluffy rolls that are ultra-fluffy, thanks to the buttermilk in the dough. Topped with homemade cream cheese frosting, they’re one of my favorite make-ahead breakfasts or brunches for Easter, holidays, and special occasions!
Soft & Fluffy Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Homemade cinnamon rolls always sound great in theory… until you realize you’d need to wake up at 5 am just to have one with your 10 am coffee. No, thanks!
Luckily, I was able to fix that with this overnight cinnamon buns recipe. These rolls are some of the best I’ve ever made, which is saying a lot, because I’ve tested countless cinnamon roll variations. My chocolate cinnamon rolls, carrot cake cinnamon rolls, and pumpkin cinnamon rolls are all delicious.
But you just can’t beat the classic flavor, especially when these rolls are made with an ultra-soft, fluffy dough that’s light without being overly dense and a brown sugar-cinnamon filling that melts into a caramel-like sauce. Topped with a dreamy cream cheese frosting, they taste like they came from a bakery but are simple to make at home.
My overnight prep process ensures there are no shortcuts while keeping the process simple and eliminating stress in the morning. It’s the best of both worlds, which is why these rolls have a nearly 5 -star rating with over 100 reviews! Take a look at what readers are saying:
I’ve been making these cinnamon rolls for over a decade (12+ years, I think, as of 2025) and they are everyone’s favorite! I’ve made them dozens of times at this point and the recipes comes out perfectly every time, which is not an easy feat for *any* bread recipe.
Annie
I’ve made this recipe MANY times now over several years. It’s my go-to Christmas morning recipe. Being able to make the dough the night before is a lifesaver. And everyone who’s ever had one of these has raved!!
Jana
Ingredients and Notes
To make the best cinnamon roll recipe ever, you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour: You can also use bread flour, but the rolls will be chewier. I prefer all-purpose flour for a soft, fluffy consistency. I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour
- Instant dry yeast: I used Red Star Platinum instant yeast, which is my gold standard. It’s an instant dry yeast, so you don’t have to proof it first with water and wait for it to get bubbly and foamy. Just sprinkle it right into the bowl with the other ingredients and then pour the liquids over the top of everything. When I deviate from Platinum and use other yeast, my dough doesn’t rise as well and doesn’t bake up as puffy and fluffy. Do not substitute active dry yeast. It’s not the same
- Baking staples: Granulated sugar, salt, unsalted butter, large eggs
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own with milk and white vinegar. Or, use powdered buttermilk. (See the recipe card below)
- Cinnamon sugar filling: Unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and cinnamon
- Cream cheese frosting: Unsalted butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract, confectioners’ sugar, and salt
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
This overnight cinnamon rolls recipe is simple, but there are quite a few steps. I highly recommend reading over the reicpe card a few times before starting and planning accordingly. Here’s an overview of the process:
Make the dough: Prep the wet and dry ingredients. Then, beat the wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Switch the paddle attachment with a dough hook, and knead the dough, adding more flour as needed. Note that the dough is very sticky and tacky and is supposed to be that way!
Proof the dough: Transfer the dough to a large bowl that has been greased with cooking spray, cover, and let it rise in a warm, dry place until it doubles in size.
Shape the cinnamon rolls: Punch the dough down, transfer it to a floured work surface, and knead until smooth. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, and butter the dough, leaving a border around the edges. Sprinkle brown sugar over the dough, and roll it into a tight log. Pinch the seam closed, and stretch the log out evenly. Slice the dough into equal-sized rolls.
Bake the rolls: Arrange the rolls, cut side down, in a prepared baking pan, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise and double in size before baking. Then, bake until they’re lightly golden brown on top and cooked through.
Prep the frosting: While the rolls cool, beat the frosting ingredients in a stand mixer or medium bowl. Then, spread the frosting over the semi-cooled rolls in the baking dish, and enjoy!
My Top Tips for Success
- Don’t over-flour the dough. This dough is supposed to be soft, sticky, and slightly messy. That’s what gives you that ultra-fluffy, tender texture. Adding too much flour will result in dense, bready rolls. Trust the process.
- Temperature matters more than you think. Warm (not hot) buttermilk is key to activating the yeast properly. If it’s too hot, you’ll kill the yeast. If it’s too cold, your dough won’t rise well. Aim for “warm bath water” vibes if you’re not using a thermometer.
- Create a warm rising environment. If your kitchen runs cold, use the oven trick: briefly warm it, turn it off, and let your dough rise inside. This makes a huge difference in getting that soft, pillowy texture.
- Use unflavored dental floss to cut the rolls. It sounds weird, but it’s the best way to get clean slices without squishing the dough (way better than a knife).
- Adjust the frosting. I prefer a simple cream cheese icing, but you can add milk, cream, buttermilk, orange zest, almond extract, or whatever you like to make the flavor your own.
Overnight Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer Fitted with a Paddle Attachment
- 2 Mixing Bowls
- 1 (15x10x1-inch) Jelly Roll Pan
Ingredients
Dough
- up to 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant dry yeast, one 1/4-ounce packet, I use Red Star Platinum
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (3/4 of one stick)
- 3 large eggs, lightly whisked
- ¾ cup buttermilk*, See Notes
Filling
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, very soft – let it sit out while dough rises
- 1 to 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar, packed (granulated sugar or a half-and-half combo of white and brown sugars may be substituted)
- 3 to 4 teaspoons cinnamon, or to taste (I use 5 teaspoons)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 pound confectioners’ sugar, 4 cups
- ½ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
Instructions
Make the Dough
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 4 cups flour, 1/3 cup sugar, yeast, salt to taste; set aside.
- Place 6 tablespoons butter in a small microwave-safe bowl, and heat to melt, about 45 seconds; set aside.
- Crack eggs in another bowl and whisk; set aside.
- Add buttermilk to a glass measuring cup and warm to temperature, about 45 seconds on high power in the microwave. Tips – Based on the type of yeast used, milk temperatures will vary. Red Star Platinum yeast calls for warmer temperatures than most, 120 to 130F; other brands and yeast call for much lower temperatures, about 95 to 105F. Warm milk according to manufacturer’s recommendations on the packaging. Taking the temperature with a digital thermometer is highly recommended, but if you’re not, make sure the milk is warm, not hot. Err on the cooler rather than hotter side so you don’t kill the yeast. If the milk separates or gets a little funny looking after being warmed, whisk it to smooth it out.
- To the dry ingredients in the stand mixer, add the melted butter, eggs, buttermilk, and beat on medium-low speed for about 1 minute, or until combined.
- Switch to the dough hook (the dough will have stuck to the paddle and just pick off what you can and put it into the bowl) and knead for 10 to 12 minutes (15 to 18 minutes by hand).
- If after 5 minutes more flour is needed, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough clears the side of the bowl but sticks to the bottom. Tips – This is a very sticky, tacky, moist, and borderline sloppy dough; don’t be tempted to over-flour it. It’s supposed to be that way. The more flour you add now, the less fluffy and more dense the rolls will be. Dough should clear the sides of the mixer while kneading but sticking to the bottom is fine. However, if the dough is simply too sloppy to work with, you can't move it from mixing bowl to rising bowl, it does need more flour so add some, as little as you can get away with, until you can work with the dough more easily.
- Remove the dough from the mixing bowl, spray a large mixing bowl with cooking spray, and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place it in a warm, draft-free place to rise for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or doubled in size. I keep my bowl inside a powered-off oven. Every 45 minutes or so, I power on the oven for 1 minute to 400F, as if I am preheating it, then I power it off. Do not, repeat not, keep the oven on. These short bursts of 1 minute of heat create a stable 85F-ish warm environment, ideal for the yeast. If your rising spot is cold, it will take longer than 2 1/2 hours.
- Prepare a 11-by-17-inch or similar sized jellyroll pan or sheetcake pan with a raised edge, or use a 9-by-13-inch pan. I prefer a jellyroll pan because it’s slightly larger so the rolls are less squished, have more room to rise, and bake more evenly. Line pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
Shape the Cinnamon Rolls
- After dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Turn dough out onto a floured Silpat or floured countertop. Knead it lightly for about 2 minutes.
- With a rolling pin, roll it out to a 16-by-12-inch rectangle; just slightly larger than a standard Silpat.
- With a knife, butter the dough with 1/2 cup soft butter, leaving a 3/4-inch border around the edges.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar over it. Sprinkle the cinnamon over the brown sugar; I was very generous with the cinnamon and used almost 5 teaspoons and recommend at least 3; just eyeball it and shake it on.
- Loosen the dough from the counter using a bench scraper (or metal spatula), and starting with a long edge, roll the dough into a tight log. Pinch the seam closed and turn log so seam side is down.
- Gently stretch the log to be 18 inches in length with an even diameter all the way around and pat the ends to even them up. Don’t fret if your log isn’t perfect; it’s okay.
- Slice the cylinder into 12 evenly sized rolls (about 1 1/2 inches wide) using a bench scraper, serrated knife, or plain unwaxed dental floss (works great to not squish and compact the log).
- Arrange the rolls cut side down in the prepared baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap.
- If making the rolls straight through: Let rise in a warm, draft-free place until the rolls have nearly doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- If making the rolls overnight: Don’t let rolls rise after they’ve been sliced and placed in covered pan. Place pan in refrigerator for up to 16 hours. Before baking, let the rolls sit at room temperature until they have nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Bake the Rolls
- For either version, bake at 350ºF for 22 to 25 minutes, or until lightly golden on top and cooked through but not overly browned.
- While the rolls cool, make the frosting.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 1/2 cup butter, cream cheese, and beat on medium speed to combine, about 1 minute.
- Add the vanilla, 3 cups confectioners’ sugar (I don’t bother sifting), and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Add remaining 1 cup of sugar (or more, or none) as necessary, to taste, based on desired frosting consistency and flavor.
- Spread the frosting over the tops of the semi-cooled rolls and serve. Tips – Make sure they're not too warm or the frosting will melt. You may not use all the frosting if you don't like a lot of frosting on your rolls. That's fine, you don't need to use it all. Extra frosting will keep airtight in the fridge for many weeks or you can freeze it.
Notes
- Make your own buttermilk with whole milk and vinegar. Add 3/4 cup of 2% or whole milk to a large measuring cup. Stir in 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Let that mixture sit for 2 minutes before using in the recipe.
- You can use powdered buttermilk. You’ll mix how many ever tablespoons the package calls for, with 3/4 cup of water, to yield 3/4 cup of buttermilk. For those who bake with or use buttermilk semi-frequently, but not so frequently to keep in in your fridge, keeping a tub of powdered buttermilk in your pantry is very handy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Cinnamon Roll Recipes:
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The Best Glazed Orange Sweet Rolls — These homemade orange rolls are filled with a buttery orange filling and are topped with a simple orange glaze. They can be prepped the night before, if needed.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Bake — The recipe is easy, ready in 40 minutes, and you don’t even have to make scratch cinnamon roll dough.
The BEST Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls — The glaze soaks into the nooks and crannies and adds even more moisture and softness. Total gooey, cinnamon-and-sugary, juicy perfection.
1-Hour Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting — The dough is made, rolled out, sliced, and immediately baked, which eliminates many hours and steps compared to most cinnamon roll recipes.
Caramel Apple Cinnamon Roll Bake — This cinnamon roll recipe with apples and caramel sauce is easy, ready in 30 minutes, and you don’t even have to make scratch cinnamon roll dough.
Ax thanks for this recipe Averie, just made them and popped into the fridge, they have become our traditional Easter Sunday breakfast. Needless to say this recipe is foolproof and amazingly delicious. Who doesn’t love a soft gooey cinnamon roll
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And that it’s become your traditional Sunday Easter Breakfast! What a great story and thanks for sharing :)
I am making these tonight…and my dough has already risen in less than 1 1/2. I put in in a warm oven (preheated to 140, then turned off) and it looks ready to roll out. Could this be?
All climates, doughs, ingredients, etc. vary so use your judgment and do what you think is best. Enjoy!
How would you suggest making this recipe but make them as mini cinnamon rolls? Would love to make these for a brunch!
I haven’t tried the recipe that way so can’t give any specific thoughts on modifications. Good luck!
These are great but I freeze them uncooked then leave them out covered with a tea towel and bake in the morning. If the house is cold I put the oven on to 200 and then turn it off . I wait for ten minutes then put the rolls in to rise in the warmth. After they have risen I remove them and preheat the oven to 350 then bake.
This is fresh and gooey without the hassle !
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad you’ve found a method that works great and you’re happy!
I just made these for a snow day and they didn’t rise after removing them from the fridge. Therefore they probably didn’t rise like they should in the oven either. What could be the cause?
It’s hard to say with yeast-based recipes but sounds like the yeast wasn’t doing it’s job. If yeast is alive and has been integrated into the dough, then the dough should rise. If it doesn’t rise, I always suggest buying new fresh yeast and trying again. Before moving on to any other steps, if the dough doesn’t initially rise after that first 2 1/2 hour rise, then you can’t move on because you’ll be baking with heavy, dense dough and won’t get the proper results.
Super hit with my folks! Everyone loved them! Will definitely make again.
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it came out great for you! Glad they’re a hit with everyone and that you’ll make again!
I too have tried a bunch of cinnamon roll recipes, and I agree with your assessment that these are the best I’ve had. For instance, I think these are better than the Pioneer Woman recipe, the Good Eats recipe, and the Paula Deen recipe on the Food Network site. I made them twice, once for Christmas and once for our all-day of college football watching on New Year’s Eve. The second time, I didn’t have any brown sugar for the filling (I’d used it all the previous week), so I had to use white sugar. I reduced it to 3/4 of a cup, and they were still amazing, the filling was maybe a little less caramely, which I guess some people (by which I mean my husband) might even prefer. Really, really great recipe!!! This will be my staple recipe now.
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it came out great for you! (both with and without brown sugar)
And the fact that you think they’re better than PW’s, Alton’s, and Paula’s, wow, I am honored!! Thank you so much!
Hi
May I know any substitute for the buttermilk?tks
In this recipe you really do need to use buttermilk. There are ways you could probably do it with a combo of Greek yogurt and milk, but I don’t know where to start with the ratios, and recommend making it as written, no substitutions.
Averie – I just wanted to tell you how delicious these were! This was my first attempt at baking cinnamon rolls and they turned out amazing! Your directions were thorough and easy to follow and because of that, there was minimal room for error. I did the overnight version for Christmas with my family and everyone raved about how delicious, light, and fluffy they were. I think these might become a new family tradition! Thanks again for the great recipe, I’ll definitely be making these again!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And thanks for the compliments about my directions leaving minimal room for error. Glad to hear you’ll be making these again!
hey,
can they be made in mini cupcake pans?
will i have to grease them?
thank you :)
I wouldn’t try these in a mini cupcake pan. I’d make the recipe as written.
Hi Averie – Thanks for the wonderful recipe! It’s my go-to for cinnamon rolls and they’re always a hit! I have to make 5-6 batches, and I was wondering if you’ve ever tried freezing the rolls once you’ve formed them, before baking? Just trying to figure out how I might make it easier to make so many at one time. :) Thanks for the help!
So glad you’re a fan of this recipe! I have never frozen unbaked dough. I have only frozen the rolls after they’ve been baked. You could try it with one batch to see how it goes. I do worry a little that freezing the dough will deactivate the yeast and they won’t puff up nicely in the oven but then again, there is storebought freezer dough for pizza (but that has lots of commercial additives and ‘tricks’…) so I would say try one batch if you’re curious. LMK how it goes!
Hey! Wanted to stop back and let you know I tried freezing them, and it worked beautifully! I couldn’t tell the difference between the ones that were frozen and the ones that were refrigerated. I formed the dough into rolls, placed them on the baking sheets, then covered them with plastic wrap, then a layer of tin foil. I froze them, then took them out the night before I wanted to bake them and let them rise on the counter overnight. It was awesome – they rose perfectly! Anyway, I just wanted to share that with you in case you ever find that you need to do it, too! :)
Thanks for the followup comments and details about what you did and that you couldn’t tell the difference between the ones that were frozen and the ones that were refrigerated! That’s awesome and I’m sure this info will help others that may see it, too!
Hi Averie,
Thank you so much for replying and guess I have to deal with the stickiness. This gonna be my keeper. Once again thank you so much for the awesome recipe. God blessed you