Overnight Cinnamon and Sugar Sweet Rolls
Cinnamon and sugar sweet rolls have never been easier. This overnight recipe is simple and absolutely amazing!
I’m happy to report, my sentiments from last week are still just as strong: I’m not sure I’ve been this excited for a recipe in a long time.
Not to play favorites or anything. I mean, I love all my recipes equally (just like my children) but sometimes I’m enveloped with a bit more excitement (like when one particular child clean his or her bedroom without being asked and I almost faint with happiness).
And that’s the case with these beautiful twisty cinnamon rolls.
My dear friend Deb brought our family her Aunt Joan’s sweet rolls a few weeks ago and we were smitten.
Flaky and buttery and perfectly sweet and cinnamony with a yummy, creamy glaze – wow, they were incredible.
When she shared the recipe, I was delighted to find these incredibly delicious rolls are some of the easiest ever, especially for newbies to yeast breads.
No kneading, no electric mixer, no fussy directions (other than the shape which doesn’t take much to pick up on especially with the pictures below).
The dough is old-fashionedly mixed up with a bowl and spoon the night before and refrigerated.
It’s a much softer, wetter dough than most cinnamon roll doughs (so easy to stir together!) but magic happens overnight as the dough sturdies up a bit and is perfectly manageable in the morning.
The rolls are unconventionally twisted…and then twisted some more into a circle which not only gives them a lovely, unique look but it creates a flaky, buttery texture to the golden baked cinnamon and sugar rolls with lots and lots of pull-apart potential.
I literally cannot stop making these. They are absolute perfection and will be very welcome on Christmas morning (to be served to all of my perfect children, of course).
One Year Ago: Soft and Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
Two Years Ago: Salty Sweet Granola and Coconut Yogurt
Three Years Ago: Killer Crunch Brownies
Overnight Cinnamon and Sugar Sweet Rolls
Ingredients
Dough:
- 4 ½ cups (625 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons instant yeast
- ⅓ cup (71 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cup hot water
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) salted butter, melted
Filling:
- 4 tablespoons (57 g) salted butter, melted
- ½ cup (106 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Glaze:
- 1 cup (114 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 2 tablespoons milk, plus more if needed
- Splash of vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl (to allow for about 7-8 cups of dough to double in bulk), whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
- In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together the eggs and pour them into the well. Use the same measuring cup for the hot water. Pour it around the edges of the well (not directly on the eggs) and then add the melted butter to the bowl. Use a large spoon to mix the ingredients together until a soft, rather wet dough is formed. It won’t look like traditional cinnamon roll dough; it will be much softer and it’s ok if it looks a bit lumpy. Magic happens overnight, I promise.
- Cover the bowl with greased plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for 8-10 hours.
- Using about 1/4 – 1/3 cup flour (more or less), dust a clean countertop. Lightly punch down the chilled dough and roll it out on the floured counter to a long, skinny rectangle (about 24-inches long and 7 or 8-inches wide).
- Spread the 4 tablespoons melted butter on the rectangle. It will solidify and be easier to work with as you spread it on the chilly rectangle of dough. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and spread it on top of the butter, lightly pressing it in.
- Fold one long edge of the rectangle up to meet the other long edge so the dough is folded in half. Use a pizza cutter or knife and cut the dough into 1-inch strips. With each strip, hold an end in each hand and twist it up several times and roll it around the center into a circle (see pictures below for a visual). Place on a large, rimmed baking sheet (11X17-inch) lined with parchment paper (about 12 per tray).
- Cover the trays with greased, plastic wrap and let the rolls rise until puffy and doubled, an hour or so.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 12-14 minutes until just barely golden on top (don’t overbake or they’ll be dry).
- For the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla. Add more milk as needed until the glaze is thick but pourable. Let the rolls cool for 5 or so minutes before drizzling with glaze.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from my friend Deb (a recipe she got from her sis-in-law, Karen, from Karen’s Aunt Joan)
I made these for Easter morning and they are excellent. I was worried when I first removed the overnight dough from the fridge and it hadn’t risen nearly as much as I had expected. But I trusted the process and they turned out wonderful. The dough is lighter than traditional cinnamon roll dough. Very nice! I will make these again.
Let me first say, every one of your recipes I have tried, has been fabulous. I can usually make your bread recipes with few, if any, changes for altitude (5500 ft). This recipe has me stumped. The overnight crescent rolls worked like a charm exactly as written. The first time I made these, the dough was very very difficult to work with. It was so sticky and soft that the rolls did not hold their shape. I threw the really ugly ones right out. Then the next day I tasted the ones I had kept – THEY WERE FANTASTIC. I tried again after I check all the amounts of dry and wet and added another half cup flour before chilling. Still a fairly sticky mess in the morning, I added another half cup while rolling out and they held their shape some better – my conclusion is too much liquid and perhaps grate the cold butter like the crescents. I have no problem with the taste – they are wonderful. I am going to cut the recipe in half and break it down until I get it right !
My dough was so soft . It may have needed more flour. It wouldn’t hold shape when it tried to shape it. Ended up with clumps on dough with some sugar & cinnamon inside. Hope they look ok as I plan to give some to the grans for V-day.
Does it really use 2 TABLESPOONS of yeast?
Yes
Amazing! I’m making these for my 4 year old’s birthday party today. I must admit I was a little nervous after seeing the dough last night, but I’m a sucker for recipes that promise miracles. I wasn’t disappointed! The dough this morning was beautiful, soft and workable, and the twists are SO cute- they’re rising beautifully right now, and my little guy is so excited and delighted. Can’t wait to enjoy them later! We’ll be adding some sprinkles. 🙂
Love these twists – I’ve been praying the recipe on to many friends! Had anyone tried using the dough for a braided breakfast bread – filling with cream cheese, lemon curd, etc? Curious about raising/baking something like that!
These are so delicious and easy to make! Thank you, Mel!
I always include these when I send supper to a mother after a baby, and they’re always polished off. The make-ahead method is very helpful because it divides the process, so you don’t have to do the whole thing (from start to finish) in one day.
So good! One of the few “fancy” baked goods I’ve tried that turn out exactly like the picture. I cut the recipe in half and it fit one sheet pan perfectly. They held shape in the fridge overnight and baked beautifully this morning. Will be making this again, maybe the jam version next!
I love this recipe! These rolls are so incredibly light and fluffy (although mine don’t look as pretty as yours when I twist them 🙂 ). I made them a couple times as written, but then I tried a new take on them and the results were (I think) amazing. I substituted a cup of heated freshly squeezed orange juice for 1 cup of the hot water when mixing the dough, and I added fresh orange zest to the dough as well. The next day I did the normal cinnamon sugar filling, but after they baked I put an orange-vanilla glaze on them where I used orange juice instead of milk, and added orange zest to your glaze recipe. Orange and cinnamon together is amazing! Best of both worlds.
Wowsers Mel, what a winning recipe! Thought I had blown it several times. I made half the recipe and even with that, I discovered a bit too late that I only had half the yeast required and threw in some vital wheat gluten; had to grate frozen butter in order to measure (grr, messy), finally refrigerated dough overnight. Rolled out dough in the morning topped with brown sugar (ran out of white!) then was running late for doctor appointment so assembled rolls went back into the frig in a 9×9″ cake pan instead of baking sheet … short story long, pan out of the frig 1 1/2 hours later, let rolls continue rising on counter … 12 minutes in oven to perfection. Thanks! Will make again, but better prepared 🙂
Great recipe! Thanks you so much for the tip on baking time! I made a dozen and they went fast. I actually left out the glaze and they were still very good! I will experiment with pesto or cheddar cheese next.
Right out of the oven, they seemed a little… crumbly maybe? A little dry? Too airy? I might have left them in the fridge for 11 hours but I feel like they shouldn’t have risen too much due to that. Do you think I could use less yeast since it’s a longer rise? (Because honestly I’d rather have a 12 hour rise)
Yes, you could definitely try using less yeast.
I was craving a cinnamon roll but wanted something less fussy, and these fit the bill. I was worried about turning my beaten egg into scrambled eggs when adding the hot water. I weighed my flour but my dough was still a bit too sticky after the overnight proof. Added some extra flour, and they came out great! They were very pillowy and light. I appreciated how they weren’t too indulgent.
Hello Mel, Thanks for sharing the recipe. I want to try this recipe but I have a question please does the water has to be hot ? I’m afraid it will kill the yeast and dough won’t be able to to rise! Can I use warm water instead? Please answer my question? Thanks in advance.
Warm water should be fine.
Hi! Could I substitute active dry yeast instead? And if so, how do I do that? Thank you!
Yep! Details written up in this post: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/guide-to-baking-with-yeast/
So I’ve made these twice now, and they are so light and fluffy and delicious! My kids love them. The only change I made to the original recipe was to halve the butter and eggs. I substituted 2oz. cooked pureed squash (frozen from my garden last year) for 2oz. butter and 3.5oz squash for 3.5oz.eggs. I haven’t made the original recipe, but these were still really rich and delicious with the squash. Iused a hard winter squash, similar to a butternut squash, but yellow… So it looked just like butter anyway 🙂 Also, I added more cinnamon and used 1/2 white sugar and 1/2 brown and some cooked apple filling (placed on the top after the roll was shaped) on one batch, and strawberry cream cheese/Raspberry jam on the second batch. My kids couldn’t decide which one they liked better! Thanks from Twin Falls for all your great recipes!
Thanks so much for your thorough explanations. You inspire me to try things that have intimidated me. Your recipes never disappoint!
I have heard that some recipes should not be doubled. Can yeast breads be doubled?
That’s a good question, Jeanne! Yes, most yeast recipes can be doubled just fine!
Do you think I could make these into a heart shape? Fun Valentine’s breakfast!
Such a cute idea!
I’m prepping my Christmas food list and I had to come print off this recipe again because mine is very loved and messy. I’ve made these for our Christmas morning breakfast the last several years except I make them orange rolls instead of cinnamon sugar. They are delicious!!!
Orange rolls! Yum!
I was looking for this recipe, but it took me a while to find it since I couldn’t remember the name! I looked under recipes, then breads, then yeast breads, but I didn’t see it listed?
Thanks for the heads up! I just added it to “breads” and “yeast breads” – not sure how that got missed. Thanks!
Don’t you have your App anymore that I can down load to my new iPad? I can not find it. Rebecca
I’ve never had an app – sorry!
These are the Father’s Day morning treat at our house today and are a big hit! Magic really does happen overnight! So impressed with these, especially given how easy they were to make. I am done looking at cinnamon roll recipes – I have found my favorite! Thanks for the recipe!
So happy they were a hit, Wendy! Thanks for letting me know!
I think this is a recipe that gets easier the more you make it. I split the dough in half in the morning & made half with the cinnamon & sugar & half with raspberry jam. I’m still waiting for the jam ones to come out of the oven but yes they are messy! I am thinking they will be worth it tho. One thing I will say is I think less is more with the jam 🙂 My hubby already ate 3 of the cinnamon ones so he is a fan! This is a total keeper Mel, Thanks!
Raspberry Cream Cheese rolls are out of the oven. Oh.My.Gosh. So good! They are worth every bit of the mess it took to make them, I can’t wait to make some strawberry freezer jam to use for these! Yum!
Thanks, Kathy – I agree that this recipe gets easier with time! Glad you loved it!
These are amazing!! They may even be better than cinnamon rolls!! Mine even turned out looking just like the picture! Thanks for the extra method pictures and the video!!
I made these for Christmas brunch this year and everyone agreed that they were the best ever!
I made these today without cinnamon but with almond paste, almond extract and sliced almonds on top….AHHHMAZING!
I want to try that combo! I love the Trader Joe’s almond Danish Kringle and a pastry called Jésuite (Central Market, San Antonio, TX) that are both amazing. Maybe the flavor will be similar.
I will be baking these AGAIN tomorrow, and I can hardly wait to do it! People–if you have printed this recipe and not made these yet, you absolutely Must do so! These are truly divine and far better than much more complex and difficult dough recipes, also. These are a joy to make, comparatively, and the results are everything you could possibly wish for in a cinnamon roll or pastry roll. You can make and shape these rolls exactly as specified, press a small well into their centers and top them with a cream cheese filling, a lemon pie filling, poppy seed filling, almond filling, or with blueberry, raspberry, or other fruit preserves of your choosing before baking, too. All work wonderfully with the cinnamon swirled throughout the rolls and the glaze. They freeze beautifully, also, and while it’s probably best to freeze them before glazing, I’ve frozen some glazed ones also, and that had worked out ok, too. You could flash freeze them covered on a tray, and then wrap them and bag them for the freezer, but I’ve wrapped them individually in plastic wrap and then foil without freezing them first, then stored them in a freezer bag and they did fine in the freezer that way for just a few weeks and had remained delicious. I cannot, with any confidence, say just how long beyond 3 or so weeks they can be frozen, because they’ve all been consumed by that time around here, being as irresistible as they are. They would be an excellent option for advance holiday or event baking, though, because they will be far better than what most commercial bakeries are able to produce anymore. These are quite special just as cinnamon rolls, but are versatile too, so don’t pass up the opportunity to make these very special rolls! And, be sure to make the strawberry recipe version, too!
Best idea! I’ve made these plenty of times, but not I’m totally trying these with a filling. Thank you for the suggestion.
These sweet rolls saved the day for my son’s birthday! He wanted cinnamon rolls and because of the snow storms we’ve been having (like in Idaho!) I didn’t want to go buy Rhodes rolls and I really didn’t want to get up at the crack of dawn to make them before school. So I went on your site and found this sweet recipe that wouldn’t take a lot of time and they were a big hit! These will definitely be my go-to for a special occasion breakfast. Thanks! Love your blog!
Love to hear that, Dorene! Happy birthday to your son! 🙂
Just wanted to share, I made these for Christmas morning, 2nd yr in a row, but this year I used half sugar and half brown sugar and rolled them out like regular cinnamon rolls. It made about 16 I think. I made up a cream cheese icing. They were amazing!! My mother in-law was impressed! Thanks
Great idea!
i made these the day after thanksgiving for a family reunion breakfast (at altitude!) and they came out perfectly!! one person said they were the best cinnamon rolls she had ever had. thank you!! i love your blog and recipes and self. 🙂
PS: we just published a ward cookbook and you are no stranger in it! 🙂
I love ward cookbooks! They are the best. 🙂