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Overhead view of soft overnight cinnamon rolls baked in a ceramic baking dish and generously frosted with creamy vanilla cream cheese icing, showing fluffy swirls and golden edges.
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Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

These Overnight Cinnamon Rolls bake up soft & fluffy, with a gooey caramel base and rich cream cheese frosting. Prep them the night before and bake fresh in the morning for an easy, delicious, low-stress treat.
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Rise + Overnight Time 10 hours
Servings 12 rolls
Calories 840kcal
Author Tawnie Graham of Kroll's Korner

Ingredients

For The Yeast Mixture

  • 1 ¼ cups whole milk warmed to 110°F
  • 1 Tbsp. active dry yeast see notes below for how to use instant yeast
  • 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

For The Dough

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs room temperature, whisked
  • 4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus up to ~1/2 cup more as needed and for dusting
  • 1/2 Tbsp. kosher salt or 1 tsp. fine sea salt

For the Caramel Sauce (optional for the bottom of the pan, like in my small batch cinnamon rolls. But I recommend it because it’s so good for gooey cinnamon rolls)

  • 2/3 cup unsalted butter very soft
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 6 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 Tbsp heavy cream
  • 1/4 tsp salt

For The Filling

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar packed
  • 3 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream slightly warmed (optional) *you may not need all this cream, just use your best judgement!

For The Frosting

  • 8 oz. full-fat cream cheese softened
  • 1/4 cup salted butter softened
  • 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • Add a pinch of salt if you used unsalted butter
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Make the Yeast Mixture: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk (about 110°F), yeast, and granulated sugar. Gently stir and let sit for 10 minutes, until foamy and activated. (If it doesn’t foam, your yeast may be expired or the milk too hot.)
    1 ¼ cups whole milk, 1 Tbsp. active dry yeast, 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
    Overhead view of active dry yeast blooming in warm milk inside a white mixing bowl, showing foamy bubbles forming on the surface.
  • Add the Wet Ingredients: To the activated yeast mixture, add the melted butter, granulated sugar, and whisked eggs. Mix until combined.
    1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 eggs
    Step-by-step collage showing sugar and melted butter being added to the yeast mixture, followed by the liquid ingredients fully combined in a mixing bowl.
  • Make the Dough: Add the flour (starting with 4 cups) and salt. Using a dough hook (or a wooden spoon/spatula if mixing by hand), mix until a soft dough forms. Knead for ~10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky.
    If the dough is very sticky, add flour 1–2 tablespoons at a time, up to about ½ cup total.
    ​​Pro tip: Knead the dough on the counter for the last minute (or so) of the kneading process. Sometimes mixing bowls miss small dry patches or streaks of flour along the sides, which means parts of the dough never fully hydrate or develop gluten. By turning the dough out onto the counter and giving it a quick hand-knead, you ensure every bit of dough is smooth, cohesive, and perfectly kneaded and help to strengthen the gluten further.
    4 cups bread flour, 1/2 Tbsp. kosher salt
    Overhead collage showing flour added to the cinnamon roll dough, the dough beginning to come together, and a smooth dough ball formed in the bowl.
  • Rise: Form the dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl (I use a little vegetable oil in the bowl to grease it). Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1–1½ hours, or until doubled in size.
    Side-by-side images of cinnamon roll dough before and after rising, showing the dough ball doubling in size in a covered bowl.
  • Make the Caramel Sauce (Optional but Highly Recommended): While the dough rises, prepare the caramel sauce. In a medium bowl, mix together the very soft butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, granulated sugar, vanilla, heavy cream, and salt until smooth and spreadable. Spread the caramel evenly into the bottom of a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
    2/3 cup unsalted butter, 2/3 cup light brown sugar, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 6 Tbsp granulated sugar, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 3 Tbsp heavy cream, 1/4 tsp salt
    Collage showing softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt mixed together into a smooth cinnamon sugar filling, then spread evenly in a baking dish.
  • Make the Filling: In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until combined. Set aside.
    1 cup dark brown sugar, 3 Tbsp. ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
    Side-by-side images of rolled-out cinnamon roll dough, with butter spread evenly across the surface using an offset spatula.
  • Roll + Fill the Dough: Once risen, punch down the dough and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Roll into a rectangle about 18 inches long x 12 inches wide. Spread the softened butter all over the dough, getting all the way to the edges.
    Overhead images showing cinnamon sugar filling sprinkled generously over buttered dough and spread evenly to the edges.
  • Add Filling: Then add the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges and I like to use my fingers to kind of rub it into the butter.
    1/2 cup unsalted butter
    Step-by-step collage showing cinnamon roll dough being rolled into a log, sliced into individual rolls, and arranged in a baking dish.
  • Roll: Starting from the long side, roll the dough up tightly into a log. Trim the ends if desired, then cut into 12 even rolls. You can use floss or a sharp knife to make ~ 1 ½- 2 inch cuts) Arrange the rolls evenly over the caramel sauce in the prepared pan.
    Overhead view of unbaked cinnamon rolls arranged snugly in a baking dish, showing visible cinnamon swirls before rising overnight.
  • Bake: Overnight Option: Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (8-12 hours). The next morning: Remove the rolls from the fridge, let them sit at room temperature for 45-60 minutes, until puffy. Then preheat oven to 350°F. Same-Day Option (No Overnight): Cover the pan and let the rolls rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes, until visibly puffy. Preheat the oven to 350°F while they rise.
    Overhead view of soft cinnamon rolls after their final rise, filling the baking dish with plump rolls and defined cinnamon spirals.
  • Cream Pour (Extra Gooey): Just before baking, slowly pour some (or all) of the slightly warmed heavy cream over the rolls.
    1/2 cup heavy cream
    Overhead view of heavy cream being poured over unbaked cinnamon rolls in a baking dish, soaking into the rolls before baking.
  • Bake: Bake at 350°F for ~30 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. If the tops are browning too quickly, loosely tent with foil. (Check them around the 15-minute mark to check).
    Overhead view of freshly baked cinnamon rolls in a baking dish, golden brown with soft centers and visible cinnamon swirls.
  • Make the Frosting: While the rolls bake, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, and a pinch of salt (if needed). Beat until light, fluffy, and spreadable.
    8 oz. full-fat cream cheese, 1/4 cup salted butter, 2 ½ cups powdered sugar, 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste, Add a pinch of salt if you used unsalted butter
    Side-by-side images showing cream cheese frosting ingredients added to a bowl and then mixed until smooth and creamy.
  • Frost + Serve: Let the rolls cool for ~10 minutes, then spread generously with frosting while warm so it slightly melts into the rolls. Serve immediately because you’ve waited all this time and deserve it! :)
    Overhead view of cinnamon rolls generously frosted with cream cheese icing in a baking dish, with a plated cinnamon roll served alongside.

Notes

  • Substitute Instant Yeast: If using instant yeast (instead of active dry yeast), you can skip the blooming until foamy and activated in Step 1. Instead, mix the yeast with the flour, sugar, and salt before adding that to the stand mixer with the warm whole milk, eggs, and melted butter.
  • Storage: 
    • Room temperature: Store frosted or unfrosted cinnamon rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Re-warm in the microwave until soft and gooey again, ~15-45 seconds. (The cream cheese frosting has sugar, which acts as a preservative and prevents the frosting from spoiling as quickly, which is why it can be kept at room temperature.)
    • Refrigerator: Store the frosted or unfrosted rolls tightly covered or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Re-warm in the microwave. 
    • Freezer: To freeze the baked cinnamon rolls, allow them to cool completely, tightly cover, and then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then rewarm and enjoy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll | Calories: 840kcal | Carbohydrates: 108g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 455mg | Potassium: 208mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 73g | Vitamin A: 1454IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 144mg | Iron: 1mg