Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Looking for an amazing weekend breakfast without having to wake up early?
Then whip up a batch of these Overnight Cinnamon Rolls!
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Did you know that cinnamon is really just tree bark? Yup, the bark is stripped off of young branches and then laid in the sun to dry. That’s how it turns into the cinnamon stick that we all know and love. I only learned this fun fact a couple of years ago when a friend went on vacation to the Caribbean and got to see cinnamon being made (err, dried). How cool is that?
I did a little investigating, and it looks like most cinnamon tree varieties grow in warm climates. Darn. I was seriously contemplating ordering a cinnamon tree and planting it in my backyard. However, we live in the frozen tundra that is upstate New York, and I’m guessing cinnamon trees wouldn’t play well with the snow. But if I had a cinnamon tree in my backyard, chances are you could find me out there gnawing on the branches. (I have no shame about gnawing on branches when cinnamon is involved.)
Every since childhood, cinnamon has been one of my favorite spices. I’ll seriously sneak a pinch of cinnamon into all sorts of recipes. Oatmeal cookies with a dash of cinnamon sugar on top are definitely one of all-time favorite cookies. A pinch of cinnamon in a chocolate cake is another trick that I keep up my sleeve. As long as it’s used sparingly, the cinnamon really enhances the flavor of the cake. Oh, and how could I forget these Spicy Maple Cinnamon Roasted Almonds? They’re embarrassingly easy to make, and they make for one heck of an addicting snack. However, of all the cinnamon recipes out there in the world, my favorite has to be the classic cinnamon roll.
Breakfast has long been my favorite meal, and I suspect that it has something to do with the fact that cinnamon rolls often appear at breakfast. (If I had it my way, cinnamon rolls would also appear at lunch and dinner.) But homemade cinnamon rolls can be a pain to make. They aren’t all that difficult, but that pesky dough has to rise.
I set out to fix that problem with this batch of Overnight Skillet Cinnamon Rolls. Mix these bad boys up the afternoon or evening before, and then breakfast is a cinch the next morning. You do still need to let the dough rise the next morning, but there is literally no work involved. You can stumble out of bed, put the skillet in a warm spot and let the dough do its thing. After you’ve showered and had a cup of coffee, these Overnight Skillet Cinnamon Rolls will be ready for the oven. I dare you to eat just one!
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened and divided
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup milk
- 3½ tsp instant dry yeast Note: this is slightly less than (2 ¼-oz packages)
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
For the Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cinnamon Pecan Filling
- In a small bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the cinnamon pecan filling. Set aside.
For the Dough
- In the bowl of a countertop mixer, add 4 Tbsp of the softened butter, sugar and salt. Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy (~2-3 minutes). (Note: The remaining butter will be used after the dough has risen.)
- Add the egg and mix until just absorbed.
- Add the milk, yeast and flour and mix for 1-2 minutes on low speed, or until a smooth dough forms.
- Increase speed to medium and mix for 4 more minutes.
- Cover dough and place in a warm location (85°F). Let rise for 1½ hours.
- Once risen, transfer dough onto a well-floured countertop. Roll into a 9”x12” rectangle.
- Spread the remaining 4 Tbsp of softened butter evenly across the dough. Sprinkle with the Cinnamon Pecan Filling.
- Beginning with a long edge of the dough, roll into a tight cylinder. Pinch seam closed. (Tip: Take care to keep ends of the cylinder even.)
- Using a sharp knife, slice the cylinder into 12 pieces. (Each piece should be ~1” wide.)
- Grease the bottom of an 8” cast iron skillet with butter. Place the rolls cut-side down into the skillet.
- Cover skillet and refrigerate overnight.
- The next morning, place skillet in a warm location until dough has filled bottom of the pan and increased in size (~75 minutes). (Note: Depending on how warm the spot is, this step may take a bit more or a bit less time.)
- Bake at 325°F for 32-24 minutes, or until tops of rolls are golden brown.
- Let buns cool in pan for 15 minutes.
For the Glaze
- While buns are cooling, make the Glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Once buns have cooled slightly, drizzle with Glaze.
If someone were to lend me a time machine and ask me to do whatever I want with it; the coordinates I’d start with would be 17th century Sweden.
There I would search for the baker who invented cinnamon rolls. Just to give him a very big hug and thank him for creating one of the most delicious things ever.
This is how much I love cinnamon rolls – especially homemade freshly baked cinnamon rolls. Just like your David, they look sooooo good!
#WolfpackCinnamonRolls
Hey! I like that idea. We need to invent a Wolfpack Time Machine. I bet Chris is smart enough to build one. He could do it in between his band classes, and he could just pretend it’s for a school project. First stop: 17th century Sweden! And we’ll be coming back with more cinnamon rolls than we can hold. They’ll be falling out of the time machine…all over the 18th and 19th centuries. Haha!
Hahahaha, the image of cinnamon rolls falling out all over 18th, 19th, and 20th century cracked me up!
I appreciate the fact that you think I’m smart enough to create a time machine… sadly, I’m not. But I can play trumpet… and the other band instruments. So there’s that. I think if anyone is smart enough to build this thing, it’s probably your metal doctor wife dude.
Tis true…I bet she could build it. But if she does, will you help announce it with a trumpet fanfare? That would be pretty epic!
I am fascinated – I did not know that cinnamon was tree bark! If I had a cinnamon tree-I’d be out there gnawing on it – I adore cinnamon probably as much as you do, David! And, besides, it goes well in both savory and sweet eats – cumin and coriander cannot boast that quality!
Breakfast also happens to be my favorite meal – and I would LURVE for these cinnamon rolls to appear at my breakfast table – poof just like that – make sure that happens and I will grow a cinnamon tree and ship you the bark – deal?! 🙂
Yes! I will take that deal! I’ll make you cinnamon rolls whenever you want if you grow the cinnamon tree. Seriously…how fun would it be to grow cinnamon? I know nothing about the cultivation of it, but that’s what the interwebs are for, right? We’d have the most glorious cinnamon rolls evah!!
I can just imagine waking up to these. Cinnamon rolls is one of my ultimate treats. I am going to save this for Christmas morning – I think they would be perfect for then.
Oooo…good call on Christmas morning, Dannii! That’s a long way away, but these would totally be perfect for that! You can do all of the work on Christmas Eve, and then have a skillet full of delicious cinnamon rolls the next morning. Merry Christmas to me! 🙂
I wouldn’t be able to leave the house after eating these. Way too good!!
Haha…thanks, Matt! These cinnamon rolls were really awesome. (And even more awesome was the fact that I didn’t have to do any work the next morning to make them!)
I had not idea there is such a thing as a cinnamon tree! I’m not sure I ever thought about where cinnamon comes from. The cinnamon fairy maybe? I love that you can get these cinnamon rolls ready ahead of time and have them fresh and warm in the morning. Pinned to make later!
Yes! The cinnamon fairy! I want to come back in a future life as the cinnamon fairy. I could just fly around dropping cinnamon sticks wherever I wanted. Oh, and yup, these cinnamon rolls are my new go-to recipe when we have company in town. (Dannii also pointed out that they’d be great for Christmas morning!) How can you go wrong with delicious, easy cinnamon rolls from scratch?? 🙂
haha I think I would join you in gnawing on the cinnamon tree! It’s my favorite spice too, I really feel like adding it to everything I make! Cinnamon rolls are my absolute favorite and overnight are just so awesome because who wouldn’t like to wake up to homemade cinnamon rolls minus the long wait??!! These look fantastic!
There’s not much better than waking up to fresh, homemade cinnamon rolls…unless you included gnawing on a cinnamon tree. I’m pretty sure I would love to gnaw on a cinnamon tree for breakfast every morning!
Mmm those cinnamon rolls look amazing! And I LOVE that they are an overnight recipe, that always works with me!! 🙂
Anything that requires very little effort in the morning always works for me, too, Christina! Especially when that very little effort involves cinnamon rolls…
Loved learning the history of cinnamon!!! and these overnight cinnamon rolls are AMAZING!!!! LOVE these, David!!!
Thanks so much, Alice! I love cinnamon rolls, too. In fact, I’d be perfectly content eating cinnamon rolls every morning for breakfast. And then going outside and gnawing on a cinnamon tree after that. Haha!
Wow, I would totally have a cinnamon tree too- I remember when I first tried Big red (I think? Or red hots or something) from the American candy store (yep, we have one!) and was obsessed- So much that I burnt my tongue and couldn’t taste food for 2 weeks.
This looks insane and I can only imagine how good this would taste because of the time you let it sit!
Hmmm…an American candy store? I’m intrigued what else is in this store? Actually, I might be a little scared to see what else is in this store. We like our candy a bit too much here in the States. Oh well. I’ll just stick to making cinnamon rolls instead of chewing Big Red. Haha!!
David these cinnamon rolls sound perfect for Easter or should I say any day breakfast/brunch?!!! Looks so yumm!
I’m pretty sure I could eat cinnamon rolls every day for breakfast/brunch. Let’s start this trend, Ami! Cinnamon rolls for all. All day, every day. 🙂
Whenever i make cinnamon rolls my mom reminds me to let them rest overnight. She’s right, because not only does it make them fluffy and full in texture (and big and fat basically) but the flavors really ruminate in the rolls. I love how big these are and how they look like anything you’d get at an expensive bakery!
That’s totally true, Kelsey! Not only does letting the rolls rest overnight make them big and fluffy, but it totally makes life easy the next morning, too! No need to go buy expensive cinnamon rolls from the bakery when you can make them this easily at home. 🙂
Love cinnamon rolls! I’m definitely thinking of making these over the weekend! Overnight cinnamon rolls are the best idea! 😀
Cinnamon rolls are perfect for any day of the week…but they taste extra special on weekends! Thanks, Jess!
cinnamon has been one of my favorite spices too- same pinch 🙂 *Drool*
I could have this with my coffee 🙂
Haha! I’m pretty sure I need to buy cinnamon in bulk, Shweta. I love the stuff! Actually, I should just buy a cinnamon tree instead. 😉
Holy Cinnamon Rolls Batman… these look so good. Love the idea of prepping the day before to literally have fresh ones in the morning. As for that time machine, sign me up too! #WolfpackEats
Ok, we now have a new Wolfpack mission. Time to create this time machine! Mike has already claimed 17th century Sweden as the first stop. What is stop #2??
I pitstop into the kitchens at Versailles c.1698 would be a nice trip, ya know – just to see what Louis was serving his guests.;)
Hmmm…I think I could be behind that! I bet it was something delicious! 🙂
BAHAHAHAAH I got this hilarious visual of you gnawing on a cinnamon tree and it made my morning. Possibly my whole weekend. And then I realized that if you had a cinnamon tree, I would probably just come live with you because cinnamon is my faves.
So about these cinnamon rolls…See you tomorrow! God, I love cinnamon rolls. You bring these and I’ll have cupcakes because that’s what I’ve been doing on my long weekend. 🙂 Deal?
Oh, and David, make it a double batch mmkay?
Wow…whole weekend you say? Woohoo! Well, I have no shame…I would gladly gnaw on a cinnamon tree if only I could get one to grow in my backyard. Hah! Don’t worry, though…I would gladly save a branch for you. Just because we’re cool like that. So I’ll bring cinnamon rolls, and you bring breakfast dessert (i.e. cupcakes), and I think we will be all set! P.S. See you next weekend (for realz)??
I’m excited about this weekend!!!
And clearly we are destined to be BFFs because you understand that cupcakes are also in the category of Breakfast Dessert!
Well of course cupcakes are appropriate for breakfast. Is that even a question? 😉
You know I love this recipe! So since I’m in a warm climate maybe I can get a cinnamon tree?? 🙂 You know I’m in the cinnamon love club with you!
Oooo…I just had an idea, Tamara! Why don’t you grow the cinnamon tree since you live in a warmer climate, and then you can just mail me branches every so often. I’ll send you back some of the cinnamon creations! Deal? 🙂