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Overnight Easy Cinnamon Rolls

Make these delicious, easy cinnamon rolls at night (20 minutes) and wake your guests to a heavenly aroma no one will be able to resist!
Course Breakfast/Brunch
Cuisine American
Keyword Easy Cinnamon Rolls
Servings 8
Author Chris Scheuer

Ingredients

For the cinnamon-sugar filling:

  • ¼ cup dark brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter

For the dough:

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour plus additional flour for work surface
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
  • 6 tablespoons melted butter divided

For the icing:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½-2 tablespoons hot water
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the cinnamon rolls:

  1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400˚F degrees. Spray a 9-inch non-stick cake pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper. Wrap a piece of aluminum foil around the outside of the pan (this will prevent over browning). Set aside.

For the cinnamon sugar filling:

  1. Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Add the melted butter (1 tablespoon) and stir with a fork until mixture resembles wet sand; set filling mixture aside.

For the dough:

  1. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl.

  2. Combine buttermilk and 3 tablespoons of the melted butter in measuring cup or small bowl. Add liquid to dry ingredients and stir with wooden spoon or sturdy spatula until liquid is absorbed (dough will look very shaggy), about 30 seconds. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead until just smooth and no longer shaggy, about 30 seconds.
  3. Flour the work surface again and pat dough with hands into an approximately 12 x 9-inch rectangle. Flip dough to opposite side several times while patting to keep the surfaces lightly covered with flour. Use more flour as needed.

  4. Brush rectangle with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Sprinkle evenly with filling, leaving a ½-inch border of plain dough around edges. Press filling firmly into dough. Loosen dough from work surface at one long side (use a bench scraper or metal spatula if needed to get it started). Roll dough, pressing lightly, to form a tight log. Pinch seam to seal. Place log seam-side down and cut evenly into 8 slices. With hand, slightly flatten each piece of dough to seal open edges and keep filling in place.

  5. Place one roll in center of the prepared nonstick pan, then place remaining seven rolls around the perimeter of the pan. Brush tops with the 1 tablespoon remaining butter. 

  6. Cover and place in refrigerator for up to 12 hours (or you can bake right away). The next day, bake until edges are golden brown, 23 to 25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Use a small metal knife, if needed, to loosen buns from sides of the pan. Place a dinner size plate over the pan and invert rolls onto a plate then invert again onto a cooling rack.

10. For the icing:

  1. 11. While buns are cooling, line rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper (for easy cleanup) and set rack with buns over a baking sheet. Whisk powdered sugar, butter (1 tablespoon), vanilla and water together in a small bowl until smooth. Add more water if needed to make a thick but pourable icing. Drizzle icing evenly over buns and serve warm.

Recipe Notes

See Café Tips above for further instructions.

There is a total of 8 tablespoons melted butter in this recipe, including the icing. I like to melt it all at once to make things easier.