Soft, tender, and oozing with cinnamon flavor, this recipe for cinnamon rolls allows you to assemble homemade cinnamon rolls in advance! Perfect for entertaining or a holiday brunch.
⅓cuplight brown sugaror granulated or coconut sugar
1teaspoonground cinnamon
⅛teaspoonground cloves
3tablespoonsmelted butterdivided
For the Cinnamon Roll Frosting
½ to 1cupsifted powdered sugar
2tablespoonsfull-fat cream cheeseat room temperature
1teaspoonlemon juice
1tablespoonmilkany fat percentage
Instructions
To Make Homemade Dough
If using frozen store-bought bread dough, place 1 pound of frozen dough into a greased large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let thaw overnight in the refrigerator and skip the directions for homemade dough.
For homemade dough, mix together the yeast, honey, and water in a large mixing bowl. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until the yeast is a bit foamy.
In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine the salt and 2 cups of flour. Add in the yeast mixture and stir together until the dough just comes together, adding up to an additional ½ cup of flour if needed. Knead the dough by hand on a floured surface or with the dough hook on a stand mixer until the dough forms a smooth ball.
Place the dough into a greased bowl, cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap, and let rise for 1 hour in a warm place, or until doubled in size.
For the Cinnamon Rolls
Grease an 8x8 baking dish with 1 tablespoon melted butter, being sure to brush evenly over the bottom and sides of the pan. Mix the sugar, cinnamon, and cloves together in a small bowl and set aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 9x12-inch rectangle, Brush the dough with 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the dough up to the edges.
Roll the dough up lengthwise. Cut dough into thirds, then each section into thirds again, for a total of 9 cinnamon rolls.
Place rolls evenly spaced apart in a baking dish and cover with plastic wrap. Place them in the refrigerator for up to 16 hours.
In the morning, remove the cinnamon rolls from the refrigerator, let them come to room temperature, and rise until puffy. This will take 60-90 minutes depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
Heat the oven to 350 ℉. Remove the plastic wrap, brush the rolls with an additional tablespoon of melted butter, and bake for 23-27 minutes, or until just lightly golden.
For the Cream Cheese Glaze
To prepare the cream cheese frosting mix together the cream cheese, lemon juice, and milk in a mixing bowl until smooth and creamy. Add ½ cup powdered sugar and whisk until smooth, adding up to ½ cup more powdered sugar to make your glaze as thick as desired. Cover and refrigerate overnight along with the cinnamon rolls.
Once the cinnamon rolls are baked, give the prepared icing a good whisk, adding a teaspoon or two of milk if needed to reach the consistency desired. Spread over warm cinnamon rolls and serve warm.
Video
Notes
Active prep time is only 10 minutes. To Prepare Cinnamon Rolls Immediately: Prepare the cinnamon rolls as directed up to placing the assembled rolls into the baking dish. Cover with a clean towel and let the dough rise until doubled, about an hour. Once doubled in size, brush with butter and bake as directed. To Reheat Cinnamon Rolls: If you have leftover cinnamon rolls, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. To reheat cinnamon rolls, preheat oven to 300-degree F oven and bake, covered with foil for 10-15 minutes until warmed through or in the microwave, covered with a damp paper towel for 45 seconds.To Make Dairy-Free Cinnamon Rolls: Use a vegan butter spread, like Earth Balance, in place of the butter. To make the glaze dairy-free, omit the cream cheese, and use dairy-free milk. The glaze will be thinner, but absolutely delicious.