Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

I guess you could say that when you start the day with one of these cinnamon rolls, you can pretty much call the day a wash. I mean, what I am saying is that you might as well have a Snickers Bar for lunch, a deep fried something for dinner, eating whatever you want everywhere in between.
Yes, they are just that decadent.
So, call it a dessert if it will make you feel better, but whatever you call it, you will agree with me that these are really good!
The best part of this recipe besides the gooey cinnamon filling, the light as air dough and the creamy frosting dolloped on top, is the word “overnight”. It is true. You can prepare these the night before, pop them in the fridge and take them out the next morning to bake and fill your house with that delicious cinnamon smell. Talk about getting your kids downstairs for breakfast quick…these will do the trick!
I made some scrambled eggs and a fruit salad to go with these (yes, to assuage my guilt in feeding my kids basically cake in the morning!) and the kids ate up their entire breakfast without being told to “hurry up!” even once.
This is one of those things that is oh so bad, but oh so worth it!

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls (*Read instructions completely before making-it will help!*)

1 tblsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tblsp kosher salt
4 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

Filling:
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tblsp cinnamon

Frosting:
1 recipe cream cheese frosting

Perfectly Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting

In a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine water and yeast. Allow yeast to activate (about 5 min) and whisk until smooth. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a for about 30 minutes.

While the whisk is going at low speed, add the eggs, sugar, butter, salt, and remaining 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture. Replace whisk with a dough hook and knead dough until smooth 10-12 minutes. Add a bit more flour until dough has a smooth, not sticky, consistency.

Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

While dough is rising, prepare filling. Beat together butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.

Butter a 9×13 baking dish. After dough has risen, place the dough to a floured work surface.

Roll out into a rectangle shape measuring about 15×10 inches.

Spread filling evenly onto dough.

Once filling is spread, roll up length-wise.

I use dental floss to cut my cinnamon rolls. It is the best way! First, make marks on your rolled cinnamon rolls to make sure you will be cutting evenly. Decide how big you want each roll to be and make an indentation.

Then slide the thread underneath the rolls, cross over the top and pull. You’ll get perfect rolls without smashing your dough.

Place each roll in baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, take out pan and let it sit on the counter for about 15 minutes while your oven is preheating. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until rolls are cooked through. Cool for ten minutes in the pan. Slather with cream cheese frosting and serve warm.

Recipe Adapted from Our Best Bites