• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • MEET CHRISTY & AMY
    • IF YOU’RE NEW HERE…
    • WORK WITH US
    • 11 MAGNOLIA LANE 101
    • DISCLOSURE + PRIVACY (the fine print)
    • BEST OF 11 MAGNOLIA LANE
  • TOUR OUR HOMES
    • TOUR OUR HOMES
    • CHRISTY’S MAGNOLIA COTTAGE
    • CHRISTY’S MCC HOUSE
    • Christy’s Stuttgart Flat
    • Amy’s Virginia Craftsman Home Tour
    • AMY’S VIRGINIA CRAFTSMAN Building Process
    • HOLIDAY HOME TOUR SERIES
  • CELEBRATIONS
    • EVENTS + ENTERTAINING
    • GIFTS
    • HOLIDAYS
    • RECIPES
  • HOME
    • CLEANING
    • DECORATING
    • ORGANIZING
    • ROOM BY ROOM
      • BATHROOMS
      • BEDROOMS
      • CLOSETS
      • CRAFT ROOMS + OFFICES
      • DINING ROOMS
      • KIDS’ ROOMS
      • KITCHENS
      • LAUNDRY ROOMS
      • LIVING + GREAT ROOMS
      • OTHER SPACES
      • PANTRIES
      • PLAYROOMS + BONUS ROOMS
      • PORCHES + OUTDOOR SPACES
    • TIPS
  • SHOP
    • SHOP OUR INSTAGRAM
    • SHOP OUR AMAZON STORE
    • FRIDAY FAVORITE FINDS
  • PROJECTS
    • CRAFTS
    • DIY PROJECTS + TUTORIALS
    • FURNITURE
    • PRINTABLES
    • WINDOWS, DOORS, + WALLS
  • LIFE
    • FRIDAY FREE FOR ALL
    • HEALTH
    • SIMPLY ON SUNDAY
  • TRAVEL
  • CONTACT
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

11 Magnolia Lane

Sharing our easy DIYs, decorating, entertaining and more!

The Best Make~Ahead Cinnamon Roll Recipe EVER!

December 26, 2012 By Christy 26 Comments

This Post Contains Affiliate Links

1283 shares
  • 91

make ahead cinnamon rolls

It’s December 26th, and there’s a good chance you’ve exceeded your maximum caloric intake for the day/week/month/year already.  BUT, don’t we get to feast until the New Year and then start our diets?!

This is the best cinnamon roll recipe EVER, and I have made quite a few, including my grandmother’s (delicious) and Pioneer Woman’s (also yummy).  There are a couple of reasons I like this one so much.  First, the dough gets mixed in a bread machine.  While I make lots of bread from scratch, sometimes it’s nice to be able to dump the ingredients in the bread machine and do something else while it does the work.  Yes, you can mix the dough by hand if you don’t have a bread machine.  Second, you can make the rolls the day before, cover the pan and let them rise in the fridge overnight.  Then bake and frost the next morning (I also make the frosting the day before) and enjoy.  Third, they are slap-your-momma good.  Seriously!  Why not try them for your New Years’ Day breakfast?  That way, if your head aches from too much champagne, all the work is already done for you.

Our posts contain affiliate links.  If you make a purchase after clicking on these links, we will earn a small commission, which helps to keep our content free.  You don’t pay a cent more than you would otherwise, since that would be tacky!

I claim no credit for this recipe.  I found it on my favorite recipe site, AllRecipes.com, where it has 4,916 reviews and a five-star rating.  That means there are over 314 million people in the US alone who don’t know about this recipe!  And what about the rest of the world?!  Out of the goodness of my heart, here it is:

Clone of a Cinnabon by Marsha Fernandez (click to go to original recipe)

IngredientsAll about Cream:

Dough:

  • 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup margarine, melted
  • 4 1/2 cups bread flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2-1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Filling:

  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2-1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (you can use the fancy kind if you want, but it’s great with the plain old grocery store brand)
  • chopped pecans, if desired (because they make my husband happy)
  • 1/3 cup butter, softened

Frosting:

  • 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

  1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start. (I use this bread machine and love it, if you’re in the market for one.)
  2. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
  3. Roll dough into a 16×21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. (Christy’s note:  add chopped pecans if you’d like.  My kids prefer not to have nuts, so I do half and half).  Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).  (Christy’s note: This is where I cover them and put them in the refrigerator overnight.  In the morning, I take them out and let them come to room temperature and rise for up to two hours, and then I bake them).
  4. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract and salt. (Christy’s note:  I make the frosting the day before, too, and store it in the fridge.  Pull it out when you take the rolls out to rise the next morning).  Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

I bake these a little longer than 15 minutes, sometimes up to 18-20 minutes.  I try to find the balance between letting the tops get too brown and having the uncooked doughy center (I hate that!).  These are SO delicious, and I usually serve them with fresh strawberries or pineapple.  You can thank me later!

make ahead cinnamon rolls

Thanks for stopping by!

icon-facebook-1icon-instagram-1icon-mail-1icon-pinterest-1icon-twitter-1

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THESE POSTS... :

Indulgent and Easy Dessert Recipe: Salted Car...
Easy Summer Entertaining Menu
DeSarno's Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup Reci...
All Things Christmas!

Filed Under: Breakfasts, Christmas, Holidays, Recipes Tagged With: best, bread machine, cinnamon roll, frosting, holiday, make ahead, Recipe

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Steph says

    December 27, 2012 at 12:39 pm

    Now I must buy a bread machine! Do you mind sharing which one you have (or any tips on what to look for) as I have no experience with one? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Christy says

      December 31, 2012 at 5:39 pm

      Hi, Steph–Well, you don’t really have to buy a bread machine for this recipe; it just makes it a little easier. You can mix everything by hand or with a stand mixer. If you want a bread machine, you can probably find one for CHEAP at a thrift store. I always see tons of them there! Mine is a Panasonic, and it’s a really nice one, but it’s SO noisy. I’d get a different one if I could do it over again. I hope that helps!
      ~Christy

      Reply
      • Susan Smith says

        October 12, 2020 at 10:45 pm

        5 stars
        I couldn’t find this on allrecipes like I had before, so I did a web search & found it here. I also add one diced apple to the filling (1/2″ cubes)

        ‘ cubes

        Reply
        • Christy says

          October 14, 2020 at 11:37 am

          Apple sounds like a great addition and I’m so glad you found the recipe–it’s a keeper for sure!

          Reply
  2. julie marshall says

    December 28, 2012 at 10:11 am

    I make this recipe every Christmas Eve. I keep it in the fridge until the morning bring it out of the fridge and get it to room temp before throwing it in the oven. I have also found that taking the oven temp down to 375 and adding 10 minutes of cooking works best for me. At 400 my rolls almost would burn on top and I would still have some “doughy” parts in the middle. I did try to get out of making these this year but was met with a stern NO from both of my kids who are now adults. This is a really great recipe and easy to do if your not a bread maker.

    Reply
  3. Christy says

    December 31, 2012 at 5:42 pm

    Julie–GREAT idea on lowering the temperature and increasing the cooking time. I wrote that on my recipe to try next time. Thanks so much!

    Reply
  4. Teri says

    October 15, 2013 at 8:42 pm

    Christy, I had a ‘Like the Mall Cinnamon Roll’ recipe that my family dies for. It’s my sons birthday this weekend (adult) he is requesting them as a present. Due to economy, we’re living in our RV and all my household goods are in storage. Off course the kitchen is packed in the back. I’ve been searching for a recipe like the one I used (bread machine and cream cheese frosting.) This one appears to be the closest.
    Thank you for the recipe and I will also try the reduced baking temp. Happy Fall!

    Reply
    • Christy says

      October 17, 2013 at 8:50 pm

      I hope it works out for you, Teri. That’s a challenge, cooking in a RV. Good luck with the cinnamon rolls, and happy birthday to your son!

      Reply
      • Judy says

        December 10, 2013 at 5:10 pm

        can the dough be made in the bread machine then frozen, then thawed overnight in the fridge the night before I plan to to bake them? I’d like to make them this week and bake them the day after Christmas morning. I would like to have them all cut into the 12 rolls. I’d ice them that morning after baking.

        Reply
        • Christy says

          December 15, 2013 at 10:08 am

          Judy, yes, but they won’t rise as high after they’ve been frozen–that’s just the way it works. You’d have better luck if you pulled them out of the freezer on Christmas Eve and put them in the cold oven overnight. I’ve done that with other recipes, but never this one. Good luck and let us know how it works!

          Reply
  5. Stacey says

    December 12, 2013 at 11:33 pm

    I can’t wait to try your receipe. I have a bread maker that I use all the time. Since my kids luv cinnamon rolls, I thought about making them for Christmas morning. Wish me luck!

    Reply
    • Christy says

      December 15, 2013 at 10:09 am

      Stacey, they would be perfect for Christmas morning! We usually have them on Thanksgiving Day morning and at least once during Christmas. Then I go on a diet in January! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Linda W. says

    December 25, 2013 at 1:03 pm

    These were absolutely delicious! I made them this morning and the whole family loves them. A true keeper recipe! Thank you so much!!

    Reply
    • Christy says

      December 26, 2013 at 3:48 pm

      We had them on Christmas morning, too, Linda. I’m so glad you liked them!

      Reply
  7. Danielle says

    December 27, 2013 at 10:04 pm

    When you take them out of the fridge the next morning, did you leave them covered? I covered mine with wax paper and tinfoil…..just asking because this is my first batch of overnight cinnamon rolls

    Reply
    • Christy says

      December 29, 2013 at 12:30 pm

      I had them covered overnight (in the fridge) with plastic wrap, but then I covered them with a flour sack towel in the morning. I think you could also let them rise uncovered, but we have two dogs and a cat and there is pet hair floating in the air at my house!

      Reply
  8. brenda l says

    April 9, 2014 at 4:07 pm

    I just had to tell you- I have made these so many times for my husband who is slightly crazed when it comes to cinnamon rolls. They are delicious and your recipe is so much easier than husbands family recipe! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply
    • Christy says

      April 10, 2014 at 10:34 pm

      Brenda–thank you for taking the time to tell me that. I’m so glad he loves them (and that they save you some work)!

      Reply
  9. Markus says

    January 23, 2017 at 1:27 am

    I have a bread machine and made the dough in dough mode. Do I then let it rise or roll it out and proceed? (sorry, for some reason my text may come out in all caps)

    Reply
    • Christy says

      January 23, 2017 at 2:51 pm

      When my dough comes out of the bread machine, it has risen. I turn it onto a floured board, let it rest for ten minutes or so, and then roll it out and make the rolls. After I cut them and put them in the pan, I let them rise again and then pop them in the oven. I hope that helps!
      Christy

      Reply
  10. Carrie Macdonald says

    May 13, 2020 at 12:58 am

    Honestly I have never tasted a better cinnamon roll….ever!
    100% will make again!11

    Reply
    • Christy says

      May 16, 2020 at 5:06 pm

      I’m so glad to hear you loved them! Christy

      Reply
  11. Terry Byassee says

    July 27, 2021 at 1:35 pm

    5 stars
    I have made cinnamon buns in the past and they have never turned out very well. My grandson was visiting and asked if I could bake him some. I did a search for the Best Ever Cinnamon Rolls and your recipe popped up. Well ,I gave them a try and boy do they live up to the title. They came out Perfect and were Absolutely Delicious! Can’t wait to make them again. Thanks for such a great recipe!

    Reply
    • Christy says

      September 8, 2021 at 11:48 am

      Hi, Terry–
      Thanks so much for your comment–I’m so glad that you and your grandson both loved them!

      Reply
  12. Summer says

    April 14, 2022 at 1:07 pm

    I am looking to make 20+ batches of this recipe for a fundraiser. Do you know if they could be made 3-4 days in advance and stored in the fridge until brought to room temperature and baked?

    Reply
    • Christy says

      April 21, 2022 at 7:09 am

      Summer–
      I believe so because I’ve made the recipe ahead of time and done the same thing. That being said, you might need to allow extra time for all the dough (especially large batches) to come to room temperature and rise again.
      Good luck–20+ batches is no joke!!
      Christy

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Lowest prices. Straight Teeth,

•Don’t Miss A Thing!!•

•Do You Know Jesus?•

•Featured In•

Footer

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Copyright © 2023 · 11 Magnolia Lane· Blog Design by Little Blue Deer
Privacy Policy

11 MAGNOLIA LANE IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE AMAZON SERVICES LLC ASSOCIATES PROGRAM, AN AFFILIATE ADVERTISING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR US TO EARN ADVERTISING FEES BY ADVERTISING AND LINKING TO AMAZON.COM AND AFFILIATED SITES. AS AN AMAZON ASSOCIATE, WE EARN FROM QUALIFYING PURCHASES. WE ALSO PARTICIPATE IN SEVERAL OTHER AFFILIATE PROGRAMS; THIS INCOME ALLOWS US TO MAINTAIN THE QUALITY OF YOUR USER EXPERIENCE AND KEEPS OUR CONTENT FREE. WHEN YOU PURCHASE THROUGH ANY OF OUR AFFILIATE LINKS, WE EARN A SMALL COMMISSION AND YOU DON’T PAY A CENT MORE THAN YOU WOULD OTHERWISE; THAT WOULD BE TACKY!   READ OUR FULL PRIVACY AND DISCLOSURE POLICY {HERE}.
  ©11 Magnolia Lane 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s authors and/or owners is strictly prohibited. Please email us at admin@11magnolialane.com for more information.

  • MEET CHRISTY & AMY
    • IF YOU’RE NEW HERE…
    • WORK WITH US
    • 11 MAGNOLIA LANE 101
    • DISCLOSURE + PRIVACY (the fine print)
    • BEST OF 11 MAGNOLIA LANE
    • Back
  • TOUR OUR HOMES
    • TOUR OUR HOMES
    • CHRISTY’S MAGNOLIA COTTAGE
    • CHRISTY’S MCC HOUSE
    • AMY’S NEW HOME BUILD
    • HOLIDAY HOME TOUR SERIES
    • SPRING HOME TOUR SERIES
    • Back
  • CELEBRATIONS
    • EVENTS + ENTERTAINING
    • GIFTS
    • HOLIDAYS
    • RECIPES
    • Back
  • HOME
    • CLEANING
    • DECORATING
    • ORGANIZING
    • ROOM BY ROOM
      • BATHROOMS
      • BEDROOMS
      • CLOSETS
      • CRAFT ROOMS + OFFICES
      • DINING ROOMS
      • KIDS’ ROOMS
      • KITCHENS
      • LAUNDRY ROOMS
      • LIVING + GREAT ROOMS
      • OTHER SPACES
      • PANTRIES
      • PLAYROOMS + BONUS ROOMS
      • PORCHES + OUTDOOR SPACES
      • Back
    • TIPS
    • Back
  • SHOP
    • SHOP OUR INSTAGRAM
    • SHOP OUR AMAZON STORE
    • FRIDAY FAVORITE FINDS
    • 11 ML ETSY SHOP
    • 11ML ORGANIZING SHOP
    • Back
  • PROJECTS
    • CRAFTS
    • DIY PROJECTS + TUTORIALS
    • FURNITURE
    • PRINTABLES
    • WINDOWS, DOORS, + WALLS
    • Back
  • LIFE
    • FRIDAY FREE FOR ALL
    • HEALTH
    • SIMPLY ON SUNDAY
    • TRAVEL
    • Back
  • CONTACT
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
1283 shares
  • 91