Make-Ahead Cinnamon Buns

Okay, so these are indulgent, but such a treat to wake up to on a special, lazy, morning with family. The BEST part about these buns is that most of the work happens the night before!

Important to note that this dough must rise for 1.5 to 2 hours before it can be rolled out, so don’t start preparing these too late the night before.  I have made the mistake in the past of deciding to make something later at night and realizing the recipe needs to chill for so many hours in the fridge before moving on to the next step. Bah!

I like to add raisins to my cinnamon buns, but you can also add pecans if you like that kinda thing.

I first saw Valerie Bertinelli make these on her show for Christmas morning, and I thought it was such a nice idea!  We’ve tried to do a big breakfast on Christmas morning, but it takes so long and with all the food we have to look forward to for dinner, it’s too much of a production to have a big breakfast and then a big dinner. Having something comforting and tasty like this that takes little effort in the morning is perfect!

I highly recommend you make these.  Your family will love you all over again! 🙂

Make-Ahead Cinnamon Buns

Sarah Nolan

A delicious, indulgent breakfast option

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Ingredients

  

For the dough

• I cup warm whole milk
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 .25 oz package active dry yeast
• 2 large eggs
• 4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
• vegetable oil for the bowl

For the filling

• 6 tablespoons salted butter softened, plus more for the baking dish*
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup raisins optional

For the icing

• 2 cups icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons of milk plus more as needed

Instructions

 

For the dough

• Combine the milk, sugar, melted butter, salt, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment and stir to combine well. Add the eggs and stir until well mixed. Add the flour and mix on medium-high speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. Transfer the dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let stand in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Punch the dough down and lightly flour a work surface. Lay the dough out and roll the dough out into an 18-by-12-inch rectangle.

For the filling

• Butter a 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish. Spread the softened butter evenly all over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border, then sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle raisins, if using. Roll up the dough and press and crimp the edges to seal. Cut the dough into 12 slices and arrange them in the buttered baking dish. If you want to bake them the same day, cover with plastic wrap and let stand until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Otherwise, refrigerate overnight; take out of the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the cinnamon buns until puffed and golden brown all over, about 25 minutes.

For the icing

• Put the icing sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in the melted butter, vanilla and milk Whisk until smooth. Add additional milk, about 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed to achieve the right consistency. Drizzle the icing over the warm cinnamon rolls. Serve warm.

Notes

*I used salted butter in the filling to help cut all the sweetness. The original recipe calls for unsalted butter.