Make-Ahead Christmas Cinnamon Rolls
These overnight cinnamon rolls with eggnog frosting have a soft, fluffy, tender dough that’s buttery and scrumptious. They’re as light and feathery as cinnamon rolls can get. They’re lighter and not as quite as dense, heavy, and ‘bready’ as Cinnabon cinnamon rolls — although no one would call these light as a feather. While baking, the filling mixture of brown sugar and butter melts and caramelizes, producing a thick, sweet, caramely sauce, pleasantly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg for that holiday-inspired flavor profile. That saucy filling, along with melty eggnog-based frosting, is what a holiday cinnamon roll is all about! The eggnog flavor is present but not overwhelming, and just in the frosting and not the actual dough. The nutmeg in the filling helps to enhance the eggnog flavor.
Ingredients in Overnight Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls
To make the eggnog cinnamon rolls and frosting, you’ll need: I encourage you to check out that post so you can see some of the step-by-step process photos that I included in my classic cinnamon roll recipe but didn’t duplicate in this post.
All-purpose flour Granulated sugar Instant dry yeast Salt Unsalted butter Eggs Buttermilk Butter Light brown sugar Cinnamon Nutmeg Eggnog Vanilla extract Confectioners’ sugar Kosher salt Holiday sprinkles
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls
I shared the bulk of my tips, tricks, commentary, and advice for making overnight cinnamon rolls with eggnog frosting in the recipe card at the end of this post. Below is just an overview of this easy — but time consuming! — process:
More Cinnamon Roll Recipes:
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls — These overnight cinnamon rolls are ultra soft and fluffy thanks to the buttermilk in the dough. They remind me of Cinnabon! Top them with homemade cream cheese frosting and enjoy! The cinnamon roll dough in this recipe is wet, gloppy, moist, messy, sticky, and of all the bread I’ve ever made, this dough gets the award as the sloppiest. I always curse it when kneading in a mixer, the rule of thumb for this type of dough is that it clears the sides of the bowl, but sticking the bottom of the bowl is fine. Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! 1-Hour Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting – It’s possible to make soft, light, fluffy cinnamon rolls from scratch in 1 hour! Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls — This ultra chocolaty twist on classic cinnamon rolls is made with doctored up chocolate cake mix and oodles of chocolate frosting!! Soft, tender, fluffy, and EASY!! Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Bake — The recipe is easy, ready in 40 minutes, and you don’t even have to make scratch cinnamon roll dough. The BEST Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls — The glaze soaks into the nooks and crannies and adds even more moisture and softness. Total gooey, cinnamon-and-sugary, juicy perfection. Caramel Apple Cinnamon Roll Bake — This cinnamon roll recipe with apples and caramel sauce is easy, ready in 30 minutes, and you don’t even have to make scratch cinnamon roll dough. Nutella Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Glaze — A can of crescent rolls never tasted so good as when they’re stuffed with Nutella and rolled up. Ready from start to finish in 15 minutes, no joke
