These overnight whole-wheat cinnamon rolls are the type of recipe you want to make the night before to reward the beginning of a great weekend!
Last Friday, the entire family had dental check ups and teeth cleanings. Yes, all of us (except baby G) got our teeth cleaned. I think my husband got appointment happy and booked the dentist and his hygienist for a 2.5hour block to take care of our family.
Don’t let Alex’s pouty lip fool you, the kid was finished first and didn’t make a peep!
Sofia on the other hand… well, let’s just say that each step took twice as long as her brother.
Baby G also visited his doctor -again, but this time it was for “nothing.” If you have kids, you know what I mean here. If you don’t, imagine your child sick for 2-3 days with nasty boogies, a bad cough and seriously whiney 24/7. You finally think: well, it’s Friday. I should take him to the doctor in case it gets worse and then I can’t catch anyone over the weekend. You go to the doctor, doctor evaluates and tells you it’s nothing. You tell doctor that it’s great he seems healthy and secretly wonder what the heck?!? How could it be nothing? Has she been to your house the past three days? Obviously NOT.
In all seriousness, I am glad it’s “nothing”… but he is still waking up in the middle of the night a few times and is whiney. Teething, it must be teething.
Our Friday afternoon adventures continued having lunch together at Zoës Kitchen. I love their fresh meals and great service. Their hummus is really good and the kid’s menu is very healthy. Yes, having a Greek stepdad has made me a bit of a hummus snob. I bought some hummus back home and he even said it was quite good! I ate their famous chicken salad sandwich. I love their chicken salad so much that I made my own recipe for a MOMables’ menu. It’s got a smooth nearly creamy texture that even the pickiest of eaters will love.
Adventurous days make for some tired children in the evening. I was in the kitchen (right behind his chair) getting together the ingredients for my overnight whole wheat cinnamon rolls and within 5 minutes I found Alex like this!
If you are wondering why I use an “overnight” recipe is because I am not a morning person. I need serious amounts of caffeine to get me out of bed in the morning and I am usually not in the mood to wait 2 hours for my dough to rise. I altered a classic overnight brioche recipe (with a lot less butter) into a recipe I could stretch into cinnamon rolls. I am sure there are other recipes out there but I’m too lazy to use the google and try them out. Plus, this isn’t too different from my king cake recipe; familiarity with a recipe = success when baking.
I will tell you this: if you can mix, roll and refrigerate… you can make delicious cinnamon rolls from scratch for your family in the morning. I let my mixer do the work, let it rise while I clean the dishes from dinner, then quickly roll out the dough.
What I love about this recipe is that I put the cinnamon rolls into the refrigerator (covered) and in the morning they are ready to bake. While the oven is preheating, I usually have my first or third cup of coffee and we can hang out in our pjs while they bake.
Seriously, who wants to get out of their pjs (mom included) when the fireplaces are going and the house smells like warm cinnamon rolls?
A quick glaze is all they need and they are ready to be devoured.
Please don’t tell me you are too busy to make cinnamon rolls from scratch. The mixer did all the heavy lifting for you and the hardest part of this recipe is stopping at eating just one!
If the house smells too delicious and you get impatient like I did then your glaze will instantly melt and fall into the crevices between the rolls. Yummo! Then you’ll stick your finger in the little well so you can taste it and you’ll burn yourself and possibly let out a bad word. This will follow by “mommy said a baaaadd worddd!!!.” No, the hot dish burned mommy and it made mommy say something she shouldn’t have. Of course, this isn’t from experince… I am just saying…
My wish for you in 2013 is that you enjoy a delicious breakfast with your family. That you make time to hang out in your pjs and enjoy each other on the weekends. Life happens way too fast and weekdays seem to be filled with scheduled activities. May this new year bring you love, health and happiness.
From my family to yours, Happy New Year!
Easy Whole Wheat Cinnamon Roll Recipe
- Prep Time: 2 hours 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 8 1x
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup warm water (105 deg F)
- 21/2 cups whole wheat flour*
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1/4 cup honey or sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) real butter at room temp
Filling:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) real butter at room temp, divided
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 Tablespoons milk or cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, pour warm water, add yeast and a teaspoon of the sugar or honey. Mix with a spoon and wait 10minutes for yeast to activate.
- Add 1/2 cup of flour (white or whole wheat) and mix until you have a paste. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm spot for about 30 minutes.
- Add the eggs, sugar, butter, salt, and remaining 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and knead on medium speed until smooth 10-12 minutes. Add a bit more flour to reduce stickiness if needed.
- Cover with plastic wrap, set in a warm spot and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.
- Butter a 9×13 baking dish. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Roll out into a rectangle about 15×10 in. Set 2 Tablespoons of butter on the side. Spread butter onto rolled dough, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Immediately, roll dough lengthwise.
- You can cut the rolls to your liking. This will make 12 small rolls, 10 medium ones, or 8 large rolls. With a knife, cut the roll in half through the middle, then proceed to cut each side.
- Place cut side up in baking dish. Melt the reserved 2 Tablespoons of butter and brush on top of rolls. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
- The next morning, remove from refrigerator, preheat oven to 350F. While oven is heating, let rolls rise.
- While rising mix glaze ingredients until combined.
- Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
- Let cool in the pan for a few minutes and top with glaze.
Notes
You may use spelt instead of whole wheat flour. I find that this recipe doesn’t rise well if you make it 100% whole wheat or 100% spelt. You will need to add 4 teaspoons of vital gluten to the recipe in order for the flour to rise well.
Alternatively, you can make this recipe with 100% all purpose (white) flour without any changes.
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Seriously looks so delicious! I can’t wait to get home to try it! 🙂
WOW – those cinnamon rolls look DLISH!!! Yes, I do hate those trips to the doc when “nothing” is wrong with your child and you go home with a kid that is still miserable. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
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Love this post! Already printed out the recipe for the Cinnamon Rolls (with Whole Wheat! Yay!) and will be making them VERY soon! Thanks! 🙂
Writing Pad Dad
thank you so much Justin! they require a little elbow grease but boy! they are so good! Let me know how your family enjoys them!
Wow! those look SO GOOD! I may have to try these using spelt flour. My boys would LOVE these! What a FUN post! 🙂 Blessings, Kelly
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I’d like to make these for Thanksgiving morning. I was wondering if you think this recipe would work using spelt flour for the AP flour? Maybe even using all whole spelt flour instead of part WW? Also, when you put the butter on before the cinnamon sugar is that melted butter? Thanks
Nicole, I’ve revised the recipe with my notes.
I have recently discovered your site, and I have to praise you on several counts. First off, your writing is straight forward, informational, welcoming and I love your realistic attitude. You are neither arrogant or “flaky” (as I find some food blog writing to be). I am thrilled for your success and the fact that you have undertaken something of major issue. Not to mention, in my mind “you’ve nailed it”!
Although I can’t eat gluten and I cannot use this recipe, you offer so many that we can use. Thank you.
On a final note, I just want to add a kudos for photographing your life “as is”. I see things on the counter, toys in the back. It’s a lovely home which includes the fact that it is not staged for a picture.
Keep on!
thanks Julie! there isn’t a single thing in my life that is “scripted” 🙂
Hi, This sounds great but do you have any type of egg substitute for this recipe, I have a 2 year old that is highly allergic.
Thank you.
not for this recipe. Sorry Shannon!
Not with this cinnamon roll recipe but with others and any bread. I do flax egg and always works with my son. May not rise as high but still taste the same
This is such a great recipe!! I’m going to try this tonight once the kids are in bed!!
I made these last week and they were delicious! I was looking for an overnight recipe and this worked great. I love that they have so much whole wheat in them. Thank you for the recipe!
I look forward both to trying this recipe and to knowing it can’t possibly be teething!! 😉
First time on your site. Definitely won’t be my last! 😀
Thank you Heather! Enjoy!
hello, I’m making your recipie right now, and I was just wondering if can I bake the rolls right away, or is important to refigerete them….
Thanks,
Mara
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for optimal height, you need to refrigerate them. Refrigeration is how the yeast will bloom and rise. I hope they turned out ok if you did not refrigerate them.
I did it! So yummy your recipie I did half right away and the other half overnight. Of course the overnite part was better. So delicious!!! Thanks for shearing your recipies!
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I’m glad they were a success! Enjoy!
I don’t have a stand mixer. Is it possible to make these without one?
I’d say yes, but you’ll just have more work to do. All the stand mixer does is cut out the work of mixing and kneading the dough for you. You could do that by hand.
How far in advance can these be made. Could I make them 24 hours ahead of time and leave in the fridge all day and all night?
Yes! You can make them a day or two in advance. 🙂 Enjoy!
I don’t like butter so can I substitute olive oil or coconut oil for the butter?
Coconut oil or vegetable oil would be best since olive oil has a very strong flavor.
Thank you Laura. I forgot to ask if I should substitute same amount of the oil for the butter.
Martha, I’ve never tried it with oil but it should work 1:1 with coconut oil. Enjoy!
good morning from the Philippines….I ran onto this recipe and looks good will be trying it today for our family
dale
baybay leyte philippines
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Have you ever tried to freeze these? I’m wondering if at the point where you put them in the fridge overnight if i put them in the freezer they would be ok later to take out and put in the fridge overnight? We love this recipe and I’m trying to make some post baby meals.
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You can freeze them after the first rise. Meaning, instead of placing them in the fridge, place them in the freezer. I thaw them overnight in my fridge -I’ve never taken them out and defrosted straight to oven -something to try.
The reason that you cannot substitute whole wheat flour in the whole recipe is that there is not enough yeast to raise whole wheat dough. I have another similar recipe that uses 2 Tbs. yeast, and it rises very well, and it actually uses a bit less flour.