The Perfect Christmas Morning Cinnamon Rolls Recipe to Delight Your Family

Christmas morning starts in our house with the chaos of the kids unwrapping frenzy, with the aroma of cinnamon rolls baking in the oven. A cheeky glass of Mimosa pairs perfectly with warm, sticky buns and creates an indulgent, cosy start to the days festivities.

This recipe is designed to be prepared ahead on Christmas Eve, so you can enjoy the morning chaos without worrying about baking from scratch. Let’s dive into how you can make this annual treat a highlight of your Christmas tradition.

Why Prepare Ahead for Christmas Morning

Christmas morning is hectic. Between opening gifts, managing excited kids, and getting ready for the day, there’s little time to cook. Preparing your cinnamon rolls the night before lets you relax and enjoy the morning without stress.

Benefits of preparing ahead:

• Saves time on Christmas morning

• Ensures fresh, warm rolls straight from the oven

• Reduces morning mess and clean up

• Allows you to enjoy a festive drink while the rolls bake

  
  

By preparing the dough and assembling the rolls the night before, you can simply pop them in the oven after the gift frenzy. This makes the morning smoother and more enjoyable for everyone.

Cinnamon Rolls - The Recipe

Ingredients

Dough:

1 cup warm whole milk

1/3 cup granulated sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon kosher salt

One .25-ounce package active dry yeast

2 large eggs

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

Vegetable oil, for the bowl

Filling:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the baking dish

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Icing:

2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 tablespoons milk, plus more as needed

Directions

For the dough:

Combine the milk, granulated sugar, 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 pat or 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 with the pecans and raisins if using. Starting with a short end, 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 rolls until puffed and golden brown all over, about 25 minutes.

For the icing:

Put the confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl.

Whisk in the melted butter, vanilla and 4 tablespoons of milk; whisk until smooth. Add additional milk, about 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed to achieve a thick but spreadable consistency.

Spread the icing over the warm cinnamon rolls.

Serve warm