This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
Overnight Cinnamon Roll Bread with Chai Frosting. Homemade cinnamon rolls are always impressive, but switching things up and turning your rolls into a beautiful bread keeps things simple and easy, yet every bite is still just as delicious. And the chai frosting…it’s as good as it sounds, not too sweet and spiced just right. And when drizzled over this swirly cinnamon bread, it melts into every nook and cranny. I let the dough rise overnight in the fridge and bake it up in the morning. Perfect for a holiday breakfast or as a weekend morning treat.
Sharing a special recipe today straight from Half Baked Harvest Super Simple and in partnership with Williams-Sonoma. This overnight cinnamon roll bread is a go-to holiday breakfast. This is the easiest to bake up and everyone LOVES them! If you’re in need of a delicious breakfast for your family this holiday season, make it this cinnamon roll bread.
To make the bread…
Make a very basic, everyday bread dough that uses instant yeast to speed up the rising times. Let the dough rise a bit, then roll it out and sprinkle with a brown sugar cinnamon mix. I like to use brown sugar for a nice depth of flavor. And I also like to go heavy on the cinnamon…of course.
Roll the dough, cut into 6 giant rolls and place in a loaf pan to rise. Next, you have two options. You can do a quick rise or you can let the rolls rise overnight in the fridge. I love to make these a day or two ahead and let them rise in the fridge. That way, in morning, all I have to do is bake and frost.
For the frosting, I made something extra special…a Chai spiced cream cheese frosting.
Chai spices, cream cheese, and plenty of vanilla. Simple, easy, and so delicious!
My favorite products to create this cinnamon roll bread.
This is my go-to loaf pan.
My very favorite stand mixer.
And my trusty cooling rack.
Lastly, enter for a chance to win all of my favorite kitchen products here.
If you make this overnight cinnamon roll bread with chai frosting, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Overnight Cinnamon Roll Bread with Chai Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm whole milk
- 1 packet instant dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 3½ to 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons very softened salted butter, plus more for greasing
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Chai Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon
Instructions
- 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the milk, yeast, honey, eggs, butter, 3½ cups of flour, and the salt. Beat until the flour is completely incorporated, 4 to 5 minutes. If the dough seems sticky, add the remaining ½ cup of flour.2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour.3. Make the rolls. Butter a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and set aside.4. When the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface, punch it down, and roll it into a ball using your hands. Roll the dough into a rectangle (approximately 12 x 18 inches).5. Spread the softened butter over the dough and sprinkle it with the cinnamon sugar. Starting with the edge of dough closest to you, roll the dough into a log, keeping it tight as you go. Pinch along the edges of the log to seal it.6. Cut the log into 6 rolls and place them cut side up in the prepared pan. Cover and let rise 45 minutes to 1 hour in a warm place or up to overnight in the fridge. Bring the dough to room temperature before baking.7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until browned on top, 30 to 35 minutes. If the bread is browning too quickly, cover it with foil. Let cool 5 minutes before turning it out onto a rack.8. Make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and cardamom until combined.9. Spread the frosting over the warm bread. Serve immediately. Store any leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
What a fantastic recipe, im no bread maker but I found this recipe easy because everything goes into the mixing bowl at one time and it’s accommodating of this cook’s errors, preferences and tools. I put the yeast in the bowl first and only realized that most of it did not get mixed in until I punched it down after first rise oops – however it did not seem to affect the rolls and they were so good I was asked for the recipe. Also I reduced the butter with cinnamon to half which was perfect for my taste and In my oven they needed to cook a bit longer than stated. Thank you for sharing
Hey Jenny,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Hi, I have a milk allergen and wanted to ask if you think I could use soy milk in place of the whole milk?
Thanks,
E
Hey Elyssa,
Yes, that will work out for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Made these for my family for Christmas morning and they were a hit! Nice and fluffy. The cream cheese frosting was delicious!
Hey Hailey,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hi!
I am going to make these for Christmas 🙂 I am wondering is there a way you can make these ahead of time and freeze them before you bake them?
Thanks!
Hey Jessica,
You can assemble these ahead of time, store in the fridge, and then bake Christmas morning. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
These look delicious. Can I substitute the honey for something else?
Hey Amy,
You can use maple syrup in place of the honey. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hi there
Just wondering if the chai frosting can be frozen and also, how long does it last just in the fridge? I love it so much that I wanted to make in bulk and use for other recipes – it’s too good!!!
Hey Anita,
Sure you could freeze the frosting or keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
If I don’t have a dough hook, can I just use my hands to knead? If so, for how long?
Hey Anne,
I would knead by hand for 2-3 minutes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Seriously delicious! First Parker Rolls…now these. Thanks so much for the amazing, easy to make recipes
I am so happy you enjoyed both! Thank you so much Trina! xTieghan
hello, may I ask what are the measurement in grams ?
Hey Juliette,
You can click on “metric” below the ingredient list for the metric conversion. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I only have unsalted butter – should I up the salt content if I’m using unsalted butter?
Hey Talia,
I would add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hello! Do I need a stand mixer for this recipe? I have just a handheld electric mixer but not a stand mixer. Any tips for how to make this recipe without one?
Hey Caitlin,
You can mix this with a wooden spoon and then knead by hand, just put some elbow grease into it:) I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions and Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Never mind my last post! I went ahead and baked them and they rose in the oven! Delish! Back to having a happy morning!
Hi Andraea! I am really glad these ended up turning out so well for you! Thank you so much for trying them! xTieghan
I am sooo disappointed. These came out like regular cinnamon rolls, but the reason I chose this recipe was for the lovely tall/popover look and mine do not look like this at all. My dough rose fine, and I am an experienced baker and I am not sure how mine look soooo different from those pictured here. Any tips would be appreciated. I used the correct type of yeast, and as I said it rose well at both rises. Please help! I wanted this to be my new go to holiday morning recipe but this morning for Thanksgiving they just look…like every other cinnamon roll.
Hey Kyra,
I am so sorry you had issues with this recipe. Was there anything that was adjusted at all? A different baking method? Did you bake in a loaf pan? If you use anything bigger then this would affect the results. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
Everything went well but then the next morning when I took them out of the fridge they didn’t rise 🙁 what happened? Did I need to let them rise before putting them in the fridge? It’s a sad morning…
I’ve made a lot of HBH recipes before but this one was a little tough. I agree with a lot of the comments and will make some changes when I try the recipe again. First, made these ahead to rise in the fridge overnight and they kind of shrunk back down and didn’t seem as nice and puffy as they were the when I put them in the fridge. Next time, I will make them the same day. Second, I baked them for 35 minutes and they were totally doughy in the middle. I think they need at least 10 more minutes in the oven if not more. Lastly, I agree with one comment about decreasing the amount of butter slightly. It kind of pools in the bottom of the pan and makes the bread seem even less done.
Hi Katherine! I am sorry these did not turn out as expected! I hope they turn out better next time. If there is anything I can help with, please let me know! xTieghan