Make-Ahead Overnight Caramel Rolls
These soft and gooey overnight caramel rolls are filled with cinnamon sugar and baked in rich homemade caramel sauce. They're make-ahead magic, and with clear, step-by-step instructions, even first-time bakers can pull off this holiday-worthy treat!
Ingredients
Dough:
- 4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 packet instant yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
- 1 cup warm milk (110℉)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Cinnamon Filling:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Caramel Sauce:
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
For Baking:
- ¼ cup heavy cream
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Instructions
To make the dough:
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and melted butter. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture and stir until just combined. Let rest for 5 minutes.4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 packet instant yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons), 1 cup warm milk (110℉), 2 large eggs,, ½ cup unsalted butter,
- Attach a dough hook to the stand mixer and knead on medium speed for 5-7 minutes or until the dough is smooth and tacky.
- Spray a 9x13" pan with cooking spray. Transfer dough into pan and gently use your fingers to stretch the dough to mostly cover the bottom (don't worry, it won't be perfect). Cover loosely with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled. While the dough is rising, make the cinnamon filling and caramel sauce. Note: My oven has a “proofing” setting, but you can also turn the oven on for a minute or so to let it just barely heat up. Turn it off and then pop the dough inside to rise. It usually takes my dough about 60 minutes to double in size.
To make the cinnamon filling:
- In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, mixing until well combined. Set aside.¼ cup unsalted butter,, ½ cup brown sugar,, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
To make the caramel sauce:
- Add brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt to a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until butter is melted, stirring occasionally.1 ½ cups brown sugar,, ½ cup unsalted butter, ⅓ cup light corn syrup, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Bring the sauce to a low boil. Once it's reach a boil, stir constantly for 2-3 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla and cream. Allow to cool slightly.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3 tablespoons heavy cream
To make the rolls:
- Sprinkle a pastry mat or work surface generously with flour. Turn out the dough onto the surface.
- Respray the pan with cooking spray and pour the caramel sauce into the bottom of the pan. Gently smooth to level.
- Sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour. Roll the dough to about a 12x16" rectangle (the size of the rectangle can vary, it does not have to be exact!). Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to evenly spread the cinnamon filling over the whole dough rectangle. It will be a thin coating.
- Starting on the long side, roll the dough up tightly jelly roll style. Cut into 12 slices (unflavored dental floss works very well or you can also use a serrated knife) and place in the pan with the caramel sauce. Cover the pan with foil or plastic wrap and seal tightly. Refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning, remove the rolls from the fridge. They usually rise a bit overnight, but don't worry if they don't. Allow the rolls to come to room temperature (about an hour to an hour and a half). They should almost double in size. If you don't have that time, preheat the oven for 1-2 minutes, turn it off, and pop them in there for at least 30 minutes.
To bake the rolls:
- Preheat the oven to 375℉.
- Warm the heavy cream in the microwave for 30 seconds. Once the rolls have risen, pour the warm cream over the top of the rolls. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes. Check the rolls after 15 minutes. If they are browning too quickly, tent the pan loosely with foil.¼ cup heavy cream
- Remove the rolls from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Carefully invert the pan onto a sheet pan or other large serving dish. Scrape any remaining caramel sauce from the pan and drizzle over the rolls. Serve warm.
Notes
Ingredients Notes:
- Butter: Unsalted is best for balance, but you can use salted. Just reduce added salt slightly.
- Brown sugar: Light or dark both work. Dark gives a deeper, more molasses-rich caramel flavor.
- Milk: Whole or 2% milk is ideal for a tender dough with great flavor.
- Corn syrup: Prevents the caramel from crystallizing.
- Add-ins: Want to jazz it up? Add chopped pecans to the caramel layer for crunch, or a pinch of nutmeg to the cinnamon filling.
Top Tips:
- Measure your ingredients correctly: You're going to get the best results if you use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients. No scale? Follow Sally's guide for how to properly measure baking ingredients.
- Instant yeast: No need to activate first. Just mix it right in with the dry ingredients.
- Warm milk: Should feel like a warm bath, not hot. Too hot will kill the yeast.
- Cutting the rolls: Unflavored dental floss makes super clean cuts without squishing the dough.
- Overnight rise: Rolls will puff slightly in the fridge, but they'll do most of their rising at room temp before baking.
- Why the cream? Pouring warm cream over the rolls before baking makes them extra soft, rich, and gooey.
- Make-ahead tip: You can prep both the caramel sauce and the cinnamon filling a day in advance and refrigerate separately.
- Storage: These rolls are best they day they are made. Store any leftovers covered at room temp for 1-2 days. Rewarm gently in the microwave for soft, sticky results.
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Nutrition
Serving: 1rollCalories: 587kcalCarbohydrates: 87gProtein: 7gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 333mgPotassium: 162mgFiber: 2gSugar: 53gVitamin A: 800IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 3mg
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
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