Best High Altitude Cinnamon Rolls – Overnight Option

Picture this: soft, pillowy dough, swirled with a blend of cinnamon and brown sugar, baked to golden brown perfection, and crowned with a luscious cascade of frosting. These irresistible gooey cinnamon rolls are not just a breakfast indulgence but a beckoning to gather around the table with your loved ones. This great recipe has a make-ahead option, so enjoy warm cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning.

Skip the can of cinnamon roll dough at the grocery store and enjoy the BEST homemade cinnamon rolls. Baking yeast dough at high altitude can have its challenges but I have taken out all the guesswork with this high altitude cinnamon roll recipe.

I bake these high altitude cinnamon rolls at 8,000 feet of elevation.

Imagine waking up on Christmas morning (or any special occasion) to the amazing aroma of cinnamon and warm rolls. Instead of waking up early and spending the morning in the kitchen, use the make-ahead option below so you can enjoy warm, gooey rolls straight from the oven while the kids are opening their presents.

Try out these other high altitude breakfast ideas:

Enjoy a delicious mountain breakfast with these high altitude breakfast recipes:

What is better than flaky, golden biscuits (I promise these are fail-proof!)?! Try out these fluffy waffles (with dairy free option), easy homemade crepes, or perfect, fluffy pancakes. Or my great great grandma’s coffee cake with cinnamon sugar topping.

Recommended Tools:

Large mixing bowl – I like to mix and knead the bread dough with my hands but a paddle attachment and a bowl of a stand mixer will work also.

Measuring cups and spoons

Rolling pin

Small bowl

Sharp knife, dental floss, or pizza cutter – there are several different options to cut the rolled up dough into individual pieces. I will explain later on what my favorite technique is.

Baking dish – this recipe calls for a 9×13 baking dish

Find all of my favorite kitchen tools here and check them out on Amazon.

High Altitude Cinnamon Roll Ingredients:

Milk – I like to use whole milk for all of my baking since it has a higher fat content. The milk needs to be warm to 100-110 degrees F to allow the yeast to bloom (fancy term for activate).

Instant yeast – look for the containers that say active dry yeast or quick rise yeast for the best results.

Unsalted butter – Melted butter will be added to the dough mixture and softened butter will be spread over the finished dough to create the gooey swirls of cinnamon sugar.

White sugar – a few tablespoons of sugar add the perfect kiss of sweetness to the dough.

Salt – don’t skip the salt! A little bit goes a long way to help enhance the flavors.

Egg – use a large egg that is room temperature.

Flour – use all purpose flour for soft, fluffy dough

Cinnamon – enjoy the classic taste of cinnamon wrapped around the soft dough

Brown Sugar – as the cinnamon roll is baked the brown sugar starts to caramelized and create the best part, the gooey, delicious center

OPTIONAL: Heavy cream – I say optional because these cinnamon rolls will turn out great either way. BUT if you want over the top, out of this world cinnamon rolls then pour the heavy cream over the rolls.

TIP: Don’t worry if you forget to get your eggs out of the refrigerator ahead of time. Simply place the eggs in warm (not hot, you’ll cook the eggs) for 5-10 minutes.

See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full ingredients list.

Overview- How to make High Altitude Cinnamon Rolls:

1. Mix the warm milk and yeast together. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
2. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix.
3. Knead the dough.
4. First rise: let the dough rise for 1 – 1.5 hours (or doubled in size). – this time will depend on the warmth of your kitchen
5. Roll the dough out to a 15 inch x 18 inch rectangle.
6. Brush the dough with butter then sprinkle it with cinnamon and brown sugar.
7. Cut the dough into 12 equal strips that are 1.5 inches wide. Roll each strip up and place in the baking dish. – or roll up the dough on the long end and use dental floss or a sharp knife to create 12 rolls.
8. Second rise: let the cinnamon rolls rise for 1 hour.
9. Pour heavy cream over the cinnamon rolls and bake for 35 minutes.

See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full instructions.

Variations & Substitutions:

Make-Ahead Cinnamon Roll Recipe

Make these delicious cinnamon rolls ahead of time to save you from spending all morning in the kitchen or having to set your alarm super early. Follow these directions for make-ahead cinnamon rolls:

1. Follow steps 1 through 7.
2. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap or a lid and place in the refrigerator overnight.
3. The next morning pull the dish out of the refrigerator and let it sit for 1-2 hours (depending on the warmth of your kitchen) until the rolls have doubled in size.
4. Bake according to the directions.

Cinnamon Roll Frosting – No Cream Cheese

Add the perfect topping to delicious cinnamon rolls with this easy to make frosting recipe:

• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla – let’s be honest, I NEVER measure vanilla. My personal opinion is: the more the better
• 4-6 tablespoons milk

Mix together the butter, salt, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Slowly add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the right consistency. More milk will create a thinner frosting.

Use this Frosting Recipe on these High Altitude Cutout Sugar Cookies.

Dairy Free Cinnamon Rolls

Enjoy dairy free cinnamon rolls by simply replacing the regular butter with vegan butter. If you enjoy the drizzle of icing over your cinnamon roll, use a plant-based milk to whip up a delicious frosting.

Texas Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Have you ever seen the giant cinnamon rolls that are the size of a dinner plate? That would be a Texas Cinnamon Roll. Instead of cutting 12 rolls down the long side of the rolled out rectangle, cut 6 down the short side of the rectangle. This will create a giant cinnamon roll with more rolls.

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FAQs:

How to freeze cinnamon rolls:

Bake the cinnamon rolls according to the directions. Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool completely then cover tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Place the cinnamon rolls in the fridge the night before to thaw. Cover the baking dish with foil and reheat at 350 degrees in the oven for 5-8 minutes or until warm.

How to reheat cinnamon rolls with icing in oven:

The easiest way to reheat cinnamon rolls is in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 5-8 minutes or just until warm to avoid drying out the rolls.

How to store leftover cinnamon rolls:

Store cooled, down leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container. Cinnamon rolls stay fresh at room temperature for 2-3 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Try out these other high altitude recipes!

If you make these delicious High Altitude Cinnamon Rolls leave a comment below and let me know how they turned out. If you have any questions, post them below and I would love to help you out.