Fluffy Overnight Apple Butter Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls

If you’re a lover of warm, comforting flavors, then these Fluffy Overnight Apple Butter Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls are the best thing you’ll ever taste–seriously! Nobody just 'likes' these overnight cinnamon rolls they LOVE them. Not only are they super thick,  fluffy, tender, brioche-like rolls, but they come completely bursting with apple butter flavor and smothered in a rich, but light eggnog cream cheese glaze. Hands down——these cinnamon rolls will be the newest Holiday craze! Easy make-ahead and overnight dessert choice.

Roll Out The Cinnamon Rolls

The holidays just wouldn't be the holidays without cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Fluffy Overnight Apple Butter Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls. Yes, you read that right. These beauties are EVERYTHING and more! And while many of you might know me for making cinnamon rolls to perfection, I must admit that these rolls are one of my top contenders as we all know, there are MANY contenders indeed.. Here's a few of my favorites.

Homemade Pumpkin Chai Cinnamon Rolls - If you're a lover of Fall spices and sweet flavor, then thes  are the best thing you’ll ever taste–seriously! Thick,  fluffy, tender, brioche-like rolls that come completely smothered in a rich, but light chai spice cream cheese glaze. Hands down------these cinnamon rolls are sure to be the newest Fall craze! Overnight + Vegan options available.

Vegan Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls with a Maple Pecan Glaze - These are something right out of a sweet treat magazine. They are fluffy, soft, thick, sweet, and surely do just melt in your mouth with every bite. Not being your typical Cinnamon Roll, this recipe is topped with a mouth-watering Maple Pecan Glaze that will leave you 'Cinnamon Roll obsessed'

Homemade Vegan Confetti Cinnamon Rolls - Made with a delicious, velvety strawberry frosting. These rolls are literally the best thing. They are super fluffy, soft, and brioche-like in texture, making for the perfect melt-in-your-mouth situation. It's for sure the best family-favorite sweet treat all warm weather season long.

Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls - These just taste like the holidays! If you’re like me, and you believe the holidays are all about indulging, then I have the best holiday-inspired cinnamon roll recipe for you. And, beginner bakers, have no fear, because this holiday recipe is easy, easy, easy!

Apple Butter + Eggnog? Seriously?

I know that this might sound crazy to many of you, because before making these, I honestly would have never thought about putting Apple Butter + Eggnog together. It almost sounds insane, right? Yes, but it WORKS, ya'll! Both flavors are so bold on their own, but together, they truly compliment each other.

You're sure to get a warm, bold spice feel from the Apple Butter while the Eggnog (plus Cream Cheese) adds a nice mellow comfort. Such a beautiful tie-together, trust me.

Sweet Rolls or Cinnamon buns?

No matter what you call them—cinnamon buns, cinnamon rolls, sweet rolls, sticky buns, sticky rolls, cinnamon swirl, cinnamon danish—everyone has a favorite. I've never met someone who didn't like them. A cinnamon bun or sweet roll is a sweeter, fluffier bread dough with a filling, usually cinnamon-based, in the middle. They are usually served around the holidays. When the filling is cooked, it makes an iconic swirl of deliciousness.

OK, So What is Apple Butter Exactly?

If you're new to the entire Apple Butter scene, then welcome to the club. Me too! Trust me, you need to try it though----it's so good! Basically, Apple Butter is a highly concentrated butter sauce made by the long lengths of cooking your apples (typically with some form of liquid) to the point where the sugars in the apple caramelizes, turning it to a deep brown color. It's technically concentrated applesauce. Haha. If you're familiar with brown butter, then you can understand the process.

The Process of Making Apple Butter in 3 Simple Steps:

When it came to making my Apple Butter, I chose to cook it in a slow cooker overnight which was so easy and convenient. You literally just set it and forget it!

What You'll Need:

• 16-18 Gala apples
• 2 Tbsps vanilla extract
• 2 tsps ground cinnamon
• 1 cup cane sugar
• 1 cup organic brown sugar

Here's how:

• Begin by prepping your apples----peel, core, + slice.
• Add apples, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, + cane sugar to your slow cooker, stir/toss together, and cook on low for 8-9 hours.
• After the allotted time, gently mash apples until completely broken down and continue to cook for another 6 hours. Mash again (or use a hand blender) until fully pureed and Wallah!

Eggnog What?

At the holiday party, there are two kinds of people: those who love eggnog and those who wonder if there are real eggs in it. If you are in the second group, there are some good reasons (besides the rum) why you might want to give the holiday favorite a try. Recipes for eggnog, which is usually made with eggs, alcohol, and cream, can range from kid-friendly lattes to super spiked 'adult' drinks but what you don't know is that it actually has health benefits you may not know about.

• High in potassium
• Rich in calcium
• A great source of protein
• The spices can be anti-inflammatory

What You’re Guaranteed to Love About these Rolls.

OK, so if you’re still not entirely sold on these cinnamon rolls, then let me tell you what’s so great about them.

• They are SOFT, FLUFFY, + BRIOCHE-LIKE in texture
• A phenomenal make-ahead breakfast
• Absolutely DELICIOUS
• Full of warming fall spices
• A gooey breakfast treat with a cinnamon flavor that everyone craves.
• Fun to eat! Pillow-y spirals of buttery dough filled with hypnotic swirls!

How to Ensure that Cinnamon Rolls are Moist.

When it comes to ensuring that your cinnamon rolls are SUPER moist, I recently came across a trick which was adopted by Sarah Keifer from The Vanilla Bean Blog. In her swear by trick, Sarah mentions adding half of your frosting to your warm cinnamon rolls the moment that they are removed from the oven, so that it melts and soaks into the rolls. Then letting them cool completely per usual and adding your final coating of frosting. Just GENIUS!

The SECRET to My Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls!

As I’ve mentioned many times before, I love adding Bob’s Red Mill Organic Bread Flour to my cinnamon rolls as a secret ingredient because it creates such fluffy rolls.

This bread flour is made with premium high-protein flour milled from America’s highest quality wheat. While using all-purpose flour can achieve soft cinnamon rolls, there’s just something special about the rolls when this type of flour mixes in. I don’t know how to explain it, but mixing in this bread type allows for the rolls to be thicker, airy, fluffy, soft, and just GOOD!

In general, this bread flour is perfect for baguettes, pizza crust, dinner rolls, no-knead breads, and more. However, I think that we can add cinnamon rolls to the list. Haha.

How to Make Cinnamon Rolls Overnight?

Not only are overnight cinnamon rolls super easy and convenient to make, but they also come out to be incredibly soft and fluffy in addition to my secret ingredient! Honestly, making these cinnamon rolls fully overnight was the best decision ever!

If you don’t want to make your Cinnamon Rolls on the same day, you can simply follow all steps (including the initial 1+ hour rise) and after cutting rolls and placing them into your baking pan, just cover them tightly (using foil paper of plastic wrap) and refrigerate them overnight or for 8-12 hours instead. The following day, remove from refrigerator and keeping them covered, let cinnamon rolls rise at room temp 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Can I Make These Cinnamon Rolls Without a Long Rise?

Absolutely! When it comes to these cinnamon rolls or any for that matter, you always have the option of making them the traditional way which requires a 1-2 hours initial rise and then another 20-25 minute rise before baking OR an overnight option.

However, if you're in a rush to make these or don't want to deal with a long rise time, you can simply create your dough and do a quick rise (20-25 minutes) and placing them straight in the oven to bake. Either way, cinnamon rolls are AMAZING and worth whatever wait time you choose!

RAPID (INSTANT) RISE YEAST VS. ACTIVE DRY YEAST.

If you’re not using the Rapid Rise Yeast for this recipe, please know that the rise time will be twice as long (about 3 hours) since regular Active Yeast doesn’t work as quickly.

How Long Can I Store Leftover Cinnamon Rolls?

Leftover Cinnamon Rolls can be kept fresh at room temperature when tightly wrapped or sealed for up to 3 days. Fresh for up to 1 week in the Refrigerator. Baked rolls (unfrosted) can be frozen up to 2 months and reheated once ready to serve.

6 Tips for Making the Perfect Cinnamon Rolls.

But before we head over to the full recipe, here are a few tips that I’ve learned along the way to ensure that I make the perfect Cinnamon Rolls:

• LIKE I SAID—NEVER OVERHEAT THE MILK. WARM IS THE GOAL!

• USE VERY SOFT BUTTER AT ROOM TEMPERATURE.

• MIX, MIX, MIX THAT DOUGH TO RELASE THE GLUTEN! 

• OVERNIGHT IS BETTER!

• USE BREAD FLOUR TOO.

More Unique Festive Cinnamon Roll Recipes

• Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls 
• Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls
• Best Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
• Overnight Vegan Apple Cinnamon Rolls
• Homemade Vegan Confetti Cinnamon Rolls

MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?

If you make this Fluffy Overnight Apple Butter Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls, tag @orchidsnsweettea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #orchidsandsweettea

Fluffy Overnight Apple Butter Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls

December 21, 2020 •

By Shanika

5 from 2 votes

If you’re a lover of warm, comforting flavors, then these Fluffy Overnight Apple Butter Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls are the best thing you’ll ever taste–seriously! Not only are they super thick,  fluffy, tender, brioche-like rolls, but they come completely bursting with apple butter flavor and smothered in a rich, but light eggnog cream cheese glaze.

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes mins

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Serves: 12 servings

Units:

US Customary|Metric

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Ingredients

Overnight Apple Butter Dough:

• 3 cups Organic All-purpose flour (I use Bob's Red Mill; See Notes!)
• 2 cups Artisan Bread flour (I use Bob's Red Mill; See Notes!)
• 1 packet Rapid Rise Yeast (That's 2 ¼ tsps!)
• ½ cup Homemade Apple Butter (See Notes!)
• ½ cup organic brown sugar + 1 Tbsp (I use Sugar in the Raw)
• 1 ¼ cup Almond milk  (You can use your fave plant-based milk OR whole milk!)
• ¼ cup WARM water
• 2 large eggs, room temp.
• ¼ cup unsalted butter (That's 4 Tbsps!)
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• pinch of allspice
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Filling:

• 4-5 Tbsps unsalted butter, melted
• 3 Tbsps Homemade Apple Butter (See Notes!)
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ½ cup organic brown sugar (I use Sugar in the Raw)

Eggnog Cream Cheese Glaze:

• 4-5 cups organic powdered sugar, sifted
• 4 oz. organic cream cheese, at room temp. (That's ½ a pack!; I use Organic Valley)
• 2-3 Tbsps high quality eggnog, warmed slightly (I use Organic Valley)
• 2 Tbsps unsalted butter, softened 
• pinch of ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Overnight Apple Butter Dough:

• Start by combining the yeast and 1 tablespoon brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and then slowly pouring in the warm water, while stirring everything together. Allow 10 minutes for the mixture to sit and the yeast to activate (It'll become foamy when done right!).
• Meanwhile, melt the butter and milk together over the stove top on low to medium heat, stirring frequently until the butter has fully melted. NOTE: You don't want the mixture to get too hot or boil! Set aside and let it cool until WARM.
• Add lukewarm butter-milk mixture to yeast and mix until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time and continue mixing on low speed until well combined. Add in apple butter and mix until well combined.
• Next, combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour, brown sugar, sea salt and spices to the wet ingredients and mix on low-speed until well combined. 
• Change “mixer head” to kneading accessory and knead dough for 5-10 minutes on medium-high speed until dough ball becomes smooth and elastic and dough springs back when lightly pressed with 2 fingers. NOTE: If dough is too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until texture is achieved!
• Once dough ball is perfectly kneaded, add it to a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit and rise for 1 hour to an hour + 15 minutes.
• In the meantime, you can work on the filling!

The Filling:

• Melt butter and mix in the apple butter and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine cinnamon and brown sugar and set aside as well.
• Once the hour has gone by and your dough has risen (about double it's original size), flour a flat surface and place the dough on it and using a rolling-pin, roll it out to a rectangle (approximately 9"x14), trimming the edges if needed. NOTE: Try not to make the dough too thin or else rolling it up will be hard to do!
• Then, generously brush apple butter-melted butter mixture overtop of dough and spoon the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the butter. NOTE: I also use a 'pastry brush' to sweep sugar mixture evenly across the dough to ensure that every bite is sweet!
• Tightly roll dough (long-ways) and using a pastry cutter, cut dough into 1.5" rolls, placing each roll (cut side down) into a large baking dish (lined with parchment paper!).
• Then place plastic wrap (and foil for security) over the baking dish with rolls and place your prepped rolls in the refrigerator to chill overnight (minimum of 8 hours).
• Once they've been chilled overnight, remove rolls from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature + rise for 1-2 hours. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and brush the tops of the rolls with a little more of the apple butter-melted butter mixture and then bake them for approximately 35-40 minutes in the preheated oven.
• While all the baking magic is happening, make the Eggnog Cream Cheese Glaze and set aside.

Eggnog Cream Cheese Glaze:

• Simply combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer & beat together on medium-high speed until fluffy.
• Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, and eggnog, continuing to mix on medium speed until you reach the desired consistency. **Add more eggnog (1 tablespoon at a time if too thick) or powdered sugar (for more thickness).*
• Remove the rolls from oven and wait 15-20 minutes or so (until it completely cools), and then spread the glaze atop the rolls using a rubber spatula.
• Bon Appetit!

Tips & Tricks

• TO STORE: Cinnamon Rolls can be kept fresh at room temperature when tightly wrapped or sealed for up to 3 days. Fresh for up to 1 week in the Refrigerator. Baked rolls can be frozen up to 2 months.
• RAPID (INSTANT) RISE YEAST VS. ACTIVE DRY YEAST: If you’re not using the Rapid Rise Yeast for this recipe, please know that the rise time will be twice as long (about 3 hours) since regular Active Yeast doesn’t work as quickly.
• HOMEMADE APPLE BUTTER: To see how to make this easy apple butter, see the post above!
• STORE APPLE BUTTER: Store leftover apple butter in a tightly sealed mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Can be frozen for up to 1 year.
• FLOUR: If you don’t have bread flour, you can always just use all-purpose flour entirely instead. 

Nutrition

Calories: 427kcal | Carbohydrates: 108g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 184mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 479IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 2mg

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