Looking for the best way to freeze cinnamon rolls? Well keep reading!
Over the years I’ve learned a thing or two about baking, and one of them is how to make a boatload of food ahead of time so I can sleep in on the weekends. {I’m really kind of lazy that way.} 😉
So lets talk about cinnamon rolls.
Who doesn’t like to wake up, make a cup of tea, grab a few cinnamon rolls out of the freezer, put them in a pan {to rise} and then crawl back in bed? Weirdos that’s who.
If you have never made a batch or two {okay FOUR} of cinnamon rolls and then tucked them away in the freezer for a day {or twenty} when you don’t feel like cooking, here is my super easy instructions for the best way to freeze cinnamon rolls. Recipe included of course!
~Mavis
Links to freezer pans I commonly use:
- Aluminum Foil Pan Containers with Lids 8.5″ x 6″ x 3″
- Aluminum Foil Deep Pans 9″ x 13″
- Round 9 Inch Aluminum Foil Pans with lids
Find More of My Freezer Meal Recipes
The Best Way to Freeze Cinnamon Rolls + Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Dough
1/4-ounce package yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup scalded milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
Ingredients for the Filling
1/2 cup melted butter, plus more for pan if not using a baking liner
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 chopped nuts or raisins {totally optional}
Ingredients for the Icing
4 tablespoons butter, softened
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Dissolve the yeast in warm water in a small bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl combine the milk, sugar, melted butter, salt and egg. Add in 2 cups of flour and mix {I use my hands} until nice and smooth. Add yeast mixture and then mix in remaining flour until dough is easy to work with. Knead dough on lightly floured surface for around 5 minutes. Place in a large bowl that’s been greased bowl with a we bit of vegetable oil then cover and let rise until doubled in size {usually about 1 hour}.
Once the dough has doubled in size, punch down it down and roll it out on to a floured surface. Ideally you want to shape the dough in to a 15 by 9-inch rectangle. Using a pastry brush, spread the melted butter all over dough.
Then sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over the buttered dough and then sprinkle a few nuts, or raisins if you like {we used pecans and raisins}. Next roll the cinnamon roll dough up into a tight log and seal the ends with a little melted butter. Then cut into 2 inch slices {I use unflavored floss to cut my dough}.
Place your cinnamon rolls on a baking sheet and pop them in the freezer until they are frozen solid {a couple of hours}. Then, place cinnamon rolls in freezer bags, seal them up, and store them flat in the freezer for up to 3 months {like they are really going to last that long, right?}.
When you are ready to enjoy some homemade cinnamon rolls, simply place the desired amount in a buttered pan {leaving about 2-inches all around for them to expand}, and let the frozen cinnamon rolls come to room temperature and double in size.
Then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until nice and brown.
While the cinnamon rolls are baking, mix the butter, cream cheese powdered sugar, salt and vanilla. Add warm water as needed. Spread over warm rolls.
Mama Mia! That is the best way to freeze cinnamon rolls!
kate says
awesome possum! i am so gonna make a batch!
Judy says
Mavis! Yummmmo!! I didn’t see it so how many rolls does this recipe make?
suzanne says
Rock Star! I hope your family appreciates you. My neighbor’s kiddos are younger than yours and she watches the telly and eats chips all day. Dinners usually hamburger helper or her hubs stops home from work for fast food. Seriously trying not to judge her choices but it has opened up my daughters eyes on the qualities one might look for in a mate.
Lisa L says
I love all Mavis recipes BUT…is there any way to make them printer friendly? Am I so slow that I can’t figure this out? Anyone??
Sarah B says
I use http://www.printfriendly.com/ to print my recpies!
Melissa says
You can click print. And to left of the pictures in yellow, as you scroll down the page. A delete button will pop up. It will delete the pictures, you will have to do this on each one…It will still take two pages to print the reciepe and the directions. I hope that helps.
Mavis Butterfield says
Thanks for helping out. 🙂 I just got home.
Sarah B says
Does the icing recipe make enough for the 12 rolls? Because we wouldn’t eat 12 at once. Can you refrigerate it?
Mavis Butterfield says
Ye, this icing recipe is for 12 rolls. We typically mak4 4-6 rolls at a time and this icing can sit in the fridge for a week or so.
Ree says
Mavis – You are amazing!!! These look amazing and I can’t wait to try them! One question….Do you know if these would work (freeze)with gluten-free all purpose flour or would I have to make them right away? Thanks!
Mavis Butterfield says
I don’t know. I have not used gluten-free all purpose flour. Sorry.
gisele says
I do the same thing all the time. But I take the frozen yumminess out just as I am going to bed, pop them in the pan, and slide the pan in my turned off oven. By the am, defrosted, and risen. just bake. yummy
Lana says
I do that too!
athena says
Do you freeze cream cheese frosting like Mavis’ recipe? I’ve heard cream cheese doesn’t freeze well. I want to whip some of these up and freeze them in pas to give to family member to enjoy for Christmas morning this year but I’m not sure about how to give the cream cheese frosting.
Mavis Butterfield says
Nope. I make the cream cheese frosting and put it in an airtight container in the fridge. It usually lasts a few weeks that way. 🙂
Marianne says
Hi Lisa L. ! All the way at the top of the page there is a printer friendly icon.
Mavis Butterfield says
Thanks for helping Marianne. 🙂
Athena says
How long do they take to thaw and rise? I saw someone mentioned they just set them in the oven overnight but if I were going to set them out in the morning how long would I need to wait until they had thawed and risen? Thanks!
Mavis Butterfield says
I let mine thaw for about 2 hour. The key is for them to come to room temperature before you bake them.
Athena says
Thank you! Not being a morning person that time is pretty important to me!
Rhonda says
You can also make a really big batch of frosting and freeze it in smaller portions. I often freeze frosting in zipper bags. Once it’s thawed and if I’m feeling lazy, I will just cut the corner off the bag (about 1 inch) and squeeze the frosting out directly onto the item I am frosting.
Ree says
Awesome idea, Rhonda!
Eddie says
I have been looking for a great cinnamon roll recipe that I can freeze. I like to have my cinnamon rolls with coffee or tea, which ever mood I,m in. Now I will have one up on my sister she was the cinnamon roll maker in the family.
christine says
These look wonderful! Could the dough be made in a bread machine?
Cecily says
My recipe is similar to this one and I use a bread machine. The differences in mine are an extra egg, all milk, 1/4 cup more sugar, 4 1/2 cups bread flour and double the yeast. I also use 1 cup brown sugar (instead of the white) in the filling. I like to top them with caramel sauce and candied pecans to make them like the mall cinnamon rolls.
natasha says
I only have a jar of yeast, not packets, what would be the equivalent amout from the jar?
Mavis Butterfield says
1 tablespoon. 🙂
Lorinda-The Rowdy Baker says
Great idea! I’ve never tried freezing them BEFORE I put them in the freezer bags. Thanks!
colleen k says
Great blog and info on cinnamon rolls. I like your writing style, so informal and fun. Seems like you are a friend in my kitchen. Am heading to the freezer now to freeze my rolls. Thanks
Kimberly says
I love this idea! I am wondering if it would work to put them in the fridge to thaw and rise overnight? I want to have warm rolls for my company but don’t feel like getting up 2 hrs before as we already won’t b sleeping in!:):) not that they wouldn’t b worth it.
Mavis Butterfield says
I have not tried it this way, if you do let us know how it works out.
Mindy says
I made these and they are in my freezer now in a ziploc bag. I am taking them in a cooler this weekend for our vacation a few hours away. I am curious to see how they turned out leaving to rise all night? They will be in the refrigerator for two days before I make them. I will set out to rise Saturday night. Thoughts?
Mavis says
It might change the consistency and make them a bit chewier and less light and fluffy, but they should still taste great!
Leah says
I know this is an old post but I just found it a couple days ago when trying to determine the best way to freeze cinnamon rolls (because everyone has their own opinion on which way is best!) and I have to say I love your recipe! I am a huge fan of all things cinnamon but the couple recipes I had tried in the past left me so disappointed I opted for the refrigerated ones in a can from the grocery store. (Ghastly, I know, but they really were better as strange as that may seem!) I decided to try your recipe, and have already made it twice now, in as many days! I baked off a couple from each batch right away, but since I only have two people to cook and bake for baking a full batch is just silly, they would dry out before we ever got to finish them up (hence my looking for how to best freeze them) and the rest were frozen and put into vacuum seal bags to baked later on. I did just use very soft butter instead of melted on the second batch for the filling and preferred that as it kept all that buttery goodness in the rolls rather than getting pushed out and making a mess while rolling the dough, but other than that minor change this recipe is absolute perfection! Thank you so much for sharing!
Mavis Butterfield says
Glad you liked them!! 🙂
Veron says
Hello Mavis.. Thanks for the great recipe of freezing cinnamon rolls.. Saving my times.. I’ve made 3 batch so far I’ve questions for u.. How long should I wait in room temperature before baking them?
Mavis Butterfield says
I usually set mine out for about an hour or so before baking.
Nancy says
I have been shaping and flash freezing them for years. And yes, I pull them out and put them in the pan in the refrigerator covered overnight to thaw and they have been fine. I pull them out of the frig while I make coffee and heat up the oven.
Lyuba says
Hi, this recipe looks yummy! I was just wondering about the freezing part. I have been trying different recipes and having a hard time to get my butter and sugar filling to freeze solid, does your filling does that too? Mine turns to liquid 🙁
Mavis Butterfield says
I have been using this recipe for a few years now and haven’t had any problems with anything turning to liquid.
Karen Seitz says
Are you telling me that the cinnamon buns thaw out and rise ready for the oven in an hour!? I have to make 15 dozen for my niece’s wedding so it is very important that I know exactly how long they will required to thaw and rise and be ready for the oven
Mavis Butterfield says
No. You will need to let the frozen cinnamon rolls come to room temperature and double in size first {this will ultimately depend on your environment}. Once the rolls have thawed and doubled in size, then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until nice and brown. I hope that helps.
Mk says
My rolls didn’t rise after staying in the freezer . Hat might I have done wrong?
Mavis Butterfield says
My best guess is that they needed a bit longer on the counter to rise before baking.
Jessica says
Mine didn’t rise either after sitting out all night. Any thoughts?
Sarah says
If the rectangle is 15×9, how do you cut 12 2 inch slices out of 15”?
Lynne says
Hello, can you tell me please if this freezing method will work with quick rising yeast? Its all i can get right now. And it so hot these days i dont want to turn the oven on yet. Thank you.
Olivia says
What kind of yeast do you use for this recipe? Rapid rising?
Mavis Butterfield says
I’ve used both over the years. I prefer rapid rising. 🙂
Dee says
Best Cinnon Rolls I have ever had! Soft, tasty….just excellent!