fluffy overnight mocha cinnamon rolls with bourbon cream cheese frosting
Since I’ve already showed off my balls more than once on the Internet might as well add in some of my buns, too.
Merry Christmas Eve! Hope ya’ll feel especially holly jolly amidst this crazy polar vortex shit we’ve got going on. Right now, Friday evening, it’s not so cold yet, but every hour the temp falls another 5 degrees or so and eventually we’re scheduled to have a low of 29. That’s insanity for central Florida. I even have to bring my basils in because we’re under a freeze watch! I wonder how me running in this is gonna work out…
Anywho, most of you are likely thinking about little more than frantically wrapping gifts, last-minute food shopping, and cleaning up if you’re hosting the fambam for the weekend. Enter these Fluffy Overnight Mocha Cinnamon Rolls. If you’re not sure what to make for Christmas brunch, these are your perfect little knubs. Start them today, refrigerate overnight, and finish in the morning while people yawn themselves awake and roam through the house wondering what Santa brought them. And if they try to bully you about breakfast, tell them their stockings are filled with coal.
The fragrance of these buttery, flaky rolls will jerk anyone out of their deepest slumber. A hint of spicy cinnamon, warm melty chocolate, and a splash of espresso characterize the palate of these incredibly tender and gooey treats. Finish each off with a big swipe of bourbon-infused vanilla cream cheese frosting, and you’ve got a big winner winner.
Buns On My Mind
Cinnamon rolls as a rule take a bit of time to make, but the process of these can be either done all in one day, or split up over multiple days, depending on the time you have.
At any rate, start with your brioche dough. I use this same formula in both my sweet and savory fixtures, most recently the Pumpkin Sage Butter Brioche Rolls. Delish. Activate the yeast in some warm milk and maple syrup until frothy – the milk should not be balls hot, just lukewarm. Who is Luke, anyway, and why is he warm? Whisk in softened butter and eggs, then the flour. I start with 3 1/2 cups and work my way up to the right texture for the dough. In this case, tacky and soft are the name of the game.
I perform these steps in my stand mixer, but if you want to do this part by hand, you definitely can. When the dough is cohesive enough to handle, turn onto a floured surface and knead, adding flour as necessary, until that soft dough ball comes together. Toss the ball into an oiled bowl to coat both sides and let rise until doubled.
Fill the Buns
The characteristic melty, sweet filling is all thanks to the combination of brown sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, a bit of instant espresso, and a handful of chopped dark chocolate. Toss that together in anticipation of the next few steps.
Give your risen dough a good slap in the buns, turn onto a floured surface, and roll into a big rectangle. Spread some butter over the dough and sprinkle with the aforementioned sugar blend. Finish with the dark chocolate.
Here, you have two methods you could enlist for slicing the rolls. Either roll the whole thing into a big log and cut into 12 buns with a very sharp knife, or do what I did and slice strips with a pizza cutter, then roll each individual strip into a roll. I find method #2 way easier. Perhaps somewhat messier, but you’re more likely to get a nice cinnamon bun shape rather than some convoluted squished monster.
Once you’ve got your 12 buns, place them in a lightly greased or parchment-lined cake pan. Now, you can either cover the rolls and let them rest about 30 minutes, or put the pan in the fridge overnight to chill. The overnight aspect makes this recipe very accessible for anyone who needs to keep their head screwed on the next couple days.
Baked Buns
When you’re ready to bake, heat the oven to 375. Uncover and throw the buns in until golden, and let them cool about 10 minutes. Much sooner and the icing will slop to the bottom of the pan. Still tasty, just not as pretty.
The frosting is wonderful, lick-the-beater worthy (just not while it’s running. Ouch.) Powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, and my best pal, Bourbon, along with a touch of vanilla. Whip it all together and spread over the warm rolls. I tell you, ain’t much prettier a sight or taste out there.
I do hope all you have the best Christmas, the best weekend, the best final week of 2022. I’m spending the evening with J and my family, eating lots of appetizers, rockin’ around the Christmas tree, and probably taking a shot or two. My sister always makes Christmas shooters, and I’m curious what she’s planning this year. It’s always good, so at least I can guarantee that.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Brunch away!
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fluffy overnight mocha cinnamon rolls with bourbon cream cheese frosting
Ingredients
- 1 packet active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp)
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 4 tbsp butter, softened
- 2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
- 4 – 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
mocha filling
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp instant espresso (optional)
- 3 oz dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 stick butter, softened
bourbon cream cheese frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 4 tbsp butter, softened
- 2 – 2/12 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp bourbon
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk, yeast, and maple syrup. Let sit until the yeast is foamy, about 5-10 minutes. If you yeast doesn't froth, it be dead. Womp womp. Go buy a fresh packet.
- Whisk in the butter and egg until incorporated. With the dough hook attachment, knead in 3 1/2 cups of the flour. Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until a tacky, soft, but cohesive dough forms. I needed about 4 1/4 cups to accomplish this. Alternatively, you can turn the dough onto a floured countertop and knead by hand, adding flour as needed, for 10-15 minutes until you achieve the needed texture.
- Spray the bowl lightly with oil and turn the dough over so both sides are coated. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 60-90 minutes.
- When the dough is ready, punch it down, flour a clean flat work surface, and roll into a 12 x 16 inch rectangle. Spread with the softened butter from edge to edge. Stir together the brown sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and instant espresso (if using). Sprinkle over the buttered dough, then dust with the chopped chocolate.
- Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Slice the dough into 12 strips. Roll each strip until a, well, roll. Place into the baking dish. Cover and let rise an additional 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours in the fridge.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Uncover the rolls and bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly golden on top. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before frosting.
- For the frosting, beat together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, bourbon, and vanilla until fluffy. Ice each cinnamon roll generously. Serve warm with hot coffee!
