Joanna Gaines’ Make-Ahead Christmas Morning Breakfast

With the holidays nearing, make-ahead breakfasts have become more important than ever. And for winter mornings, you may want to stray away from cold overnight oats or chia pudding to enjoy something more warm and comforting.

While not minimal effort, Joanna Gaines’ delicious cinnamon roll recipe can be made in advance. Make them the night before and warm them up in the oven again the next morning to make your house smell amazing. Gaines suggests storing leftovers in an airtight container, which will hold for up to two days.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: taking the time to create something delicious or beautiful (or both!) is always worth the effort,” Gaines recently shared. “There’s just so much comfort tethered to an act of intentionality, especially during seasons of change or transition.”

We have the recipe below for these gooey cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing. But if you’re short on time this season, you can snag the boxed version of this recipe at Target by looking for the Magnolia Table Classic Frozen Cinnamon Rolls—you’ll have fresh cinnamon rolls within the hour!

Joanna Gaines’ Classic Cinnamon Rolls

Total Time: 3 hours 35 minutes

Active Time: 30 minutes

Makes: 12 servings

Ingredients

Filling

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Dough

• ¼ cup warm water (110 degrees F)
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup warm whole milk (110 degrees F)
• ½ cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• Cooking spray

Cream Cheese Icing

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons whole milk

Directions

Step 1

To make the dough: In a small bowl, stir together the warm water, yeast and sugar until dissolved. Let sit for about five minutes, until the mixture is foamy on top.

Step 2

Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Add warm milk, oil and eggs. Turn the mixer on low speed and add the yeast mixture. As the dough comes together in the mixer, slowly increase the speed to medium-high and let it mix for five minutes. (The dough will be sticky.)

Step 3

Spray a large mixing bowl with cooking spray. Shape the dough into a ball with your hands and place it in the bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.

Step 4

To make the filling: Combine the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl and whip together with a hand mixer on medium speed until fully combined and smooth.

Step 5

Prepare a 9-by-13-inch baking pan by generously spraying it with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 6

Punch down the dough to release the gases. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-by-18-inch rectangle. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly across the dough making sure to coat the edges.

Step 7

Roll the dough into a log, beginning at the long end. Pinch the seam to seal and place the seam side down on the work surface. Cut the log into twelve 1 ½-inch rolls. Place the rolls into the prepared 9-by-13-inch pan in four rows of three rolls. Cover the pan loosely with a towel and let it rest at room temperature for 25 minutes.

Step 8

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cinnamon rolls are a deep golden color. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the icing: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cream cheese and butter. Cream on medium-high speed for about one minute, until

completely smooth. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed for another minute, making sure the mixture is smooth. Add the milk and vanilla, then mix until combined with no clumps of sugar.

Step 9

Let cinnamon rolls cool slightly for about 10 minutes, then generously coat with icing.