Easy Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

These overnight sourdough cinnamon rolls are soft, fluffy, and packed with warm cinnamon-sugar flavor—perfect for prepping ahead. Made with sourdough starter for a rich, tangy twist, they rise slowly for unbeatable texture and taste!

My Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Journey

There I was, scrolling down my social media news feed, minding my own business, when I saw a post featuring a recipe for Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls. They couldn’t possibly have known that I have sourdough cinnamon rolls on my to-be-baked list for this week. 

I had planned to ask my friend Dianie (sourdough expert extraordinaire) if she had a recipe I could try, but the comments on this one were great, so I decided to give it a try. As I type these words, I’m waiting for the dough to proof before placing it into the fridge for the night. I’ll wrap up the writing of this post tomorrow after the rolls are baked and tasted. 

Giving credit where credit is due, the author of this recipe is sourdough mom. I’m happy to have found her site as I’m on my sourdough journey. I have learned to make so many delicious sourdough items already (like my dinner rolls, and same-day sourdough bread) but this cinnamon rolls recipe is new to me. 

I have a non-sourdough version of cinnamon rolls, by the way. So, if you don’t happen to have starter on hand, you can always use that recipe. I’ve also got a very popular recipe that uses canned biscuits for cinnamon rolls. Those are simple and delicious. But the idea of merging active starter into the recipe was just too intriguing to pass up. 

Besides, I’m trying to build my sourdough repertoire, so it just made sense to try something new. 

Cinnamon Roll Ingredients 

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a peek at what you’ll need. These are simple ingredients. If you don’t have sourdough starter on hand you’ll want to visit my Easy Sourdough Starter post. You will also need a kitchen scale for this recipe. 

• 125 grams starter (active and bubbly)
• 130 grams whole milk
• 1 ½ sticks of butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 500 grams all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon sale

Filling Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 ½ cups brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons cooled melted butter

Icing Ingredients

• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk

How to Make Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

These come together to easily. You’re going to love the process. 

Melt the butter and set aside to cool. 

Start by measuring out the sourdough starter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl). 

Add the milk and stir with a dough whisk.

Add eggs, butter, and vanilla to the starter mixture. Mix well. 

Now add the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and sugar). Mix only until the ingredients are partially incorporated and then switch to the stand mixer’s dough attachment. Set your timer for 10 minutes. 

If you’re not working with a stand mixer you can knead this dough by hand for about 7-8 minutes. 

The dough should come together beautifully. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm place (example: In the oven with the light on, or in the microwave with a cup of boiling water next to it). Leave it to proof for 2 hours. 

Place the dough in the refrigerator overnight. 

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The following morning:

Prep your filling. Mix together in ingredients and set aside. 

Prep two 9” cake pans (or a 9x13-inch baking dish). Spray generously with non-stick spray and then add parchment paper to the bottom to avoid sticking. (I didn’t do this and paid a heavy price!) 

Grab your dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface. You might choose to place it on a mat or a piece of parchment or waxed paper. You’ll have a cold, dense dough. When I first saw mine I thought, “How am I ever going to roll this out?”

But, let me tell you. . .I did, and with no problem whatsoever. In fact, it turned out to be one of the easiest roll-outs yet! (Most dough roll-outs are sticky and unmanageable but this was perfection.)

Roll into a rectangle. I didn’t measure mine but it was probably about 10x20 inches. 

Gently spread the filling across the dough, leaving a gap at the end to seal the dough, as you see in the photo. 

If you’re adding nuts, this is the time to do so. You can see that I only put them on half of my cinnamon rolls. 

Roll the dough into a tube shape. (If you’ve used parchment paper or waxed paper you can use it to guide the roll-up process.) 

Once the tube is rolled, cut it into pieces. I wanted taller pieces, but you can really make them any size you like. I used a sharp paring knife but you can use a pizza cutter or even dental floss to cut them. 

Set in the prepared pans and place in a warm spot (72 - 75 degrees Fahrenheit) to rise for three hours. (Cover with a tea towel while they rise.) 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Place pans with risen rolls in hot oven. 

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown. 

While they’re baking, make your cream cheese frosting by mixing all of the ingredients together and mixing well. (I used my stand mixer to get rid of any lumps.) 

Remove baked rolls from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before adding frosting. 

Serve and enjoy!

Store leftovers in refrigerator in an airtight container. They should stay fresh up to 3 days. You can freeze these to eat later. They should stay good in the freezer up to two months as long as they are tightly sealed. 

What to Expect from These Cinnamon Rolls

You’re going to love this recipe. The dough is great to work with and the amount of cinnamon/sugar added is perfect. I was most impressed by the spiral once I cut them into individual pieces. (You rarely get something that neat, so it was fun and satisfying to see them looking so perfect.)

The flavor was amazing and the texture (though slightly more dense than my non-sourdough cinnamon rolls was lovely. The cream cheese frosting was (literally) “the icing on the cake.” Er, the rolls. I loved these and so did my family! (I took them to my daughter’s house. She’s recovering from a shoulder surgery and needed a pick-me-up.) 

Variations to this Recipe

There are so many fun ways to change up cinnamon rolls. Here are some favorites: 

Maple Walnut: Add maple extract to the cinnamon-sugar mixture and use chopped walnuts. (Delicious!) 

Raisins: You can sprinkle raisins on top of the cinnamon-sugar, if you like. Crasins are another option. 

Orange Zest: Orange zest is the perfect addition to these rolls. (Amazing!) 

Diced Apples: This is a fun addition to your rolls. Chop an apple into tiny pieces and sprinkle on top of the cinnamon-sugar before rolling. (Apple pie cinnamon rolls, anyone?) 

Maple and brown sugar bacon bits: I know, I know. Sounds crazy. But I’m guessing this would be an over-the-top breakfast treat! And hey. . .bacon! 

That’s it for this post, friends!

I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe. 

If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you're at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 165 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.