Freezing Cinnamon Rolls: 3 Different Ways

Ah, cinnamon rolls. Is there anything better than a fresh cinnamon roll, dripping with frosting, hot from the oven for breakfast? The thing about cinnamon rolls is that they take time to make. I love them but I rarely make them (much less first thing in the morning) because of the time element. That’s when I started wondering…can you freeze cinnamon rolls? 

Freezer cooking lover that I am, I decided to do some research on this precise topic. I happily discovered it is much easier than you might think to freeze cinnamon rolls. I am happy to share with you all that I learned today in this easy guide of How to Freeze Cinnamon Rolls! 

As I prepared another batch of cinnamon rolls for our family to enjoy on Thanksgiving, I realized this post needed an update with a bit of clarification from my experience from years of working with frozen cinnamon rolls.

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First of all, all three freezing cinnamon rolls techniques shared below can be used successfully with your favorite cinnamon roll recipe. The results should be similar, regardless of what homemade cinnamon roll recipe you use. I can’t guarantee it, of course, but most cinnamon roll recipes are pretty similar.

When I bake homemade cinnamon rolls, I love to use the  Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon roll recipe. Her recipe is delicious, although it does make lots of cinnamon rolls (between 40 and 50). This actually makes it a perfect freezer recipe because you definitely can’t eat all of them at once! I will note that I do modify Ree’s fabulous recipe slightly. Instead of using melted butter, I used slightly less butter and I only soften it. It eliminated some of the general oozing problems. Her frosting is delicious as well (even with vanilla instead of maple and coffee).

When I began my freezing cinnamon roll research, I discovered there were three variations of how to freeze cinnamon rolls. Over achiever that I am, I decided to try all three methods to see which I preferred.

Here are 3 methods for freezing cinnamon rolls.

1. How to freeze baked cinnamon rolls with icing

The first method is what most people probably do. Simply bake and frost the cinnamon rolls as indicated in the directions. Allow to cool and wrap tightly for the freezer. Freeze. Take your pan of cinnamon rolls out of the freezer the night before you are ready to serve. Warm individual rolls in the microwave to serve.

2. How to freeze unbaked cinnamon rolls after a rise

The second method is to freeze cinnamon rolls in the pan – after a slight rise but before baking. In this method, take the pan out of the freezer the night before and allow them to thaw and rise on the counter overnight. Then, bake in the morning and frost as usual.

3. How to freeze raw cinnamon rolls before rising

In the final method, you flash freeze individual cinnamon rolls before rising or baking. If you’ve ever wondered can you freeze cinnamon roll dough, this method is for you!

Make your cinnamon rolls as usual. Cut your cinnamon rolls and place them several inches apart on a cookie sheet. Freeze them for 30 minutes or until firm. Remove the rolls from the cookie sheet and place in a large gallon freezer bag.

When ready to serve, remove the specific number of rolls you want and set in a baking pan. Cover and allow to thaw on the counter overnight. Bake and frost as specified.

What is the best way to freeze homemade cinnamon rolls?

For the sake of research, I tried all three methods and you will see them packaged for my freezer below. I also made my frosting ahead of time and froze it (hence the large yogurt container in the picture). Any of the three methods for freezing cinnamon rolls work, but here are my thoughts on the best way to freeze cinnamon rolls.

I started with my go to cook to learn about freezing cinnamon rolls according to the Pioneer Woman, who makes huge batches of delicious cinnamon rolls. Ree recommends the first method of baking and frosting them before freezing. This is the most convenient and easiest freezer method. Everything is taken care of already and you just rewarm the rolls in the microwave or the oven as you are ready to eat them.

Make sure you use disposable pans if you use this method. I like this method if you are serving a large crowd and need everything done early. Just bake and freeze until you are ready to serve!

Freezing your rolls in the pan before baking (method two) works well but it does take up more space in your freezer. Besides, if you don’t have disposable pans, this ties up another pan as it will be in the freezer. It’s easy enough to plan ahead a bit and pull the pan out the night before. The clear advantage to this method is that your cinnamon rolls are truly hot from the oven in the morning.

Jessica recommends the third method of flash freezing individual cinnamon rolls. This was the first time I had heard of this and was most curious about this method. This works especially well when you are baking a large batch of cinnamon rolls and don’t want to tie up additional pans. It also takes up less freezer space.

With this method, not only do you get hot cinnamon rolls in the morning but you can decide exactly how many you want. Plus, there aren’t leftovers…unless you want there to be!

One negative is that your cinnamon rolls may not rise quite as tall as they do with a traditional bake and rise. They still taste delicious but you should be aware of this fact when flash freezing your rolls.

The slight disadvantage to methods two and three is that you have to freeze the frosting separately or make it fresh that morning. A basic cinnamon roll frosting is not hard to make, since it is mostly powdered sugar. A traditional cinnamon frosting does freeze well so you can simply thaw the frosting when you get your frozen cinnamon rolls out of the freezer.

Whenever you are freezing cinnamon rolls, I highly recommend using disposable pans (like these) when you are baking your homemade cinnamon rolls for the freezer.

These disposable pans that come with lids make it easy to stack the pans in your freezer. I keep a variety of disposable pans on hand at all times for freezer cooking and for sharing meals with friends. When you give someone a delicious gift of cinnamon rolls, you don’t want them to worry about giving you back a pan!

So, there you have it. My analysis on three different methods of freezing cinnamon rolls. As I said earlier, there is a lot of flexibility with freezing homemade cinnamon rolls. My ultimate cinnamon roll recommendation?

Use your favorite cinnamon roll recipe and chose what method works best for you at the time.

If your cinnamon recipe is a small recipe, I would chose method one or two.

Choose method three, if your cinnamon roll recipe makes a lot (like Ree’s).

If you are serving hot cinnamon rolls to a crowd on Thanksgiving or Christmas morning, I would stick with method one and rewarm them in the oven that morning.

It’s so nice to have hot, homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast! And when you utilize your freezer, it’s just as fast – and so much better – than opening up a can.

For all my other freezer cooking recipes, check them out here. I just love freezer cooking. Don’t you?

Want more easy kitchen tips and recipes? 

Learn how I make homemade bread machine mix to make homemade bread in a hurry!

Try making homemade yogurt in a slow cooker. It’s easy and makes delicious homemade yogurt, for cheaper than what you can buy. 

Or save this easy recipe for the best homemade chocolate frosting. Only 5 ingredients, and I promise that once you taste it, you’ll never go back to store bought again. 

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22 Comments

  1. I’d like to make and freeze the dough ahead of time so that when my 4yo granddaughter comes at Christmas it will be a simpler project. Do you have any advice for freezing just the dough to make the rolls later?

  2. You mention heating them in the oven with method 1, what time and temp recommendations do you have for this?

    1. For method 1, I would follow whatever your regular cinnamon roll recipe recommends. For example, when I make the Pioneer Women’s rolls, I bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes – just like her recipe says.

  3. Can I flash freeze my cinnamon roll log for a few minutes before I cut it?
    To be able to cut it easier. I would like all rolls perfect & exactly the same size.
    Thanks, Cindy

    1. I think that sounds like a smart idea to me! Cinnamon rolls can be messy to cut! 🙂 Let me know how it turns out if you try that!

  4. Have you ever let the rolls rise and freeze then bake frozen directly from the freezer?
    Either #2 or #3?

    1. No, I have not baked frozen rolls. I always thaw before baking. You are welcome to try, but the baking time will have to be lengthened.

  5. Hi! Thank you for all your thorough research 😁 Is it possible to combine methods 2 & 3? Flash freeze individually after the slight rise? Therefore eliminating the issue of them not being quite as tall & fluffy?

    1. Give it a try, Kat! I would think it should work. The next time I make a batch of cinnamon rolls, I will have to try that. If you try it before I do, let me know what you discover!

    1. Good question! It’s one of those judgment calls, because I find that different recipes rise differently after frozen so you might have to play around with it. I let mine go until they are risen near the top of the pan, but not over like you normally let some. I’d describe a slight rise as 50 – 75% of your normal rise. I hope that helps, and good luck!

  6. Pingback: 33 Easy Breakfast Freezer Meals – Mom Chef Recipes
  7. Hi Kristen:

    I will be using method 3 tomorrow to freeze my cinnamon rolls. Did you by chance double your yeast to minimize deflation of rolls due to some yeast dying in the freezee? Another site mentioned that, but haven’t seen that anywhere else?

    1. Hmm. That is an interesting idea! I haven’t seen that anywhere, but it does seem worth a try! I might have to try that next time too. Good luck freezing your cinnamon rolls!

  8. Kristen, I love this!
    “Over achiever that I am, I decided to try all three methods to see which I preferred. ”

    I’ve tried freezing the rolls before, but my rolls never really rose as high as rise and bake. But then again, I never let them thaw and rise overnight – only for a few hours. Did you find that letting them thaw/rise overnight made them rise as much as rise and bake?

    1. Glad I’m not the only over achiever baker around! 🙂 Thawing overnight does help, but honestly? They don’t get quite as high as they would if you did a full rise and bake right away. Still, it’s worth the convience of it for me to freeze unbaked sometimes! Hope that helps, Paula!

  9. I did method 3 with Ree’s rolls. Your words say “Then, when ready to serve, remove the specific number of rolls you want and set in a baking pan. Cover and allow to thaw on the counter overnight. Bake and frost as specified.”

    Besides thawing them, do they need to RISE before baking? Or JUST thaw?

    1. Good question! As they thaw, they will rise slightly… enough to be ready for baking. No extra rising time needed. Hope this helps. Enjoy your delicious cinnamon rolls!

  10. How did freezing the frosting work out? Thinking about making a batch of The Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls for friends and family but not sure how freezing the icing will turn out. Is it difficult to scoop out single serving portions of icing?

    1. Hi, Aimee! Freezing the frosting worked well both ways! I’ve decided it’s easiest to go ahead and frost the PW’s rolls right out of the oven (like Ree suggestions) and freeze them that way. When you reheat them after freezing, the frosting oozes into the rolls. That said, when I froze the icing separate, I just let it thaw for a half hour to hour and scooped out what I needed. It didn’t take that long to thaw either. Either way, I think you’re good. I hope you and your family enjoy the rolls…and I hope this helps!

  11. My mouth waters every day I’m here. LOVE these ideas!! Especially in the busy season lately. Definitely “pinned”!

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