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Home » Recipes » Homemade Roll Recipes

Overnight Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Published: Sep 28, 2021 Last Updated: Feb 3, 2023 by Marye 2263 words. | About 12 minutes to read this article.

Giant pecan cinnamon rolls full of toasted pecans, gooey cinnamon filling, and a rich icing that is topped with even more pecans. They rise overnight in the refrigerator so they're perfect for lazy weekends and holiday brunches!
Total time 10 hours 45 minutes
Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
Overhead view of finished cinnamon pecan rolls in the baking pan with text for Pinterest.

Next time try my Cinnabon copycat sweet rolls!

Pecan roll on a plate with a pan of rolls next to it. Title text overlay.
Jump to:
  • ❤️ Why you'll love it
  • 🧾 Ingredients
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • 🥄 Equipment
  • 🥫 Storage
  • 💭 Tips
  • 👩‍🍳 FAQs
  • 📚 Related recipes
  • 🍽️ Serve with...
  • Texas Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
  • 📞 The last word
  • 💬 Comments

❤️ Why you'll love it

Absolutely the best homemade cinnamon rolls recipe ever- here's why...

  • this pecan cinnamon roll recipe rises overnight in the refrigerator so you just pop them in the oven in the morning; fresh and warm sweet rolls for breakfast!
  • big, soft, and buttery
  • overflowing with gooey cinnamon and sugar and packed with toasted pecans

This is the big Texas cinnamon roll recipe we make around here - plate sized and full of gooey cinnamon and pecans then topped with plenty of rich icing!

Soft, buttery rolls have a thick ribbon of spicy cinnamon filling and a generous amount of toasted pecans.

After they're baked to a golden brown (and the kitchen smells like heaven) gooey vanilla butter icing is spooned on while they are still warm then more pecans are sprinkled over the top.

These pecan cinnamon sweet rolls are crazy easy! They're the perfect treat for Christmas morning!

🧾 Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this recipe. You'll find any notes about ingredients beneath the image.

Labeled ingredients for this recipe.

The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

  • all-purpose flour
  • active dry yeast
  • light or dark brown sugar - either works fine but dark brown gives a bit more caramel type flavor.
  • vanilla extract
  • kosher salt
  • eggs
  • buttermilk
  • butter
  • cinnamon
  • powdered sugar
  • pecans

🔪 Instructions

Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.

Collage of steps 1 through 4 for making the dough.
  1. Add a little of the sugar and yeast to some of the warm water in a small bowl. Set aside until foamy.
  2. Add to a large bowl of a stand mixer and mix in remaining ingredients until a soft dough forms.
  3. Knead with dough hook attachment.
  4. Place dough in a warm spot and let rise until double.
Collage of steps 5 through 8: shaping the rolls.
  1. Test to make sure the dough has doubled.
  2. Punch down.
  3. Spread with filling and toasted, chopped pecans.
  4. Roll up, pinch seam, and cut in equal slices - place rolls on a parchment covered cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and let dough rise overnight in the refrigerator before baking. Next day bake pecan cinnamon rolls, add icing, and serve!

To toast pecans

To toast pecans place them on a heavy cookie sheet in a 350F oven for about 5 to 10 minutes stirring every minute or two until toasted. Watch that they don't burn!

🥄 Equipment

The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

  • stand mixer
  • baking sheet with sides
  • instaread thermometer
Overhead view of a full pan of pecan cinnamon rolls with frosting on top.

🥫 Storage

*Store them, tightly covered, at room temperature for no more than 2 days. Freeze for longer storage.

Pecan cinnamon rolls are truly at their best when freshly made so plan on eating them the same day if possible. You can keep them, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature for about 2 days but they'll get a little stale.

These freeze well, too. Place the cinnamon pecan rolls in an airtight freezer container with parchment paper between the layers and freeze for up to 3 months.

Pan of cinnamon pecan rolls with one missing.

💭 Tips

Expert Tip: Oh NO! I'm out of powdered sugar! If you're out of Confectioner's (powdered) sugar you can try this easy substitute. Just blend 1-½ cups regular sugar and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a blender until powdered. It will take about a minute. Use as you would Confectioner's sugar.

  • If you spray the inside of the plastic wrap with cooking spray it won't stick to the unbaked dough in the refrigerator or the frosting after the sweet rolls are done.
  • When you melt the butter be sure to let it cool to at least 110F or a comfortable warm temperature before adding it to the yeast dough ingredients!!!
  • Cutting the pecan cinnamon rolls from the roll is easy with dental floss! Just run a string under the roll, bring it up the sides, cross over on the top and pull gently. The floss will cut through the dough cleanly and easily.
  • You can also cut through them with a sharp knife.
  • Always place cinnamon rolls cut side down on the greased baking sheet.
  • I add a pinch of chipotle to my cinnamon to make it a little spicy. About ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon per 2 tablespoons works for us.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

How long will cinnamon roll dough keep in the fridge?

About 3 days if you punch it down once every 24 hours. After that it starts losing it's ability to rise.

How do you keep pecan cinnamon rolls fresh?

Keep them tightly covered. If you won't be eating them in a day or two it's best to freeze them.

How do you make easy cinnamon roll icing?

There are a lot of types of icing to use on cinnamon rolls. The one I share with this recipe is the easiest because it's just three ingredients and you can make it in about 2 minutes!

How long does it take for classic cinnamon rolls to rise?

About 1 hour for the first rising and 30 minutes for the second. The actual time will depend on the temperature of the room they're rising in. If you are letting them rise in the refrigerator overnight then that's the only rising time they really need.

Closeup of a pecan roll.

📚 Related recipes

  • Overnight Apple Chipotle Cinnamon Rolls is another overnight cinnamon roll recipe with a deliciously spicy apple filling.
  • Peanut Butter Sweet Rolls are a unique sweet roll that your peanut butter lovers will go "nuts" over.
  • Fruit Kolache just like we have here in Texas.
  • Honey Buttermilk Bread isn't a sweet roll but you can use the dough for about anything you want. It's amazing!
  • Orange sweet rolls shaped like an Easter bunny with a pink tail.
    Easter Bunny Sweet Rolls
  • Finished rolls in a basket.
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  • Close up of the sweet rolls on a white plate.
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  • Feature image for this post - a close up of the finished recipe.
    Garlic Breadsticks Recipe
Cinnamon roll on a plate with a fork. Side view shows texture of the inside of the roll.

🍽️ Serve with...

I like to have homemade pecan cinnamon rolls with coffee but if you are having them as part of a holiday brunch or buffet try serving them with ...

  • Southwestern Style quiche or Tex-Mex Eggs Benedict
  • Sausage balls
  • Make ahead yogurt parfaits
  • Coffee punch or Mexican hot chocolate

These easy cinnamon rolls are about to become your family's favorite! They are so big and fluffy - fantastic on a brunch table.

The gooey cinnamon sugar is absolutely amazing!

Looking for quick and easy? Check out these cream cheese danishes you can make in 20 minutes!

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overhead view of the pecan roll for the feature image.
5 from 4 votes

Texas Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

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Giant pecan cinnamon rolls full of toasted pecans, gooey cinnamon filling, and a rich icing that is topped with even more pecans. They rise overnight in the refrigerator so they're perfect for lazy weekends and holiday brunches!
Course Breakfast Bread
Cuisine Amercian Heritage
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Rising time: 10 hours
Total Time: 10 hours 45 minutes
Servings:12 giant cinnamon rolls
Calories:819
Author:Marye Audet-White
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Equipment Needed

  • Stand mixer
  • insta-read thermometer

Ingredients

Rolls

  • 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, if using regular salt use just 1 teaspoon
  • 2 packages active dry yeast
  • ¼ cup water, 110F
  • 1 cup buttermilk, warm (110F)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to warm room temp
  • 2 egg yolks, room temperature
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Filling

  • 1 ⅓ cups brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon chipotle powder, optional
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup butter, melted, divided use
  • 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans, , toasted

Topping

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • ⅓ cup butter, melted
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • cream to thin it out, as needed
  • 1 ½ cups pecans, chopped & toasted

I earn a commission from Instacart from qualifying purchases.

Instructions

Dough

  • Mix warm (110F) water and a tablespoon of brown sugar; stir in yeast.
  • Set the mixture aside for a few minutes until it begins to bubble. I know this is no longer necessary but I think it still gives better results.
  • Mix about 2 cups of the flour, eggs, egg yolks, remaining brown sugar and buttermilk into the yeast mixture until smooth.
  • Add the vanilla, salt, and butter.
  • Slowly add more flour until a soft dough is formed. You can do this by hand or with a heavy duty mixture and a dough hook.
  • Once the dough holds together turn it out on a floured surface. You can also knead with your mixer if you prefer.
  • Knead a few minutes until smooth and satiny, but still somewhat soft. It will feel like your earlobe if you pinch it.
  • Place in a large, greased bowl and turn the ball of dough over to grease the top. Cover with a tea towel, place in a warm spot, and let rise.
  • Let rise for 1 hour, or until double.
  • Punch dough down; let rest for 5 minutes. This gets some of the elasticity out and makes it easier to roll.
  • With a rolling pin roll the dough out into a rectangle that is about ½ inch thick or a little more.

Filling

  • Spread the dough with ¼ cup of the cooled, melted butter.
  • Mix the remaining ¼ cup of melted butter, cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar together.
  • Spread this over the dough and sprinkle with the pecans pressing in lightly.
  • Roll up as for a jelly roll, pinch the long edge to seal, and cut in 12 thick slices.
  • Place the slices, cut side down, on a greased cookie sheet.
  • Cover with greased plastic wrap.
  • Refrigerate the rolls overnight. You can also just let them rise at room temperature for about an hour if you want to bake them immediately but they aren't as good.
  • Next morning place the rolls on the counter while you preheat the oven. Remove the plastic wrap gently.
  • Bake the pecan cinnamon rolls in a 375F oven about 30 minutes or until done. (An insta-read thermometer in pushed in the center will read 195-200F) Be sure to use a middle oven shelf and a heavy baking sheet. Watch carefully because the sugar will make the bottoms burn if you are not careful.
  • Remove from the oven.

Icing

  • While the rolls are baking mix the topping ingredients together until smooth.
  • Spread on warm rolls.
  • Cover with chopped pecans.

Notes

*For smaller rolls roll out a larger rectangle and cut into 24 rolls - half the calories.
**To toast pecans place them on a heavy cookie sheet in a 350F oven for about 5 to 10 minutes stirring every minute or two until toasted. Watch that they don't burn!
*** When I updated the recipe (September 2021) the only thing I changed was to double the filling because I had started making it that way and it was a big hit with my family. You can make it the old way by just halving the filling ingredients and leaving out the last 1 ½ cups pecans if you really really want to. 🙁
Expert Tip: Oh NO! I'm out of powdered sugar! If you're out of Confectioner's (powdered) sugar you can try this easy substitute. Just blend 1-½ cups regular sugar and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a blender until powdered. It will take about a minute. Use as you would Confectioner's sugar.
  • If you spray the inside of the plastic wrap with cooking spray it won't stick to the unbaked dough in the refrigerator or the frosting after the sweet rolls are done.
  • Cutting the pecan cinnamon rolls from the roll is easy with dental floss! Just run a string under the roll, bring it up the sides, cross over on the top and pull gently. The floss will cut through the dough cleanly and easily.
  • You can also cut through them with a sharp knife.
  • Always place cinnamon rolls cut side down on the greased baking sheet.
  • I add a pinch of chipotle to my cinnamon to make it a little spicy. About ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon per 2 tablespoons works for us.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 819kcal | Carbohydrates: 104g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 495mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 60g | Vitamin A: 762IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 135mg | Iron: 4mg

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    📞 The last word

    Is there anyone who doesn't like a good cinnamon roll recipe?

    (I know as soon as I say that there will be some whackadoo that pipes up and tells me how much they hate them... So I'm sure there are those sort of people.)

    To me cinnamon rolls sort of spell out the Roget's thesaurus version of "I love you."

    Well, with these homemade cinnamon rolls it's more like: "I love, adore, cherish, like, affect, fancy, care for, take an interest in, be partial to, sympathize with; affection; be in love with; have a love for, entertain a love for, harbor cherish a love for; regard, revere; take to, bear love to, be wedded to; set one's affections on; make much of, feast one's eyes on; hold dear, prize; hug, cling to, cherish, pet, burn; adore, idolize, love to distraction, dote on, dote upon, take a fancy to, look sweet upon; become enamored; fall in love with, lose one's heart; desire... you."

    These are the BEST cinnamon rolls ever. They're big as Texas, sweet as a baby kiss, and easy as pie.

    It's like biting into a cloud of sweet, buttery, cinnamony perfection

    . And there are pecans - masses of them. Chop them up but leave big chunks of pecan so that you get a good taste of it in every bite.

    It's your choice. You can make those other kind of cinnamon rolls (bless your heart, or buy them, even) or you can make these.

    I suppose some of it depends on how many synonyms you have on hand to describe your loved ones.

    I swear, here in Texas pecans go in everything from chicken salad to ice cream. They are just so good!

    We've got several native trees on our property and the nuts are so high in flavor that you wouldn't believe it. It's just a challenge to try to get them before the squirrels and worms!

    First published October 2014. Last updated September 28, 2021 for better images and improved instructions.

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    About Marye

    With a 40 year focus on the importance of family and a passion for southern comfort food, Marye Audet-White is an expert in melding the two together effortlessly. Marye's a NY Times Bestselling author with 10 cookbooks under her belt and her recipes have been featured in Good Housekeeping, Country Living, Today, House Beautiful, Texas Living, Food & Wine, and many more.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Darlene

      December 15, 2021 at 9:01 pm

      Hello and Thank you for such great bread / yeast recipes. I have not tried all them yet but the couple I have turned out wonderful. I have enjoyed reading through all the information and tips you have offered. I have just made this recipe and noticed (unless I miss read) I see to use tablespoon of brown sugar with the yeast , however the recipe calls for 1/4 cup. When do you add the rest of the sugar? with the flour and eggs and buttermilk? also in the filling I am assuming you add the salt in the cinnamon / br sugar slurry ? I can hardly wait till tomorrow for these rolls. Thank you

      Reply
      • Marye

        December 17, 2021 at 10:17 am

        Yes! I've fixed the recipe. Thanks!

    2. Thelma

      December 23, 2020 at 1:35 pm

      5 stars
      I made the cinnamon rolls and your cloverleaf rolls. They both were delicious. Oh, I forgot your light bread. My goodness delicious. Having never made bread before. Thank you. And I don’t usually leave comment either. Hope you feel better and again thank

      Reply
      • Marye

        December 23, 2020 at 2:25 pm

        This makes me so happy!!

    3. Sheri

      January 27, 2019 at 1:29 pm

      Is there a different outcome if you use bread dough flour instead of all purpose flour.

      Reply
      • Marye Audet

        January 27, 2019 at 3:15 pm

        Yes - but it's marginal. Bread flour has more protein so the cinnamon rolls will be slightly less tender.

    4. Sheri

      November 15, 2014 at 12:32 pm

      Thank you for the great recipe, Marye.

      Ours are just rising in the oven...there is NO WAY these are gonna make it into the fridge to rise, lol! My kitchen helpers rebelled at the very suggestion :-).

      Reply
    5. shelby

      October 08, 2014 at 4:39 am

      I totally agree, cinnamon rolls like this say I love you in many different ways! I also LOVE the pecans. I use them all the time too and I'm not from Texas. lol

      Reply
    6. Sherri Jo

      October 08, 2014 at 4:37 am

      Oh Marye! You've done it again... my diet would so be busted if I lived near you... I would have to be working out for hours a day! Yum!

      Reply

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    NY Times bestselling author. 10 cookbooks. Mom of 8 kids. Homeschooling mom for 22 years. Addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies.

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