The Best Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

For me, Christmas Eve means an Italian Feast of fishes and the singing of O’ Holy Night — but Christmas Day on the other hand? That means a batch of these warm and gooey Gingerbread Cinnamon rolls.

These cinnamon rolls are so easy to make, and you can just set them up the day before you want to bake them so that when you wake up all you have to do is pop them in the oven. Yes, please!

Looking for more Holiday recipes? I’ve got you covered:

• Italian Rainbow Cookies
• Holiday Cranberry Moscow Mule
• Raspberry Linzer Cookies
• Italian Ricotta Cookies
• Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
• Peppermint Bark
• Cranberry Sauce with Pineapple

Gingerbread Cinnamon Roll Ingredients

Similar to regular cinnamon rolls but with a ginger-y and molasses twist.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Flour: This recipe uses King Arthur all-purpose flour.

Active dry yeast: To help the rolls rise.

Salt: Because everything needs salts for that *pop*.

Ground ginger: For these rolls signature flavor.

Milk: For the dough, of course.

Sugar: For sweetness.

Eggs: For richness.

Salted butter: For a light, flaky texture.

Dark brown sugar: You can sub light brown sugar, but I like the extra molasses and depth of flavor that dark brown sugar gives these rolls.

Allspice and cinnamon: For warmth.

Molasses: For that signature flavor of gingerbread spiraling through these rolls.

Cream cheese: For the frosting.

Powdered sugar: For the frosting.

Vanilla Extract: For a light vanilla flavor.

How to Make Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

Here’s how to make these perfect Christmas rolls:

Step 1: Make the dough.

You’ll start off by making the easy dough.

Add the yeast to the warm milk with a TBS of granulated sugar and let bloom about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the flour, spices, and salt to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.

Once ready, pour in the milk mixture along with the eggs, vanilla, and softened butter. Mix on low, and then slowly increase the medium. Continue mixing until the dough as come together and is pulling away from the sides of the bowl, about 5-8 minutes.

Once ready, oil a clean bowl and add the dough directly to it, patting the top with a bit of olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1–2 hours).

Step 2: Make the filling

In the meantime, making the filling by adding the brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and ginger to a bowl. Mix to combine.

Then make the molasses butter by combing the softened butter with the molasses, stir to combine.

Step 3: Roll out the dough.

Punch down the dough and roll it into a rectangle that’s about 12 inches long.

Step 4: Adding the filling.

Spread the molasses butter all over the dough and then sprinkle on the brown sugar mixture, making sure to pat the mixture into the dough so that it doesn’t fall all over the place when you roll it.

Step 5: Roll the dough into a log.

Roll the dough into a log by the long side so that you have one long piece of dough.

Step 6: Cut the cinnamon rolls.

Using string, or a knife, cut the log into about 2 inch rolls. Add them to a 9×13 inch parchment-lined baking dish with high sides.

Step 7: Perform the second rise.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Meanwhile, cover the rolls with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise until they’ve just about doubled in size, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 8: Bake the rolls.

Back, uncovered, in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until they’re lightly brown.

Step 9: Make the cinnamon roll cream cheese icing.

In the meantime, make the cinnamon roll icing by combining the powdered sugar, cream cheese, melted butter, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla. 

Once the rolls are done baking, let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before spreading the icing on top. Enjoy!

How to make these Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls Ahead of Time

When making them ahead of time, just make the dough, do the first rise, then roll them out, cut them, put them in the baking dish, and let them rise in the fridge rather than in a warm place. That way when you wake up you don’t have to spend an hour diddling around in the kitchen to start them.

Just take them out of the refrigerator about a half hour before you want to bake them. If they need to rise more, let them.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

These warm and gooey cinnamon rolls are spiced with molasses, ginger, allspice and cinnamon and topped with a brown butter cream cheese frosting.

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cinnamon rolls, easy recipes, gingerbread cinnamon rolls

Servings: 12 rolls

Ingredients

• 3.5 cups King Arthur AP flour spooned and leveled
• 1 cup milk warmed
• 2 large eggs
• 6 tbs salted butter room temperature
• 2 tbs granulated sugar
• 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Sugar Filling

• ½ cup salted butter room temperature
• ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 3 tbs molasses
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tsp allspice

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

• 6 tbs salted butter melted
• 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

• Combine the warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let bloom for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, add the the flour, ginger, cinnamon, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the warm milk, eggs, and butter. Start mixing on low, then slowly increase to medium speed. Keep mixing until completely incorporated and a soft, slightly wet dough forms. Add to an oiled bowl, then cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.
• While that's resting, make the filling by combining the brown sugar, granulated sugar and spices. In a separate bowl combine the room temp butter and molasses.
• Line a deep 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
• Dust your work surface with flour and add your dough. Roll it out to a rectangle about 16 inches by 10 inches. Spread the molasses butter and then sprinkle the sugar mixture, making sure to press the sugar down into the butter (to help when you roll this into a log to not get sugar everywhere!).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Starting with the longer side of the rectangle, roll the dough tightly into a log, pinching the ends and cutting them off so you get a clean cinnamon roll. Cut the log in half and then each half into 6 pieces (making 12 rolls). Add them to your prepared baking dish and cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Put in a warm area and let rise or, if making ahead, place in the fridge until ready to bake! (Remove from the refigerator about an hour before baking.)
• Bake the rolls for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let rest for 10 minutes.
• Make the frosting by combining the butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, cinnamon and vanilla and beat until creamy. Spread on the warm cinnamon rolls.