When you want a special way to treat your family or impress your guests, you cannot go wrong with Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls. Make these on long weekends or holidays when you have plenty of time to savor both the experience and the end product.
Why This Recipe?
While this recipe is a little more involved than your typical breakfast pastry recipe, it is well worth the effort! The rewards are an incredible homemade cinnamon roll that will become a family tradition and a cherished memory.
Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls are full of flavor more than your typical cinnamon roll. This is an up-leveled breakfast treat for weekends and special occasions. Make it even more special and teach your kids the art of making homemade breads with this recipe
Ingredients for Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients for the Dough
All-Purpose Flour. Scooped and leveled.
Sugar. Granulated white sugar for this recipe.
Rapid Rise Yeast Packets. These come in little strips of three packets at your grocery store. You can usually find them near the flour.
Salt. Regular table salt is fine. You don't want coarse kosher salt for baking.
Water. Tap water is perfectly fine.
Unsalted Butter. For dough, you want to be careful and exact with the salt content so that you don't kill the yeast.
Egg. A large or extra large egg will work just fine.
Ingredients for the Gingerbread Filling
Butter. For the filling, salted butter is fine.
Brown Sugar. Light or dark brown sugar will both work equally well.
Molasses. This is what gives gingerbread (and our gingerbread cinnamon rolls) it's beautiful color and rich flavor.
Ground Ginger. The traditional spice for gingerbread.
Cinnamon. The traditional spice for cinnamon rolls.
Nutmeg. Freshly ground is nice, but not strictly necessary.
Ingredients for the Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream Cheese. Room temperature.
Unsalted Butter. Room temperature.
Powdered Sugar. This kind of sugar makes the perfect frosting.
Heavy Cream. Also called "heavy whipping cream".
Vanilla Extract. I prefer real or "pure" vanilla extract. You may prefer imitation vanilla and either will work.
Salt. Again, just regular salt.
Cinnamon. For even more flavor, because extra cinnamon is yum.
Optional Added Ingredients for Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
Golden Raisins. Regular or soaked in rum.
Chopped Nuts. Walnuts, pecans or macademia nuts would all work very well.
How to Make Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
This recipe has several different parts. First you will make the dough. While it is resting, you can make the filling. Then you form the rolls by putting the two together. As they bake you can make the frosting so that it is ready to put on while the rolls are still warm.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Making the Dough for Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
- Combine 2 cups flour, sugar, dry yeast, and salt in a large mixer bowl and stir until blended.
- Place water and butter in a microwave-safe bowl.Microwave for 45 seconds.
- Then microwave for 30 seconds. Be sure to split this up so the butter doesn't splatter. The cup should be warm to the touch but not hot.
- Add the egg and the warm water/butter.
- Beat 2 minutes at medium speed with an electric mixer and dough hook, scraping bowl occasionally.
- Add 1 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed, scrape the bowl.
- Repeat now adding in the 4th cup of flour.
- Stir in ½ cup of flour and move to a lightly floured surface.
- Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 7-8 minutes. The way to test if it's ready, is to lightly press into the dough with 2 fingers and it should spring back.
- Let rest for 10 minutes covered with a towel.
Making the Filling for Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
- Combine the brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl.
- Add butter and molasses to a microwave-safe bowl and melt for 30 seconds.
- Pour this mixture into the brown sugar and spices, stir, and let sit a few minutes while making the dough.
Forming the Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
- Roll dough into a 15 x 10-inch rectangle using a rolling pin.
- Spoon on filling and spread out each spoonful all over the dough, making sure to go all the way to the edges.
- Starting at the long end of the rectangle, roll it up tightly.
- Pinch the seams to seal.
- Cut into 12 equal pieces using a very sharp knife, bakers twine or dental floss (see notes).
- Place cut side down, in a greased a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
- Cover with towel; let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 min-1 hour.
- At the 30 min mark preheat the oven to 350º.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes (turning 15 min in) or until rolls are golden.
- Cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes.
Make the Frosting for Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
- Combine all frosting ingredients in a large bowl and mix together until it is light and fluffy and no streaks of powdered sugar remain.
- Frost the gingerbread cinnamon rolls while they’re still warm.
Timesaving Tips
When kneading the dough you may use up to ½-1 whole cup more of flour. Several things impact this. If you are in an environment that has more moisture in the air you will need more flour versus if you are in a dry climate.
Knead the dough using a taco and turn method. Fold like a taco, press down with the heel of your hand, and then rotate the dough 15 degrees. Continue this method, adding flour as needed. The dough should no longer stick to your hands, but it also will not be dry.
Tea towels are the perfect lightweight towel to use on top of bread dough as it rises. You can get a pack of twelve on Amazon super cheap and they also work really well as a barrier cloth for ice packs.
If your oven has a "proof" setting or warmer tray, this is what it is for! When your cinnamon rolls are ready to rise, set the oven on Proof or turn on the warmer tray and place the pan inside. You want it just warm enough to cause the yeast to replicate without getting it warm enough to kill the yeast.
FAQ
Why didn't my gingerbread cinnamon rolls rise?
This can happen for a variety of reasons. The most common is that you used expired or dead yeast. Make sure to check the expiration date on your yeast packets before you use them. You might also just not have a warm enough environment for fast rising. If that is the case, waiting a little longer should do the trick.
I'm really intrigued by the idea of soaking raisins in rum. How do I do that?
This is one of our optional ingredients, and it's super simple! Just put the raisins in a mixing bowl and add rum until they are almost covered. Then let them sit and soak until they plump up. Drain them before using in the recipe. This is called plumping raisins, and it can also be done with water.
More Breakfast Recipes to Try
French Toast Breakfast Casserole
📖 Recipe
Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- Electric Mixer with Dough Hook attachment
- Glass measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Spoon
- spatula
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 4.5-5 cups all-purpose flour scooped and leveled
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 4-½ tsp. packets RapidRise Yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups water
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 egg
Gingerbread Filling
- 5 tablespoon butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon molasses
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Dough
- Combine 2 cups flour, sugar, dry yeast, and salt in a large mixer bowl and stir until blended.
- Place water and butter in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave for 45 seconds. Then microwave for 30 seconds. Be sure to split this up so the butter doesn't splatter.
- The cup should be warm to the touch but not hot.
- Add the egg and the warm water/butter
- Beat 2 minutes at medium speed with an electric mixer and dough hook, scraping bowl occasionally.
- Add 1 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed, scrape the bowl.
- Repeat now adding in the 4th cup of flour.
- Stir in ½ cup flour and move to a lightly floured surface.
- Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 7-8 minutes. (see notes)
- The way to test if its ready, is to lightly press into the dough with 2 fingers and it should spring back.
- Let rest for 10 mins covered with a towel.
Prepare Filing
- Combine the brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl
- Add butter and molasses to a microwave-safe bowl and melt for 30 secs
- Pour this mixture into the brown sugar and spices, stir, and let sit a few mins while making the dough
Making the Rolls
- Roll dough into a 15 x 10-inch rectangle using a rolling pin.
- Spoon on filling and spread out each spoonful all over the dough, making sure to go all the way to edges.
- Starting at the long end of the rectangle, roll it up tightly.
- Pinch the seams to seal.
- Cut into 12 equal pieces using a very sharp knife, bakers twine or dental floss (see notes)
- Place cut side down, in greased a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
- Cover with towel; let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45min-1 hour.
- At the 30 min mark preheat the oven to 350
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes (turning 15 min in) or until rolls are golden.
- Cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes.
Prepare Frosting
- Combine all frosting ingredients in a large bowl and mix together until light and fluffy and powdered sugar is combined.
- Frost the gingerbread cinnamon rolls while they’re still warm.
Tamara
Gingerbread and cinnamon rolls?? A match made in heaven.