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These Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls combine warm spices, molasses, and cream cheese frosting for the perfect holiday breakfast. It’s everything you love about classic cinnamon rolls with a cozy, spiced warmth that makes the holidays feel extra special!

A white baking dish filled with freshly baked gingerbread cinnamon rolls topped with creamy white icing, sitting on a wooden surface with a dark cloth underneath. The rolls are golden brown and swirled.


 

🎄 You can assemble these beauties the night before and pop them in the oven Christmas morning. Nothing beats waking up to fresh-baked rolls without all the early morning work!

Table of Contents

My 2 Best Tips For Making Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

Rest Before Final Rise: After cutting, let your rolls sit uncovered for those 15 minutes. This helps them relax and rise more evenly, giving you those perfectly fluffy results.

Add Icing To Warm Rolls: Pour that luscious cream cheese frosting over the rolls the moment they come out of the oven. The warmth helps it melt slightly and seep into all those delicious crevices.

Melissa in her kitchen smiling in front of the starting ingredients for the chicken the quinoa salad and skillet chicken on the wood block in front of her

🩷 Melissa

They’re like Christmas morning in pastry form.

The combination of molasses, ginger, and cinnamon creates the most incredible flavor profile that screams holiday comfort. Every bite transports you to that cozy feeling of being wrapped in your favorite blanket by the fireplace.

These look like they came from a fancy bakery, but they’re surprisingly simple to make. Such a fun way to add spice to a holiday morning without extra effort (or getting up too early!)

A white baking dish filled with freshly baked gingerbread cinnamon rolls topped with creamy white icing, sitting on a wooden surface with a dark cloth underneath. The rolls are golden brown and swirled.
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Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

By: Melissa Griffiths
These Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls combine warm spices, molasses, and cream cheese frosting for the perfect holiday breakfast. It's everything you love about classic cinnamon rolls with a cozy, spiced warmth that makes the holidays feel extra special!
Prep: 40 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 12 rolls
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Ingredients 

For the Dough

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon yeast
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ½ to 1 cup water, See note!

For the Filling

For the Icing

Instructions 

Make the Dough

  • Mix 3 cups of the flour with the salt, yeast, sugar, and ginger in a large bowl and create a well in the center. 
  • Add the egg, butter, milk, molasses, and ½ cup of water to the dry ingredients. Mix until combined. 
  • Add the remaining cup of flour and mix until combined, adding more water as needed, up to 1 cup, to reach a not-to-sticky dough consistency.
  • Cover and let dough rest for 10 minutes. 
  • On a floured surface, turn out the dough and knead until it comes together and is smooth, about 6-8 minutes by hand or 4 minutes in a stand mixer. 

Assemble the Cinnamon Rolls

  • Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and salt for the filling.
  • Roll out dough into a rectangle, about 1/4-inch thick. 
  • Spread softened butter evenly over the top of the dough. 
  • Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the dough and spread it out evenly. Press lightly to adhere the cinnamon sugar mixture to the butter. 
  • Roll the rectangle up tightly from the long side so that you have a long rolled log.
  • Cut the log into 12-15 even rolls. This is most easily done by dividing the dough into 4 pieces and then each of the 4 pieces into three pieces (for 12 cinnamon rolls). Or divide the dough into 3 pieces and then each of the 3 pieces into 5 pieces (for 15 cinnamon rolls). To cut the dough, use a serrated knife or plain dental floss placed under the dough log and crossed at the top to cut the dough into rolls.
  • For rolls with soft sides, place them 1/2-inch apart on a sheet tray, in a pie plate, or in a cast iron skillet. For rolls that do not touch, place 1-½ inches apart. Be sure to grease whatever you use to bake them in. 
  • Cover rolls and let rest for 15 minutes. 
  • Uncover and bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, until the tops just barely start to turn golden and the center cinnamon roll is cooked through.

Make the Icing

  • Combine cream cheese and butter until smooth. 
  • Add vanilla extract and mix well. 
  • Add in half of the powdered sugar and the milk, mixing until smooth. 
  • Add in the rest of the powdered sugar until your desired consistency is reached. I like the icing to be thick but pourable. 
  • Pour icing over rolls as soon as they are removed from the oven.

Notes

Water Amount: The exact amount of water you will need for this recipe (or any baking recipe) can vary quite a bit. This is due to altitude, humidity, and weather. If you live in a dry climate or at a high elevation, you will need more water. If you live at a lower elevation or somewhere with higher humidity, then you will likely need only 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water. If too much water is added, simply add more flour gradually until the proper consistency is reached. 
Checking For Doneness: The cinnamon rolls will be ready to remove from the oven when the tops are just barely golden brown and the center roll springs back lightly when touched. Internal temperature should reach 190°F if you want to be precise. Don’t over-bake – they’ll continue cooking from residual heat!
Smaller Rolls: If you want to make the rolls even smaller, cut your log into 24 smaller pieces instead of 12-15. Reduce baking time to about 15 minutes and keep a close eye on them. Mini rolls are perfect for parties and gift-giving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 12 rolls, Calories: 457kcal, Carbohydrates: 74g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 54mg, Sodium: 332mg, Potassium: 154mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 41g, Vitamin A: 502IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 75mg, Iron: 2mg
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Recipe FAQs

Can I make these gingerbread cinnamon rolls ahead of time?

Yes! Assemble the rolls completely, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let them come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.

My dough seems too sticky – what should I do?

Don’t panic! Dough consistency can vary based on humidity and altitude. Gradually add more flour, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough is manageable but still slightly tacky. Remember, slightly sticky dough makes softer rolls.

Can I substitute the molasses with something else?

While molasses gives that authentic gingerbread flavor, you can substitute with honey or dark corn syrup in a pinch. However, you’ll lose some of that deep, complex gingerbread taste that makes these rolls so special.

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