Go Back

Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

These Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls are a Christmas twist on an amazing classic! They're packed with flavor & topped with cream cheese frosting!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Rise Time1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Snack
Servings: 12 cinnamon rolls

Equipment

  • Kitchenaid Mixer with Dough Hook Attachment
  • Measuring Cups and Spoons
  • Small Mixing Bowl
  • Medium Mixing Bowl
  • Whisk
  • Rubber Spatula
  • Serrated Bread Knife
  • 9"x13" Baking Dish
  • Parchment Paper

Ingredients

Cinnamon Roll Dough

  • 3/4 Cup Warm Whole Milk
  • 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 2 1/4 tsp Yeast
  • 6 tbsp Salted Butter room temperature
  • 2 Eggs room temperature
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 3 3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour

Gingerbread Filling

  • 8 tbsp Salted Butter room temperature
  • 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 2 tbsp Molasses
  • 2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Ground Ginger
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 4 oz Cream Cheese room temperature
  • 3 tbsp Salted Butter room temperature
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1 1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar

Instructions

Cinnamon Roll Dough

  • In the mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add in the sugar, warm whole milk, and then sprinkle the yeast over the top. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes to activate.
  • Next, add the room temperature butter and eggs as well as the vanilla extract, mix briefly with the dough hook. It won't come together much and will look lumpy.
  • Lastly, add in the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, and salt. Mix for 5 minutes or until everything comes together to form a fairly smooth dough. The dough should not be super sticky, if it is add 31 grams (or 1/4 cup) more flour.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 45-60 minutes.

Gingerbread Filling

  • In a small mixing bowl, combine the room temperature salted butter, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Mix until well combined.

Assemble and Bake

  • Line a 9"x13" baking dish with a sheet of parchment paper, or lightly spray it with oil if you don't have parchment paper.
  • Once the dough has finished rising, lightly flour the countertop and roll the dough out into a 10"x16" rectangle. Scoop the gingerbread filling into the center of the rectangle and evenly spread it all over the top of the dough. Leave a 1/2" seam bare of the filling on the long side of the dough furthest from you.
  • Start rolling the dough on the long side closest to you (the side on which you took the cinnamon filling all the way to the edge) and roll it all the way up to the edge you left bare.
  • Use a serrated bread knife to cut a little bit off each end of the cinnamon roll log to make it even. Then cut 12 equal pieces, each piece should be about 1" wide. Place each cinnamon roll in the parchment-lined baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 25 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350° while the rolls are rising.
  • Bake on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes or until they are a nice golden brown color.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • In a medium-size bowl, combine room temperature butter and cream cheese, as well as the vanilla extract. Stir together.
  • Next, add in the powdered sugar. Mix into the cream cheese and butter before whipping to avoid the powdered sugar flying out everywhere. Whisk or stir together until combined! If you'd like the frosting fluffier, use your KitchenAid with the whisk attachment to whip it.
  • Once the cinnamon rolls are finished baking, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 5-10 minutes. They can be frosted while they are still warm, the cream cheese frosting will melt and turn into more of a glaze. Or, they can be frosted when they are almost cool, or completely cool and the frosting will remain light and fluffy, more like Cinnabon. Bakers preference!
  • Serve immediately and enjoy immensely!

Notes

If you would like to make these the night before...
Follow the recipe as is, but after you've cut out the 12 rolls and placed them in the pan, cover them and put them immediately in the fridge.
You can make the cream cheese frosting as well and also put it in the fridge.
The next morning, remove the cinnamon rolls from the fridge and let them warm up for 60 minutes before baking them at 350° for 25 minutes. Also, remove the frosting and allow it to warm up too.