This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

These Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls with cinnamon cream cheese frosting should come wrapped in paper and topped with a bow because they just may be the sweetest part of your Christmas morning.

Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Are you a get dressed up or a stay in your pajamas all day type of person for Christmas day?

While I will typically never say no to getting dressed up and going out, Christmas mornings, in my opinion, are MADE for fleece-lined leggings, a fluffy robe, and cozy socks (and a mug of Crockpot Hot Chocolate or Mulled Wine).

I’ll leave the dressing up to the pan of cinnamon rolls I’m serving for Christmas brunch because they’re not your average cinnamon rolls, they’re gingerbread cinnamon rolls with the BEST cinnamon-spiced cream cheese frosting.

They’re festive, sweet, indulgent, and are special enough to be considered a gift on your Christmas breakfast table (although I don’t recommend the aforementioned wrapping paper and bow).

Make Ahead Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

5 Star Review

“They’re excellent! The crumb is soft and chewy and not too sweet. The spices are well balanced.”

— Sadie —

How to Make Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

These soft and tender cinnamon rolls are packed with the rich, warm flavors of your favorite gingerbread cookie. (Love those too? Don’t miss these Chocolate Ginger Molasses Cookies.)

The dough is deeply tinted with molasses, spicy with cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, and sweetened with brown sugar.


The Ingredients

  • Flour. I went for a blend of all purpose flour and white whole wheat flour to sneak at least a few health points into this otherwise decadent breakfast treat.

Substitution Tip

You may swap for an equal amount of all-purpose flour if preferred.

  • Ginger. Puts the “ginger” in this gingerbread cinnamon roll recipe.
  • Molasses. Lends its iconic robust flavor to the gingerbread-flavored dough.

Ingredient Note

For best results, stick to classic cooking molasses for this recipe. Dark or blackstrap molasses has a much stronger flavor and may overpower the flavor of the other spices and flavors in this recipe.

  • Cinnamon + Nutmeg + Cloves. If there was ever a more perfect blend of spices for the holiday it’s news to me because this one has all of my heart.
  • Brown Sugar. Brings additional molasses flavor into both the dough and filling.
  • Egg. Enriches the dough for moist, tender, and soft cinnamon rolls that melt in your mouth.
  • Milk. For enriched doughs, like cinnamon rolls, milk is the preferred liquid over water because it tenderizes and softens the dough.

Tip!

When baking, always make sure to warm your yeast activation liquid (in this case, milk) to the temperature recommended by the yeast manufacturer. It is usually around 110 degrees F.

  • Cream Cheese. Adds a wonderful tang and richness to the cinnamon roll frosting.
  • Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and thickens the cream cheese frosting.

Tip!

You can adjust the amount of powdered sugar in the frosting to suit your tastes. If you like a sweeter frosting, add more. If you want a frosting with more cream cheese tang, use less.

  • Vanilla. Enhances both the flavor of the gingerbread cinnamon roll dough and the spiced cream cheese frosting.
Homemade Gingerbread Cinnamon Roll dough beside a bowl of brown sugar and gingerbread spices

The Directions

  1. Warm the milk and melt the butter.
  2. Combine all the dough ingredients, except the all purpose flour, in the bowl of a stand mixer and then pour in the milk and butter.
  3. Mix on low, then gradually add the all purpose flour until dough begins to form a shaggy ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
  4. Knead until smooth and elastic.

TIP!

You may alternatively knead by hand by turning the dough out onto a floured work surface.

  1. Let the dough rise.
  2. Meanwhile, stir together the filling ingredients.
sprinkling cinnamon roll dough with brown sugar and cinnamon spices
  1. Roll the dough out into a rectangle. Then, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with the prepared filling.
  2. Roll up the dough the slice into 12 segments.

TIP!

Did you know you can use dental floss to slice cinnamon roll dough? Simply take a piece of floss, slide it under the dough, wrap it around the top, and pull tightly in opposite directions to pull the floss through the roll.

Make sure to use PLAIN, not mint-flavored dental floss, or it may make your rolls taste like mint.

Rolling up gingerbread Cinnamon Roll dough on a baking mat
  1. Arrange sliced rolls in a pan and let rise again.
  2. Bake cinnamon rolls at 350 degrees F for 25 to 35 minutes, until golden.

TIP!

These gingerbread cinnamon rolls are done baking when they reach an internal temperature of 185 degrees F.

  1. Mix up the frosting and drizzle over the rolls. ENJOY!

Storage Tips

  • To Store. Baked gingerbread cinnamon rolls may be stored, covered in an airtight container, for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
  • To Freeze. Baked gingerbread cinnamon rolls may be stored in a freezer for up to 3 months. For best results, store unfrosted and wrapped tightly in plastic with an outer layer of foil. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating and then topping with frosting.
  • To Reheat. Warm cinnamon rolls in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F until heated through. Alternatively, you may also heat individual rolls in the microwave for a few seconds until warm.

Make-Ahead

These rolls are perfect to make ahead and let rise overnight in the refrigerator.

  • Once the rolls are shaped, arrange them in the pan, cover with plastic wrap, then let rise in the refrigerator overnight.
  • The next morning, set the pan out at room temperature for a half-hour, then bake as directed.
Overnight Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls with the best Cream Cheese Frosting spiced with cinnamon

What to Serve with Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

  • Stand Mixer. A 7-quart mixer is a must if you’re a regular baker in the kitchen.
  • 9×13 Pan. This one will look beautiful on your holiday table.
  • Rolling Pin. For rolling out the dough perfectly even.

Now all that remains is to eat these fabulous, fluffy, gingerbread cookie-flavored rolls warm from the oven.

I think I’ll munch mine in fleece leggings and a faux fir vest.

Cozy, cozy, all the way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Halve the Recipe for an 8×8 Pan?

Halving yeast dough can actually get tricky, so to be honest, I’d recommend making the full amount. You can always leave half unfrosted, freeze the leftovers, and enjoy later!

Can I Use a Bread Machine for Cinnamon Rolls?

I’ve only tested the recipe as written, so using a bread machine would be an experiment. If you decide to play around with it, I’d love to hear how it goes!

Why Didn’t My Cinnamon Rolls Rise?

Several factors can impact the rise of your cinnamon rolls including the age of your yeast, temperature, and humidity. Always check the expiration date of your yeast and make sure to activate it with liquid warmed to the temperature recommended by the yeast’s manufacturer. Finally, if your kitchen is too cold it can cause your dough to rise more slowly. Overproofing can also cause cinnamon rolls to lose some of their fluffiness in the oven once baked.

Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

5 from 5 votes
Homemade gingerbread cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting are the perfect make-ahead breakfast for Christmas morning. Soft + Fluffy!

Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 3 hours 40 minutes

Servings: 12 rolls

Ingredients
  

Dough:

Filling:

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar light or dark
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:


Instructions
 

  • Pour milk into a large glass measuring cup. Add butter and microwave on high, until the mixture is warmed to the temperature directed by the yeast manufacturer (usually between 110 to 125 degrees F). Start with 30 seconds, then microwave in 10-second intervals, until the desired temperature is reached. The butter may not melt completely and the milk should feel warm but not hot.
  • Place the white whole wheat flour, brown sugar, egg, molasses, vanilla, yeast, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Pour in the heated milk and butter. Beat on low speed for 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  • Add 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour. Beat on low speed, until the flour is absorbed and the dough is no longer sticky, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. If the dough is extremely sticky, add the remaining 1/2 cup flour one tablespoon at a time, combining after each, just until the dough begins to form a shaggy ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It should still feel fairly tacky but not sticky.
  • If using a stand mixer, fit the mixer with a dough hook and knead on medium-low for 6 minutes, until smooth and elastic. If kneading by hand, turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Add a little flour, one tablespoon at a time, if the dough is too sticky and clings readily to your hands.
  • Lightly oil a large, clean bowl with cooking spray. Form dough into a ball and place it in the bowl, turning once to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
  • Meanwhile, make the filling. Stir together brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Set aside. Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper and lightly coat with cooking spray.
  • Once the dough has risen, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 12×20-inch rectangle. Brush all over with 3 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle all of the sugar and spice filling over the top.
  • Starting at one of the short edges, roll the dough into a tight log, then tightly pinch the seam to seal. Gently stretch and pat the dough log as needed so that it is roughly even in diameter and 18 inches in length. With a serrated knife, gently saw the log into 12 segments (each segment will be 1 1/2 inches wide).
  • Arrange the rolls in the prepared pan, cut sides up. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes. Alternatively, you can place the rolls in the refrigerator and let them rise overnight. Let the rolls come to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
  • Place rack in center of your oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Bake the rolls until golden and the internal temperature reaches 185 degrees F, about 25 to 35 minutes. Check the rolls at the 20-minute mark. If browning too quickly, gently tent with foil and continue baking.
  • For the frosting, beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth in a medium bowl. Add 3 tablespoons milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and cloves. Add a little additional milk as needed to reach the desired consistency. Frost the rolls and serve warm.

Notes

  • TO STORE: Baked gingerbread cinnamon rolls may be stored, covered in an airtight container, for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
  • TO FREEZE: Baked gingerbread cinnamon rolls may be stored in a freezer for up to 3 months. For best results, store unfrosted and wrapped tightly in plastic with an outer layer of foil. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating and then topping with frosting.
  • TO REHEAT: Warm cinnamon rolls in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F until heated through. Alternatively, you may also heat individual rolls in the microwave for a few seconds until warm.
  • TO MAKE AHEAD: These rolls are perfect to make ahead and let rise overnight in the refrigerator. Once the rolls are shaped, arrange them in the pan, cover with plastic wrap, then let rise in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, set the pan out at room temperature for 30 minutes, then bake as directed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 12)Calories: 329kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 8gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 252mgPotassium: 281mgFiber: 3gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 277IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 93mgIron: 2mg

Join today and start saving your favorite recipes

Create an account to easily save your favorite recipes and access FREE meal plans.

Sign Me Up

Related Recipes

Sweet treats like cinnamon rolls are how we, as adults, validate dessert for breakfast. Here are some of my favorite sweet breakfast recipes:

Did you try this recipe?

I want to see!

Follow @wellplated on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag it #wellplated. I love to know what you are making!

You May Also Like

Free Email Series
Sign Up for FREE Weekly Meal Plans
Each includes a grocery list, budget, and 5 healthy dinners, helping you save time, save money, and live better!

Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

Learn more about Erin

Leave a Comment

Did you make this recipe?

Don't forget to leave a review!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating





16 Comments

Leave a comment

  1. These looks amazing! How do you think making a half-batch would work? Could I use an 8×8 dish? If so, how big would I roll the dough out to?  I’ve never made cinnamon rolls before, and I’d love for these to be my first! :) 

    1. Hi Erin! Halving yeast dough can actually get really tricky, so to be honest, I’d recommend making the full amount. You can always freeze the leftovers for later. I hope you LOVE them! Cinnamon rolls are so much fun to make (and so deliciously rewarding too!)

  2. Erin, have you ever tried this recipe making the dough in the bread machine? I thought I’d give this recipe a try for Thanksgiving. Let me know what you think. Thanks!

    1. Hi Nancy! I’ve only tested the recipe as written, so it would be a complete experiment. If you decide to play around with it, I’d love to hear how it goes!

  3. Not overly sweet. Will add a little more sugar to the dough next time. Will be great with hot chocolate on Christmas morning,5 stars

  4. It’s unfortunate that so few people have actually made these cinnamon rolls because they’re excellent! The crumb is soft and chewy and not too sweet. The spices are well balanced. You can control the level of sweetness by adjusting the amount of sugar in the frosting. I wanted a thick frosting so used 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar. I also increased the vanilla in the frosting to 1 1/2 tsp and increased the cinnamon to 1 tsp. The dough came together quickly and easily by hand. I added 1 rounded tbsp of vital wheat gluten. It rises slowly. The first rise was almost 4 hours. There was no appreciable rise overnight in the fridge. In the morning I set the rolls out at room temperature for about 3 hours before baking. They baked for 24 minutes. Some of the centers popped up but were easily pushed back down when the rolls came out of the oven. I found it helpful to line the pan with a parchment paper sling so that the rolls could be lifted out of the pan after cooling for 10 minutes, then frosted. They’re delicious warm from the oven, but every bit as good reheated for a few seconds in the microwave.5 stars

  5. Turned out so good! Not too sweet and love the balance of added spice. The frosting is delicious but I think my kids, and I, are used to more heavily frosted rolls so I might add a bit more to them. All in all, an excellent recipe that works and is delicious!! It was the perfect thing for my kids to wake up to on St. Nicholas day!5 stars

  6. The worst set out of a recipe I have ever seen. Work on possibly getting someone who actually knows what they’re doing when it comes to making websites. There wasn’t enough information about what you’re supposed to do and if it’s this bad then maybe you need to consider your audience more. I mean how do you expect someone with ADHD or ASD to figure this out (coming from someone with both). I will never be coming to this website ever again. Thank you for pretty much nothing.

    1. I’m sorry to hear you had trouble Kyra. Did you see the full recipe instructions in the recipe card? There is a simple “jump to recipe” button at the top of every page that takes you right to the recipe and helps to get you there faster with one simple click. The recipe card lists the entire ingredient list and all of the instructions. Hope this helps!

    2. What a horrible review you have left for someone who is kind enough to try and help us learn how to make gingerbread cinnamon rolls. Looks like it’s more of your problem that you can’t figure out how to make it than the authors. Utilize the internet to teach you if you are confused or use another recipe. No one wants to see your ugly response.