Gooey Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

These Gooey Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls are soft, filled with classic gingerbread spices, and topped with a sweet cream cheese frosting. They’re great to make ahead of time and the perfect addition to a holiday breakfast or brunch!

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The BEST Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls  

I made these cinnamon rolls and instantly fell in LOVE. I’ve been wanting to create a gingerbread cinnamon roll for a while now and this year I finally had a chance to make it happen. I wanted to create a cinnamon roll that tasted like Christmas in your mouth and I think I did it, haha. These rolls are fluffy, tender, and have all the flavor of classic gingerbread!

If you’ve never made cinnamon rolls before, don’t worry! I walk you through the process step by step and I promise that you can do this. Making your first batch of cinnamon rolls may feel a bit intimidating but I’ve got you covered with everything you need to know in this post.

Watch How to Make These Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe Ingredients 

Whole Milk: we’re using regular whole milk for these rolls. I’ve included some additional milk options below if you are interested!

Active Dry Yeast: yeast helps the rolls to rise. We’re using two packets of yeast in these cinnamon rolls.

Sugar: you’ll need a little granulated sugar to feed the yeast and sweeten the dough.

Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter in both the dough and filling.

Eggs: we’re using one egg and egg yolk for the perfect chewy texture.

All-Purpose Flour: regular white all-purpose flour is all you need. You could use bread flour instead if you prefer extra fluffy chewy cinnamon rolls.

Molasses: a must-have ingredient in any gingerbread-flavored recipe. 

Spices: ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg, add warmth, creating the classic spiced flavor you look for in gingerbread recipes. 

Salt: I know it may seem a little odd to add salt to a sweet dough, but trust me on this. Salt helps give your cinnamon roll dough much-needed flavor, enhancing the rest of the ingredients. 

Vanilla Extract: there is plenty of vanilla flavor running throughout the dough, filling, and spiced cream cheese icing.

Ingredient Substitutions 

• Do I have to use whole milk? – nope! you could swap the whole milk for buttermilk or full-fat coconut milk if you prefer.
• Can I make these dairy-free? – yes! Just use non-dairy milk like canned coconut milk and vegan butter! Then, be sure to use a plant-based cream cheese for the frosting. 
• Can I add nuts? – absolutely! Chopped walnuts or pecans would both work in the filling. Half a cup works great!

Helpful Kitchen Tools

• Candy Thermometer – to help you make sure that the milk is just the right temperature.
• Large Mixing Bowl – you’ll need a bowl with a lot of room to mix the dough.
• Wooden Spoon – I prefer using a wooden spoon to stir the dough because it has a nice firm handle.
• Measuring Tape – if you want evenly sized cinnamon rolls then measuring tape is your best friend! This helps to ensure your rolls cook evenly as well!
• Tea Towel – to cover your dough while it rises.
• Rolling Pin – you’ll need this to roll out the dough. I prefer to use a French rolling pin without handles to get the dough an even thickness.
• Serrated Knife – this makes cutting the cinnamon roll dough a breeze! you can use unflavored dental floss to cut the rolls as well but I prefer to use a sharp serrated knife.
• Parchment Paper – to line the baking dish and prevent any mess.
• 9×13 Baking Dish – this recipe makes 12 cinnamon rolls so you’ll need a 9×13 pan to hold all the rolls.

How to Make Gooey Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

Step One: Warm the milk to 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, transfer it to a large mixing bowl, and sprinkle the yeast on top followed by the granulated sugar. The yeast should begin to foam and become frothy! If after 5 minutes the yeast still does not start to foam or become frothy, toss the milk out, and start again with new yeast. Once frothy, add the melted butter, molasses, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla to the mixture, and whisk to combine. 

Step Two: Next, sift in the all-purpose flour, spices, and salt, and use a wooden spoon to stir in the flour until it is well combined and a dough forms. Be sure to incorporate all of the flour from the sides of the bowl! You’ll know it’s time to move on when the dough becomes hard to stir. It will be thick, shaggy, and still quite a bit sticky. 

Step Three: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Then, use your hands to knead it for 8-10 minutes until it becomes elastic and can easily form into a smooth ball. The dough should feel slightly tacky but should not stick to your hands or the kneading surface! If it still feels too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time, and continue to knead the dough until it becomes a smooth, elastic ball. 

Step Four: Next, grease a clean, large bowl with one tablespoon of avocado oil. Then, add the dough ball, and cover the bowl with a tea towel. Set the dough aside in a warm area like your oven or stovetop for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until it has doubled in size. 

Step Five: In the meantime, make the filling by combining the light brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla in a small bowl. 

Step Six: Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release the extra air. Then, transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Shape the gingerbread cinnamon roll dough into a rectangle, and use a rolling pin to roll it out into a 20×16 rectangle roughly ¼ inch thick. 

Step Seven: Next, use an offset spatula or knife to spread the softened butter evenly over the dough. Then, add the filling mixture, spreading it over the butter. Be sure to cover all the edges of the dough! 

Step Eight: Tightly roll up the dough on the long side, and place it seam side down. Pinch the seal a bit so the rolls don’t unravel. Then, use a sharp serrated knife or unflavored dental floss to cut the roll into 12 equal-sized pieces. Place each cinnamon roll in a 9×13 casserole dish lined with parchment paper, leaving space between each piece. You should have 3 rows with 4 rolls per row. 

Step Nine: Cover the casserole dish with a tea towel, and let the cinnamon rolls rise for another 30-45 minutes or until they have almost doubled in size. 

Step Ten: Bake the cinnamon rolls on the center rack of your oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-30 minutes or until the rolls are a light golden brown color. Once baked, remove the rolls from the oven, and set them aside to cool for 10 minutes before icing. 

Tips and Tricks 

• Make sure your yeast is not expired – check the label on your packets of yeast to make sure that it hasn’t expired so that you get a good rise on your cinnamon rolls.
• Don’t overheat or underheat your milk – in order for your yeast to activate properly you want to be sure that your milk is heated to 110-115 digress Fahrenheit. I like to heat my milk in a small pot on the stovetop, but you can also heat it in the microwave in increments of 15-20 seconds until warm. Use a candy thermometer to ensure the milk isn’t too hot or not hot enough.
• Make sure your eggs are at room temperature – this helps to keep the milk at the right temperature and not negatively impact your yeast.
• Measure the flour correctly – be sure to measure your flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and then using a knife to level it out. Or, you can use a kitchen scale. Measuring it correctly will ensure that you don’t add too much flour to the dough. 
• Swap AP flour for bread flour – I’ve made these rolls with both all-purpose flour and bread flour, and both ways come out great. However, if you want extra fluffy chewy cinnamon rolls with the best texture bread flour is definitely the way to go!
• Use room temperature butter in the filling – I’ve tested these with both melted butter and room temperature butter, and room temp butter wins every single time. I found that the filling leaked out of the rolls while baking when I used melted butter.
• Use measuring tape – I used to really struggle with getting evenly-sized cinnamon rolls until I started to pull out my measuring tape. Now, I keep one in the kitchen, and it helps me to cut evenly sized cinnamon rolls every time.
• Line your pan with parchment paper – if you want to make clean-up a breeze and keep your rolls from sticking, don’t forget to line your baking dish with parchment paper before adding the rolls.
• Don’t overbake – the cinnamon rolls should be a nice golden brown on the top and not too dark. If you tap the top of a roll and it sounds hollow you know they are done.
• Practice makes perfect – here’s the thing with any type of cinnamon roll, you get better at making them the more you make them. I’ve made dozens of batches of both my homemade cinnamon rolls and these gingerbread cinnamon rolls at this point, and I still feel like I am learning a new little trick or finding something I want to tweak every time I make them. Just know your rolls will be delicious and you’ll feel even more confident making them with more practice! 

How to Make and Overnight Version

You can easily make these gingerbread cinnamon rolls the night before and bake them the next morning. You’ll do all of the work the night before and then everyone wakes up to a fresh, warm, cozy, batch of perfect cinnamon rolls. It’s amazing! 

To make overnight:

1. Roll, cut, and place the cinnamon rolls in a parchment-lined baking dish after they have finished their 1st rise.
2. Then, cover the rolls tightly with plastic wrap, and place them in the fridge overnight.
3. The next morning, remove the baking dish from the fridge, and let the rolls finish their second rise in a warm area (like on top of the stove) for about 45 minutes to 1 hour before baking.
4. Bake as usual, add the frosting, and enjoy! 

Storing and Reheating

Wrap leftovers tightly in plastic wrap, and store them in the fridge for up to 4-5 days (if they last that long!). The trick with storing cinnamon rolls is to make sure that they don’t dry out. So, keeping them tightly wrapped or stored in an airtight container is important.

My favorite way to reheat a cinnamon roll is in the microwave. Just place one cinnamon roll on a microwave-safe plate, cover it with a moist paper towel, and heat it on medium power. Or, defrost it for 10-15 seconds at a time until warmed through. Reheating the cinnamon rolls at a lower heat makes sure that they don’t dry out or become “overcooked’ in the microwave! 

More Delicious Cinnamon Rolls Recipes

• Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
• The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
• Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
• Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls
• Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Icing

I hope you give these Gooey Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls a try! They’re sweet, perfectly spiced, and so delicious. If you do give this recipe a try, I want to know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love.

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Recipe by: Ashlea Carver / All the Healthy Things | Photography by: Eat Love Eat