The Best Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls Ever — Fluffy, Spiced, and Perfect for Christmas Morning
By Rebecca St.Clair
Celebrate the season with a batch of the best gingerbread cinnamon rolls—soft, gooey, and bursting with festive flavours. This recipe combines the pillowy soft texture of traditional cinnamon rolls with the nostalgic flavour of old-fashioned gingerbread. Ideal for holiday breakfast ideas, winter baking, and Christmas morning traditions, these rolls fill your kitchen with the smell of cinnamon, cloves, and ginger… pure holiday joy in every bite.
These soft gingerbread cinnamon rolls are the holiday baking recipe you didn’t know you needed. With a tender dough, a gooey spiced filling, and a rich, cream cheese icing, they’re everything you want in a festive treat. A must-try for anyone who loves homemade cinnamon rolls and classic gingerbread recipes.
The perfect festive warm dessert or easy Christmas morning breakfast recipe. Whether you’re hosting holiday brunch or making a special weekend bake, these soft homemade cinnamon rolls are guaranteed to become a new family favourite.
These gingerbread cinnamon rolls rise beautifully, bake up pillowy-soft, with the perfect balance of sweet molasses and cozy spices. They’re easy to make ahead, freezer-friendly. Add this to your list of holiday brunch ideas.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Seasonal – This is the perfect Christmas and winter recipe you’ll look forward to all year!
Soft and tender – Super soft and pillowy buns wrapped in sweet sticky spiced filling.
Festive flavours – Infused and wrapped in classic gingerbread flavours and warm spices.
Classic bake – The perfect seasonal take on the classic cinnamon bun.
How to store gingerbread cinnamon rolls
Fridge
You can refrigerate gingerbread cinnamon rolls, especially if already spread with cream cheese icing, but be aware that refrigeration can dry them slightly.
- Store in an airtight container.
- Warm before serving to restore softness (15-30 seconds in the microwave or a few minutes in a low oven).
Freezer
Freezing keeps cinnamon rolls freshest for the longest time.
To freeze baked cinnamon rolls:
- Allow rolls to cool completely.
- Wrap in plastic wrap or freezer-safe container.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat:
- Thaw overnight at room temperature.
- Warm in the oven at 300°F (150°C) for 10–15 minutes or microwave briefly.
If you want fresh-baked cinnamon rolls anytime:
- Prep the rolls and let them rise.
- Freeze before baking by placing them on a tray until solid, then store in a freezer bag.
- When ready to bake, thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Bake as usual.
How to make the dough
Stand mixer – This is my favourite way to make the dough. However, I often take it out and knead it by hand for a few minutes. I often find that dough sticks to the dough hook and does not knead as well as I can by hand.
In a large bowl – You do not need any fancy equipment to make amazing gingerbread cinnamon rolls. Mix the ingredients in a large bowl, by hand. When the dough is formed, knead it on a counter top for about 8 minutes.
Gingerbread cinnamon roll dough in the bread machine – Assemble the ingredients in the pan of your bread machine and choose the dough setting. When it is finished you will be at the step of rolling out the dough and assembling the cinnamon rolls.
Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls for Breakfast
If you want to have your cinnamon rolls for breakfast, make them the night before. Let them do their final rise, in the refrigerator overnight. The lower temperatures extends the time needed for the buns to rise. In the morning, they will be ready to place in the oven to bake and serve fresh and warm!
Ingredients
Milk – Milk is used to make this soft enriched dough
Sugar – Brown sugar is used to make this recipe.
Yeast – Use dry-active yeast to rise the dough.
Salt – For flavour.
Flour – All-purpose flour is used to make these cinnamon rolls.
Eggs – Eggs provide a soft richness to the dough.
Butter – For the enriched rolls and to make the gooey gingerbread filling.
Spices – Use classic gingerbread spices like cinnamon, clove, and ginger.
Molasses – Used in the dough and for the gooey spiced sugar filling.
-Icing-
Cream cheese – Use softened brick-style cream cheese.
Butter – Softened unsalted butter.
Icing sugar – Confectioner’s sugar, powdered sugar, or icing sugar for the silky smooth icing
Salt – Flavour
Vanilla – Flavour
Orange – Orange extract can be replaced by 1 Tablespoon of orange juice or 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
How to Make Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
- In a large bowl mix 1 cup warm milk, 2 Tablespoons fancy (light) molasses, and 1/2 cup white sugar.
- Sprinkle 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast on top. Set aside for the yeast to soften and become foamy. (About 5 minutes)
3. Add in 1 teaspoon salt, 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 2 beaten eggs.
4. Mix and then knead the dough about 5 minutes if using a machine, or 8 minutes if kneading by hand.
5. Cover and allow to rise, in a warm spot, for 1 hour or until doubled.
6. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and roll into a rectangle.
Filling
- In a medium bowl, mix together 1 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 1/2 teaspoon ground clove, 3/4 cup melted butter, and 2 Tablespoon fancy (light) molasses.
- Spread the filling evenly on top of the rectangle of dough.
- Starting at one of the short sides of the rectangle, roll the dough up into a log. Press the seam slightly to close.
4. Slice the log into 12 cinnamon rolls.
5. Place the cinnamon rolls evenly into a greased, rectangular pan.
6. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 30 mins to 1 hour, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
7. Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 °C).
8. Bake 30 – 35 minutes, or until golden brown. If you want your rolls less browned on top, cover with a piece of tin foil after the first 12-15 minutes.
Icing
- Beat 1/4 cup butter and 1 8oz brick soft cream cheese together until smooth.
- Add in 3 cups icing sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon orange extract, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix on low and then increase the speed and beat until thick and fluffy.
3. You can either spread the icing on all of the cinnamon rolls at once; or spread on each bun individually just before serving. (This way works better if you are going to store the leftover buns and reheat later.)
4. Decorate each with festive decorations like sprinkles, small gingerbread cookies, pomegranate, or serve just as they are.
Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
These cinnamon rolls combines pillowy soft texture with the nostalgic flavour of old-fashioned gingerbread. Ideal for holiday breakfast and festive baking,
Ingredients
ROLLS
- 1 cup warm milk 250 ml
- 1/2 cup white sugar 100 g
- 2 1/4 teaspoon dry-active yeast 1 packet or 7 g
- 1 teaspoon salt 5 g
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 510 g
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup softened butter 60 g
- 2 Tablespoons molasses 10 ml
FILLING
- 1 3/4 cup brown sugar 350 g
- 2 Tablespoons cinnamon 18 g
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger 6 g
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground clove 4 g
- 3/4 cup melted butter 175 ml
- 2 Tablespoons fancy molasses 10 ml
ICING
- 1 8oz brick cream cheese, softened 250 g
- 1/4 cup butter, softened 60 g
- 3 cups icing sugar 260 g
- 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 ml
- 1 teaspoon orange extract 5 ml
- (optional) festive decorations
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix 1 cup warm milk, 2 Tablespoons fancy (light) molasses, and 1/2 cup white sugar.
- Sprinkle 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast on top. Set aside for the yeast to soften and become foamy. (About 5 minutes)
- Add in 1 teaspoon salt, 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 2 beaten eggs.
- Mix and then knead the dough about 5 minutes if using a machine, or 8 minutes if kneading by hand.
- Cover and allow to rise, in a warm spot, for 1 hour or until doubled.
- Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and roll into a rectangle.
- In a medium bowl, mix together 1 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 1/2 teaspoon ground clove, 3/4 cup melted butter, and 2 Tablespoon fancy (light) molasses.
- Spread the filling evenly on top of the rectangle of dough.
- Starting at one of the short sides of the rectangle, roll the dough up into a log. Press the seam slightly to close.
- Slice the log into 12 cinnamon rolls.
- Place the cinnamon rolls evenly into a greased, rectangular pan.
- Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 30 mins to 1 hour, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
- Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 °C).
- Bake 30 - 35 minutes, or until golden brown. If you want your rolls less browned on top, cover with a piece of tin foil after the first 12-15 minutes.
- Beat 1/4 cup butter and 1 8oz brick soft cream cheese together until smooth.
- Add in 3 cups icing sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon orange extract, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix on low and then increase the speed and beat until thick and fluffy.
- You can either spread the icing on all of the cinnamon rolls at once; or spread on each bun individually just before serving. (This way works better if you are going to store the leftover buns and reheat later.)
- Decorate each with festive decorations like sprinkles, small gingerbread cookies, pomegranite, or serve just as they are.
Filling
Icing
Notes
Make this recipe for breakfast by making it the night before and letting it do it's final rise in the fridge over night. Then bake fresh in the morning.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 1009Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 14gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 91mgSodium 438mgCarbohydrates 189gFiber 4gSugar 113gProtein 13g
Nutrition information isn't always accurate.
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