Description
Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect holiday morning breakfast. They're made with molasses and filled with a brown sugar spiced filling for a gooey and delicious winter-inspired roll. They're soft and fluffy and topped with a brown sugar cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Scale
For the dough
- 600 g (4 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 7 g (2 1/4) teaspoons instant yeast
- 5.6 g (1 teaspoon) salt
- 75 g (1/3 cup) unsalted butter, melted
- 75 g (1/3 cup) light brown sugar
- 60 g (1/4 cup) sour cream, at room temperature
- 50 g (1 large) egg, at room temperature
- 85 g (1/4 cup) molasses
- 240 g (1 cup) warm whole milk
For the filling
- 113 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 165 (3/4 cup) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 6 g (1 tablespoon) ground cinnamon
- 3.2 g (2 teaspoons) ground ginger
- 0.5 g (1/4 teaspoon) ground nutmeg
- 0.5 g (1/4 teaspoon) ground cloves
- 50 g (1 large) egg, lightly beaten
For the frosting
- 113 g (4 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 56 g (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 150 g (1 1/4 cups) powdered sugar
- 55 g (1/4 cup) light brown sugar
- 4 g (1 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
- 1 g (1/2 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
- 14 g (1 tablespoon) heavy cream or whole milk
Instructions
For the rolls
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix melted butter, sugar, sour cream, egg, and molasses. With the mixer on low speed, add half of the flour mixture followed by the milk, and mix until combined. Switch to the dough hook attachment and add the remaining flour mixture. Beat on medium speed for 5-7 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. The dough might be slightly sticky, if so, use a dough scraper to transfer the dough.
- Lightly grease a large bowl with vegetable oil or cooking spray. Place dough in the bowl. Rotate the dough so that it is greased on all sides. Loosely cover and allow to rise in a warm place (75°F/24°C) until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with butter or cooking spray.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and lightly punch down to release some of the gases. Roll dough into a 12x18-inch rectangle.
For the filling
- Spread the softened butter onto the dough. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Sprinkle the filling onto the dough, allowing for a ½-inch border along one of the long edges. Brush the edge without the mixture with the beaten egg.
- Begin with the long edge that has the sugar mixture and roll the dough into a log. Pinch seam to seal, trim ends, and slice into 12 rolls. Place in prepared pan. Allow rolls to rise in a warm place (75°F/24°C) until rolls are puffed, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F/176°C.
- Bake cinnamon rolls 30-35 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Allow rolls to cool 15 minutes before frosting.
For frosting
- In a large bowl using a mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the brown sugar and mix to combine. Add the powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and milk and mix until combined. Spread onto warm rolls.
Notes
Storing: Keep cinnamon rolls in an airtight container to prevent the moisture from escaping. Store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Freezing: Before adding the frosting, cover baked rolls in a freeze-safe container. Store in the freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, warm up in the oven, add the frosting, and enjoy!.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Breakfast