Description
These Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls combine the warm spices of gingerbread with a soft, fluffy dough swirled with cinnamon-sugar filling, topped with a rich molasses cream cheese frosting. Perfect for a cozy holiday breakfast or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- ¼ cup warm water (60mL)
- 2 and ½ Tablespoons granulated sugar (32g)
- 1 and ⅛ teaspoons dry active yeast (3.5g)
- ¼ cup milk (60mL)
- 2 Tablespoons unsulphured molasses
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg
- 2 and ¼ to 2 and ½ cups all purpose flour (270-300g)
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (57g)
Filling
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
- ¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar (50g)
- 1 and ½ Tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (28g)
- 1 Tablespoon unsulphured molasses
Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 ounces full fat block cream cheese, softened (57g)
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (28g)
- ½ Tablespoon unsulphured molasses
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cups powdered sugar (90g)
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Prepare the yeast mixture: Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside. In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Whisk gently and allow the mixture to rest and activate until bubbly, about 10 minutes.
- Mix dough wet ingredients: Add milk, molasses, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and egg to the activated yeast mixture. Whisk to combine thoroughly.
- Add flour and butter: Gradually stir in 1 cup of flour to the liquid mixture until it begins to come together. Add the softened butter and continue blending it in. Then add the remaining 1 and ¼ cups of flour and mix until the dough mostly comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Knead the dough: Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic, adding flour by the tablespoon if too sticky. The dough should resemble PlayDoh texture. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, mix granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg until well blended.
- Roll out the dough: Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 9 by 12-inch rectangle. Take your time as the dough is elastic.
- Apply filling: Whisk melted butter and molasses in a small bowl (it won't fully combine) and brush evenly over the dough, leaving a ½ inch border. Sprinkle the spiced sugar mixture evenly on top.
- Form rolls: Starting at one long side, roll the dough tightly into a 12-inch log. Pinch ends to seal and use a serrated knife to cut into 6 even slices, keeping the seam side down.
- Arrange and rise: Place rolls cut side down in the prepared pan. Gather any spilled cinnamon sugar and sprinkle over the rolls. Press down gently to flatten slightly. Cover loosely with foil or a kitchen towel, let rise in a warm place for 1 and ½ hours.
- Bake the rolls: Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Bake rolls for 32 minutes or until they start to brown on top. Optionally cover with foil to prevent over-browning. Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes.
- Make frosting: Beat softened cream cheese, butter, molasses, and cinnamon on medium-high speed until smooth. Lower speed and add powdered sugar and salt; beat until frosting is smooth.
- Frost and serve: Spread the molasses cream cheese frosting over the slightly cooled rolls. Serve immediately. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat briefly before serving.
Notes
- Use an 8-inch square baking pan or 8 to 9-inch round pan. For a square pan, arrange rolls in 2 rows of 3; for round pan, place one center roll and 5 evenly spaced around it.
- Make-ahead option: Prepare through shaping rolls. Cover and refrigerate up to 18 hours. Bring to room temperature for 1 hour before baking.
- Freeze baked rolls up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator and warm before serving.
- Freeze unbaked rolls by parbaking 10 minutes at 350ºF, cooling, wrapping, freezing. Thaw and finish baking later or freeze before baking and thaw then rise before baking.
- For best yeast results, follow yeast activation and kneading instructions carefully to develop gluten and rise properly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cinnamon roll
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
