Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep Time: 30 minutes (+ 1.5 hours rising) | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: ~2 hours 25 minutes | Yield: 12 rolls | Difficulty: Easy-Medium

Nothing says Christmas morning quite like the smell of warm spices drifting from the oven. These Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls take everything you love about classic cinnamon rolls — soft, pillowy dough and swirls of buttery cinnamon sugar — and give it a cozy holiday makeover with molasses, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg baked right in.

Each roll is tender and fluffy, loaded with a rich brown sugar and gingerbread-spice filling, then finished with a silky molasses cream cheese frosting that melts into every crevice. It is the kind of breakfast that makes everyone linger at the table a little longer, coffee mugs in hand, while the wrapping paper waits.

Best of all, this recipe is make-ahead friendly. Assemble the rolls the night before, refrigerate overnight, and bake them fresh on Christmas morning — you get all the holiday magic with almost none of the morning stress.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• All the flavors of gingerbread in a soft, gooey cinnamon roll.
• Make-ahead overnight option for a stress-free Christmas morning.
• Molasses cream cheese frosting adds deep, old-fashioned holiday flavor.
• Freezer friendly — bake a batch now, enjoy them all season.
• Uses pantry spices you probably already own.

Ingredients

For the Dough:

• 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 110°F (43°C)
• 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap)
• 1 large egg, at room temperature

For the Filling:

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, very soft
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 4 oz (115 g) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of fine salt
• 1–2 tablespoons milk, as needed

Instructions

1. Pour the warm milk into a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer). Stir in 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar and the yeast. Let it stand for 5–10 minutes, until foamy. If it does not foam, your yeast may be expired — start over with fresh yeast.
2. Add the remaining sugar, melted butter, molasses, and egg to the yeast mixture and whisk to combine.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
4. Knead the dough for 8–10 minutes by hand on a lightly floured surface (or 6–7 minutes with a dough hook) until smooth, soft, and elastic. It should spring back slowly when poked.
5. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.
6. Meanwhile, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg for the filling in a small bowl.
7. Punch down the risen dough and roll it out on a floured surface into a 16 x 12-inch rectangle, with the long side facing you.
8. Spread the very soft butter evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the far long edge. Sprinkle the spiced brown sugar mixture evenly over the butter and press it down lightly with your hands.
9. Starting from the long edge closest to you, roll the dough up into a tight log. Pinch the seam to seal.
10. Cut the log into 12 equal rolls using unflavored dental floss or a sharp serrated knife (saw gently so you do not squish the swirls).
11. Arrange the rolls cut-side up in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Cover and let rise for 30–45 minutes, until puffy and touching each other.
12. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the rolls for 22–26 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through in the center. If they brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil.
13. While the rolls bake, make the frosting: beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Beat in the powdered sugar, molasses, vanilla, and salt, then add milk a teaspoon at a time until spreadable.
14. Spread the frosting generously over the warm rolls so it melts into the swirls. Serve warm.

Tips

• Milk temperature matters: too hot kills the yeast, too cool slows it down. Aim for 110°F (43°C) — warm to the touch, like bathwater.
• Use regular unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap, which is bitter and will overpower the rolls.
• For the cleanest cuts, slide dental floss under the log, cross the ends over the top, and pull — it slices without squashing the spiral.
• Do not overbake. The rolls should be just set and golden; the centers will finish cooking from residual heat.
• Grind or replace old spices — fresh ground ginger and cinnamon make a noticeable difference in holiday baking.

Make-Ahead & Storage

Overnight option: After placing the cut rolls in the pan (step 11), cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 16 hours. On Christmas morning, let the pan sit at room temperature for 30–45 minutes while the oven preheats, then bake as directed, adding 2–3 extra minutes if needed.

Storage: Leftover frosted rolls keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Warm individual rolls in the microwave for 15–20 seconds before serving.

Freezing: Freeze baked, unfrosted rolls for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, warm in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 10 minutes, then frost fresh.

Nutrition (Estimates)

Per roll (1 of 12, with frosting) — estimates only: approximately 385 calories, 14 g fat, 61 g carbohydrates, 1.5 g fiber, 34 g sugar, 5 g protein, 290 mg sodium.

If you make these Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls this holiday season, I would love to hear how they turned out — they have quickly become a Christmas morning tradition in my kitchen, and I hope they become one in yours too.