Fluffy Gingerbread Rolls

Fluffy Gingerbread Rolls are the ideal winter breakfast treat. A sweet and spicy, molasses-infused yeasted dough is rolled up with a gingerbread-inspired filling and topped with a vanilla cream cheese frosting. Plan on making the dough the night before and assembling them in the morning for freshly baked rolls!

GINGERBREAD ROLLS VS. REGULAR CINNAMON ROLLS

• Replacing some of the milk with some molasses.
• I adapted my cinnamon roll recipe and added less milk. The molasses took its place. 
• A festive ginger spice blend, as well as molasses, added both to the dough and the filling evokes the traditional flavors of gingerbread. The added molasses makes the dough extra soft.

TRADITIONAL GINGERBREAD FLAVORS

Gingerbread can be everything from a cake to a cookie and can encompass flavors ranging from ginger to allspice to cloves to nutmeg to cinnamon, and some form of sweetness either from honey, sugar, or molasses. These rolls feature a combination of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice pulled together with sugar and molasses. They are jam-packed with spice because there’s nothing worse than gingerbread that’s bland and doesn’t have enough spice.  We went for balance so there’s a bit in the dough and some in the filling.

HOW TO MAKE FLUFFY GINGERBREAD ROLLS

1. First, activate the yeast in the bowl of your stand mixer. 
2. I like to pour the yeast into the warmed milk and 1 teaspoon of sugar and mix it in and allow it to sit until all foamy for about 8 minutes. If it’s not foamy, it’s not activated.
3. While the yeast is activating, whisk together the flour, gingerbread spices, and kosher salt.
4. To a small bowl, mix together the eggs, molasses, and vanilla, and then add that to the yeast mixture. Add the flour mixture and mix everything up on low until mostly combined. 
5. Slowly add the cubes of butter until a smooth and elastic dough forms. Knead it on medium speed for about 5 to 7 minutes. If you’re doing this by hand, you can knead it on the counter for about 10  to 15 minutes.
6. Transfer it to a greased bowl. If you want to use it right away, keep it out at room temperature, cover it with a clean towel, and let it rise for 1 1/2 hours. Alternatively, you can cover it and transfer it to the fridge to rise for 2 hours. 
7. If you want to make it the next day, cover it and transfer it to the fridge and let it rise overnight.
8. Make the filling by beating together the butter, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt.
9. Roll the dough out into a 12-inch by 20-inch rectangle. And spread the filling out onto the dough. Roll it up and cut the dough into 2-inch slices. Place them in baking pans and allow them to rise again for about 1 hour.
10. Bake them up! While they’re baking, make the glaze by beating together butter and cream cheese. Next, add the powdered sugar, vanilla, heavy cream, and salt. Beat for a full minute.
11. Spread the frosting on the tops of the rolls and DONE!

TIPS AND TRICKS

• Use floss to cut the dough – After you add the filling to the top of the dough and roll it up, you’ll end up with a log that needs to be cut up. The easiest way to cut it up is using a string of floss. Use it to slice through the dough. It yields super clean cuts.
• You could also cut the log in half and transfer them to the freezer to chill for 10 minutes. This will help with getting clean slices. It will take some additional time for the rolls to rise since they’ll be super cold.
• Store the dough in the fridge overnight, covered with plastic wrap or a lid. You can roll out the dough the next day in order to assemble the rolls.

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Fluffy Gingerbread Rolls

Author: Adrianna Adarme

Fluffy Gingerbread Rolls are the ideal winter breakfast treat. A sweet and spicy, molasses-infused yeasted dough is rolled up with a gingerbread-inspired filling and topped with a vanilla cream cheese frosting. Plan on making the dough the night before and assembling them in the morning for freshly baked rolls!

Course: Bread, Breakfast, Holiday

Cuisine: American, Holiday

Keyword: Fluffy Gingerbread Rolls, Gingerbread Rolls, Holiday Rolls

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 22 minutes mins

Proofing Time: 3 hours hrs

Serving Size: 12 Rolls

Ingredients

DOUGH:

• 1/4 cup lukewarm milk
• 1 teaspoon plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar divided
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (420g)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature cut into cubes

GINGERBREAD ROLL FILLING:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste
• Pinch kosher salt

CREAM CHEESE GLAZE:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste
• A pinch of ground nutmeg
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon whole milk

Instructions

TO MAKE THE DOUGH:

• To the bowl of a stand-up mixer fitted with a dough hook(alternatively, you can do this in a large bowl by hand), add the lukewarm milk. Mix in the active dry yeast and allow to stand and activate, about 8 minutes, until foamy and alive!
• To a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. To a small bowl, beat the eggs with the molasses and vanilla extract. To the stand mixer bowl (with the yeast mixture), add the beaten eggs and vanilla extract; then all at once, add the flour mixture. Attach the dough hook to your mixer and mix on low until the dough starts to become cohesive. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the cubes of butter.
• Knead on medium speed for about 5 to 7 minutes or until the dough looks smooth, supple, and mostly pulls away from the bowl. Alternatively, if you’re doing this by hand, you’ll need to knead the dough for about 10 to 15 minutes. The dough will go from crumbly and separate to completely cohesive and smooth. The dough shouldn’t be sticky—if it is, add flour, a few tablespoons at a time, until it’s no longer sticky. I added about an extra ¼ cup of flour. Be careful not to add too much flour, as that will result in a dry roll. Remove the dough from the hook and the bowl and form it into a ball.
• Transfer the ball of dough to a clean, lightly greased bowl (I used the flour bowl and just wiped it clean with a kitchen towel and then greased it). Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and transfer to the fridge to rise for at least 2 hours or overnight.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:

• To the bowl of a stand-up mixer (with the paddle attachment) or using a medium bowl and a fork, add the butter, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla, and salt. Mix and mash until the filling is completely smooth.
• *If you’re looking to save yourself a step in the morning, you can make this filling and let it sit on the counter overnight so it stays softened.
• TO ASSEMBLE THE GINGERBREAD ROLLS:
• The following morning (or after the 2-hour mark), remove the dough from the fridge. Lightly flour your work surface and place the dough into the center. Lightly flour your rolling pin and roll the dough into a 1/8-inch thick rectangle that measures 12 inches x 20 inches. If it’s not a perfect rectangle, that’s totally ok.
• Add the filling to the dough and spread it into a thin layer, using a butter knife or offset spatula. I smeared the filling pretty close to the edges. Starting from the edge furthest from you, roll the dough towards you, horizontally, into a firm log.
• Slice the dough into two and transfer and carefully transfer them to a cutting board. Place them in the freezer to chill for 10 minutes. I find that slicing cold dough is WAY easier. Remove from the freezer and slice the rolls into 1 1/2-inch rolls, about 12-16 rolls, trimming the ends off. Alternatively, you can cut the dough with a piece of unflavored waxed floss. To cut with the floss, simply slide the floss under the roll, then pull the ends together toward the center for a clean cut.
• Transfer to a greased 9 x 13 baking sheet (or something comparable). Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise for an additional 45 minutes to an hour, or until doubled in size.
• *If your house is particularly cold, it may take longer for the rolls to rise. I like to place my cinnamon rolls near the oven because it’s usually warmer in that part of my house.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes.

TO MAKE THE CREAM CHEESE ICING:

• In the bowl of a stand-up mixer (or a large bowl) with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugars, vanilla paste, nutmeg, salt, and whole milk. Beat for about 20 seconds.

TO SERVE:

• When the cinnamon rolls come out of the oven, pour the icing over the cinnamon rolls and smother them with icing.
• *See below for instructions on assembling the rolls and then allowing them to rise overnight in the fridge.

Notes

To Make these Ahead of Time:
You are more than welcome to make them ahead a few different ways. The first way is the make the dough/filling/cream cheese frosting and place them all separately in the fridge overnight. The dough will proof slowly while in the fridge. You can continue the recipe in the morning, rolling the dough straight from the fridge, cold. This makes it easier to handle and slice. You will need to bring the filling and frosting to room temperature first before using them.
Another way is to assemble the gingerbread rolls and instead of setting them out on the counter to proof, transfer them to the fridge to proof overnight. You can bake them straight from the fridge as long as they have doubled in size.

Nutrition

Calories: 5458kcal (273%) | Carbohydrates: 700g (233%) | Protein: 74g (148%) | Fat: 265g (408%) | Saturated Fat: 160g (1000%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 69g | Trans Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 1156mg (385%) | Sodium: 3570mg (155%) | Potassium: 2999mg (86%) | Fiber: 17g (71%) | Sugar: 349g (388%) | Vitamin A: 8654IU (173%) | Vitamin C: 1mg (1%) | Calcium: 711mg (71%) | Iron: 31mg (172%)

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