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Quick and Easy Gingerbread Brioche Cinnamon Rolls…with Cinnamon Browned Butter Frosting. Just the holiday breakfast you’re looking for. Buttery, eggy brioche dough made with ginger for a seasonal twist, swirled with molasses and sprinkled with spiced ginger sugar, and frosted generously with a browned butter and cream cheese frosting. There’s nothing not to love, every bite is melt in your mouth delicious. These are a great make-ahead breakfast roll, perfect for your holiday celebrations!

This post is sponsored by Fleischmann’s®.

overhead photo of Easy Gingerbread Brioche Cinnamon Rolls with frosting on rolls

Happy Friday before Christmas. I have to say, I am so excited for the next few days. Most of my family arrives tomorrow and after this weekend the bulk of my work will be done for the remainder of the year. It’s been crazy busy leading up to Christmas, but I’m feeling grateful and excited for everything we’ve been able to accomplish this last year.

The next few days are all about chilling with my family, cooking our favorite holiday recipes, and probably mixing up a lot of cocktails too. So really, the cooking never stops, but I do it because I love it.

When it comes to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, my family has a few traditions, but the one we never break? Cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. I’ve been making cinnamon rolls for as long as I can remember and nothing beats homemade. Last year I made these Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls, but this year I’m switching it up again and baking these easy spiced gingerbread cinnamon rolls.

overhead photo of Easy Gingerbread Brioche Cinnamon Rolls before baking

To make the dough.

First, these are not your typical cinnamon roll. I wanted them to be extra cinnamony, but also perfectly spiced with ginger and hinted with molasses too. Just like your favorite gingerbread cookies.

For the dough, simply mix flour with Fleischmann’s® Rapid Rise Yeast, a touch of ginger, and a pinch of salt. Add warm milk, a touch of honey, eggs, and salted butter. Then mix until smooth, let the dough rest for ten to fifteen minutes, and then it’s time to shape the rolls. And that’s the beauty of Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® yeast! We get to skip an entire hour-long rise.

overhead close up photo of Easy Gingerbread Brioche Cinnamon Rolls before adding frosting

For me, skipping the rising step is everything. It means I can start making these rolls at the last minute and not be stressed about getting them prepped and ready before things get crazy in the kitchen.

For the filling, I mixed the butter with blackstrap molasses for a true gingerbread swirl throughout. Then sprinkled on a simple mix of brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.

I like to use brown sugar for a nice depth of flavor. And I go heavy on the cinnamon and ginger for sweet, cinnamon, gingery swirls throughout.

overhead close up photo of Easy Gingerbread Brioche Cinnamon Rolls in baking dish

Shaping the rolls.

Roll the dough, cut into rolls, and place them into a baking dish. Simple, but always so pretty.

If you enjoy warm rolls fresh out of the oven, you can do a quick rise and bake right away. Then simply frost, eat, and enjoy! Cinnamon rolls in under two hours. Perfect for baking up super last minute.

For the frosting, I did something a little more special, but still simple. Browned butter + cream cheese + vanilla + cinnamon. Simple, but incredibly delicious when spread over these gingery rolls.

overhead close up photo of Easy Gingerbread Brioche Cinnamon Rolls in baking pan

Can you make these ahead of time?

Yes, you can! I love the fact that I can make these from start to finish in under two hours. But I’m also fully aware that none of you want to be prepping breakfast on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. So, I made sure these rolls could be made ahead of time, for any of you looking to get a jump start.

Here is what I do. I make these a day or two ahead and let them rise in the fridge, skipping the counter rise completely. That way, on Christmas Eve morning, all I have to do is bake and frost them. This gives me plenty of time to one, sleep in, and two, relax instead of spending the morning in the kitchen.

overhead close up photo of Easy Gingerbread Brioche Cinnamon Rolls in pan

I cannot think of a better holiday breakfast to enjoy with your family. Of course, these are great for Christmas, but they can truly be enjoyed all winter long. I’ve yet to share these with my family, so I can’t wait to recreate them next week. Fingers crossed that they love these rolls as much as I do!

And with that, I hope to see you tomorrow for the very last Christmas Cocktail Saturday of 2019!

overhead photo of Easy Gingerbread Brioche Cinnamon Rolls on plates with forks

If you make these easy gingerbread brioche cinnamon rolls, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Easy Gingerbread Brioche Cinnamon Rolls with Cinnamon Browned Butter Frosting

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 12
Calories Per Serving: 423 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Gingerbread Sugar Filling

Cinnamon Browned Butter Frosting

Instructions

  • 1. To make the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 3 1/2 cups flour, the yeast, ginger, and salt. Add the warm milk, honey, eggs, and butter. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. If the dough seems sticky, add the remaining 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of flour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes or up to a few hours at room temperature.
    2. Meanwhile, make the filling. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a separate small bowl, mix together the butter and molasses. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with parchment. 
    3. Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Turn out the dough, punch it down, and roll it into a rectangle about 10 x 16 inches. Spread the molasses butter evenly over the dough. Sprinkle the ginger sugar evenly over the butter and lightly push into the butter. Starting with the long edge closest to you, carefully roll the dough into a log, keeping it fairly tight as you go. When you reach the edge, pinch along the edge to seal. Using a sharp knife, cut into 12-15 rolls smaller rolls or 8 large rolls. Place the rolls into the prepared baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 20-30 minutes.
    4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. For larger rolls, bake an additional 10 minutes.
    5. Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the butter is lightly browned and smells toasted. Immediately remove from the heat. Let cool.
    6. In a medium bowl, beat together the cooled browned butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla until smooth. If the frosting is too thick for your liking, add a tablespoon of milk.
    7. Spread the frosting over the warm rolls. Serve warm and enjoy.

Notes

To Make Ahead: prepare the rolls through step 3. Do not let the rolls rise at room temp. Cover the rolls and place in the fridge (up to overnight). When ready to bake, remove the rolls from the fridge 45 minutes prior to baking, then bake as directed. 
To Prepare and Freeze: assemble the rolls through step 3, then cover the pan and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the rolls overnight in the fridge or on the counter for a few hours. Once thawed, bake as directed. 
To Bake and Freeze: bake the rolls as directed and let cool completely. Cover well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and warm before serving. 
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horizontal photo of Easy Gingerbread Brioche Cinnamon Rolls on plates with forks

{This post is sponsored by Fleischmann’s®. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Half Baked Harvest cooking!}

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made these for Christmas morning…and we love these. They are “rich” in flavor with the molasses and ginger, but not overwhelming either. The dough is soft and fluffy. I even prefer these over the Salted Brioche Cinnamon Rolls (but honestly you can’t go wrong with either).

    1. Hey Doug,
      Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you. Happy Holidays! xTieghan

  2. Hi there! The metric conversion is incorrect. It’s double the amount of flour listed on US, but everything else stays the same. Excited to try the recipe!

  3. 5 stars
    I made these yesterday for a holiday brunch and they were a hit! I used mascarpone for the icing since I had 4oz left over from a previous recipe and I think that was my favorite part. You could really taste the browned butter. Prepping them ahead of time and letting them rise overnight in the fridge made everything so simple, and it really didn’t take much time at all. I was always convinced homemade sweet rolls would take too long, but these were really simple. Can’t wait to try some other sweet roll recipes in the future!

    1. Hey Lura,
      I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

    1. Hey Lindsey,
      I have never tested this recipe with sourdough starter, but I would start with 1/3 cup. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

  4. Hi! I just made these this morning and they were quite delicious! The consistency of the dough was perfect and the flavors were wonderful! However, almost all of the butter from the insides melted out to be a big ole mess at the bottom of the pan and wouldn’t stay in the rolls. I thought I had rolled them up pretty tightly so I’m not sure what happened. I followed the directions through step 3 last night and finished this morning. Any suggestions on how to fix this for next time? Thank you so much!!!!!

    1. Hey Brittany,
      Thanks for giving the recipe a try, so sorry you had issues with the butter, was there anything you adjusted? Next time try using soft butter instead of melting it. I hope this helps! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

  5. Hi Tieghan! I can’t wait to make these for Christmas morning. Do you think it would work to bake them in a cast iron skillet? Thanks!

    1. Hey Michelle,
      Yes, a cast iron skillet would work for these. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

  6. 5 stars
    Hi Tieghan,

    Is there an alternative if I do not have a stand mixer/dough hook?
    Thank you so much from down here in Denver <3

    -Sam

    1. Hey Sam,
      You can just mix with a wooden spoon and knead by hand! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

  7. Looking forward to making these Christmas morning!! They look amazing. Do you think it’s possible to sub the warm whole milk with almond milk? Thanks!

    1. Hey Christina,
      Yes, almond milk will work here. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

  8. These look so good! I’m thinking of making these to give as gifts. I was thinking of baking then freezing but not sure about the frosting. If I frost them before freezing will the frosting just melt when reheating? How would you suggest preparing these to give as a gift?

    1. Hey Lisa,
      I would go ahead and freeze without the frosting and then just gift the frosting in a small container. I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions and Happy Holidays! xTieghan

  9. The 10×16 in roll out resulted in thick cinnamon rolls, so next time I’d roll the dough out larger to get more swirl. Regardless, tasted phenomenal!

  10. 5 stars
    These were to die for!! They were the first cinnamon rolls I’ve ever made, so I was a little bit nervous they wouldn’t turn out well, but they were perfect! & I was a little hesitant, because I wouldn’t say I’m a gingerbread lover, but the flavors weren’t too strong! They were the best I’ve ever had! The frosting was unmatched. The browned butter makes this recipe & I would definitely not skip it!! I can’t wait to make these again!

  11. 5 stars
    Easy to make, excellent directions! I added crushed walnuts to this recipe and in the icing. They were amazing ? so amazing I am making a huge batch as part of a Christmas gift for my sister and her family!!

  12. do you think gluten-free flour would work for this recipe/your other cinnamon roll recipes? i’m dying to make these this holiday season but i have a gluten sensitivity :/

    1. Hey Gaby,
      Yes! I would recommend using Cup4cup GF flour. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

  13. Question- the recipe text says to line the pan with parchment paper, but your pictures don’t seem to use this step. Do you remove the parchment paper at some point?

    1. Hi Bonnie,
      You can line with parchment paper or simply grease your baking dish. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

  14. 5 stars
    OMG – made these cinnamon rolls yesterday morning and they truly might be the most delicious thing I’ve ever made! And I bake A LOT! They turned out perfectly and the cinnamon cream cheese frosting is to die for. Thank you for this amazing recipe – I may be making these every single Sunday for the unforeseeable future 🙂

    1. Thank you so much for trying this Andrea! I am so glad you have been loving this recipe and I hope you continue to! xTieghan