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{This post is sponsored by Land O’Lakes.}
Kicking off December the best way I know how to, with these Overnight Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls.
As I’m sure you all can tell, I could not be more excited that December is here! December is my favorite month of the year, it holds so much magic! It’s a time for slowing down, spending time with family and friends, and enjoying the last couple weeks of the year…all while eating delicious food.
Of course.
Watch the How-To Video Here:
Since today is December first, I knew I wanted to share a recipe that screamed Christmas, and these Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls have Christmas written all over them. In my family we always do a sweet and savory breakfast on Christmas morning, my mom’s Monkey Bread with a side of something like a quiche or strata. Christmas Eve morning however is reserved for Cinnamon Rolls. There’s not one person in my large family of nine that does not love cinnamon rolls. I’ve made a lot of them over my years of writing HBH, see these Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls, these Pull-Apart Cinnamon Rolls, and also these Brioche Cinnamon Rolls in the HBH Cookbook.
I know, I know, how many Cinnamon Roll recipes does one need? Apparently a lot! These Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls are something extra special.
The dough is possibly one of the most delicious cinnamon roll doughs ever. Just like gingerbread, it’s made with a good amount of molasses. The molasses not only adds flavor, but keeps the rolls soft and moist. I also added a splash of vanilla extract, because everything made with vanilla is better.
But the best thing about these rolls is the filling. The incredible swirls throughout come from a mix of Land O Lakes® Butter, brown sugar, plenty of cinnamon and plenty of ginger. I like to use a good amount of butter in my center filling. To me, that cinnamon (and ginger) swirl is the best part of a cinnamon roll and I like to make sure it’s extra sweet and extra gooey.
The key is using salted butter. A high quality salted butter, like Land O Lakes® Butter, adds a distinctiveness to baked goods that sets them above. Trust me on this, it’s that extra special touch that every cinnamon roll needs.
For the frosting, there was no doubt in my mind that I needed to do a cream cheese frosting with vanilla beans studded throughout. The cream cheese is not an overly sweet or overpowering flavor, so it allows for the cinnamon roll to shine.
With Christmas Eve and Christmas morning being so hectic, I wanted to give you guys a breakfast recipe that you could prepare the day before, keep in the fridge, and then just bake up in the morning. Meaning you can make these on Christmas Eve day or even the day before Christmas Eve. Then just take them out the next morning and bake. These are PERFECT for our family since we always open gifts first thing before breakfast.
I, of course, tested these rolls with my family before sharing with you. The fact that the entire pan was gone within a few minutes of coming out of the oven means that everyone, brothers included, loved these rolls.
Again, they’re super moist, buttery, sweet, gooey and all things incredible. I really could not think of a better family holiday breakfast. I am excited to make these again for Christmas in T-minus twenty-four days.
Let the countdown begin!
Overnight Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
Servings: 12 cinnamon rolls
Calories Per Serving: 532 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3/4 cup warm whole milk
- 4 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Filling
- 6 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg OR ground cloves (use your favorite or both)
Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or the seeds from 1/2 a vanilla bean
Instructions
- 1. Place the yeast and brown sugar into a stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Add the warm milk and gently stir. Let sit until it is puffed and foamy on top, about 10 minutes. To the bowl add the melted butter, egg, and molasses, stir to combine. Add in the flour and salt. Knead the dough with the dough hook until the dough is smooth and forms a ball, about 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl. Oil the bowl or use cooking spray to coat. Place the dough back into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm area for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.2. Make the filling. Add the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to a new bowl and mix well.3. Generously grease a 9×13 inch baking dish or a dish slightly smaller with butter.4. Lightly dust a surface with flour. Roll the dough into a rectangle (about 9×24 inches). Spread the butter evenly over the dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon/ginger sugar evenly over the butter and lightly push the mix 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 10-12 rolls. Place rolls in the prepared baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge to rise overnight. 5. In the morning, remove the rolls from the fridge and allow them to come to room temp while the oven preheats, about 30-45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350. Bake the rolls for 25 minutes or until golden brown.6. In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla. Spread the frosting on warm rolls. EAT!
Three weeks from Monday!
{This post is sponsored by Land O’Lakes. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Half Baked Harvest cooking!}
Can you use bread flour for this recipe? That is all I have in my cabinet.
HI! I am sure bread flour will work just fine. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and Happy New Year! xTieghan
These were delicious! Great texture; great flavor. Unfortunately, the kids (nieces and nephews) in our house weren’t such a fan of gingerbread so it ended up being a disappointment for them but more for the adults. 🙂 creative twist though and easy enough to make.
Well I am glad the adults liked these haha! Thank you so much Molly! xTieghan
Can you use instant active yeast?
HI! Of course! Just mix the yeast with the flour instead of the milk. Then continue on as directed. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and I hope you had Merry Christmas! Sorry my response is a bit late! xTieghan
Have you ever made these a few days in advance? Thinking for Xmas breakfast but won’t have much time xmas eve. Think an extra day in the fridge is doable?
HI! Yes, you can make these up to 2 days ahead. Directions at the bottom of the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and I hope you had a Merry Christmas! xTieghan
Made these! Everyone loved them – said I should open a shop and sell them:-)
Thank you so much Nanette! I am so glad you all enjoyed this! xTieghan
Can I sub honey for the molasses? Want to try your method but with a more classic cinnamon roll flavor.
HI! Honey should work great. I would use only 1/4 cup. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
Hi! What are the frosty red goodies that are sprinkled on them in the pictures? Cranberries? I may add that or raspberries or something fresh to have with. YUM! So excited to make these next weekend for sibling Christmas.
HI! Yes, they are cranberries. Either cranberries or raspberries will be delicious with these rolls. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
Will the cinnamon rolls still be good and fluffy if I left out the ginger and nutmeg?
HI! Yes, of course! They will still be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
Hi, these look delicious and super Christmassy! I want to threat my family to these for brunch but some of us are allergic to wheat, any advice on the flour(s) I may use? We don’t have cup4cup – your favourite brand 🙂 – in Portugal. Thank you so much all your amazing recipes 🙂
HI! I am sorry, I am not familiar with brands in Portugal so I am afraid I don’t have a recommendation. I would use a GF flour blend that you enjoy and bake with often. That should work well. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
So I made these rolls, I let them sit in the fridge over night- are they suppose to be bigger than they were when I put them in?
Hi Genee, Yes, the rolls should be a little large then when you put them in the fridge. Did they not rise for you? Was there anything you did differently?
These were great but my daughter doesn’t eat dairy or eggs so breakfasts are always a challenge! I substituted a few items and this turned out fantastic! I was surprised at how easy it was to roll out, not dry and crumbly. I used coconut milk, Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, and for the egg, 2T water, 1t canola oil, 2t baking powder whisked together. Unfortunately, I had to eliminate the cream cheese altogether, but just used powdered sugar, Earth Balance and a mix between coconut milk and water to create a frosting. Even my super picky eater son really like these rolls! Definitely a keeper recipe, even with the substitutions!
I am so glad these turned out so well for you, Sue! Thank you!
I love your recipes!
I just realized I only have a 9.5 x 13.5 glass baking dish 🙁 how should I tweak the recipe to accommodate for this?
Thanks in advance! 🙂
No knead to tweak the recipe, a 9×13 inch pan is just fine. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you loved this recipe and had a great Christmas! Thanks so much and happy Holidays!! xTieghan ?
Hello! I’m excited to try these for Christmas morning! Is there something I can replace the molasses with?! Thanks!!
You can try honey, but I have not used this before so I am unsure of the outcome. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you loved this recipe and had a great Christmas! Thanks so much and happy Holidays!! xTieghan ?
What is that garnish? Sugared cranberries?
Hi! Yes it is! Thank you so much!
HI! Yes, they are sugared cranberries. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much and happy Holidays!! xTieghan ?
This looks amazing and I am going to try this for Christmas morning! Question though, I’m hoping to reduce the amount of active time in the kitchen Christmas morning, and wondering if there’s a reason the frosting couldn’t be made the night before (and maybe allow that to come to room temp while the rolls are baking so it spreads easier)? Or would there be an issue with the frosting consistency if I did that? Thanks!
Hey Nicole! You can certainly make the frosting the night before. Just leave it on the counter while the rolls bake and that will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much and happy Holidays!! xTieghan ?