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Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

Unleash the warm allure of festive mornings with these soft and fluffy Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls crafted with cozy warm spices, rich molasses, gluten-free flour, topped with a creamy dairy-free frosting. A delectable twist on a classic favorite perfect for your holiday breakfast spread! 

Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American, Holiday
Keyword christmas breakfast recipe, christmas morning recipe, gingerbread cinnamon rolls, holiday cinnamon rolls
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings 12 cinnamon rolls
Calories 437 kcal
Author Kelly

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk , warmed to no hotter than 110 F either in the microwave or on the stove - you can also use any milk of choice
  • 5 tbsp dairy-free butter , warmed to no hotter than 110 F either in the microwave or on the stove - you can also use ghee or unsalted butter if you're not dairy-free
  • 2 1/4 tsp or one 0.25-oz. packet instant yeast
  • 2 large eggs , room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated pure maple sugar , you can also use organic cane sugar or granulated sugar or sweetener of choice, such as Lakanto monk fruit sweetener or Swerve for a lower sugar option.
  • 2 tbsp blackstrap molasses
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 4 1/2 cups gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour , divided. All-purpose flour works too if you're not gluten-free.
  • Cooking spray or oil for greasing the bowl and baking pan

For the filling:

  • 1/2 cup dairy-free butter softened , you can also use ghee or unsalted butter if you're not dairy-free
  • 2/3 cup coconut sugar , you can also use preferred granulated brown sugar / brown sweetener of choice such as Lakanto golden monk fruit sweetener or Brown Swerve for a lower sugar option.
  • 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp ground ginger
  • 1 tbsp blackstrap molasses

For pouring over the rolls just before baking:

  • 12 tbsp about ¾ cup unsweetened dairy-free creamer of choice , (such as Nut Pods, slightly warmed - regular heavy cream works too you're not dairy-free - helps make the rolls extra fluffy)

For the frosting:

  • 6 oz dairy-free cream cheese , softened (such as Kite-Hill - regular works too if you're not dairy-free)
  • 1/3 cup dairy-free butter softened , you can also use ghee or unsalted butter if you're not dairy-free
  • 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar / powdered sweetener of choice , such as Lakanto powdered sweetener for a lower sugar option
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch fine sea salt
  • 1-3 tsp dairy-free milk or unsweetened dairy-free creamer of choice , more or less as needed. Regular works too if you're not dairy-free.

Instructions

Warming the milk and butter

  1. Warm the milk and butter either in a microwave safe bowl for 30-40 seconds or in a saucepan over medium heat until warm but not hot (make sure the mixture is not over 110F - the butter does not need to be melted all the way). If the mixture is too hot, let it cool down before adding it to the yeast to prevent killing the yeast.

Mixing the dough:

  1. With a stand mixer (recommended for best results): In the bowl of a stand mixer with the beater blade attached, pour in the warmed milk / butter mixture and sprinkle the yeast on top. Add the eggs, sugar and molasses. Mix on low until combined. Add the ground cinnamon, ginger, salt and 4 cups of the flour. Mix on low speed until the ingredients are barely combined. Clean / scrape off the beater blade and attach the dough hook onto the stand mixer. Knead the dough on medium speed, for about 8 to 12 minutes, or more as needed until a smooth, soft elastic dough forms and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, (while slowly adding the reserved 1/2 cup flour, or more but only as much as needed). Shape / form the dough into a smooth ball.

  2. Without a stand mixer: In a large bowl, pour in the warmed milk / butter mixture and sprinkle the yeast on top and use a large wooden spoon to stir until combined. Add the eggs, sugar and molasses and use the wooden spoon to mix until combined. Add the ground cinnamon, ginger, salt and flour (in 1 cup increments to make mixing easier) and mix until all the ingredients are barely combined.

  3. Use your hands to start kneading the dough for 2-3 minutes, then turn the dough onto a smooth lightly floured surface and continue kneading until a smooth, soft elastic dough forms (while slowly adding the reserved 1/2 cup flour but only as much as needed), and continue kneading for about 10 - 13 minutes, or more as needed until soft and you can form the dough into a smooth ball.

Allow dough to rise

  1. Grease a large bowl with cooking spray or oil. Transfer the dough to the greased bowl and cover the bowl with a thicker kitchen towel. Set the bowl in a warm spot and allow the dough to rise until just doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours (depending on the humidity and temperature of the room).

Rolling out the dough and adding the filling

  1. Once the dough has doubled in size, gently punch the dough down in the middle and transfer it onto a lightly floured pastry mat or flat surface. Sprinkle the dough with a little bit more flour, as needed.
  2. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 20”x14 rectangle (or about ½” thick, doesn’t have to be perfect measurements), squaring off the edges often as you roll.
  3. In a small / medium bowl, mix together the butter, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and sugar until combined.
  4. Use a spatula to lightly spread the filling into a thin and even layer over the dough, leaving a small border (about ⅛”) around the edges.

Cut into rolls

  1. Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 even-sized strips. [Cutting the cinnamon rolls this way (instead of the traditional one large-log rolling way) ensures that all the rolls bake up more evenly]. Tightly roll each strip into 12 separate rolls / logs.

Prepare for baking and bake

  1. Grease a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray or oil. Place the rolls cut side-up in the prepared baking pan. Cover the pan with a towel and let it rise again until almost doubled, about 30 to 40 minutes.
  2. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350 F.
  3. Warm the heavy cream either in a microwave safe bowl for 20-30 seconds or in a small pot over medium heat until just warm to the touch.
  4. Spoon about 1 tbsp of the warmed cream evenly over each roll.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven for 23-28 minutes, until the tops are just a light golden brown and the center is cooked through but still soft (more or less as needed depending on your oven, pan used and size of the rolls - you can start checking them at 20 minutes and cover the pan loosely with an aluminum foil for the remainder of the cooking time if the rolls seem to be getting too brown).

While the rolls are baking, make the frosting:

  1. In a large bowl with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer), combine butter and cream cheese and beat until light and fluffy. Carefully add the powdered sugar then the salt, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Gradually add milk (or heavy cream), only as much as needed, until smooth and fluffy.
  2. Remove the cinnamon rolls from the oven and allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes. Spread evenly with frosting.
  3. Serve warm and enjoy.
Nutrition Facts
Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
Amount Per Serving (1 cinnamon roll)
Calories 437 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Carbohydrates 49g16%
Fiber 7g28%
Sugar 24g27%
Protein 8g16%
* Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy using the WPRM recipe calculator. It is best to make your own calculations to ensure accuracy. We expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.