Gooey Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Simple and quick! No need to be scared of this one rise yeast dough. A holiday spin on a classic, gingerbread cinnamon rolls are stuffed with gooey cream cheese and topped with creamy frosting.
How to Make the Best Gooey Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
There’s nothing quite like the warmth and spice of freshly baked gingerbread cinnamon rolls to bring holiday cheer to your kitchen. These gooey gingerbread cinnamon rolls combine the aromatic spices of the season—ginger, cinnamon, and molasses—with a tender, pillowy dough and creamy filling for an irresistible treat that’s simpler to make than you might think.
Don’t let the yeast dough intimidate you! With just one rise, these rolls come together quickly and easily. The gooey cream cheese filling melts into every layer, while the brown sugar and spice mixture creates a sweet, fragrant swirl throughout. The crowning glory is a rich cream cheese frosting that’s spread over the warm rolls fresh from the oven.
Perfect for a holiday brunch, Christmas morning breakfast, or anytime you’re craving something warm and spiced, these gingerbread cinnamon rolls are sure to become a seasonal favorite. Make a batch and watch them disappear—they’re that good.
Gooey Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
Simple and quick! No need to be scared of this one rise yeast dough. A holiday spin on a classic, gingerbread cinnamon rolls are stuffed with gooey cream cheese and topped with creamy frosting.
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
Frosting
Instructions
Make the Dough
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, cinnamon and ginger. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the milk and water and heat to 110°F. When the milk mixture comes to temperature, transfer to a large bowl or standing mixer. Mix in 1 egg on low speed.
- Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed until the dough comes together, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and beat the dough for 4 minutes until the dough completely pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If you're not using a standing mixer, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 4 minutes.
- Once the dough is smooth and shiny, transfer it to a lightly greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
Shape the Dough
- Preheat the oven to 200°F. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a rectangle, sprinkle the top lightly with flour and roll out to a 14 x 8 inch piece.
Make the Rolls
- In a small bowl, combine the melted butter and molasses. Combine the sugar, cinnamon, and ginger in another bowl. Brush the melted butter and molasses over the dough then sprinkle with all of the sugar mixture. Using your fingers, break off pieces of the cream cheese and dot the dough.
- Roll the dough from bottom to top using the longer side. Cut into 2 inch rolls and place in a lightly greased 8x8 pan or 9-inch round pan.
- Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and place in the preheated oven. Shut the heat off and crack the oven door (see notes). Let rise 45 to 60 minutes or until double in size. Remove the pan from oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
- Remove the plastic wrap or kitchen towel. Bake the rolls at 375°F for 18 minutes, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 7 to 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before frosting.
Make the Frosting
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, confectioners sugar and vanilla. For a thinner frosting, add 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream. Once the frosting is mixed, spread over the rolls while they are still in the pan.
Notes
- Use the preheated oven method to allow the rolls to rise slowly without drying out.
- For best results, cream cheese pieces should be well-distributed throughout the rolls.
- Rolls can be prepared the night before and refrigerated, then baked fresh in the morning.