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Easy Fluffy Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls…with sweet vanilla white chocolate frosting…just the holiday breakfast you’re looking for. Buttery, soft, and fluffy dough made with spiced eggnog for a seasonal twist. Swirled with cinnamon sugar and frosted generously with vanilla spiced eggnog frosting. There’s nothing not to love, every bite is melt in your mouth delicious. These are a great make-ahead breakfast rolls the whole family will love, perfect for your holiday celebrations!
The holidays just would not be the holidays without cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Like a lot of families, it’s tradition to have cinnamon rolls for our Christmas Eve breakfast…as well as a few times throughout the months of November and December.
Growing up, my brothers and I would bake the canned cinnamon rolls. I remember them being our favorite breakfast of the year. I mean, what kid doesn’t love a cinnamon roll, right? Some of my favorite holiday memories involve cinnamon rolls, I remember them being soft, fluffy, and so delicious. Of course, back then I didn’t know that homemade cinnamon rolls were even a thing
My mom loved to bake, and even dabbled in some homemade breads, but never cinnamon rolls. When I started cooking and baking in middle school one of the first recipes I decided to tackle was homemade cinnamon rolls. Trying out cinnamon rolls felt a little ambitious, but also so delicious. The funny thing is, that very first attempt at cinnamon rolls was actually quite similar to these.
We had leftover eggnog in the fridge but I had no idea how to use a splash of eggnog in place of milk in my cinnamon roll dough. I decided to wing it and just go for it. I also remember being so nervous to bake with yeast. My mom had bought Fleischmann’s® Rapid Rise Yeast, which made the process of making and baking the cinnamon rolls so simple and easy. Fleischmann’s® Rapid Rise Yeast cuts down on rising time and allows you to skip the longer rise times. It contains fine granules that activate faster without the need to dissolve first. So using their rapid rise yeast made baking my first batch simple and straight forward. Crazy to think that was over ten years ago…and I’ve been making cinnamon rolls every holiday season since.
With every season, my holiday roll recipe changes slightly. I like to add a different extra special touch each year. But for the most part, I stick pretty close to the classic cinnamon sugar flavor we all love most. With the help of my little sister, Asher, this year I’m taking inspiration from my very first cinnamon roll and we’re recreating them together.
Asher was very excited. She’s always helping me with the baking recipes, but her favorite recipe is cinnamon rolls. She loves them, and I love our tradition of baking them together every holiday season.
Let’s jump into the details.
First, I want to note that even if you don’t like eggnog, you will still love these rolls. I don’t ever drink eggnog, but I love creating fun holiday recipes using this spiced nog. It makes for the most delicious sweet treats and these rolls are some of the best.
The dough is the simplest to make. Simply mix flour with Fleischmann’s® Rapid Rise Yeast, and a pinch of salt. Add warmed holiday nog (use a high-quality variety), a touch of brown sugar, eggs, and salted butter. Then mix until smooth and let the dough rest for ten to fifteen minutes. 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, but yet we will still get the softest, fluffiest cinnamon rolls!
For the filling, I spread the dough with butter, then sprinkle on a simple mix of brown sugar and cinnamon.
I like to use brown sugar for a nice depth of flavor. And I go heavy on the cinnamon and ginger for sweet, cinnamon, ginger swirls throughout.
These are the softest, most fluffy cinnamon rolls, the flavor is beyond amazing. It’s like Christmas in a roll!
Shaping these easy fluffy eggnog cinnamon rolls…
Roll the dough, cut into rolls, and place them into a baking dish.
If you want to 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. OR, you can cover the rolls and let them sit in the fridge overnight, then bake up in the morning. It’s just a matter of what works best for your time frame!
While the rolls are baking, I like to make the frosting. Just mix eggnog with melted white chocolate and a splash of vanilla. Then add a little powdered sugar to sweeten them up.
As the rolls bake, your home will be filled with scents of Christmas. It’s a magical smell and immediately gets everyone excited for breakfast…or just a mid-afternoon snack. These rolls are great any time of day.
As soon as the rolls come out of the oven, frost, serve, and enjoy every last sweet and delicious bite. They’re soft, fluffy, heavy in the cinnamon swirl, and perfectly spiced with light holiday nog flavors.
And gooey, SO gooey. These rolls are beyond good and our family’s favorite holiday breakfast. Hope you all enjoy too!
Lastly, if you make these Easy Fluffy Eggnog 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!
Looking for other easy holiday breakfast? Here are my favorites:
Baked Cinnamon Crème Brûlée French Toast with Raspberry Preserves
Cider Pumpkin Waffles with Salted Maple Butter
Lastly, if you make this Easy Fluffy Eggnog 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 Fluffy Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls
Servings: 12 Cinnamon Rolls
Calories Per Serving: 745 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 – 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 packet Fleischmann’s® Rapid Rise Yeast
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup high quality eggnog, warmed (you can also use whole milk)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
Filling
- 1/2- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (optional)
Frosting
- 1/4 cups high quality eggnog, warmed
- 2 ounces white chocolate chips melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- 1. To make the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 3 ½ cups flour, the yeast, brown sugar, and salt. Add the eggnog, eggs, vanilla, 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 ½ cup of flour a little at a time. It's better to have a stickier dough rather than a dry dough, so add flour 1 tablespoon at a time.2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.3. Meanwhile, make the filling. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, and cinnamon. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment. 4. 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 softened butter evenly over the dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar, and then the white chocolate chips, 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. Place the rolls into the prepared baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 20-30 minutes.5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.6. Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggnog, melted white chocolate, and vanilla until combined. Add the powdered sugar and mix well. Spread the frosting onto the warm rolls. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
To Make Ahead: prepare the rolls through step 4. 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 30 minutes prior to baking, then bake as directed.
To Prepare and Freeze: assemble the rolls through step 4, 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, then frost before serving.
To Use Active Dry Yeast: Mix 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast with the warm eggnog/milk and the brown sugar. Let sit 5-10 minutes, until bubbly and foamy on top. Add the flour and follow the directions as listed for the remainder of the recipe.
(This post is sponsored by Fleischmann’s®. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep HBH cooking!)
This post was originally published on November 24, 2020
Tieghan,
Thank you so much for your cinnamon roll recipe!! My kids came home from college for Christmas and we made them. They are by far the best cinnamon rolls we’ve ever tried!!! They are so moist and delicious. They are even better the next morning reheated!!
These will be prepared and enjoyed for many years to come!!!
Hi! I made these for a Christmas party a couple weeks ago and wow were they hit! I am going to make a couple of batches for some friends and gifts and was wondering how long they can stay in the fridge before baking. I’m going to make the dough tonight and will bake them either Wednesday night or Thursday morning. Will that be OK? Thank you, and thank you for an awesome recipe!
Hey Shannon!
Yes, leaving them in the fridge until Wednesday or Thursday will be totally fine!
Merry Christmas!
Hi, can I roll these out the nights before and then let them rise for 30 minutes and bake the next day? Just trying to save time the morning I make them :). These look amazing!
Hi! yes, that will be great!! Hope you love these! I actually just made them today, they are my favorite! 🙂
After being on the search for some eggnog cinnamon rolls to make for Christmas I found this recipe and I really enjoyed it. I ended up needing to do some minor substitutes (I ran out of yogurt and had no white chocolate) but I liked them enough where I needed to comment.
Happy Christmas!
Thanks so much, Kyrina! Happy you loved these!!
I stumbled across your site earlier this month and then recently saw this same thing on another blog! I guess it’s a popular recipe this time of year! I made yours, and it’s delish 🙂
http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2013/12/eggnog-cinnamon-rolls.html
Thanks so much, Jen!
Merry Christmas!
Followed the recipe to a T and they came out perfect!! I have never had such soft cinnamon rolls. They were amazing! Making these for both of my sister in-laws for Xmas.
YES!! So happy you loved these!!
Thanks and Merry Christmas!
These look sinfully good! If made the day before, do I just refrigerate before the last raising? Then take them out in the morning and let them rise then bake? I would like to give a pan of these to my daughter and family for Christmas breakfast since they have little kids that will be waking early to see what Santa brought. Of course I would have to keep a few here for my hubby and me!!
Yup! That is exactly what I would do! Hope you love these!
What about frozen pre-made dough?
I cannot say for sure since I have never tried it, but I would think it would work. I still recommend you make the dough that goes with the recipe. It is really easy and SO good!
Hi, Just about to make these and noticed I bought plain vanilla yogurt, but not greek, will this make a huge difference? Thanks
Hey Tamara! The vanilla will work great and I think it should be fine to not use greek, but you may need to add more flour to make up for the extra moisture in the regular yogurt.
Hope you love these!!
These look delish…making Christmas morning, YUM. If I prep the night before, not a fan of being in the kitchen on Christmas morn, pop into the fridge overnight? Lovely photos.
Thank you!!
Yes, you can prep these the day before and just place the pan in the fridge and let them sit covered in the fridge overnight. Take them out of the fridge well you preheat the oven and then bake as directed.
Hope you love these!
These look to DIE for!!!!
Do you think you could make everything and roll it up the night before then just slice and bake the next morning? Or would the dough get weird?
Thanks for sharing!!
Hey Stephanie!
Yes, you can make these the day before. You can even slice them and then just place the pan in the fridge and let them sit covered in the fridge overnight. Take them out of the fridge well you preheat the oven and then bake as directed.
Hope you love these!
These are just delightful. I love the eggnog flavoring.
Thank you! My family loved these!
This might be a dumb question, but do you have to have a stand mixer to make these?
Not a dumb question!! No, you do not have to have a stand mixer to make these. Just follow the directions only instead fo using you mixer to knead the dough, use a spatula to form the dough and them remove it from the bowl and use your hands to work the dough into a smooth ball. This is kneading the dough and here is a great video on how-to knead dough. You only need to knead the dough for 2-3 minutes, you just want it to form a smooth ball.
Hope that helps and let me know if you have any more questions!
I tried to make these three times tonight – NO luck with my yeast! It’s not expired and I tried it at various “warm” water temps. Any advice?
Hey Beth,
The water should feel hot, but not hot enough to burn your skin. I just use hot tap water. Are you mixing the yeast with the sugar? If your yeast is not expired I cannot think of what the problem would be. What kind of yeast are your using?
I was using Red Star – I tried three packets but didn’t get the foamy/doubling that I was looking for. Bought new yeast and will try again!
White chocolate eggnog frosting? Just give me a freakin’ straw, missy! So funny — I was thinking about incorporating eggnog into cinnamon rolls as well, but there’s no way my recipe would be nearly as good looking OR tasting as yours! These are so fluffy and plush and I love the addition of white chips — very nice touch, Asher!
Also, can I come live with you?!
Oh my gosh, are you kidding?? Make those cinnamon rolls. You are going to be KILLER. I know it!
Oh and yes!
I LOVE this!! What a grand way to wake up during the holidays!
Thank you, Brenda!!