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Soft and fluffy, these are the classic gooey cinnamon rolls we all love — but with a gingery holiday twist and double the cinnamon swirl. The homemade molasses dough is lightly spiced with ginger, rolled up with two layers of sweet cinnamon sugar, and baked until fluffy and golden. Every roll is finished with the creamiest vanilla cream cheese icing that melts right into all those sweet cinnamon swirls. The perfect Christmas morning cinnamon rolls.
I can’t help myself — I have to make cinnamon rolls a few times every December. Cinnamon rolls are Christmas to me. I have the sweetest memories of warm Pillsbury rolls with my cousins over the holidays. My mom bought the canned rolls every single year. We’d bake them for breakfast, but honestly? What I loved even more were the nights we’d sneak a few into the oven after playing in the snow for hours.
Those warm, gooey rolls eaten by the fire, icing dripping down the sides… pure childhood magic. I’m so grateful for those memories. Just another reason why I adore this season.
I always have so many ideas for holiday recipes — the list is long, and every year I run out of time before I can make them all. But somehow, I always manage to make the cinnamon rolls. This year’s idea: take the gooey rolls I love so much and give them a gingerbread twist.
A soft molasses dough, layers of cinnamon sugar sweetness, and a generous coat of creamy whipped icing. Truly the best kind of holiday treat.
Simple, cozy, and perfectly festive!
These are the details
Ingredients
For the Dough
- warm water
- brown sugar
- active dry yeast
- warm whole milk
- eggs
- molasses
- flour
- ginger
- cinnamon
- salted butter
For the Filling
- brown sugar
- granulated sugar
- cinnamon
- salted butter
The Icing
- salted butter
- cream cheese
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- vanilla salt – optional
Special Tools
For these frosted gingerbread cinnamon rolls, I recommend using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. It’s just easiest with a mixer and a dough hook!
You can use a wooden spoon, but it will require more arm work.
Steps
Step 1: make the dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add warm water, brown sugar, and yeast. Let the mixture sit until it’s puffy on top. This “proofs” the yeast and gets it working so your rolls turn out extra soft and fluffy.
In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flour, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Pour over the warm milk, then add the three large eggs and molasses (room-temperature eggs work best).
Using the dough hook, mix until a smooth ball forms. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 1–2 hours.
Step 2: mix the cinnamon sugar
Stir together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Using both sugars gives you the best, most flavorful cinnamon swirl.
Step 3: roll out the dough and cut the rolls
Roll the risen dough into a large rectangle.
Spread the entire surface with softened salted butter. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Fold the sides in like a letter, roll it back out into a rectangle, then spread with butter again and add the remaining cinnamon sugar. This is the secret to the double cinnamon swirl—don’t skip it!
Roll the dough into a log and cut it into 12 rolls. Arrange in a baking pan.
Step 4: bake or refrigerate overnight
You can bake the rolls right away, or refrigerate them overnight.
I always make my rolls on Christmas Eve, so I don’t miss any of the Christmas morning fun. If you’re making these for Christmas, prep the rolls (and icing) the night before.
Step 5: the icing
Whip softened salted butter with cream cheese and a splash of vanilla until smooth and creamy. Classic, simple, and the perfect finishing touch.
Spread the warm rolls with plenty of icing—because it’s Christmas, and that’s exactly how it should be. If enjoyed, sprinkle with flaky vanilla sea salt.
Enjoy every sweet bite!
Looking for Christmas recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Easy Fluffy Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls
Chocolate Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Wreath
Brown Butter Iced Mocha Cinnamon Rolls
Big Fluffy Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Chewy Frosted Cinnamon Swirl Snickerdoodles
Soft Gingerbread Latte Cookies
Easy Slice ‘n’ Bake Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies
Easy Vanilla Bean Christmas Lights Cookies
Lastly, if you make these Frosted Gingerbread 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!
Frosted Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
Servings: 12 rolls
Calories Per Serving: 534 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
The Dough
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3/4 cup warm whole milk
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
Filling
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
Vanilla Icing
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar, use more or less to taste
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- vanilla sea salt optional for sprinkling
Instructions
- 1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, add 1/4 cup warm water, the brown sugar, and the yeast. Let sit until it is puffed and foamy on top, about 10 minutes. It will smell like bread! 2. To the bowl, add the warm milk, eggs, molasses, flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and very soft butter. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4 minutes. If the dough seems sticky, add a 1/4 cup of flour at a time. Cover the bowl and let it sit at room temperature 1-2 hours, until doubled in size. 3. To make the filling. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, except the butter. 4. On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a rectangle, about 12x8 inches. Spread 4 tablespoons of butter over the dough. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the cinnamon sugar. Fold one side of the dough into the center, then the other side on top. Like a letter. Turn the dough horizontally. Roll into a rectangle again. Spread with 2 tablespoons of butter and the remaining cinnamon sugar. 5. Starting with the long edge closest to you, roll the dough into a log. Pinch along the edge to seal. Cut into 12 rolls. Place into a buttered baking dish. 6. Cover and let sit 10 minutes or transfer to the fridge to rise overnight.7. Remove from the fridge. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.8. To make the icing. Beat together all ingredients until whipped and fluffy. Spread the icing over the warm rolls. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
How to Make Vanilla Sea Salt
Mix 1–2 split vanilla beans (seeds scraped out) with ½ cup flaky sea salt. Use your fingers to rub the seeds into the salt until evenly combined. Store in an airtight container for 3–5 days to let the flavor infuse. Store in a cool, dry place. Perfect for sprinkling over warm cinnamon rolls!
Mix 1–2 split vanilla beans (seeds scraped out) with ½ cup flaky sea salt. Use your fingers to rub the seeds into the salt until evenly combined. Store in an airtight container for 3–5 days to let the flavor infuse. Store in a cool, dry place. Perfect for sprinkling over warm cinnamon rolls!
This post was originally published on December 9, 2025
Made these exactly as written and they were overly sweet and pretty dense. The dough was much more finicky than described, and the gingerbread flavor didn’t really come through once baked. The frosting completely overpowered everything.
Hi Erin,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear they were not enjoyed!
What a great twist on a family tradition. We love ginger and gingerbread cookies so these cinnamon rolls will be a fun new addition to our holiday season this year. Anyone that makes cinnamon rolls from scratch knows they’re not quick but they’re so worth the effort. Thanks for this recipe, will definitely be making them again Christmas Eve to bake Christmas morning.
Hey Brooke,
Happy Monday! I love to hear this recipe turned out well for you! Thanks for making it:)
Happy Holidays!
I would like these to keep the classic cinnamon roll shape instead of spiraling out like all of yours did. Do you have any recommendations for that? Thank you!!
Hi Susie,
You can try chilling the rolls before baking instead of allowing them to rise even more. That will prevent any extra rise.
Hope you love the cinnamon rolls!
Happy holidays!! 🎄
This recipe needs some major work.
Hi Tiara,
Is there something specific you can point out that needs re-working? Happy to take a look, but I need some more feedback:)
Thank you!
This was a lot of work. Not a fan of the ginger, but that’s just me.
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Cris! Sorry to hear you did not enjoy these cinnamon rolls.
I just made these for breakfast! They turned out so well, they’d be perfect for Christmas morning! I really like how easy it is to make them the night before and then just pop them in the oven in the morning.
This is the third time I’ve made one of your sweet roll recipes and they literally turn out perfect every time!
Hey Valerienne,
Big thanks for making this and sharing back. So glad it hit the spot!
Have a wonderful weekend!🎄
How much ginger
Hi Lisa,
It’s 1 tablespoon of ground ginger.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
These were way too sweet unfortunately.
Hi Emma,
Sorry to hear these were too sweet for you! Thanks for trying the recipe! Happy Holidays!
This recipe looks phenomenal! Thank you, Tieghan!
Thanks so much, Riley! Let me know if you give them a try!
Tried making these yesterday, and they were kind of a letdown. The flavors sounded good, but the rolls ended up way too sweet and heavy, like everything was competing instead of blending. Plus the dough was a lot fussier than the recipe made it seem. Definitely not the cozy, easy holiday bake I was hoping for.
Hi Elaine,
Thanks for trying these cinnamon rolls and sharing your feedback! So sorry to hear you did not like them. If there is anything that I can help with, please let me know!
It looks like a lot of yours spiraled out – any tips to make it stay in the classic cinnamon roll shape?
Hey Anita,
You can try chilling the rolls before baking instead of allowing them to rise even more. That will prevent any extra rise.
Hope you love the cinnamon rolls!
Happy holidays!! 🎄
What size pan or glass pan can I use ? Is vanilla sea salt necessary ? Is there a replacement ?
Hi Karen,
I like to use a 9×13 baking dish for this recipe. There is no replacement for the vanilla sea salt, it’s optional if you would like to use it:)
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Hi Tieghan!
I’m a huge fan of your recipes and have been with you since the start! Love your content and YOU!
Would it be possible to make these ahead of time and freeze them? I’m not sure how that works though. If you can freeze, do you just defrost and allow to come to room temp before baking?
Thank you again for all of your efforts to share your amazing recipes and ideas! Merry Christmas and all the best in 2026!
❤️Christy
Hi Christy,
Thank you so much for your kind message and making so many recipes!
Yes, you can make these ahead of time and freeze after step 6. On the day of serving, you will want to thaw and allow them to come to room temperature and then bake as directed.
I hope this helps! Happy Holidays!
Hi! I was wondering if I don’t have a stand mixer can I just use a hand held mixer? However there is no dough hook.
Fingers crossed 🤞🏻
Hi Lisa,
I would not use a hand held mixer unless it has a dough hook. You can just mix with a wooden spoon and knead by hand until you have a smooth dough ball.
I hope this helps! Happy Holidays!
I would love to try making these rolls! But I’m gluten free. Can I just substitute gluten free flour or do I need to add any else??
I love your recipes and have made several. Evee we n made them gluten free but yeast scares me!!
Hi Aileen,
I would recommend using an equal amount of gluten free flour for this recipe. I promise the yeast is easy to use, just make sure your milk isn’t too hot:)
I hope you love this recipe! Happy Holidays!
I am unable to get hold of molasses. What can I use instead?
Hi Molly,
I would use more brown sugar or honey in place of the molasses. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy Holidays!