If you’re looking for the ultimate holiday breakfast or a cozy winter baking project, these Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls are a dream come true. They take everything you love about classic cinnamon rolls: the fluffy texture, the gooey brown sugar filling, the sweet icing, and add a festive twist of molasses, ginger, and warm spices.
Start by combining the yeast, warm milk and sugar in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. The milk should be just warm to the touch but not hot. Let bloom for 5 minutes – it should look 'bubbly'.
To that bowl, add in one whole egg and egg yolk, molasses and the melted butter. Mix to combine. Add the flour and mix to form a dough.
Knead for 8-10 minutes. Spray the bowl with some oil and let rise in a warm place for at least 1 hour (until doubled in size).
Line a 9x9" square dish with baking parchment.
For the Filling
Make the filling by combining the butter, molasses, brown sugar and ground ginger in a bowl. Beat together with a spatula until totally combined. If it looks a little 'split' don't panic, it will still work!
Once doubled in size, punch down and tip onto lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll to about 15×8 inches. Spread the butter/sugar mixture over the dough in an even layer.
Assembly
Starting with the long side, roll the dough away from you to form a tight log. Use either a serrated knife or dental floss to cut about 9 rolls. Place into the lined dish. Let rest 30-45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 370℉/180℃. If using, pour over the heavy cream then bake the tray of sweet rolls for about 15-20 minutes: until a golden color. Remove and let cool.
Make the frosting by combining powdered sugar, milk and heavy cream to form a thick but just spreadable consistency (add powdered sugar/milk to get it how you like it). Spread over the rolls once they've cooled. Decorate with ginger snap cookies or similar!
Notes
Milk: Your milk should be warm but not hot. What this means is it should feel just lukewarm to the touch but at a temperature that isn't scalding/too hot to touch.
Molasses: Depending on where you live, treacle may be more readily available as a substitute. This is a direct 1-1 substitute, you don't need to alter the quantity!