Imagine cinnamon rolls that taste like gingerbread, and you have these incredible Gingerbread Rolls.
These things are a TREAT. Make them for a special holiday breakfast or brunch, or make them just because.
I had to make this twice to get it right. I followed another recipe closely at first and did a cream cheese frosting, which was delicious, but required the rolls be refrigerated, which made them end up pretty stiff before being eaten the next day.
So, take two. This time, I made up my own glaze, and that worked beautifully. The rolls could stay at room temperature, and stay nice and pliable.
One of my husband’s co-workers described these rolls as “not as soft as Cinnabon, but better flavor.” By golly, I’ll take that, especially since the rolls had been made the day before.
These rolls are as delicious as they look… and they look pretty good, don’t they?
Bready or Not Original: Glazed Gingerbread Rolls
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour divided
- 1 Tablespoon dry active yeast
- 1 cup whole milk or substitute 3/4 cup half & half and 1/4 cup water
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tablespoons molasses
Filling:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- all-purpose flour to dust work surface
Glaze:
- 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon milk or half & half, use more as needed
Instructions
Make the dough:
- In a large bowl (such as a Kitchen Aid bowl), combine sugar, ground cinnamon, ginger, salt, and 1 3/4 cups of flour. Stir in yeast.
- In a small saucepan, warm milk and butter. Cook until butter is melted and the milk/butter is between 105 and 110-degrees.
- Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture. Stir. Add the egg and molasses, and stir well.
- Use a dough hook on a stand mixer or arm power to beat the dough. Gradually add the remaining 1 3/4 cups flour, kneading until the dough is smooth and pliable. Using a dough hook, this will be 4 to 5 minutes.
- Transfer dough to a lightly buttered or greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Make the filling and assemble rolls:
- After the dough has risen, butter or grease a 9x13 OR 8x8 OR 9x9 casserole dish.
- In a small bowl, combine the filling ingredients: brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
- Prepare a clean stretch of counter or table with a dusting of flour. Roll out the dough to about a 12x16 rectangle. Spread the filling all over, but not quite to the edges. Starting with the long side, roll into a log.
- If using a 9x13 pan, cut the rolls into 12 equal rounds; if using a smaller pan, cut into 9. A piece of unwaxed dental floss makes this easy; wrap around dough log, then pull two ends of floss opposite directions to slice through.
- Once the pan is full of rolls, cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise again until doubled, about an hour.
- Preheat oven at 375-degrees. Once it comes to temperature, place rolls inside. Bake for about 12 minutes then cover with foil to reduce browning, then bake about 8 to 12 minutes. Let cool a bit.
Glazing:
- Combine the glaze ingredients to each a thick yet loose texture. Add more milk or confectioners' sugar, as needed, to reach a good consistency. Spoon and spread over the rolls.
- Eat immediately, or cover with foil and keep at room temperature. Enjoy right from the pan or warmed slightly in the microwave. Best within a day or two.
