Overnight Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
These Overnight Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls are filled with comforting spices…and they’re perfect for serving during the holidays!
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Let’s talk about bread for a hot minute. I love bread. There’s something incredibly satisfying about taking flour, water and yeast and watching it turn into a loaf of bread. I find it therapeutic to “play with” (i.e. make and shape) bread dough.
I love the smell of bread as it bakes. And of course, I love cutting into that loaf of freshly baked bread. I have absolutely made entire meals out of this homemade Italian bread. And a good grainy sandwich bread is up there at the top of my list, too. (I kinda have a thing for sandwiches…and sandwiches are only as good as the bread they’re made on!)
Last week, I was making a peanut butter sandwich for Robbie, and I found myself slicing off the crust. Is that some innate thing that happens when you become a parent? You instantly learn how to change diapers and cut the crust off of bread? (Ok, maybe not so much on the diapers front. Those first few times were a bit, uh, funny.)
Overnight Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
I remember my own Mom used to cut the crust off of bread, too. And then as I got older, she tried to convince me that all of the vitamins in the bread were in the crust. Have you heard that one?
I always thought that was just a ploy so that she could stop slicing the edges off of my sandwiches. But it turns out Mom was right…the crust of bread is indeed better for you!
As I was wandering through the rabbit hole that is the internet the other day, I stumbled across a German study from 2002 that found that bread crust contains 8x more antioxidants than bread crumb (i.e. the interior portion of bread). In fact, the elevated enzyme in the crust (pronyl-lysine) has been shown to be effective at fighting cancer! Seriously!? Ok, Mom, you were right. Bread crust is important! It helps fight cancer!
While today’s Overnight Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls recipe isn’t a standard loaf of bread, it does involve dough…and all sorts of delicious holiday spices. (For the record, that study found that crusts on both yeasted and non-yeasted bread have elevated levels of pronyl-lysine. That means eating one of these cinnamon rolls will help your body fight cancer! Haha!)
This Overnight Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls recipe is indeed a yeasted dough, but don’t let that deter you! This dough is mixed up and shaped the day before. Then the next morning, just let the dough rest in a warm spot while you make a cup or two of coffee and catch up on Uncle Ed’s latest antics.
These Overnight Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls are seriously perfect for Christmas mornings…or anytime during the holidays! They’re pretty easy to make, and your house will smell amazing while they’re baking. The gingerbread flavor in this cinnamon rolls is out of sight, too!
For the record, Robbie ate every bit of his Overnight Gingerbread Cinnamon Roll…crust and all! Happy Holidays, my friends!
Overnight Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- ¾ cup milk
- ⅓ cup molasses
- 3½ tsp instant dry yeast Note: this is slightly less than (2 ¼-oz packages)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
For the Filling
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1½ tsp ground ginger
- ¾ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3 oz. cream cheese softened
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1½ cups confectioners' sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp milk
Instructions
For the Dough
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add butter, sugar and salt; mix on medium speed until well combined.
- Add egg, milk and molasses to the bowl of stand mixer; mix until just barely combined.
- Add yeast, flour and spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves); mix for 1-2 minutes on low speed, or until a smooth dough forms.
- Increase speed to medium and mix for 4 more minutes.
- Cover dough and place in a warm location (85°F) to rise for 1½ hours. (Tip: I like to let dough rise in my oven with only the oven light on.)
- Once risen, transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll dough into a 9”x12” rectangle. (Note: Due to the molasses, this dough will be very soft and somewhat sticky. Feel free to use additional flour on the countertop to prevent dough from sticking.)
For the Filling
- Brush the top of the dough with the melted butter.
- Using a small bowl, combine the remaining filling ingredients (brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cloves); mix until well combined. Sprinkle this mixture over the melted butter.
- Beginning with a long side of the dough, roll into a cylinder.
- Grease the bottom of an 8” or 9” round cake pan. Using a sharp knife, slice the cylinder into 10 pieces. Place the rolls cut-side down in the baking dish.
- Cover pan lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- The next morning, place pan in a warm location for ~75 minutes.
- Bake at 325°F for 33-35 minutes, or until tops of rolls are fully baked.
- Let rolls cool in pan for 15 minutes. (Tip: Use a table knife to cut around each roll before removing it from the pan.)
For the Frosting
- While buns are cooling, make the Glaze by whisking together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk.
- Before serving, spread or drizzle frosting on warm rolls.
Love cinnamon rolls as much as I do? Then check out these Maple Glazed Cinnamon Rolls!
Oh wow, what a great info David. 🙂 I never knew, that bread crust is that important. By the way, cinnamon roll looks awesome. My daughter tried cinnamon roll for the first time in the airport. Since then she is crazy about the roll which has a cinnamon taste in it. Pinning!!!
I totally agree, Puja! I had no idea that bread crust really does contain good stuff. Crazy! I absolutely love cinnamon rolls, and they are always a Christmas morning tradition in our house. This gingerbread version is pretty fun, too…after all, it is the holidays, and gingerbread is one of my favorite holiday flavors! 🙂 Thank you so much for the kind comment!
I am a bread lover too. I love making it and eating it. I never knew that about the crust of bread, interesting.Gingerbread cinnamon rolls sound fantastic! I would love to have one of these for breakfast.
I agree, Dawn! Who knew that the crust of the bread really does contain good stuff!? Fun tidbit, huh? I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, my friend! Cinnamon rolls are a tradition in our house, and these gingerbread ones turned out really well, too. Enjoy the rest of the holidays, my friend!
Well these look absolutely amazing! What a great colour and I love the simple icing.
Why thank you very much, Caroline! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, and I hope your holidays are relaxing so far. 🙂
My mom used to tell me I had to eat the crusts because it would make my hair curly. . .never mind that I didn’t want curly hair. But she never told me about the vitamins! So my take-away from this post is that I need to eat more bread in order to ward off cancer. That’s the best Christmas gift ever! And I’m going to start with these cinnamon rolls. I never met anything gingerbread flavored that I didn’t love :).
Hah! So bread crust would make your hair curly? That’s a new one! Who would’ve thought that bread crust can actually help prevent cancer!? I mean it’s probably a very small effect, but still…kinda fun factoid, right? I hope you’ve had a wonderful Christmas break so far, Kelsie! And I hope you’ve been eating a lot of bread crust! 🙂
Wow, those look awesome. I hear what you say about the instant parenting skills (I now time myself on diaper changes to see how fast I can do them), but I’m surprised about the bread crusts. I always loved them, but didn’t know they were better than the rest of the bread! Cool.
Hah! I have indeed gotten faster with changing diapers, too…but I haven’t timed myself yet. I might have to start! I don’t remember whether I liked bread crust when I was a kid (I’m guessing I didn’t since my Mom had to convince me to eat it.), but I know I love it now! I can make a whole meal out of a good crusty loaf of Italian bread with olive oil. I hope the holidays have been treating you guys well over there, Matt! 🙂
I bet these smell seriously good when they’re baking in the oven! I mean who can’t resist the smell of baking bread, especially when it’s got ginger in it. I know that when I’m baking my gingerbread loaves I’m practically hanging about the oven waiting on them rising and devouring the smell! Have a great Christmas David. Hope you have an amazing time and Santa is good to Robbie!
Oh man, these gingerbread cinnamon rolls smelled SO good while they were baking. I love both gingerbread and cinnamon rolls, so the combination of the two was seriously delicious! We did indeed have a wonderful Christmas, and we’re spending this week relaxing and recharging for the new year. I hope you guys have had a wonderful holiday so far, too! Thanks, Neil! 🙂
This looks so yummi – I love cinnamon rolls but never saw anything like this.
Thank you so much, Marina! I’m just catching up after the holidays, but I do appreciate you stopping by. I hope you had a wonderful, gingerbread-filled holiday, my friend! 🙂
Very interesting about the crust! I was never one of those kids who had to have the crust cut off their sandwich…probably because I always loved bread in all its form, even as a child, lol. These cinnamon rolls look delicious, David! I can only imagine the smell wafting through the air as they bake! Perfect with a bucket (yes, a bucket) of coffee Christmas morning! Happy Holidays to you and your family!!
Haha! I am the same way, Dawn! I don’t remember ever really complaining about the crust on my sandwiches as a kid. And I definitely don’t complain about the crust now! I’m just getting caught back up here after the holiday break, but I appreciate your kind comment. I hope you and the family had a wonderful, gingerbread-filled holiday! 🙂
I’m with you on loving bread – there is literally no better food than a hot slice of home baked bread slathered in butter. And you’ve combined two of my favorite sweet breads into one – winner, winner!
Oh my gosh, I think you just described perfection, Marissa! Seriously! A slice of freshly baked bread and butter (or olive oil to dip it in) is one of my favorite things of all time! 🙂 I’m just getting caught back up here after the holiday break, but I appreciate your kind comment. I hope you and the family had a wonderful holiday! 🙂
Baking bread is such a therapeutic stress-buster! It must be all that kneading and punching down. Then you get the rewards of fresh baked bread and a delicious aroma in your house. I bet these cinnamon rolls taste and smell amazing! Perfect for Christmas morning! Happy Holidays, David!
I totally, 100% agree with you, Rachelle! Whenever I get stressed, I love to just go bake bread. (And of course eating said bread also helps…haha!) I’m just getting caught back up here after the holiday break, but I appreciate your kind comment. I hope you and the family had a wonderful, gingerbread-filled holiday! 🙂
Making bread is a real joy from start to finish. Mums always know best don’t they 🙂 How interesting that the crust of bread is so healthy, I had no idea. What a fun fact to know. My favourite baked treats are yeast-based so this is right up my alley especially with all of those beautiful holiday spices! Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas, David!
Yeah, what a strange thought that the crust of bread can actually be better for you! I mean I’d like to see some more studies about that…but still. Maybe we’re onto something here…like eating more crusty bread! 🙂 I’m just getting caught back up here after the holiday break, but I appreciate your kind comment. I hope you and the family had a wonderful, gingerbread-filled holiday! 🙂
The aroma in your kitchen while these were baking had to be wonderful. I’m sure they are delicious. Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas.
Oh my gosh…the smell of these gingerbread cinnamon rolls was amazing, Karen! Like I kinda wanted to go stick my head in the oven. 🙂 I’m just getting caught back up here after the holiday break, but I appreciate your kind comment. I hope you and the family had a wonderful, gingerbread-filled holiday! 🙂
All that stuff about the crust is really interesting. I wonder why that would happen?
My mom never cut the crust off my bread, and I always loved crust. I guess I was a weird kid. But a healthy kid!
Yeah, I totally agree about the crust thing, Jeff. I think it has something to do with the reaction that occurs to the outer portion of the dough when bread is baked. I’d like to see more studies to see if it’s really true…but either way, maybe we’re onto something here. Like we need to go eat more crusty bread. I’m just getting caught back up here after the holiday break, but I hope you guys had a wonderful holiday! 🙂
I feel like you have the best cinnamon roll & bread recipes, David! This looks delicious.
Happy Holidays to you!! 🙂
Why thank you so much, Nicole! You are too sweet. 🙂 Sweet like these gingerbread cinnamon rolls! Haha…see what I did right there? I crack myself up. I’m just getting caught back up here after the holiday break, but I appreciate your kind comment. I hope you guys had a great holiday!
OMGEEEE- You are onto something about that whole crust thing being a parenting thingie! I used to cut the crusts off – mindlessly-myself when Lil Shashi was really little – then, when she got older I, too, tried convincing her that the crusts were full of vitamins – and, now come to think of it, my dad used to do the ame darn thing! Oh Gosh! I need to talk lil Shashi into getting her kiddos to eat the crusts from the beginning! Especially seeing the cancer fighting benefits! Speaking of which – you don’t have to tell me twice to enjoy a piece of this for that exact reason – but wait, if I have 3 that means I have triple the cancer fighting power under my belt right?
🙂 🙂
See! Now you actually have proof to back up the argument that you should eat the crust of bread. You know what’s funny though? Whenever we give Robbie a peanut butter sandwich, he eats the middle and leaves the crust. I try to tell him the crust is good…but he’s not buying it! I’m just getting caught back up here after the holiday break, but I appreciate your kind comment. I hope you + Lil Shashi had a wonderful, gingerbread-filled holiday! 🙂 Oh, and I bet Athens is about to get CRAZY for the next week….