Overnight Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
I put these gingerbread cinnamon rolls together on Christmas Eve so on Christmas morning all I have to do is slide them in the oven while we open presents. They come out tall and buttery with gingerbread spice in between every single layer, and that gingersnap pecan crumble on top gives you the perfect little crunch in contrast to that ooey-gooey middle!
Servings: 12 cinnamon rolls
Calories: 721kcal
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale I always recommend one for accurate baking
- Stand Mixer with the dough hook attachment
- serrated knife or unflavored dental floss, to slice the rolls
- 11 inch deep tart dish this is what I used
- 9x13 deep baking dish this works perfectly for this recipe instead of the tart dish
- instant read thermometer optional, to check the temperature of the rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup whole milk warmed to 105 to 110°F, no more than 125ºF
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ¼ cup unsulphured molasses not blackstrap, I use Grandma's Original brand
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4½ cups all-purpose flour plus up to ½ cup (63 grams) more as needed
- 1½ tablespoons ground ginger
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt I use Diamond Crystal
Brown Butter Filling
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1½ cups dark brown sugar packed
- 1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1½ tablespoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt I use Diamond Crystal
Molasses Cream
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses I use Grandma's Original brand
Toasted Gingersnap Pecan Crumble
- 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup pecans finely chopped
- ½ cup crushed gingersnaps about 8 cookies
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar packed
- Pinch flaky salt
Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 vanilla bean split and scraped for seeds, or 1 teaspoon (6 grams) vanilla bean paste
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 4 ounces mascarpone cold
- 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
Dough
- Stir the warm milk, granulated sugar, and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer and let it sit until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. If it isn't getting big and foamy, the yeast is no good and you'll need new yeast.1 cup whole milk, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- Add the molasses, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract, and stir with a fork to break up the eggs a bit.¼ cup unsulphured molasses, 2 large eggs, ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Whisk the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together in a separate bowl, then add it to the mixer.4½ cups all-purpose flour, 1½ tablespoons ground ginger, 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- Knead with the dough hook on low (Level 1 or Stir for kitchenaid mixers) for 10 minutes, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and feels slightly tacky without sticking to your fingers. Add more flour 2 tablespoons at a time if it's too sticky (I've added up to ½ cup of extra flour on a humid day).
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 to 1½ hours.
Brown Butter Filling
- As soon as the dough goes to rise, melt the butter for the filling in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, swirling often, until the milk solids turn deep golden brown and it smells nutty, 12 to 15 minutes.1 cup unsalted butter
- Pour it into a bowl with all the browned bits and let it cool at room temperature while the dough rises, stirring every now and then, until it's soft and spreadable like room-temperature butter.
- Stir the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, black pepper, and salt into the brown butter until it forms a thick paste. Divide it in half.1½ cups dark brown sugar, 1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon, 1½ tablespoons ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground allspice, ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Shape and Rise
- Grease an 11-inch deep round baking dish (or 9x13 baking dish) with a little butter.
- Roll the risen dough into a 16x12-inch rectangle on a clean counter (this dough is soft and buttery, so you shouldn't need flour), with a long side facing you. Spread half the filling evenly over it, all the way to the edges.
- Fold the dough in thirds like a letter, press the edges lightly to seal them, then wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Roll the folded dough back out into a 16x12-inch rectangle, with a long side facing you. Spread the remaining filling over it, taking it all the way to both short ends and leaving a ½-inch border only along the far long edge.
- Roll the dough up from the near long side into a 16-inch log, keeping it a little loose rather than tight, and leave the outer seam unpinched so the tail can curl out.
- Trim off the ends of the log where there's no filling, about 1 inch from each end. Cut the rest into slices about ½ inch thick with a serrated knife or unflavored dental floss. You'll need about 22-24 slices to fill the dish.
- Stack 2 slices for each roll, setting the top slice off-center and at a slight angle, and use the small end pieces as tops wherever you need them. Gently pull the middle of each top slice up and out of the stack so the swirl lifts up to create the pictured rolls. Set the stacks into the dish leaning against each other in different directions, without pressing them down, and tuck any extra slices on top of the stacks. They rise and bake exactly where you put them.
- Cover the dish tightly and refrigerate overnight, 8 to 12 hours. In the morning, set the dish on the counter for 1 hour, until the rolls are puffy and pressing against each other. To bake them the same day instead, let the covered rolls rise in a warm spot until puffy, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Molasses Cream and Baking
- Heat the oven to 350°F (180ºC/Gas Mark 4) with a rack in the center.
- Warm the heavy cream and molasses in a small saucepan over low heat just until the molasses dissolves, then let it cool until lukewarm. Pour it evenly over the risen rolls right before baking.½ cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses
- Set the dish on a rimmed sheet pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until deep golden and the center rolls reach 185 to 190°F (85 to 90ºC) on an instant-read thermometer. Pull them as soon as they get there so they stay soft. Check at 25 minutes and tent loosely with foil if the tops are browning too fast.
Gingersnap Pecan Crumble
- Melt the butter for the crumble in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pecans and toast, stirring often, for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant.1½ tablespoons unsalted butter, ½ cup pecans
- Add the gingersnaps and brown sugar and toast 1 to 2 minutes more, stirring constantly.½ cup crushed gingersnaps, 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- Stir in the flaky salt and spread on a plate to cool completely.Pinch flaky salt
Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Frosting
- Beat the cream cheese and butter in your stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth.4 ounces cream cheese, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla bean seeds, and a pinch of kosher salt, and beat until fluffy.1½ cups powdered sugar, 1 vanilla bean, Pinch of kosher salt
- Turn the mixer to low and add the cold mascarpone and 1 tablespoon of the heavy cream, and mix just until smooth, 15 to 20 seconds. If it's still too thick to spread over the rolls, mix in the rest of the heavy cream on low. Don't overmix or the mascarpone might turn grainy.4 ounces mascarpone, 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream
To Finish
- Cool the rolls in the dish for 10 to 15 minutes, then spread the frosting all over the top and sprinkle with the crumble before serving warm.
Notes
The Rise Times: 1 to 1½ hours for proofing, plus overnight in the fridge (8 to 16 hours) and 45 minutes to 1 hour on the counter in the morning. If making the same day, you don't need to count the overnight hours.
- Molasses: I use Grandma's Original unsulphured molasses. Skip blackstrap, which is too bitter here.
- Dough: This is a soft, rich dough, so you shouldn't need flour to roll it out. Go by how the dough looks during the first rise, not the clock, so it doesn't overproof.
- Pan: These are written for an 11-inch round baking dish or a 9x13 baking dish that's at least 2¼ inches deep.
- Gingersnaps: My homemade gingersnaps are perfect for the crumble, but store-bought cookies are great, too.
- Leftovers: Store the frosted rolls covered in the fridge for up to 3 days or unfrosted rolls on the counter for 3 days. Warm an individual serving in the microwave for 15-20 seconds or until warmed through.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 roll | Calories: 721kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 361mg | Potassium: 284mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin A: 1166IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 3mg