Christmas Morning Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls
I’ve always wanted to create a cinnamon roll that screams Christmas—and I finally nailed it with these Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls. I love eggnog, and I knew it would be the perfect twist to make these rolls feel extra special. Plus, I’m one of those people who prefers their cinnamon rolls loaded with filling, and trust me, these do not disappoint.
These rolls are soft, sweet, and rich, with the unmistakable flavor of eggnog in every bite. The filling is generously spread, giving each roll a burst of cinnamon sugar. And once they’re baked and topped with that creamy eggnog frosting, they’re everything I wanted in a Christmas morning treat—comforting, indulgent, and utterly delicious.
The best part? You can prep them ahead of time! Freezing the dough makes it so easy to just pop them in the oven when you’re ready, and the smell of cinnamon and eggnog wafting through the house will have everyone excited for breakfast. Even if you're not a baker, you can pull these off—just follow the steps and you’ll have festive cinnamon rolls without the stress.
These eggnog cinnamon rolls are guaranteed to make your holiday mornings even sweeter. And if you're like me and can’t get enough filling, you’ll appreciate how perfectly spiced and stuffed these rolls are. Give them a try—your Christmas breakfast just got a whole lot better!
With love,
Your Baker, Hannah
Convinced it’s time for Christmas morning cinnamon rolls? Here’s a grocery list of everything you’re gonna need!
Ingredients Needed to Bake Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls:
Eggnog
Dry Active Yeast
Eggs
Butter (melted and room-temperature)
All-purpose flour
Salt
Cinnamon
Brown Sugar
Room temperature cream cheese
Powdered Sugar
Ground Nutmeg
Vanilla extract
(To make it even easier, you can hit the “Get Ingredients” button inside the recipe, and these items will be added straight to your shopping cart at the grocery store of your choice.)
Ingredient Substitutions:
Eggnog: If you’re not a fan of eggnog or it’s not available, you can swap it for milk or heavy cream for a more neutral flavor. However, eggnog does add a unique richness that is hard to replace, so if possible, stick with it for that festive touch!
Butter: Unsalted butter is typically preferred, but you can use salted butter if you adjust the salt in the recipe slightly.
Heavy Cream: Instead of heavy cream, you could use half-and-half, though it will be slightly lighter in texture.
What Tools Do You Need to Bake Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls?
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Step-by-Step Instructions for Baking Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls:
Begin by warming your eggnog to 100-110°F and mixing it with the yeast. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to foam. Once foamy, add in your egg, melted butter, flour, and salt, mixing until it forms a shaggy dough. Knead the dough for 6-8 minutes, either in a stand mixer or by hand, until it’s smooth but slightly sticky. Let the dough rise in a lightly oiled bowl for 1-1.5 hours until doubled in size.
While the dough rises, prepare the cinnamon filling by mixing melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Once your dough is ready, punch it down and roll it out into a 10x24-inch rectangle. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough, then roll it up tightly. Slice the roll into 12 pieces and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze them for 4 hours or overnight.
Roll it up tightly. Slice the roll into 12 pieces and place them in a 9x13 Baking Dish. Freeze them for 4 hours or overnight.
The night before your bake, pull the cinnamon rolls from the freezer and place them in the fridge to thaw. The next morning, allow them to rise at room temp for 2 hours. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. While they bake, prepare the frosting by mixing cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, eggnog, nutmeg, and vanilla extract until smooth and fluffy. Once the rolls have cooled slightly, spread the frosting generously over them. Serve warm for the perfect holiday breakfast!
Recipe Link for Classic Cinnamon Rolls:
If you need a more basic recipe or want a traditional cinnamon roll to use as a base, check out my classic cinnamon roll recipe [here]
How to Make the Fluffiest Frosting:
To make the fluffiest frosting, make sure your cream cheese and butter are at room temperature before mixing. This ensures smooth, lump-free frosting. Add powdered sugar gradually and mix until it becomes light and airy. The splash of eggnog adds a creamy texture and a festive flavor, making it a perfect match for the eggnog cinnamon rolls.
How to Prevent Your Cinnamon Rolls from Drying Out:
To prevent dry cinnamon rolls, don’t overbake them. The rolls should be golden brown but still soft inside. Make sure your dough is soft and not overworked. Overmixing can result in dense, dry rolls. Keeping the dough covered while it rises also helps retain moisture.
How to Store Your Baked Cinnamon Rolls:
Store your baked cinnamon rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you want to freeze them, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and store them for up to 2 months. To reheat, bake the rolls at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through, then add the frosting before serving!
Recipe for Christmas Morning Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls:
Christmas Morning Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls for the Freezer
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat your eggnog in the microwave or on the stove until it is warm to the touch (around 100-110 degrees F), but not hot. Pour into the bowl of your stand mixer and add yeast. Stir and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, or until yeast has gotten foamy.
- Add egg, egg yolk, butter, flour, and salt to the yeast mixture, and turn your mixer on low until the dough has come together into a shaggy ball.
- Turn your mixer up to medium speed and continue to knead the dough for 6-8 minutes, or until the dough is in a smooth ball and is only slightly sticky (you do not want it heavily sticking to your hands or the mixing bowl).
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Let the dough rise for 1-1 ½ hours at room temperature until doubled in size.
- While your dough is rising, in a small mixing bowl, place your room-temperature butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Using a mixing spoon, vigorously stir the filling mixture until it is smooth, and no lumps of butter remain.
- Once your dough has risen and your cinnamon filling is made, remove the plastic wrap from your dough, and lightly punch it down to remove the excess air. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.
- Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 10-inch x 24-inch rectangle, and evenly spread the cinnamon filling over the surface with a butterknife or an offset spatula, leaving about a 1-inch border around the edge of the dough.
- Next, starting on the 24-inch side of your rectangle, roll up the dough tightly. Place the roll seam-side-down, and cut it into 12 equally sized sections with a sharp kitchen knife or a piece of unflavored dental floss (don't fret if it gets a little messy. Just try to keep as much filling into the rolls as you can).
- Once your rolls are cut, line your baking dish with freezer paper (make sure to use freezer paper and not regular parchment, as it is meant to keep as much moisture out of the packaging as possible), and place your rolls onto the paper in your baking dish.
- After all the rolls have been placed, put your baking dish directly into the freezer, and allow the rolls to freeze for 4 hours or overnight.
- Once the rolls have frozen solid, you should be able to remove the frozen rolls and freezer paper from the baking dish all in one solid block. Wrap the block of frozen rolls up completely in freezer paper, and again in plastic wrap. Make sure it is as air-tight as possible.
- Lastly, make sure to label and date your cinnamon rolls before placing them back into the freezer to store until the night before you are ready to bake them.
- The night before you are ready to serve your cinnamon rolls, remove them from the freezer and take them out of the freezer paper and plastic wrap.
- Place your frozen cinnamon rolls directly into a buttered baking dish, and cover just the top of the baking dish up with plastic wrap.
- Place the baking dish into the fridge to thaw for 8-12 hours.
- The next morning, remove your cinnamon rolls from the fridge, and allow them to rise at room temperature for 2 hours until they are big and puffy (they will not be fully doubled in size). Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Once your rolls have risen, place them into your oven to bake for 25-30 minutes, or until they are golden brown and baked through.
- While your rolls are baking, using an electric hand mixer, begin mixing the cream cheese and butter together in a medium mixing bowl until smooth and no lumps remain.
- Once smooth, add in your powdered sugar, eggnog, nutmeg, and vanilla extract and mix until the frosting has come together and is fluffy.
- After your cinnamon rolls are baked, allow them to cool for 10 minutes before placing the frosting all over the tops of the baked rolls.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
More Cinnamon Roll Recipes:
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