These fluffy eggnog cinnamon rolls are rich, spiced, and topped with an eggnog glaze. An easy, make-ahead holiday breakfast recipe.
I have a few eggnog treats that we love for dessert (hellooooo eggnog rice pudding) but I wanted one that could double as breakfast, especially for Christmas Eve morning!
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Our favorite version of sweet roll to make Christmas morning (overnight) is orange rolls, or pumpkin cinnamon rolls, but these ones are amaaaazing! The eggnog frosting on top is lovely and I put eggnog in the dough to enhance the flavor even more.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Taste: Cinnamon (of course) with warm nutmeg, and cloves for the filling, and a lovely creamy eggnog frosting.
- Ease: Mid level baking, uses yeast and 2 rises are required.
- Time: Plan for at least 3 hours: 10 minutes to mix dough, 1 hour of rise time, 10-15 minutes to assemble and cut, 1 hour of rise time, and 25 minutes to bake.
🛒 Key Ingredients
- Sugar - I use 3 different kinds in this recipe. White to activate the yeast (you can use a substitute), brown for the filling and powdered for the frosting.
- Eggnog - there are several good brands to use, you can use your favorite. Typically I get what is available where I live, which tends to be a non-alcoholic version of Meadowgold, Creamland, or Southern Comfort.
- Spices - I use more than just cinnamon to enhance the eggnog flavor. After a lot of testing using eggnog in the filling, (5 versions!) I finally decided that a more traditional filling of just butter, brown sugar, and simple spices tasted best and was much less fussy.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
✏️ Substitutions & Variations
- Cream Cheese - you can use butter in place of cream cheese in the frosting. You may have to adjust the volume of eggnog used.
🧑🍳 Instructions
- Step 1. In a small bowl combine water and eggnog, and warm up to 100-110 ℉. Then add sugar, and active dry yeast and let sit 5 minutes or until foamy. Water that is too warm can kill the yeast, and it won't activate and the dough won't rise.
- Step 2. In a stand mixer with a dough hook (or large bowl if mixing by hand) combine salt, butter, egg, and 4 cups of flour. Pour foamy yeast mixture in and mix with dough hook on low speed for 5-8 minutes until smooth and elastic (if mixing by hand, simply mix with a wooden spoon until you can't mix anymore and then begin kneading by hand 8-10 minutes).
- Step 3. Dough should pull away from sides of bowl in an electric mixer. Oil a large bowl, place dough inside and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature for one hour or until doubled in size.
- Step 4. On a floured work surface, roll dough into roughly a 24 inch by 12 inch rectangle. I stop occasionally and shape it with my hands to keep a rectangular shape.
- Step 5. In a bowl, mix together brown sugar, allspices, and nutmeg. Spread softened butter over dough, then sprinkle and spread the brown sugar mixture evenly over butter.
- Step 6. Carefully roll dough lengthwise into a long roll.
- Step 7. Cut rolls into 2 inch pieces using string or a sharp knife. Place rolls cut side down into an oiled 9x13 inch pan or large 18 x 11 inch baking sheet. (In the smaller pan they are a bit closer together and take a little longer to bake but are a little more moist.)
- Step 8. Cover with a dish towel, and let rise for 45 minutes to one hour until almost doubled in size. Preheat oven to 350 ℉ and Bake for 25-30 minutes, until light golden brown on top. Using a glass or thick ceramic pan takes a little longer, using a dark pan or large baking sheet takes less time.
- Step 9. For the Icing - In a bowl combine softened cream cheese and eggnog. Mix for 2-3 minutes until smooth and no lumps are left. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until frosting is nice and creamy.
- Step 10. Once the eggnog rolls are out of the oven and have cooled for 10-15 minutes, generously drizzle or spread icing over rolls. Serve warm for maximum deliciousness. Overnight instructions are in the FAQ section below!
TIP: Line your baking pan with foil before preparing with baking spray for easy cleanup!
📌 Troubleshooting
- Dense Rolls - Do NOT skimp on rising time. If the rolls are dense it is usually due to not risen enough or not baked enough.
❄️ Make Ahead, Store, and Freezing Tips
Overnight Instructions:
- Follow directions to make dough, let rise once, fill, roll, and cut dough into individual rolls and place into pan, and cover with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate immediately.
- Do not let the individual rolls rise (the second rise) or they will deflate in the refrigerator.
- Place in fridge overnight. Remove and let rise for 30-40 minutes in warm place before baking.
- Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
Freezer Instructions:
- Follow directions to make dough, let rise once, fill, roll, and cut dough into individual rolls and place into pan, so edges are not touching, and cover with plastic wrap.
- Freeze immediately.Do not let the cut rolls rise or they will deflate in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer to freezer bag or container. Freeze until ready to use up to 3 months.
- Regular thawing method: Remove from freezer, place on baking sheet, cover in plastic wrap and thaw in warm place covered for 3-6 hours or until almost doubled in size. Longer if it's less than 68℉ in the room.
- Quicker method: Turn ON oven to 200 degrees for 2 minutes then turn OFF. Place rolls in oven and let thaw and rise covered with plastic wrap for 2-3 hours until almost doubled in size.Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make eggnog cinnamon roll dough ahead and freeze it?
Yes, you can make the dough, let it rise once, roll out into rolls, and then cut and freeze until ready to use.
How can I make eggnog cinnamon rolls that stay soft for days?
Yes! Not overbaking is key.
What's the best glaze for eggnog cinnamon rolls during the holidays?
More eggnog in the glaze, or maple!
🎄More Delicious Holiday Recipes
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📝 Printable Recipe
Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls
These fluffy eggnog cinnamon rolls are rich, spiced, and topped with an eggnog glaze. An easy, make-ahead holiday breakfast recipe.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- ¾ cup water 175 mL
- ⅔ cup eggnog 155 mL
- 2 Tablesopons white granulated sugar 28 g
- 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast 11 g
- 4 cups all purpose flour 545 g
- ¼ cup salted butter, softened 56 g
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg 51 g
For the filling:
- 1 cup light brown sugar 210 g
- 2 Tablespoons cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice or cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup salted butter, softened 113 g
For the frosting:
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 2 cups powdered sugar 285 g
- ¼ cup eggnog
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the dough:
- In a bowl, combine water, eggnog, and sugar and stir together. Warm them up in the microwave or on the stovetop in a pan to 100-110℉. Add in the yeast, stir, and let sit for 5 minutes until foamy on top.¾ cup water, ⅔ cup eggnog , 2 Tablesopons white granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, softened butter, salt, and large egg. Add in the yeast mixture last and mix with a wooden spoon (or in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment) until a dough form, then knead for 5-7 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.4 cups all purpose flour, ¼ cup salted butter, softened, 1 teaspoon salt , 1 large egg
- Spray dough ball with baking spray to help prevent it drying out, then cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
For the filling:
- In a small bowl stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.2 Tablespoons cinnamon , 1 cup light brown sugar, ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice or cloves, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Roll out the dough into a 24 inch by 12 inch rectangle onto a flat floured surface using a rolling pin. Spread the softened butter over the dough. You may need to microwave it for 10 seconds or so to make it soft enough to spread.½ cup salted butter, softened
- Spread the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture over the rectangle evenly.
- Carefully roll dough lengthwise into a long roll. Cut using a knife or dental floss into 12 equal sized 2 inch pieces.
- Place in a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise for 1 hour (or longer) until doubled in size.
Notes
Overnight Instructions:
Follow directions to make dough, let rise once, fill, roll, and cut dough into individual rolls and place into pan, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate immediately.
Do not let the individual rolls rise (the second rise) or they will deflate in the refrigerator.
Place in fridge overnight. Remove and let rise for 30-40 minutes in warm place before baking.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
Freezer Instructions:
Follow directions to make dough, let rise once, fill, roll, and cut dough into individual rolls and place into pan, so edges are not touching, and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze immediately.
Do not let the cut rolls rise or they will deflate in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer to freezer bag or container. Freeze until ready to use up to 3 months.
Regular thawing method: Remove from freezer, place on baking sheet, cover in plastic wrap and thaw in warm place covered for 3-6 hours or until almost doubled in size.
Quicker method: Turn ON oven to 200 degrees for 2 minutes then turn OFF. Place rolls in oven and let thaw and rise covered with plastic wrap for 2-3 hours until almost doubled in size.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 468kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 7gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 339mgPotassium: 133mgFiber: 2gSugar: 40gVitamin A: 551IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 2mg
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Hi, I'm Sara!
Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.
Sara says
Especially loved the frosting.