These Pear Ginger Cinnamon Rolls take everything you love about classic cinnamon rolls and give them a cozy, fall-inspired twist. The soft, fluffy dough is filled with tender pears, warm spices, and a hint of ginger for just the right amount of zing. Topped with a sweet brown butter frosting, they’re gooey, fragrant, and totally irresistible—perfect for special mornings or anytime you want your kitchen to smell like a bakery.
Ingredients Needed
- Dough
- whole milk
- canola oil
- sugar
- 1 package active dry yeast
- all-purpose flour divided
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- Filling
- pears – you’ll need about 3 medium, and you can feel them if you want. Pear skins are so thin that they’re pretty unobtrusive. To peel them super easily, bring a pot of water to a boil and fill another bowl with ice water. When the water is boiling, drop the pears in it for 20 seconds, then plunge them into the ice water and their skins slide right off. Then you just cut out the core and chop them up!
- juice from 1/2 small lemon
- ginger – fresh or dry
- cinnamon
- ground cloves
- ground nutmeg
- salt
- salted butter
- brown sugar
- white sugar
- Brown Butter or Cream Cheese Frosting – your choice! We went with brown butter, but cream cheese would do a great job balancing the sweetness.
- For the brown butter frosting, you’ll need:
- salted butter
- powdered sugar
- whole milk
- vanilla extract
How to Make Pear-Ginger Cinnamon Rolls
- In a large pot, heat milk, sugar, and oil to just boiling, then remove from heat.
- Cool mixture quickly over ice in the sink until lukewarm (105–115°F).
- Sprinkle yeast over the milk mixture, let sit 10 minutes, then stir.
- Add 4 cups flour and mix into a soft dough; cover and let rise 1 hour.
- Mix remaining ½ cup flour with baking soda, baking powder, and salt; stir into dough.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours or up to a few days (or let rise 1 more hour if using immediately).
- Roll chilled dough into a 6×18″ rectangle on a greased surface.
- In a bowl, combine diced pears, lemon juice, spices, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, mix melted butter with white and brown sugar; spread over dough.
- Top with pear mixture, roll up tightly, and trim edges.
- Cut into 12 equal pieces using dental floss or a sharp knife.
- Place rolls in a greased 9×13″ pan, cover, and let rise 30 minutes.
- Bake at 375°F for 15–22 minutes, covering with foil if browning too fast.
- Cool rolls, then frost with frosting of choice (brown butter is listed in the recipe, but you can also do cream cheese), and serve.
Storage & Other Tips
- When cooling the yeast mixture: if you’ve got lots of ice handy, dump all that you have into a clean sink and then place the pan of scalded milk over the ice. This way, the milk mixture cools quickly and the melted ice just drips down the drain.
- Room Temperature (1–2 days)
Allow rolls to cool completely before storing.
Place in an airtight container or wrap tightly with plastic wrap to retain moisture.
Keep rolls unfrosted; if frosted with cream cheese frosting, refrigerate after 2 hours. - Refrigerator (up to 4–5 days)
Store both unfrosted and frosted rolls in airtight containers. - Freezer (up to 2–3 months)
Ideal for unbaked, half-baked, or fully baked rolls. Freeze individually or as a pan.
Wrap thoroughly in plastic and foil or airtight containers. - Make‑Ahead & Freezing Strategies:
- Make-Ahead Dough: you can make this dough up to a few days ahead of time. It will actually improve the flavor!
- Freeze unbaked rolls: Shape and freeze before final rise. Thaw overnight, let proof, then bake fresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes! After mixing in the baking soda, powder, and salt, cover and refrigerate the dough for a few hours or even a couple of days.
Can I use canned pears instead of fresh?
Fresh pears are ideal for texture and flavor, but well-drained canned pears can work in a pinch. Just chop them finely and pat dry before using.
Do I need to use dental floss to cut the rolls?
Dental floss gives the cleanest slices without squishing the dough, but a serrated knife also works well. Just try not to press down too hard.
What’s the best way to tell when the rolls are done baking?
They should be lightly golden on top and cooked through in the center. If the outer edges are browning too fast, lightly tent with foil while the center finishes baking.
My dough is really soft—is that normal?
Yes, it’s a very soft, almost batter-like dough at first. Just trust the process and don’t overwork it. It firms up in the fridge.
Pear-Ginger Cinnamon Rolls
If you want to mix up your cinnamon roll game a little, these rolls are filled with gingered pears (plus other fall spices) and topped with either cream cheese or brown butter frosting!
Servings rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups milk, whole
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour divided
- ½ heaping teaspoon baking powder
- ½ scant teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
Filling
- 1 ½ cups pears, diced about 3 medium pears; you can peel them if you'd like, but it's not necessary. See recipe notes.
- ½ lemon, small juiced
- 1 teaspoon ginger fresh or dry
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch salt
- 6 teaspoons butter, salted melted
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
Frosting
- ½ cup butter, salted 1 stick
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup milk, whole plus more if needed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Dough
- Combine the milk, sugar, and oil In a large (at least 4-quart) pot or saucepan. Heat just to boiling, stirring occasionally, and then remove from heat to cool.
- Tip: If you’ve got lots of ice handy, dump all that you have into a clean sink and then place the pan of scalded milk over the ice. This way, the milk mixture cools quickly and the melted ice just drips down the drain.
- When the milk is warm (around 105-115 degrees), remove from ice and sprinkle yeast over the milk mixture. Allow to stand for 10 minutes. Stir.
- Mix in 4 cups flour and cover. This can be done with a wooden spoon; the dough is VERY soft, more like a batter. Allow to stand for 1 hour.
- Mix remaining ½ cup of flour with baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Sprinkle over the dough and then mix it in with the wooden spoon. Place a sheet of plastic wrap over the pan and refrigerate for at least a few hours and up to a few days. You can also allow it to rise at room temperature for about an hour if you want to make these right away.
- When you’re ready to make the rolls, lightly spray a work surface with non-stick cooking spray and roll the dough out into a rectangle that’s about 6×18″.
Filling
- In a medium bowl, mix the pears, lemon juice, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Spread the butter mixture over the dough and then top with the pear mixture. Roll up tightly, making a log about 18″ long. With a very sharp knife or dental floss, trim off about 2 inches on either side.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 375℉.
- Spray a 9×13″ pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Using dental floss or a sharp knife, mark the dough into 12 equal pieces. Use the dental floss to cut the dough along the spots that you marked (grab about 8 inches of floss and slip it under the log. Cross the top pieces and pull, so it cuts the dough).
- Place the dough pieces, cut side up, in the pan. Cover and rise for 30 minutes. Bake the rolls for 15-22 minutes or until golden brown and the innermost rolls are cooked through. If the edge pieces are getting too brown, lightly place a sheet of aluminum foil over the pan to prevent further browning.
- When done, remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool.
Frosting
- While the rolls are cooling, prepare the frosting.
- Place the powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and set aside. Measure out the milk and vanilla and set aside.
- Heat the stick of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring very frequently. When the butter melts, stir constantly. The butter will get clear and yellow and then very suddenly become frothy, turn brown, and smell like caramel. When this happens, remove from heat. Don't walk away, things can go south very quickly.
- Add the milk/vanilla mixture to the powdered sugar. Add the butter and mix with an electric or stand mixer until combined. The frosting will probably feel very wet and heavy at first, and that's okay.
- Spread frosting over cinnamon rolls.
Notes
- How to Peel Pears: Pear skins are so thin that they’re pretty unobtrusive. But if you’d like to peel them, you can! To peel them super easily, bring a pot of water to a boil and fill another bowl with ice water. When the water is boiling, drop the pears in it for 20 seconds, then plunge them into the ice water and their skins slide right off. Then you just cut out the core and chop them up!
Nutrition
Calories: 605kcal, Carbohydrates: 98g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 405mg, Potassium: 161mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 60g, Vitamin A: 378IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 76mg, Iron: 2mg
Calories: 605kcal
Cost: $8
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Questions & Reviews
I survived college on cinnamon rolls! I had some pears to use and never thought to add them to my favorite bread. What a delicious surprise. I turned these into sticky buns instead of using an icing. The tips were very helpful e.g. pictures of the yeast in progress and soft dough. GREAT recipe – thanks for sharing it.
These look amazing! Have you ever tried making and rolling them, then putting them in the fridge overnight? I’m wondering if they would do their last rise in the fridge or if they wouldn’t rise at all (or too much). I’d love to make these, but I can’t see myself having 90 minutes in the morning to prep and bake them. Thanks for any input!
Thank you, thank you. You are so kind 🙂 And…. of course, I’ll be back soon 🙂
Oh boy ! This is really something good ! But tell me, where on Earth did you get that blue plate ? I am looking for that color for months ! Thank you !
Pier 1!! ???
What do you think about substituting apples for pears? Would I want to cook first?
You could totally do it! I wouldn’t worry about cooking them first. Let us know how it goes!
These sounds like a perfect treat for conference weekend.
I have a question that might be weird but I’m so intrigued that I have to ask it. Why do you use both yeast and baking soda/powder? I know soda & powder are different, but often used together so I’m treating their combination as one thing for the purpose of this question. They are all for leavening but I always thought it was kind of an either/or situation (as in either yeast or some combination of soda & powder). The only thing I can figure out is that lots of roll recipes use eggs to make them lighter, so maybe in the absence of eggs you need the powder/soda combination to make the rolls lighter than just regular bread? Is there another reason?
I’m not sure…but…this is my all-time favorite dough for sweet rolls!! They’re, like, pastry-flaky! 🙂
Well I’m in favor of pastry-flaky so I’ll give it a try. Thanks.