BEST cinnamon rolls recipe with Rompope Frosting

Every Christmas, these cinnamon rolls become the gravitational centre of the house. Before they are even out of the oven, the whole family is already hovering in the kitchen. The rolls are soft, pull-apart fluffy, layered with Muscovado sugar and Christmas spices — and then slathered with a Rompope and white chocolate frosting that stops people mid-bite and makes them ask, “Wait, what IS that frosting?” Every. Single. Year.

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My kids love breaking them apart with their little fingers, poking holes inside, and investigating the cinnamon sugar. They are the kind of rolls that make you feel like everything is right with the world on a cold winter morning.

Why This Frosting Changes Everything

Instead of the standard cream cheese frosting, this recipe uses Rompope — a Mexican creamy liquor made with egg yolks, vanilla, milk, sugar, and alcohol. Imagine eggnog from the liquor store. The Rompope is melted on the stovetop with white chocolate and vanilla, then whisked with powdered sugar into a glossy, pourable frosting. The alcohol evaporates during cooking, leaving only the flavour. The result is deeply aromatic, lightly boozy in character (not in effect), and completely unlike anything on a Cinnabon menu.

If you are serving adults and feeling a little naughty, you can reduce the cooking time so more of the alcohol remains. Rompope’s alcohol content is quite low, so even the fully cooked version will not affect anyone.

These pair beautifully with our Best Triple Chocolate Fudgy Brownies for a complete holiday dessert spread, or serve alongside our Birthday Rainbow Sugar Cookies for a festive table.

Ingredients

Muscovado (Mascabado) Sugar

• Why Muscovado over brown sugar: Muscovado is less refined and retains a high percentage of natural molasses — giving it a deeply rich, complex caramel and toffee flavour that regular brown sugar simply cannot match. Brown sugar is white sugar with molasses added back; Muscovado never had it removed in the first place. In a recipe where sugar is the star, this difference is unmistakable. It also retains moisture, resulting in softer, denser rolls.

KitchenAid Stand Mixer

Rompope

• Why Rompope and not eggnog: Rompope is Mexico’s answer to eggnog — spiced, creamy, and made right here in Puebla since colonial times by the nuns of the Santa Clara Convent. It has a more concentrated, aromatic flavour than commercial eggnog. Outside Mexico, you can find it in Latin specialty stores or online. If unavailable, substitute with store-bought eggnog — the result is still delicious.

Instant Yeast

• Why instant yeast, not active dry: Instant yeast does not need to be proofed in warm liquid first — it goes directly into the flour. This makes the process faster and more reliable for home bakers. The dough needs at least 1 hour to double in size; in a cooler kitchen, allow up to 2 hours. A trick: place the covered bowl in the oven with just the oven light on for a warm, draft-free environment.

Dough Scraper

White Chocolate

• Why white chocolate in the frosting: White chocolate adds a creamy, sweet richness that thickens and stabilises the Rompope frosting as it cools. It also amplifies the vanilla notes in the Rompope. Use good-quality white chocolate chips or a chopped white chocolate bar — not white baking chips, which contain less cocoa butter and will not melt as smoothly.

Tested and Compared

We tried grocery store cinnamon rolls — dry, with an over-sweet artificial frosting. We tried Cinnabon — perfect in texture but the frosting is oversaturated with sugar and artificial vanilla. This recipe gives you light, pull-apart rolls with controlled sweetness and a frosting that is genuinely interesting. The Muscovado filling gives a depth of flavour no regular brown sugar roll can match.

A Note on Sugar

This recipe has been calibrated to use the minimum amount of sugar where the rolls are still delicious without being overwhelmed by sweetness. If you want more filling sweetness, add an extra 1/4 cup Muscovado to the filling as noted in the recipe. At the end of the day, all sugars are nutritionally similar — the difference here is purely in flavour and baking performance. For a balanced diet, save these for celebrations and enjoy every single bite.

Where to Find Rompope

In Mexico, the most popular brands are Santa Clara and Holandesa — both available in most grocery stores. The Santa Clara brand has a particularly rich history: it was originally created by the Clarisa Nuns of the Santa Clara Convent right here in Puebla during colonial times. Outside Mexico, check Latin specialty stores, liquor stores, or online retailers. If all else fails, substitute with store-bought eggnog from the holiday section of your grocery store.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these cinnamon rolls the night before?

Yes. After cutting and placing the rolls in the baking dish, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight instead of letting them do the second rise at room temperature. The next morning, remove from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature and finish rising for 45–60 minutes before baking. This cold fermentation actually deepens the flavour.

Why did my dough not rise?

The most common cause is yeast that has been killed by liquid that was too hot. The warm milk should feel comfortable on your wrist — around 110°F (43°C). Anything hotter will kill the yeast. Also check that your instant yeast is still within its expiry date. If your kitchen is cold (below 70°F), the dough may need up to 2 hours to double in size.

Can I substitute Rompope with something else?

Yes. Store-bought eggnog is the closest substitute and works beautifully. You can also use 1/4 cup heavy cream with a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a teaspoon of rum extract for a non-alcoholic version that still has the right richness and aromatic quality.

How do I get perfectly even rolls?

Use a sharp knife or unflavoured dental floss to cut the rolls. Dental floss gives the cleanest cut — slide it under the log, cross the ends on top, and pull through without compressing the spiral. This keeps the layers intact and gives you bakery-quality rounds every time.

Can I freeze these cinnamon rolls?

Yes — both before and after baking. To freeze unbaked rolls, place the cut rounds on a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen at 350°F for 35–40 minutes. To freeze baked rolls, wrap individually without frosting and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw, warm in the oven, and add frosting fresh.

Why do my rolls come out dry?

The most common cause is over-baking. The rolls are done when the tops are just lightly golden — not deep brown. They will continue to cook slightly from residual heat after leaving the oven. The internal temperature should be around 190°F. If the outside looks golden, pull them out — erring on the side of slightly under-baked produces softer, gooier rolls.