The holiday season is a magical time, filled with warmth, cheer, and, of course, delicious food. As Christmas morning approaches, families worldwide cherish unique traditions that make the day special. This year, why not elevate your festive breakfast with a show-stopping creation that’s as delightful to look at as it is to eat? Introducing the homemade Cinnamon Roll Christmas Tree – a fun, festive, and utterly irresistible treat that will become a beloved part of your holiday celebrations for years to come.
This recipe is proudly sponsored by Red Star Yeast.
For many, Christmas morning breakfast holds a special place in their hearts. Whether it’s a quiet family affair or a bustling gathering of loved ones, the first meal of the day sets the tone for the entire holiday. Having recently settled into our own home after many years, my family and I are particularly excited to start new traditions. At the top of my list? Homemade cinnamon rolls. They’ve always been a favorite, a classic comfort food that evokes warmth and nostalgia. But this year, I wanted to infuse them with extra holiday spirit.
Inspired by the creative and festive cinnamon roll Christmas trees I’ve admired on Pinterest, I embarked on a mission to create my very own version from scratch. The result? A stunning, soft, and sweet cinnamon roll Christmas tree that not only tastes incredible but also adds a festive centerpiece to your holiday table. It’s a simple concept that yields truly impressive results, transforming an everyday favorite into a holiday masterpiece. Imagine the delight on your family’s faces when they wake up to this edible tree, ready to be pulled apart and savored.
This recipe uses our tried-and-true, basic cinnamon roll recipe – a family favorite that consistently delivers soft, sweet, and perfectly gooey rolls. The secret to their incredible texture lies in the quality of the ingredients, particularly the yeast. I rely on Red Star Yeast to ensure every batch is consistently fluffy, light, and rises beautifully. Their active dry yeast is incredibly reliable, giving you that perfect airy texture that’s essential for a truly decadent cinnamon roll. While you’re welcome to use your own cherished cinnamon roll recipe to form the Christmas tree shape, if you’re looking for a dependable and delicious starting point, our recipe below is an excellent choice. It’s designed to be straightforward and rewarding, even for those new to yeast baking.
Crafting Your Cinnamon Roll Christmas Tree: A Simple Guide
Creating this festive centerpiece is surprisingly easy and incredibly rewarding. The process transforms individual cinnamon rolls into a unified, edible work of art. Here’s a detailed look at the steps involved, ensuring your tree turns out perfectly every time:
- Prepare the Dough: The foundation of any great cinnamon roll is a well-prepared dough. Follow the detailed instructions provided in our recipe below to create a soft, pliable, and elastic dough. If you have a favorite dough recipe, feel free to use it! The key is to achieve a dough that rises beautifully and offers that signature tender crumb.
- Roll and Fill: Once your dough has completed its first rise, gently punch it down and roll it out into a large rectangle. The goal is an even thickness to ensure uniform rolls. Then, generously cover the entire surface with a luxurious mixture of melted butter, fragrant cinnamon, and sweet sugar. This filling is what gives cinnamon rolls their irresistible gooey center and their signature spiced flavor.
- Roll and Slice: Carefully roll the dough up from one of the longer sides into a snug log. This requires a gentle touch to maintain the layers of filling. Once rolled, use a sharp knife or even unscented dental floss to slice the log into individual rounds. Aim for roughly 11 rolls, ensuring they are of similar size for a balanced tree shape.
- Assemble Your Tree: This is where the magic happens! Arrange your sliced cinnamon roll rounds on a lined or greased baking sheet to form the shape of a Christmas tree. Start with a single roll at the top for the “star,” then follow with rows of 2, 3, 4 rolls, and finally, a single roll at the bottom for the “trunk.” The traditional pattern would be 1 (top), 2, 3, 4, 1 (trunk), making a total of 11 rolls. Remember that the rolls will expand as they rise and bake, so leave a little space between them, but allow them to touch slightly to form a connected tree.
Baking Tip: For the best shape, especially for the wider bottom rows, consider using an un-rimmed sheet pan. Alternatively, if you only have rimmed pans, flip one over and bake on the bottom. This prevents the rolls from being “smooshed” against the rim as they spread, allowing your tree to maintain its elegant shape. - Bake to Golden Perfection: Place your assembled tree into a preheated oven and bake until the rolls are beautifully golden brown on top and cooked through in the center. The aroma filling your kitchen will be absolutely heavenly!
- Cool and Decorate: Allow the cinnamon roll tree to cool slightly before moving on to the final, fun step: decoration! Generously drizzle or spread your favorite frosting over the warm rolls. Finish with a flourish of festive sprinkles to truly capture the holiday spirit.
Then, the best part: enjoy the fruits of your labor! Pull apart a warm, gooey roll and savor every sweet bite.
How to Serve Your Cinnamon Roll Christmas Tree for the Ultimate Holiday Brunch
The beauty of this Cinnamon Roll Christmas Tree isn’t just in its festive appearance; it’s also in its communal serving style. Both children and adults will delight in pulling apart the individual rolls, each a perfect serving of cinnamon-spiced goodness. This interactive element makes it an instant hit at any holiday gathering, encouraging conversation and shared enjoyment.
You can serve your Christmas tree straight from the pan, allowing the warmth to linger, or for a more elegant presentation, gently slide it onto a large serving platter. To create a truly memorable holiday breakfast or brunch, pair these decadent cinnamon rolls with freshly brewed coffee, a rich and creamy hot chocolate, or even a spiced mulled cider. Complement the sweetness with savory elements like crispy bacon, flavorful sausage patties, or a light fruit salad. This combination creates a fun, festive, and utterly satisfying breakfast spread that is perfectly fit for the holiday season.
baking tip: Make-Ahead Magic: Preparing Cinnamon Rolls in Advance
The holidays are often synonymous with early mornings and busy schedules. No one wants to wake up extra early on Christmas morning to start preparing cinnamon rolls from scratch. The wonderful news is that these cinnamon rolls are incredibly forgiving and can be prepped ahead of time, allowing you to enjoy a stress-free holiday morning!
Overnight in the Fridge: This method is a lifesaver for holiday mornings. Prepare the dough and shape the rolls as directed in the recipe, arranging them in the Christmas tree formation on your baking pan. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and allow the rolls to rise at room temperature for about 20 minutes to kickstart the yeast activity. After this initial short rise, transfer the covered pan to the refrigerator to chill overnight, for up to 12 hours. While in the fridge, the cool temperature will slow down the yeast, allowing the rolls to continue a slow, gradual rise. The next morning, simply pull the pan out of the fridge and let the rolls rest at room temperature while your oven preheats. This helps them come to temperature and finish their final rise. Bake as directed; they might require an additional few minutes of baking time due to starting cold.
Freezing for Future Enjoyment: Cinnamon rolls also freeze exceptionally well, offering even more flexibility. To freeze unbaked rolls, prepare and cut them as usual, then place the individual rolls (not touching) on a lined sheet pan. Freeze until solid, then transfer the frozen rolls to a heavy-duty, freezer-safe plastic bag. Label and freeze for several months. When you’re ready to bake, remove the desired number of rolls from the freezer, place them on a lined baking sheet, and let them thaw completely at room temperature. This will take several hours. Once thawed and risen, bake as directed. You can also freeze baked, un-iced cinnamon rolls. Double wrap them tightly in foil or plastic wrap and freeze for several months. To serve, remove from the freezer, thaw at room temperature, and warm the foil-wrapped rolls in a 350-degree F (175-degree C) oven for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through. Apply frosting just before serving for the best experience.
Essential Tools for This Festive Recipe
Having the right tools can make all the difference in your baking experience, ensuring smooth preparation and perfect results. For this Cinnamon Roll Christmas Tree, a few key items will be particularly helpful:
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For the full step-by-step instructions and ingredient list, please refer to the comprehensive recipe card below. This detailed guide ensures you have all the information you need to create your own magnificent Cinnamon Roll Christmas Tree this holiday season.
Cinnamon Roll Christmas Tree
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Ingredients
Rolls:
- ¾ cup whole milk (185 ml)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (56 grams)
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (300 grams)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 envelope Red Star Active Dry Yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 large egg
Filling:
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter (75 grams), melted
- ½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar (105 grams)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Frosting:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (56 grams), at room temperature
- 2 ounces cream cheese (56 grams), at room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar (227 grams), sifted
- 2-3 tablespoons milk or eggnog
- Holiday sprinkles , optional
Instructions
To make the rolls:
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Warm the butter and milk in a saucepan over medium low heat until butter is melted and mixture just starts steaming. Set aside to cool slightly, to 120-130 degrees F.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, or in a large bowl if you plan to mix by hand, add 1 1/2 cups of the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast.
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Add the warm butter mixture and egg and mix to make a wet dough.
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With the mixer running, add remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until dough mostly clears the bowl but still feels sticky. Knead the dough a few minutes more until smooth and elastic.
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Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
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Gently punch down the dough to release gases and knead to bring back into a ball. Let sit for a few minutes while you get the filling ingredients ready.
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On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle roughly 12×17 inches. No need to be exact.
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Spread melted butter evenly over the rolled dough. Sprinkle with brown sugar and ground cinnamon.
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Starting with one long end, gently roll up dough into a log. Using a sharp knife or unscented floss, remove ends to make a clean edge and cut into 11 rolls.
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Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment (see Notes) about 1 1/2 – 2 inches apart to make a tree shape: 1 roll on top row, 2 rolls in next row, 3 rolls in next row, 4 rolls in next row, and 1 roll for the trunk at the bottom.
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Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled again, 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Bake until cinnamon rolls are golden brown, 22-25 minutes.
To make the frosting:
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In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk or eggnog until smooth and creamy. Add more milk or eggnog if needed to get a spreadable consistency.
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Spread over warm or cooled rolls. Sprinkle with holiday sprinkles if desired.
Notes
- If you have a large rimless cookie sheet pan, that is ideal as the rolls will have more room and tree will keep its shape, but a rimmed sheet pan will work too (it’s what I used).
- To make ahead: shape rolls and place on a sheet pan as directed. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge overnight. The next morning let come to room temperature while oven preheats, then bake as normal.
- Cinnamon rolls are best the day they are baked, but will keep at room temperature for a few days.
Disclosure: This delicious recipe was developed in partnership with Red Star Yeast. I am grateful for collaborations with brands I trust and love, as they allow me to continue bringing you fresh, high-quality content. All opinions and enthusiasm for these fluffy cinnamon rolls are, as always, entirely my own.
Stay connected with Red Star Yeast for more baking inspiration, tips, and recipes! Find them on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Google+. Don’t forget to visit their official website, a fantastic resource brimming with recipes, expert bread baking tips, and much more to inspire your next baking adventure.