Christmas Tree Cinnamon Rolls

These Christmas Tree Cinnamon Rolls are another exciting reason to get up early on Christmas morning! Soft and chewy with a cinnamon and brown sugar filling all topped with a rich and creamy cream cheese frosting and festive sprinkles. So delicious, you may just forget about the presents sitting under the tree.

Why I Love This Recipe

I’m pretty sure we all agree that cinnamon rolls are one of the greatest sweet breakfasts, but Christmas tree-shaped cinnamon rolls are definitely the breakfast you want to serve on Christmas morning. Light, fluffy, and nicely sweet in a Christmas tree shape, they are worth getting out of bed for.

Easily made the night before or prepped the night before and baked first thing, this recipe for cinnamon rolls Christmas tree makes the perfect Christmas morning breakfast treat.

Tools I Recommend

• mixing bowls
• hand or stand mixer
• large cookie sheet

Tips For Making These Christmas Cinnamon Rolls

• Warm milk – If you cannot comfortably dip the tip of your finger into the milk for 30 seconds, it is too hot.
• Room-temperature eggs, butter and cream cheese – Room temperature ingredients will mix easier and give your cinnamon rolls a more cohesive dough and better texture.
• Full-fat cream cheese – For the richest flavor and silkiest texture full fat cream cheese is the way to go.
• Plan accordingly – Make sure to include enough time to allow the dough to rise.

Ingredients

Cinnamon Roll Dough

• Milk: You’ll need warmed milk. I like to use whole milk for the richest flavor and texture but skim will also work.
• Sugar: I used granulated white sugar to sweeten the dough.
• Active dry yeast: Active dry yeast gives these cinnamon rolls their light and fluffy texture.
• Egg: I used a large egg to help bind the dough.
• All-purpose flour: All purpose flour is the best option for soft and tender cinnamon rolls.
• Butter: I used unsalted butter at room temperature. You can use salted if that’s all you have, just adjust the amount of added salt accordingly.

Cinnamon Roll Filling

• Butter: Unsalted butter at room temperature helps the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture stick to the dough.
• Brown sugar: Use light or dark brown sugar, packed, for a sweet and cinnamony filling.
• Cinnamon: What would cinnamon rolls be without ground cinnamon??

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Butter: I added unsalted butter, at room temperature, to the frosting for a fluffier texture.
• Cream cheese: Use softened plain cream cheese for the frosting. I prefer block cream cheese as opposed to whipped.
• Powdered sugar: Also known as confectioner’s sugar this is what gives the frosting its sweetness and its smooth spreadable texture.
• Vanilla extract: Use real vanilla extract for the best flavor.
• Milk: You can add a touch of milk to thin out the frosting if you’d like.
• Food coloring: For a festive look add a few drops of green food coloring (optional).

How To Make A Christmas Tree Cinnamon Roll

Make the Cinnamon Roll Dough

1. Heat the milk to a lukewarm temperature.
2. Combine the warmed milk, granulated sugar, and active dry yeast in a small bowl, stir, and let it sit until the yeast is active and bubbly.
3. Whisk the egg into the active yeast mixture.
4. Combine the dry ingredients and wet ingredients in a large bowl and stir until they are mostly combined and a shaggy dough has formed.
5. Using a stand mixer, work the room-temperature butter into the dough on medium-high speed until a smooth and consistent dough forms. Alternatively, you can knead the dough by hand on a clean smooth surface.
6. Transfer the dough to a large bowl and let it rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size. If your house is particularly cold, place the bowl of dough inside the microwave or oven to rise. Do not turn the microwave or oven on.

Assemble the Cinnamon Rolls

1. Preheat the oven and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Turn the dough out on a clean surface and use a rolling pin to roll it into a large 13″ x 18″ rectangle.
3. Cover the dough with the room temperature butter.
4. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and then evenly distribute it on top of the layer of butter.
5. Cut the dough into vertical strips about 1 1/2 inches wide.
6. Place a strip of dough on its side and form a Christmas tree shape by zig-zagging the rest of the dough, making each layer of the tree wider than the last and tilt the last layer of the tree inwards to prevent it from falling over during baking.
7. Squeeze the top and bottom of the cinnamon roll tree inwards so the tree is slightly compressed, as it will expand while it bakes.
8. Point the top portion upwards, giving it a Christmas tree look. Then tilt the last layer of the tree inwards to prevent it from falling while it bakes.
9. Repeat these steps with the remaining strips of dough placing the rolls 2″ apart on a large parchment-lined baking sheet. A 13″ x 18″ baking sheet will fit six rolls.

Bake and Frost

1. Place the rolls on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake until the tops are just beginning to turn golden brown.
2. While the rolls are baking, prepare the frosting by beating together the butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until you achieve a creamy lump-free frosting. Add more or less milk as needed to achieve your desired consistency.
3. Once out of the oven let the Christmas tree cinnamon rolls cool for 10 minutes before frosting. Serve and enjoy!

Variations

These Christmas cinnamon rolls taste great as they are but here are a few ways to change them up a bit:

• Swap the cinnamon for cocoa: Go for chocolate rolls instead of cinnamon or use a combination of both cinnamon and cocoa powder.
• Mix in raisins: If you like cinnamon rolls with raisins go ahead and sprinkle some into the dough.
• Add seasonal decorations: Top with festive sprinkles, confetti, crushed candy canes or whatever you have on hand.

FAQs

Can I use Pillsbury dough to make these cinnamon rolls?

I haven’t tried using store-bought dough to make this cinnamon roll Christmas tree but if you can form the dough strips accordingly then it should work.

How many cinnamon rolls does this recipe make?

You should get a dozen cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning with this recipe.

How to store

Let the cinnamon rolls come to room temperature and then transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the fridge. I like to store anything with a cream cheese frosting in the fridge so it stays fresh. You can eat the cinnamon rolls straight from the fridge, at room temperature or warm. There is no real best way to reheat cinnamon rolls, you can pop in the toaster oven for a few minutes or in the microwave for a few seconds, whichever you prefer.

Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months and thaw on the kitchen counter until it’s soft enough to eat.

More Cinnamon Roll Recipes

• Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls
• Cherry Cinnamon Rolls With Homemade Filling
• Brown Butter Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
• Sourdough Banana Cinnamon Rolls