These festive Christmas Tree Cinnamon Rolls are a super easy Christmas breakfast. Topped with an ooey gooey cream cheese icing and adorable Christmas sprinkles, they are sure to make the entire house smell amazing while you create happy Christmas morning memories.
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Easy Christmas Cinnamon Rolls
These adorable Christmas Tree Cinnamon Rolls are an easy way to make your house the coziest place to be on Christmas morning. Between the smells, the flavors and the look of these cute little cinnamon roll Christmas tree pastries all lined up on your favorite holiday serving platter, the mood will surely be merry and bright.
If you want to get the kiddos involved, they will love piping on the frosting and adding sprinkles. As far as sprinkles, you can stick with red and green sprinkles, or use whatever Christmas sprinkles you can find. Between the grocery store, craft stores and the internet, you can find a huge variety of sprinkles for any occasion.
The best part about planning to serve cinnamon rolls for Christmas breakfast is that they are the perfect make-ahead recipe. Below you will find tips for making the recipe ahead of time as well as answers to other commonly asked questions. Let us know what you think in the comments.
Ingredients in Christmas Tree Cinnamon Rolls
Dough
- Water - you want this to be lukewarm to help activate the yeast. You can also substitute milk, warming it to no more than 115 degrees F.
- Sugar - we use white granulated sugar for the dough, or you could certainly use the same amount of honey instead.
- Yeast - this recipe calls for active dry yeast which must be activated, or “proofed.” It comes in a few different sized packages - a small envelope, a small jar or a large 1 pound air-sealed package.
- Butter - you want the butter to be either melted, or incredibly soft. You could also use avocado oil if you’d like.
- Eggs - any kind of large eggs will do. It helps if they have come to room temperature, but don’t worry if you forget. You can also run them under warm water while they are still in the shells. The eggs help with rising and the fats in the yolk help keep the dough tender and light.
- Salt - you can use regular sea salt or table salt, but I like to use pink Himalayan sea salt in my baking. It has extra vitamins and minerals in it that regular table salt doesn’t have.
- Flour - we like to use all-purpose flour, but you can also substitute bread flour if you would like.
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- Butter - this should be melted or incredibly soft.
- Brown Sugar - you can use either dark or light brown sugar, keeping in mind that dark brown sugar has a more intense molasses flavor.
- Cinnamon - any kind of ground cinnamon.
Cream Cheese Icing
- Butter - make sure your butter is at room temperature so that it will mix well with the other ingredients.
- Cream Cheese - you’ll want your cream cheese to be at room temperature, too!
- Powdered Sugar - any type will work.
- Vanilla Extract - pure vanilla extract tastes best.
- Milk - this can be room temperature or cool.
- Food Coloring - if you want to use green food coloring, it’s completely up to you. As you can see from the photos, white frosting looks great too!
Decorations
- Sprinkles - use any kind of Christmas sprinkles you can find. Of course you can use green and red, but you may also be able to find stars, jingle bells or other festive sprinkle shapes.
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Christmas Trees
Step 1 - Mix The Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm water, sugar and yeast and stir well. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until it gets bubbly and activates the yeast.
- Add the melted butter, eggs, salt and 3 cups of flour into the yeast and sugar mixture, then mix on low using the dough hook for 2 minutes, or until everything is well-mixed.
- Add an additional 2.5 cups of flour, then stir on low to combine. Add up to 1 cup more flour slowly, only until the dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl. Once all of the flour has been added, continue to knead on low for 3 minutes more.
Step 2 - Let The Dough Rise
- Turn off the mixer and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rest in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Step 2 - Roll And Cut The Cinnamon Rolls
- Once the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured surface and gently roll the dough into a rectangle that is ½" thick and approximately 24" x 18."
- Using an offset spatula, or knife, carefully spread the butter evenly onto the rolled dough, then sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over the top and pat down gently.
- Starting at either 24" side, roll the dough up evenly making sure to get a nice tight tube, then cut into 1" slices using a very sharp knife or floss.
- Carefully unroll and shape into Christmas trees by starting with a 3" line of dough, then curving it up to make a tapered Christmas tree shape (as seen in the photo).
- Lay the cinnamon roll Christmas trees about ½"-1" apart in a 9 x 13" baking pan sprayed lightly with cooking spray and cover loosely with a kitchen towel. Let the cinnamon rolls rise for another 30 minutes, or until doubled and touching in the pan.
Step 3 - Make The Cream Cheese Icing
- In an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the room temperature butter and room temperature cream cheese until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer down very low and add 3 cups of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk and the vanilla.
- Mix on low until all the ingredients are combined. If you plan to use green food coloring, you can add it now, then turn the mixer on high again and beat until fluffy.
- Add more powdered sugar and/or milk until you reach your desired consistency.
Step 4 - Bake and Decorate
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 18-22 minutes, or until the bottom and the top are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let them cool for about 5-10 minutes. Put the cream cheese icing into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe a line tracing the shape of the Christmas trees. Add the red and green sprinkles over the top, then serve slightly warm. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are short on time, using canned cinnamon roll dough is a quick and easy option. This way, all you will need to do is shape the Christmas trees, bake according to the directions on the can, make the frosting and decorate. Easy peasy!
Yup - this is a great breakfast to get started on ahead of time. You can cut and shape the cinnamon rolls, wrap the pan loosely in plastic wrap and immediately refrigerate overnight. The next morning, pull the pan out, preheat the oven and bake as directed.
If you aren’t sure whether your cinnamon rolls are done baking, test the ones in the center of your baking pan or baking sheet. Use an offset spatula or paring knife to pull up the cinnamon roll nearest the center of your pan and if it still seems raw, return them to the oven to continue baking.
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerator: wrap leftover Christmas Tree Cinnamon Rolls in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: wrap leftover cinnamon rolls in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight.
- To Reheat: for a single portion, you can reheat in the microwave until warm. (Note: If they have candy pieces on them, try and remove them prior to reheating.) Otherwise, add the entire pan of rolls back into the oven at 300 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Christmas Tree Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 2 cups Water lukewarm
- ¼ cup Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Active Dry Yeast
- ¼ cup Butter melted
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 Tablespoon Salt
- 5.5-6 cups All-Purpose Flour
Cinnamon Roll Filling
- 6 Tablespoons Butter melted
- 1 cup Light Brown Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon
Cinnamon Roll Icing
- ¼ cup Butter room temperature
- 8 oz Cream Cheese room temperature
- 3-4 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2-3 Tablespoons Milk
- 5 drops Green Food Coloring optional
Christmas Tree Decorations
- 3 Tablespoons Red and Green Sprinkles
Instructions
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm water, sugar and yeast and stir well. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until it gets bubbly and activates the yeast.
- Add the melted butter, eggs, salt and 3 cups of flour into the yeast mixture, then mix on low using the bread hook for 2 minutes, or until everything is well-mixed.
- Add an additional 2.5 cups of flour, then stir on low to combine. Add up to 1 cup more flour slowly, only until the dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl. Once all of the flour has been added, continue to knead on low for 3 minutes more.
- Turn off the mixer and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rest in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Rolling and Cutting Cinnamon Rolls
- Once the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured surface. Form the dough into a small rectangle with your hands. Using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough into a rectangle that is ½" thick and approximately 24" x 18." (Note: depending on the size of your work surface, you may need to divide the dough into 2 portions. If so, you can roll each to about 12" x 18" and still ½" thick.)
- Using an offset spatula, or knife, carefully spread the soft or melted butter evenly onto the rolled dough. Evenly sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over the top, then pat down gently.
- Starting at either 24" side, roll the dough up evenly making sure to get a nice tight tube, then cut into 1" slices using a very sharp knife or floss. (Note: we recommend using a ruler and pre-marking before you actually make any cuts.)
- Carefully unroll and shape into Christmas trees by starting with a 3" line of dough, then curving it up to make a tapered Christmas tree shape (as seen in the photo).
- Lay the cinnamon roll Christmas trees about ½"-1" apart in a greased 9 x 13" baking pan and cover loosely with a kitchen towel. Let the cinnamon rolls rise for another 30 minutes, or until doubled and touching in the pan.
Baking Cinnamon Rolls
- While your dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once risen, bake in a preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until the bottom and the top are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let them cool for about 5-10 minutes. Put the cream cheese icing into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe a line tracing the shape of the Christmas trees. Add the red and green sprinkles over the top, then serve slightly warm. Enjoy!
Cinnamon Roll Icing
- In an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the room temperature butter and room temperature cream cheese until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer down very low and add 3 cups of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk and the vanilla. Mix on low until all the ingredients are combined. If you plan to use green food coloring, you can add it now, then turn the mixer on high again and beat until fluffy.
- Add more powdered sugar and/or milk until you reach your desired consistency, then spread a thick layer of frosting over the warm cinnamon rolls.
Nutrition
More Of Our Favorite Christmas Breakfast Recipes To Try
- Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread
- Classic French Toast
- French Toast Bake
- Ham and Cheese Quiche
- Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast
- Coconut French Toast Bake
- More Breakfast Recipes
- More Christmas Recipes
- More Cinnamon Roll Recipes
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These adorable Christmas Tree Cinnamon Rolls smell great, look amazing and taste delicious. They're the perfect make-ahead Christmas breakfast that everyone will love.
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