Looking to add a bit of festive flair to your holiday baking this year? Why not try making a cinnamon twist Christmas tree from scratch? This delicious and eye-catching treat combines the warm, comforting flavors of cinnamon and sugar with a fun, tree-shaped design.
This scrumptious Cinnamon Twist Christmas Tree makes the perfect breakfast, dessert, or even as a showstopper for your holiday gatherings. It is sure to impress both your taste buds and your guests.
How to Make a Cinnamon Twist Christmas Tree from Scratch
What you will need:
1 Batch of Homemaking without Fear Classic White Bread (see printable recipe below for full instructions) – OR – you can use frozen, thawed bread dough BUT if you take a few extra minutes to make our simple bread dough recipe, you won’t be disappointed.
Go ahead, make a double batch for and turn half of the dough into dinner rolls for your Christmas meal – Bam!
Ingredients for the bread dough:
2 C of warm water
1/2 to 2/3 C Honey
2 Tbsp Active Dry Yeast
1 Tbsp salt
2 Eggs
1/2 C softened butter
6 1/2 C All Purpose (AP) Bread Flour
Instructions for making the bread dough:
In a small bowl, dissolve honey in warm water and sprinkle yeast on top. Set aside for at least 5 minutes and allow yeast to soften and become bubbly.
In bowl of stand mixer add 2 Cups of AP flour and the salt.
Once yeast is active and bubbly, add it to bowl of mixer with flour/salt.
Using the dough hook attachment (or a spoon if making by hand) mix all ingredients until mostly combined.
Add eggs and softened butter and mix again medium speed or by hand until MOSTLY incorporated.
Add another 2 cups of AP flour and mix well, scraping sides of bowl as you go.
Add another 2 cups (6 total) of AP Flour and mix/knead, scraping sides of bowl.
Add another 1/2 or more AP Flour in 1/4 cup increments. (just a little at a time) You are looking for dough to become firm, elastic and no longer sticky – it will pull away CLEAN from the sides of mixer bowl and all flour will be well mixed.
Remove from bowl and form into a tight ball. Oil/butter bowl and return dough to bowl, cover with tea towel and allow to rise in warm place. – FIRST RISE 30 minutes.
Punch dough down, remove from bowl, fold twice in half and form into final shape for baking.
Butter/grease a loaf pan and place dough inside. Set aside for – FINAL RISE 30-45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped. If you are making cinnamon rolls or dinner rolls they cook faster. Check them at 15 minutes to be sure not to burn them.
Remove from oven, rub tops of loaves or rolls with a bit of soft butter and allow to cool before removing from pan and slicing.
If making sweet rolls, allow them to cool just slightly before icing them.
For the Cinnamon Filling:
1 cup unsalted butter softened
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
For the Glaze (optional):
1/4 cup softened butter
1/4 cup soft cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons milk or heavy cream (enough to loosen the glaze enough to drizzle)
Pinch of salt
green food coloring (optional)
+ Pie Cherries (canned cherry filling) to decorate
+ extra powdered sugar to sprinkle on top
~ How to make & bake your Cinnamon Twist Christmas Tree ~
Prepare the Classic White Bread Dough (as directed above or in printable recipe):
Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours or until doubled in size.
If baking the Christmas Tree the same day, go ahead and preheat your oven, then proceed with assembly and shaping. No need for a second rise after shaping.
PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEG. F
If you are preparing the dough the day before you’d like to bake, just cover it after first rise and put in refrigerator until ready to assemble. Working with cold dough is almost easier in this recipe. You can pull it right out of the refrigerator, divide it into thirds and proceed!
Prepare the Cinnamon Filling:
Make the cinnamon filling by mixing together the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, pinch salt and vanilla extract in a small bowl until smooth.
Shape the Christmas Tree:
Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide it into two THREE portions. Roll one portion into a large Triangle (about 14 tall with a 10 inch base) on a lightly floured surface.
Place your dough triangle on a sheet of parchment and stretch edges to maintain the shape and size of your triangle.
Spread half of the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough.
Take your second portion of dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about the same size as the first triangle.
Layer the second triangle on top of the first one. Right on top of that first layer of cinnamon/sugar mixture.
Pull and stretch the edges to match both triangles as best you can and make sure the cinnamon & sugar is covered and sealed between the two layers.
Spread the second triangle with the other half of the cinnamon mixture.
Repeat the dough process with the THIRD portion of dough.
Layer the third and last triangle on top of the second and stretch edges to match as best you can, maintaining the triangle (aka Christmas Tree shape). Seal the edges down so no cinnamon mixture peeks out.
Cut your Cinnamon Twist “Branches”:
With a sharp knife lightly mark a tall VERTICAL skinny triangle from the tip of your dough triangle to the base (about 2.5 inches wide at it’s base). This is the outline of the “trunk” of your tree. Don’t cut through the dough layers, just mark where the trunk is.
Now make 1 inch wide HORIZONTAL cuts IN from the side of your dough layers IN toward the trunk mark. Cut these 1 inch HORIZONTAL strips from the bottom to the top of EACH SIDE of your triangle, slicing through all three layers of dough and cinnamon.
Make the Cinnamon TWISTS:
Now, take each strip and twist about 1.5 times and press down onto the parchment. Continue to twist each strip on BOTH sides of the triangle to make a Cinnamon Twist Christmas Tree shape with a “trunk” in the center of the twists.
Bake:
Carefully slide the parchment with dough tree onto a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Keep an eye on it toward the end of the baking time to make sure they don’t brown too quickly. The twists tend to cook faster than the middle trunk part. If you feel like the edges are browning too much, you could cover them with foil for the last part of baking.
CONSIDER USING A FOOD THERMOMETER TO CHECK THE INTERNAL TEMPERATURE OF THE MIDDLE OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE.
WHEN IT INTERNAL TEMP REACHES 190 DEGREES F, YOUR TREE SHOULD BE COOKED THROUGH AND NOT TOO DOUGHY IN THE CENTER. REMEMBER IT WILL COOK A BIT MORE WHILE RESTING.
Add the Glaze (Optional):
While the tree IS baking, you can make the glaze by whipping together the butter, cream cheese, milk, salt, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract (PLUS green food coloring if using) until smooth. Feel free to add a bit more milk to loosen glaze enough to drizzle.
Once the cinnamon tree is done baking and has cooled, drizzle the glaze over the top to give them that festive, shiny touch. Drizzling too soon after baking will cause glaze to melt.
~ Serving Tips ~
Perfect for brunch: Serve the cinnamon swirl trees warm with a cup of coffee or hot cocoa for the ultimate Christmas morning treat.
For a festive touch: Add some red and green sprinkles or tiny candied fruit, even pie cherries to the tree branches after glazing for a colorful holiday effect.
Make ahead: You can prepare the dough the night before, let it rise in the fridge overnight, and shape then bake it fresh in the morning.
This Cinnamon Twist Christmas tree is a beautiful and delicious way to celebrate the season. Not only does it look stunning on the table, but the combination of sweet cinnamon and buttery dough makes it irresistible.
This Cinnamon Twist Christmas Tree was a lovely addition to Grinchmas Dinner: Watch it on our Youtube Channel!
Whether you’re baking for a holiday party or enjoying a quiet moment with family, this festive treat is sure to bring joy to everyone who tries it. Happy baking and Merry Christmas! This Cinnamon Twist Christmas Tree took center stage in our annual Grinchmas Holiday Feast.
This Classic White Bread recipe may be basic but the flavor is anything but simple. It is slightly sweet, super moist and melts in your mouth. Use this recipe for delicious sandwich bread, dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, meat pockets or cheese roll-ups, fry bread, doughnuts, even pizza crust. Sweet or savory - it is versatile and easily a family favorite.
Ingredients
2 C of warm water
1/2 to 2/3 C Honey
2 Tbsp Active Dry Yeast
1 Tbsp salt
2 Eggs
1/2 C softened butter
6 1/2 C All Purpose (AP) Bread Flour
Instructions
In a small bowl, dissolve honey in warm water and sprinkle yeast on top. Set aside for at least 5 minutes and allow yeast to soften and become bubbly.
In bowl of stand mixer add 2 Cups of AP flour and the salt.
Once yeast is active and bubbly, add it to bowl of mixer with flour/salt.
Using the dough hook attachment (or a spoon if making by hand) mix all ingredients until mostly combined.
Add eggs and softened butter and mix again medium speed or by hand until MOSTLY incorporated.
Add another 2 cups of AP flour and mix well, scraping sides of bowl as you go.
Add another 2 cups (6 total) of AP Flour and mix/knead, scraping sides of bowl.
Add another 1/2 or more AP Flour in 1/4 cup increments. (just a little at a time) You are looking for dough to become firm, elastic and no longer sticky - it will pull away CLEAN from the sides of mixer bowl and all flour will be well mixed.
Remove from bowl and form into a tight ball. Oil/butter bowl and return dough to bowl, cover with tea towel and allow to rise in warm place. - FIRST RISE 30 minutes.
Punch dough down, remove from bowl, fold twice in half and form into final shape for baking.
Butter/grease a loaf pan and place dough inside. Set aside for - FINAL RISE 30-45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped. If you are making cinnamon rolls or dinner rolls they cook faster. Check them at 15 minutes to be sure not to burn them.
Remove from oven, rub tops of loaves or rolls with a bit of soft butter and allow to cool before removing from pan and slicing.
If making sweet rolls, allow them to cool just slightly before icing them.
Notes
Options:
May substitute butter with shortening, lard or coconut oil - substitute 1 for 1 with any of these.
May use white sugar or brown sugar in place of honey.
Feel free to replace up to half the quantity of white four in the recipe with whole wheat for a more nutritious loaf.
Try replacing water with whole milk to up the richness, flavor and protein/nutrition content of this bread.
Did you make this recipe?
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