"A Cinnamon Roll Christmas Tree is one of my favorite Christmas morning traditions. Who doesn’t love pillowy fresh-baked cinnamon rolls to enjoy while lounging about in pajamas and opening presents? Make Christmas breakfast easy by starting these homemade cinnamon rolls the night before. Enjoy plain or with a simple powdered sugar icing."
Cinnamon Roll Christmas Tree
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- Recipe Card
Prep time 4hrs
Cook time 20mins
Serves or Makes: 6
Recipe Card
ingredients
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 1/4 teapsoons active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup warm milk
- 4 tablepoons melted butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 4 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 4 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 milk
Method
Step 1
Proof yeast in a small bowl or measuring cup with the warm water, about 10 minutes.
Step 2
In a large bowl, blend the milk, butter, sugar, eggs, nutmeg and salt until well combined. Add the yeast and then 1½ cups of flour. Stir until smooth. Continue to add flour until a soft, workable dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl is formed. Turn out on a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10-15 minutes.
Step 3
Place in a greased bowl, and cover to let rise for about 1½ - 2 hours. (At this point, you can also put the dough in the fridge to rise overnight. Remove from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature before shaping, about 2 hours.)
Step 4
Punch down the dough and knead lightly. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes. In the meantime, melt the butter and mix together the cinnamon, nutmeg, and both sugars in a small bowl. Place a piece of parchment or non-stick baking mat on a half sheet pan. Set aside.
Step 5
Roll out the dough into a rectangle approximately 24" x 12". Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with the sugar leaving about ½” around the edge. Roll the dough lengthwise and pinch the ends together. Turn your cinnamon roll log over so the seam-side is down. With a sharp knife, cut into 18 even pieces. Arrange the cinnamon rolls in a Christmas tree pattern, leaving a ½” space in between each roll. The row order is 1-2-3-4-5-2-1.
Step 6
Cover and let proof for about 45 minutes-1 hour or until doubled in size. (At this point, you can also put the dough in the fridge to rise overnight. Remove from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature before baking, about 2 hours.)
Step 7
Bake in a 350ºF oven for 18-20 minutes or until the top is golden brown. In the meantime, assemble the icing. Add milk to the powdered sugar one teaspoon at a time until the consistency is thick with a slow drizzle.
Step 8
Drizzle the icing over the hot Cinnamon Roll Christmas Tree. Serve immediately.