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Christmas morning cinnamon rolls are already one of my favorite traditions with Eli, but this year I wanted to make them a little more festive!! Instead of individual rolls, I shaped my classic cinnamon roll dough into one big wreath, with cinnamon swirls all the way around. It's SO fun to bring to the table, and everyone can pull apart a piece while it's still warm. I finish mine with cream cheese frosting, fresh rosemary, and sugared cranberries for the prettiest Christmas morning centerpiece!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Rise Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25–35 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes–2 hours 35 minutes
Makes: 1 large wreath, about 8 servings
Ingredients
For the Dough
1 cup whole milk, warmed to 100–110°F
2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
For the Cinnamon Filling
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, or a combination
1 tablespoon molasses
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
For Decorating
Fresh rosemary sprigs, optional
Fresh or sugared cranberries, optional
Instrucitons
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk, yeast, egg, melted butter, sugar, and salt. Add the flour and mix with the dough hook until a soft dough forms. Knead for about 4–5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. If the dough feels too sticky to handle, add a little more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Meanwhile, mix together the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, and molasses until combined.
Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a large rectangle, approximately 12 × 18 inches and about ¼ inch thick. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges.
Starting from one long side, roll the dough into a tight log, just as you would for regular cinnamon rolls. Transfer the log onto a large parchment-lined baking sheet and carefully curve it into a circle, pinching the ends together to form a wreath.
Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, make cuts around the outside of the wreath about 1½–2 inches apart, cutting most of the way through the dough but leaving the inner edge connected. Gently twist each section outward so the cinnamon swirls face up, creating a beautiful wreath shape.
Shape the entire wreath before the second rise. Once you've finished cutting and twisting, cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for another 30 minutes, until puffy.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the wreath on the middle oven rack for 25–30 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. If the top begins browning too quickly, loosely cover with aluminum foil.
While the wreath bakes, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat together the softened butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until creamy.
Let the wreath cool for 5–10 minutes, then spread or drizzle the cream cheese frosting over the warm rolls.
Transfer to a large serving platter and decorate with fresh rosemary and fresh or sugared cranberries, if desired. Remove the rosemary before eating, and keep fresh cranberries as a decorative garnish if they're not sweetened.
Serve warm and let everyone pull apart their own cinnamon roll!
A Note from Madeline
Make sure you cut and twist your wreath before the second rise! This gives the dough time to puff up in its final shape without losing all those beautiful layers.
I love finishing mine with rosemary and sugared cranberries for Christmas morning. You can also shape the wreath the night before, cover it, and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, let it sit at room temperature until puffy before baking.
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If you love these Christmas Wreath Cinnamon Rolls, you’ll love this Triple Chocolate Zucchini Bread!
A Recipe by Madeline May
Christmas Morning Cinnamon Roll Wreath
Ingredients
For the Dough
For the Cinnamon Filling
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
For Decorating
Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk, yeast, egg, melted butter, sugar, and salt. Add the flour and mix with the dough hook until a soft dough forms. Knead for about 4–5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. If the dough feels too sticky to handle, add a little more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Meanwhile, mix together the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, and molasses until combined.
Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a large rectangle, approximately 12 × 18 inches and about ¼ inch thick. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges.
Starting from one long side, roll the dough into a tight log, just as you would for regular cinnamon rolls. Transfer the log onto a large parchment-lined baking sheet and carefully curve it into a circle, pinching the ends together to form a wreath.
Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, make cuts around the outside of the wreath about 1½–2 inches apart, cutting most of the way through the dough but leaving the inner edge connected. Gently twist each section outward so the cinnamon swirls face up, creating a beautiful wreath shape.
Make sure to shape the entire wreath BEFORE the second rise! Once you've finished cutting and twisting, cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for another 30 minutes, until puffy.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the wreath on the middle oven rack for 25–30 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. If the top begins browning too quickly, loosely cover with aluminum foil.
While the wreath bakes, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat together the softened butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until creamy.
Let the wreath cool for 5–10 minutes, then spread or drizzle the cream cheese frosting over the warm rolls.
Transfer the wreath to a large serving platter and decorate with fresh rosemary and fresh or sugared cranberries, if desired. Remove the rosemary before eating, and keep fresh cranberries as a decorative garnish if they're not sweetened.
Serve warm and let everyone pull apart their own cinnamon roll!
Madeline's Tip
Shape your wreath completely before the second rise so the dough can puff up in its final shape! I love finishing mine with fresh rosemary and sugared cranberries for Christmas morning. You can also shape the wreath the night before, cover it, and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, let it sit at room temperature until puffy before baking.
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