Christmas Cinnamon Rolls
Having Cinnamon Rolls on Christmas morning has become a tradition in our house. Take a shortcut and make store-bought rolls extra special with this step by step tutorial.
What is a Christmas Cinnamon Roll?
Is there anything better than a hot cinnamon roll and a cup of hot chocolate (or coffee for overtired parents) after the frenzy of opening Christmas presents?
Christmas cinnamon rolls have become a tradition for us. I used to make them from scratch, but honestly, I hated being in the kitchen rolling out dough, and keeping one eye on the kitchen timer, while the rest of my family was relaxing and enjoying their new gifts.
Last year, I switched to using store bought cinnamon rolls to save time, and it was a game changer. I felt the need to still make them feel like a special holiday treat, so I formed them into Christmas trees shapes and added some sprinkles as ornaments.
Let’s just say my kids might not fully remember what they got for Christmas last year, but they sure remember the cinnamon roll Christmas trees they ate for breakfast!
The Best Store Bought Cinnamon Rolls
My preference is the Annie’s Organic Cinnamon Rolls with Icing. I like them because they bake nice and thick like a homemade roll would.
Typical cinnamon rolls in a can come with icing that is super sugary sweet, and acts more like a glaze that tops the rolls. Annie’s has a more subtle sweetness and is a bit thicker so you can actually frost the cinnamon rolls and give the sprinkles something to stick to.
They are also organic and non-GMO which I also like.
Ingredients and Tools
- store bought refrigerated cinnamon rolls in can (like these)
- Christmas colored sprinkles (I like this brand with natural dye)
- parchment paper
- baking sheet
- butter knife
- toothpicks
How to make Christmas Cinnamon Rolls
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Tear away paper label from the can of cinnamon roll. Use the edge of your butter knife to apply pressure at the seem of the cardboard until the can pops open.
Untwist can and pull rolls out one by one. Tip: I like to use the butter knife to slice the rolls apart cleanly so that they don’t stick together and tear apart.
Unroll the the cinnamon roll dough and lay it flat on the parchment paper. Some rolls come with extra cinnamon in the center, so wipe that away and discard.
Reform it into the shape of a tree by snaking it back and forth. Secure using a toothpick inserted from the bottom of the tree upward and one inserted from the top of the tree downward. This will help the trees keep their shape while they bake.
Don’t be afraid to trim off any pieces of dough that make the trees too long or are ripped or unsightly in some way. Position the trees about 2-3 inches apart.
Since the trees are not as tightly rolled as circular cinnamon rolls, they will bake faster. I find they are usually done in about 2/3rds of the time. The Annie’s brand packaging says to cook for 18 mins, so plan on baking for approx 12 mins only.
At the half way point (6mins into baking), pull the rolls out of the oven. If any of the trees are flopping down our losing their shape while they bake, just reposition them at little. Rotate the pan so the the trees that were in the back are now in the front of oven, and place back in oven. Bake for the remaining 6 minutes or until they are golden brown. Keep a close eye on them so they do not burn.
Pull your trees out of the oven, remove the toothpicks, and let cool a few minutes. Use the butter knife to frost the rolls and add the Christmas sprinkles. Serve warm.
Bonus Recipes
Need some other low effort breakfast ideas that won’t keep you in the kitchen all morning? Try these…
Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
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Christmas Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- parchment paper
- baking sheet
- butter knife
- toothpicks
Ingredients
- 1 tube refrigerated cinnamon rolls (like these)
- Christmas sprinkles (I like this brand with natural dye)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Tear away paper label from the can of cinnamon rolls. Use the edge of your butter knife to apply pressure at the seem of the cardboard until the can pops open.
- Untwist can and pull rolls out one by one. Tip: I like to use the butter knife to slice the rolls apart cleanly so that they don't stick together and tear apart.
- Unroll the the cinnamon roll dough and lay it flat on the parchment paper. Some rolls come with extra cinnamon in the center, so wipe that away and discard.
- Reform it into the shape of a tree by snaking it back and forth. Secure using a toothpick inserted from the bottom of the tree upward and one inserted from the top of the tree downward. This will help the trees keep their shape while they bake. Tip: Make sure the top of the tree is pointing upward while it bakes.
- Don't be afraid to trim off any pieces of dough that make the trees too long or are unsightly in some way. Position the trees about 2-3 inches apart.
- Since the trees are not as tightly rolled as circular cinnamon rolls, they will bake faster. I find they are usually done in about 2/3rds of the time. The Annie's brand packaging says to cook for 18 mins, so plan on baking for approx 12 mins only.
- At the half way point (6 mins into baking), pull the rolls out of the oven. If any of the trees are flopping down our losing their shape while they bake, just reposition them at little. Rotate the pan so the the trees that were in the back are now in the front of oven, and place back in oven. Bake for the remaining 6 minutes or until they are golden brown. Keep a close eye on them so they do not burn.
- Pull your trees out of the oven, remove the toothpicks, and let cool a few minutes. Use the butter knife to frost the rolls and add the Christmas sprinkles. Serve warm.
