Christmas Cinnamon Rolls

Deliciously soft and fluffy Christmas Cinnamon Rolls which are full of warmth and spice, perfect for the holiday season. Recipe for Christmas Cinnamon Rolls with step-by-step photos.

Christmas Cinnamon Rolls

Thanks to the internet, I have come to learn that our friends in the US like to make Cinnamon Rolls at Christmas. Cinnamon Rolls are something I love to eat year-round, but there is definitely something cosy about baking a batch of Cinnamon Rolls once the autumn chill is in the air.

And as a Christmas specialty, I can see why Cinnamon Rolls appeal to so many. The heady smell of cinnamon wafting through the home as you bake Cinnamon Rolls is a cosy and comforting reminder to snuggle up while it is cold and chilly outside.

My kids are big fans of Cinnamon Rolls, so I can easily see this becoming a tradition for us around Christmas time.

Christmas Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Whilst I love classic American-style Cinnamon Rolls as they are, I like to spice them up a bit at Christmas. My recipe for Christmas Cinnamon Rolls are heady with cinnamon and ginger in the dough, with a generous amount of freshly ground cardamom seeds which are reminiscent of Scandinavian Cardamom Buns. In a nutshell, they are the perfect marriage between Cinnamon Rolls and Cardamom Buns!

How to Make Christmas Cinnamon Rolls

Step 1

Measure the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, ground cinnamon, nutmeg and ground ginger into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Lightly mix the ingredients together.

Step 2

Add the egg to the bowl. Slowly add the warm milk (you may not need all of it), and lightly beat everything with the dough hook until it comes together into a large ball of dough. Only add as much milk as you need to bring the ingredients together into a dough.

Step 3

Slowly incorporate the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until all of the butter has been used.

Then increase the speed to medium and continue kneading with the dough hook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Step 4

Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, and place the dough into the bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave it somewhere warm for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Step 5

Once the dough has doubled in size, gently remove the dough from the bowl. The dough will deflate as you handle it.

Roll out the dough into a rectangle shape measuring approximately 50 x 30 cm/20 x 12 inches.

Step 6

Make the filling by beating together the ingredients. Use a small palette knife to evenly spread the filling all over the dough. Be sure to spread the filling right to the edges of the dough so that you have maximum cinnamon-sugar in each bun.

Step 7

Roll up the dough tightly from the long end, so that you have a log which is approximately 50 cm/20 inches long.

Cut the dough into 12 even pieces. I find it easiest to do so using a long piece of unflavoured dental floss, which will allow you to slice through the dough cleanly and sharply, and without flattening the dough. Simply slide the floss under the dough, then pull both ends of the floss across each other, which will cut through the dough as you pull.

Step 8

Line a baking pan measuring 35 x 25 cm/14 x 10 inches with baking paper.

Arrange the slices of dough in the baking pan.

If you plan to make these Christmas Cinnamon Rolls the night before, stop here, cover the pan with some plastic wrap, and leave the pan overnight in the fridge.

Otherwise, place the pan somewhere warm for about 30 minutes, or until the buns have risen and puffed up slightly.

Step 9

Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F with a metal baking tray on the middle shelf. Bake the buns for 10 minutes. 

Reduce the heat to 180°C/356°F and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the buns are lightly golden. Check the buns at about 10 minutes, and if they are browning too quickly, cover them with a loose sheet of foil for the rest of the baking time. The buns are cooked if an internal thermometer reads 85°C (185°F).

Gently remove the buns (intact) to a wire rack, and leave them to cool completely.

Step 10

Make the icing by whisking together the ingredients until you have a thick, but runny, consistency.

Generously drizzle the icing over the buns, as much or as little as you like.

Sprinkle the Cardamom-Sugar Topping over the buns while the icing is still wet. As the icing is already sweet, you can opt to leave out the sugar in the topping, and just sprinkle over freshly ground cardamom seeds instead.

Make Ahead Tips

Cinnamon Rolls are best eaten on the day they are baked, but if you are planning to bake and serve them in the morning, such as for breakfast or brunch, there are two ways to make Cinnamon Rolls ahead of time.

Method 1 – Getting a Head Start

Make the dough as per the recipe and leave it to double in size. Once the dough has doubled in size, without deflating the dough, cover the bowl and place it in the fridge where it will continue to rise very slowly overnight. The next day, proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Advantages: The dough will be cold and easier to work with.

Method 2 – For Entertaining

Follow the recipe until you have arranged the pieces of sliced dough into the baking pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge where it will continue to rise very slowly overnight. The next day, take the pan out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature before baking as per the recipe.

Advantages: Most of the work will have been done the night before. You just simply need to let the buns come to room temperature, during which time you can preheat the oven.

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