Christmas Cinnamon Rolls

These warm and cozy Christmas cinnamon rolls are the perfect festive breakfast for Christmas morning, with a deliciously soft and pillowy texture. They're prepared with a spiced brown sugar filling plus plump dried cranberries for holiday color, and generously slathered with a spiced orange vanilla bean frosting for added decadence!

The perfect cozy breakfast for Christmas morning

We really enjoy making Christmas morning a festive, cozy and fun occasion.

In our household, we love to stay in our jammies, make a really tasty and special brekky, and just enjoy the warmth of the kitchen and the leisurely time of the holiday, with that feeling of cheer in the air.

Christmas morning is the best time to tuck into an extra special baked treat such as warm, fluffy, homemade cinnamon rolls, which makes the occasion extra sweet and memorable, and these special Christmas cinnamon rolls are just the rolls to bake up.

Soft, pillowy and filled with a buttery, cinnamon-y center, along with plump dried cranberries for tart-sweetness, this Christmas cinnamon roll recipe wouldn't be complete without a rich, thick and spiced orange vanilla bean frosting to spread generously over top.

It's the perfect goody to enjoy while still in comfy robes and slippers, sharing some time with loved ones!

My recipe for Christmas cinnamon rolls

Homemade cinnamon rolls certainly do require a bit of added love, care, and time. But when you sink your teeth into that warm, soft roll drenched in a rich frosting, it all becomes apparent why this treat is worth the effort.

My recipe begins with the cinnamon roll dough. And believe it or not, I find that adding mashed potatoes helps create a more supple dough. Tender and pillowy is exactly how I like my Christmas cinnamon rolls to be.

I also use active dry yeast, some milk, sugar, vanilla, eggs, butter and all-purpose flour. Once mixed, I knead the dough for a while until it becomes elastic and soft.

The dough then goes into a warm spot in the kitchen to double in size for a while. Then, it's rolled out, slathered in softened butter and spiced sugar, sprinkled with those plump cranberries, and rolled up into a log shape fit for cutting into individual cinnamon rolls.

And if you'd like to prep these Christmas cinnamon rolls the day before, to have them ready to bake off in the morning, you'll simply place your cut rolls into your prepared baking dish, cover tightly with foil, and place into the fridge overnight. The next day, before baking, you'll allow the rolls to come to room temp to puff up (see detailed instructions in Tips & Tidbits below).

When it comes to the sweet topping for these cinnamon rolls, thick and rich is the way to go...

I like to prepare a cream cheese frosting flavored with real vanilla bean scraped from the pod, along with some orange zest and a pinch of cinnamon—so delicious, and so irresistible!

Each bite of one of these Christmas cinnamon rolls is pure bliss, and just the treat for a holiday breakfast.

Here's a glance at my Christmas cinnamon rolls recipe:

(or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I prepare my cinnamon roll dough, knead it, and then allow the dough to proof for 1 hour and 25 minutes, until doubled in size.
2. Then, I prepare my filling ingredients to have ready.
3. Once proofed, I roll out the dough, spread my filling over top and sprinkle the cranberries, then roll the dough up into a log.
4. I then cut the cinnamon rolls, nestle them into a baking dish, and allow them to proof for 45 minutes, until puffed up.
5. Meanwhile, I prepare the orange vanilla bean frosting, to have on hand.
6. Next, I bake the Christmas cinnamon rolls for roughly 25 minutes, until golden.
7. When done, I allow them to slightly cool before frosting, or allow folks to individually frost their own cinnamon roll, if desired.

Recipe

Christmas Cinnamon Rolls

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

These Christmas cinnamon rolls are soft and pillowy, filled with plump cranberries and slathered with a rich, orange vanilla bean frosting!

Category: Breakfast
Cuisine: American

Yield: 12 cinnamon rolls

Nutrition info: 652 calories (per cinnamon roll)

Prep time: 30 minutes (does not include proofing time for dough)
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes

Cinnamon Rolls Ingredients:

• 1 russet potato, for mashed potato (or use ½ cup instant mashed potatoes)
• 1 ¼ cup whole milk, divided use
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, plus ½ cup granulated sugar, divided use
• 1 (¼ ounce) packet active dry yeast
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading

Filling Ingredients:

• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened at room temp
• 1 ¼ cups dried cranberries, unsweetened or sweetened

Orange Vanilla Bean Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 vanilla bean (or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract)
• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temp
• 6 ounces unsalted butter (12 tablespoons), softened at room temp
• Orange zest from 1 medium orange
• ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
• 12 ounces (roughly 3 cups) powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk, if needed

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping your cinnamon roll dough ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. If preparing the mashed potato, pierce the russet potato a few times and place it into the microwave to cook. Once tender, carefully scoop out the flesh and mash until very smooth, or use a ricer (best option). Set aside ½ cup worth of the mashed potato.
3. Next, prepare your dough: add ¼ cup of the milk to a small bowl, and microwave just until warm (110°). Add in the 1 teaspoon of sugar, and mix to dissolve. Then, sprinkle the yeast over top in an even layer, and using a fork, mix to dissolve. Allow the yeast mixture to sit for about 8 minutes, until foamy.
4. While the yeast activates, add the remaining 1 cup of milk, the butter, the ½ cup of sugar and the salt to a small sauce pan, and gently heat the mixture just until the butter is melted. Whisk to blend, and allow to slightly cool.
5. Next, add the milk/butter/sugar/salt mixture to a large bowl, along with the vanilla extract, the mashed potato, and the eggs, and using a hand mixer, mix on low until well blended, about 1 minute.
6. Then, add in 2 cups of the flour, and mix that in until blended.
7. Next, pour in the yeast mixture, and mix that in to incorporate.
8. Now, switching to a wooden spoon, add in the remainder of the flour, and mix that in until a shaggy dough forms.
9. Turn the dough out onto a work surface sprinkled with more flour, and knead the dough for about 6 minutes (you may need to continue to add sprinklings of flour), or until elastic.
10. Lightly oil a large bowl, add the dough in, turning it to coat it lightly in the oil, and cover with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm spot in the kitchen (I place mine in my microwave oven with the door closed, or my oven set to “proof” setting), and allow it to double in size, about 1 hour 25 minutes.
11. While dough is rising, gather and prep your filling ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
12. Add the ¾ cup of brown sugar and the cinnamon to a bowl, and using a fork or your fingers, blend to combine well. Set aside. Have the butter on hand, as well as the dried cranberries.
13. Prepare a 13 by 9 inch baking pan (or 2, 9 inch cake pans) by lightly misting with cooking spray, to have ready and on hand.
14. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down, and turn it out onto the lightly floured work surface. Roll out into a rectangular shape about ¼” thick, about 10 inches by 15 inches (roughly).
15. To fill, spread the ¼ cup softened butter over the dough leaving about a ½ inch border. Then, sprinkle over the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture.
16. Next, sprinkle the cranberries over the cinnamon/sugar in an even layer.
17. Roll the dough starting from the bottom upward, rolling as tightly as possible, and pinch the seam closed, allowing the dough log to rest on the seam.
18. Cut the dough in half, and then each half into 6 rolls (for a total of 12 rolls), and place the rolls into your prepared baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the rolls to double in size, about 45 minutes. (If preparing the rolls a day ahead, see notes below in Tips & Tidbits.)
19. Next, gather and prep all of your orange vanilla bean frosting ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
20. To make the frosting: with a small paring knife, split the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the vanilla bean “paste” that is inside. Set the paste aside for a moment.
21. Add the softened cream cheese and butter to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, and add in the vanilla paste and the orange zest, and mix everything together until fluffy.
22. Then, add in about ⅓ of the powdered sugar, and cream on low until combined. Add another ⅓ of the sugar, and continue to combine.
23. Add the rest of the sugar, plus the 1 tablespoon of milk, if needed, and mix until fluffy. Set aside to use for the cinnamon rolls, or store the frosting in a covered bowl/container in fridge until ready to use, if making rolls ahead.
24. Preheat the oven to 350°.
25. Once the cinnamon rolls have proofed, place them into the oven to bake for about 25 to 26 minutes, or just until golden.
26. Allow the rolls to cool for a little bit before frosting, so it doesn't melt off. Or, allow folks to frost their cinnamon rolls individually, if desired.

Tips & Tidbits for my Christmas cinnamon rolls recipe:

• How to make these festive cinnamon rolls ahead: If you'd like to prep these cinnamon rolls the day before you'd like to bake them off and serve, you can prepare this recipe up to the point that you cut the individual cinnamon rolls and place them into your baking pan. Then, instead of a second proof, just wrap them tightly in foil or plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator overnight. When ready to bake the next day, allow the rolls to come to room temp in a warm, draft-free area for about 1 hour and 45 minutes (an empty microwave works well), to allow them to rise. Then, bake as directed in the recipe steps.
• Sweetened or unsweetened dried cranberries: I actually prefer unsweetened, organic dried cranberries here, because things are sweet enough already, and this offers a bit more tanginess which I like. But feel free to use whichever kind you prefer. And if you'd like the cranberries to be plumper, then simply soak them in very hot water for about 5 minutes, then drain them and blot them well of water with paper towel, and proceed with the recipe.
• No vanilla bean? No problem: While the little flecks of vanilla bean are lovely in the frosting, you can certainly use pure vanilla extract instead, for convenience. Just use about 2 teaspoons in place of the bean.
• How to store these Christmas cinnamon rolls: I like to keep my cinnamon rolls right in the baking dish that I baked them off in, and simply cover them tightly with plastic wrap or foil, and leave them at room temp. Homemade cinnamon rolls are best enjoyed the day they're baked off, but these can keep pretty well until the next day. You can gently reheat them in the microwave for 10 to 12 seconds, to soften, if desired. (And if you leave the cinnamon rolls unfrosted so that folks can frost them “to order” when they want to enjoy one, then that makes for easier reheating as the frosting won't melt off. That way, you can spread it on once the rolls are warmed.)

Craving more cozy sweet recipes like this? Check out my recipe for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, Orange Cinnamon Rolls, Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls, Blueberry Rolls, or even my Cinnamon Roll Casserole!

Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2014, and has been updated with even more love!