This Brilliant Recipe Turns Store-Bought Cinnamon Rolls Into the Most Festive Treat

I’m all for an hours-long baking project. There’s just something incredibly relaxing about keeping my hands busy for half a day (or sometimes even a whole day) and getting a delicious pastry or dessert as a result. Whether it's rolling out pie crust or shaping individual dinner rolls, I love the moments after slamming my laptop shut, turning on my favorite podcast, and preheating the oven.

Unfortunately, there’s not always enough time for leisurely baking during the holiday season. Over the years, I’ve learned that having a plan is the key to not feeling overwhelmed by all the cooking tasks at hand. This means prepping and freezing cookie dough for my annual Christmas tin weeks in advance and embracing shortcuts whenever possible. With Christmas inching closer, I was excited to discover a time-saving festive treat that leans on store-bought dough making its rounds on social media.

How to Make Cinnamon Roll Christmas Trees

Cinnamon rolls are a classic holiday breakfast but, between all the kneading, resting, and slicing, they aren’t exactly effortless. That’s when having store-bought dough in the fridge comes in handy. Despite being from a tube, there are countless ways to make store-bought dough feel closer to homemade. That includes adding heavy cream to make the rolls fluffier, forgoing the canister’s instructions, and in the case of this trending recipe, giving them a whole new shape.

I first spotted cinnamon roll Christmas trees on blogger Leah Ferezan’s Instagram account and immediately bookmarked them for future me. The one who, by mid-December, will likely have a case of baking fatigue, but still want to make something festive for holiday brunches and Christmas morning breakfast. The one who will need a cooking activity for my five-year-old that’s fun and as close to mess-free as possible. This shortcut is perfect for both since all that’s needed is a tube of refrigerated cinnamon roll dough.

To make the cinnamon roll Christmas trees, you simply unwind the rolls and weave each one back and forth to form a triangle, making each horizontal line longer as you go from top to bottom. You can leave a little extra dough at the very bottom to make a tree trunk. Bake according to package instructions, then cover with the included icing and decorate with holiday sprinkles. It took me less than half an hour from start to finish during my trial run, which means I, a night owl who prefers to sleep in, won’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn to make them.

Tips for Making Cinnamon Roll Christmas Trees

The entire process is as simple as it gets, but after baking up a batch, I have a few tips to guide you to cinnamon roll tree success:

• Make sure to press each section of dough together. Pillsbury calls for sticking a toothpick through each tree to help them hold their shape, but mine held up fine without them. If you go the toothpick route, don't forget to remind eaters to take them out before digging in!

• Stagger the buns on the baking sheet since the dough will puff up. I was able to fit five on my 9x13-inch sheet pan with ample room for them to expand. I also used parchment paper for easy cleanup.

• The sections may start to separate as they bake. If that happens, you can take the pan out of the oven and give the trees a little squish to stick them back together.

• If you want the trees to resemble evergreen spruces even more, add some green food coloring to the icing. You can also swap the included icing for homemade cream cheese frosting, which will not only add a lovely tangy flavor, but also more of a snowy look.

• I kept it super simple and just tossed some holiday sprinkles atop the icing, but you can certainly put more time and thought into the decorations. Pipe some frosting garlands, use mini M&Ms as ornaments, or top each tree with a candy star—get as creative and detailed as you like!
  

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