Christmas Tree Cinnamon Rolls are the easiest festive breakfast centerpiece you can make, using two tubes of refrigerated cinnamon-roll dough, green frosting, and colorful candy decorations. Arrange the rolls into a tree shape, bake them at 350°F for 18–25 minutes, then decorate the warm rolls for a cheerful holiday treat that serves 12–16 people.
Every bite is soft, spiraled, buttery, and warmly spiced, with sweet vanilla frosting and crunchy candy ornaments on top. The tree shape makes an ordinary shortcut breakfast feel special enough for Christmas morning, a holiday brunch, or a cookie-exchange gathering.
Jump to RecipeWhy You’ll Love This Recipe
These Christmas Tree Cinnamon Rolls deliver the look of a carefully planned holiday centerpiece without requiring homemade dough, yeast, or a long rising time. Refrigerated cinnamon-roll dough keeps the preparation to about 10–15 minutes, so you can spend more time with family and less time measuring and kneading.
The arrangement is also wonderfully forgiving. The rolls bake together into a pull-apart tree, which means guests can simply tear off a soft cinnamon spiral and enjoy it with the creamy frosting already included in the tubes.
Children especially enjoy decorating this recipe. Set out the green frosting, red candies, and optional yellow or white sprinkles, then let everyone help create ornaments, lights, and a star.
If you enjoy quick cinnamon treats for breakfast, you may also like these apple cinnamon crescent rolls for another easy holiday-inspired bake.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The ingredient list is short, practical, and easy to find during the busy holiday season. Two tubes of refrigerated cinnamon rolls provide enough dough for the classic 1-2-3-4-5 tree arrangement plus a trunk, yielding approximately 12–16 rolls.
- Two tubes of refrigerated cinnamon rolls: Choose tubes weighing approximately 13.9–16.3 ounces each, and reserve the icing that comes inside.
- Prepared vanilla or white frosting: Use 1/2 cup as the base for the green decorating frosting.
- Green food coloring: Add it gradually until the frosting reaches the shade of green you prefer.
- Red candies: Plan on 12–16 red candy-coated chocolates, red candies, or red sprinkles for ornaments.
- Yellow or white sprinkles: Use 1–2 tablespoons if you would like to create lights, garland, or a star.
- Parchment paper or cooking spray: Either option helps prevent sticking and makes serving easier.
A single tube of eight cinnamon rolls can be used for a smaller tree, but two tubes create the fuller traditional shape. Because the dough expands in the oven, a large baking sheet is important for keeping the outline recognizable.
How to Make It Step-by-Step
Step 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C), giving it time to reach the correct temperature before the dough goes in. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly grease the surface with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 2: Open the two cinnamon-roll tubes carefully and separate the rolls. Keep the packaged icing in its containers rather than discarding it, since it can be warmed and drizzled over the finished tree or mixed with the prepared frosting.
Step 3: Begin the tree at the top of the baking sheet with one cinnamon roll. Place two rolls in the next row, then three, four, and five rolls beneath them, keeping the rows centered so the shape widens toward the bottom.
Step 4: Place the final roll below the center of the widest row to form the trunk. Leave small gaps between every roll, since the dough needs room to puff and bake through; tightly compressed rolls may leave soft or underbaked centers.
Step 5: Bake the tree for 18–25 minutes. Look for rolls that are puffed and lightly golden in the center, and loosely cover the edges with foil if they begin browning faster than the middle.
Step 6: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cinnamon-roll tree cool for 5–10 minutes. This short rest lets the rolls settle while keeping them warm enough for the frosting to spread easily.
Step 7: Stir green food coloring into the 1/2 cup of prepared vanilla or white frosting, adding coloring a little at a time until the frosting is bright green. Spread it across the rolls or pipe it in zigzags to outline the branches and make the tree shape clear.
Step 8: Finish with red candies placed around the tree as ornaments. Scatter 1–2 tablespoons of yellow or white sprinkles over the frosting to suggest lights, garland, or a star, then serve warm.
Pro Tips for the Best Cinnamon Roll Tree
The most important detail is spacing. It is tempting to push the rolls together so the tree looks neat before baking, but small gaps help heat circulate and give the dough room to expand.
For a precise decorative finish, spoon the green frosting into a pastry bag or a zip-top bag with one corner snipped off. Pipe a zigzag from the top to the bottom, or make short branch-like lines across each row.
The included icing can be warmed in the microwave for a few seconds so it drizzles more easily. Stir it with a small amount of prepared frosting if you want a thicker coating that holds colorful decorations in place.
Decorate after the rolls have cooled for 5–10 minutes rather than immediately after baking. Very hot rolls can cause the frosting to slide into the spaces between the spirals.
For a group with different tastes, keep some of the packaged icing white and use the green frosting only on the top and outer edges. This creates contrast while allowing the cinnamon swirls to remain visible.
When arranging the rolls, count the rows before baking: one at the top, then two, three, four, and five, followed by one trunk roll. This uses 16 rolls and gives the tree a balanced outline.
For more bread inspiration on a holiday table, compare this pull-apart design with our classic dinner rolls, which are especially useful when you want a traditional savory side.
Decorating Ideas for Christmas Morning
Red candy-coated chocolates make bright, instantly recognizable ornaments, but red candies or red sprinkles work just as well. Place them in a loose pattern rather than lining every roll, allowing the green frosting and golden dough to show through.
Yellow or white sprinkles can become tiny lights when scattered in a winding line from the top of the tree to the bottom. For a simple star, gather a small pinch at the peak of the top roll.
You can also serve the tree on a large platter surrounded by a few extra red candies. Keep the presentation uncluttered so the tree remains the center of attention.
If you are serving several breads at brunch, these sweet flakey rolls make a lovely companion without competing with the cinnamon tree’s festive colors.
Serving, Storage, and Reheating
Serve the Christmas Tree Cinnamon Rolls warm, ideally soon after decorating. The rolls are at their softest when fresh from the oven, and the gentle heat makes the cinnamon filling fragrant and the frosting creamy.
If you have leftovers, cover them tightly and keep them at room temperature for a short period, or refrigerate them when storing for longer. Rewarm individual portions gently until soft and warm, taking care not to overheat the frosting.
When preparing the recipe for a party, bake the tree shortly before guests arrive and decorate it while it cools. The large connected shape makes serving easy because guests can pull apart individual rolls without needing a knife.
For a brunch spread with several types of rolls, you might also serve fresh summer rolls as a savory contrast. They are a completely different style of roll, but their fresh filling can balance the sweetness of this breakfast centerpiece.
Christmas Tree Cinnamon Rolls Everyone Will Love
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly coat it with nonstick cooking spray.
- Open both tubes of cinnamon rolls and separate the rolls, reserving all of the packaged icing for serving or decorating.
- Arrange the rolls on the prepared baking sheet in a Christmas tree shape: one roll at the top, followed by rows of two, three, four, and five rolls, then place one additional roll below the center for the trunk. Leave small gaps between the rolls so they can expand.
- Bake for 18–25 minutes, or until the rolls are puffed and lightly golden in the center. If the edges brown too quickly, loosely cover them with foil.
- Cool the baked cinnamon-roll tree for 5–10 minutes so the frosting will sit on top instead of melting immediately.
- Stir green food coloring into the prepared vanilla or white frosting. Spread or pipe the green frosting over the rolls to emphasize the tree shape.
- Add red candies as ornaments and scatter yellow or white sprinkles over the tree as garland, lights, or a star. Serve the cinnamon rolls warm.
Notes
Final Thoughts
Christmas Tree Cinnamon Rolls are proof that a memorable holiday breakfast does not need to be complicated. With two tubes of refrigerated dough, a simple 350°F bake, and a few cheerful decorations, you can create a warm pull-apart centerpiece in about 35–45 minutes from start to finish.
Keep the rolls slightly spaced, watch for a lightly golden center, and give them 5–10 minutes to cool before adding the green frosting. Once the red ornaments and sprinkle lights are in place, this sweet bread is ready to bring smiles to the table.
Pair each serving with coffee, hot chocolate, or a festive cold drink such as cinnamon vanilla iced coffee. Whether you make the full 16-roll tree or a smaller version with one tube, everyone will love pulling apart a soft, cinnamon-filled branch.