Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Christmas Trees

5 from 1 vote
ByAllyson Letal Updated on
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These sourdough cinnamon roll Christmas trees turn your discard into soft, golden rolls swirled with brown butter cinnamon sugar and topped with a vanilla bean glaze

Sourdough cinnamon roll shaped like a Christmas tree dusted with powdered sugar on a white plate.

Craving The Recipe Details?

Cinnamon roll Christmas tree standing on a plate.

What it is: Individual Christmas tree-shaped cinnamon rolls made with sourdough discard, enriched with nutty brown butter and tangy buttermilk, and finished with a dreamy vanilla bean glaze.

Why you’ll love it: The brown butter runs through every layer of this recipe creating a nutty, caramelized flavor you won’t find in a standard cinnamon roll. The buttermilk in the dough adds a subtle tang that balances the sweetness. And the individual tree shape means every single one has its own crisp edges and soft, swirled interior.

How to make it: Mix a buttermilk and sourdough discard dough, let it rise until nearly doubled, roll it into two rectangles, sandwich the filling between them, cut into strips, and fold each strip into a triangle. Skewer, proof, bake, glaze.

These Christmas tree-shaped cinnamon rolls are more than just a treat, they're a delicious way to use your sourdough discard and spread some holiday cheer.

This recipe is a little different than most. Instead of arranging cinnamon rolls into a pull-apart tree, each roll is individually shaped into its own tree, secured with a skewer, baked until golden, and finished with a silky vanilla bean glaze.

This sourdough discard cinnamon rolls recipe is dedicated to holiday cheer.

More festive recipes: Christmas Crack, Eggnog Bread, and Sous Vide Eggnog

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Key Ingredients

Ingredients required for this sourdough discard cinnamon roll christmas trees recipe.

Brown butter: There is something magical about cooking butter until the milk solids brown and take on a sweet, nutty fragrance and amber color. You're going to be making a bit more browned butter than required for the recipe because the rendering process can be a bit unpredictable based on your butter, but don't despair, you can use the leftovers on your toasted sourdough bread!

Sourdough discard: The sourdough discard in this recipe, while not in the active stage, is still sourdough, it will naturally ferment your cinnamon rolls and condition the dough, making the baked treats more tender and flavorful.

Vanilla paste: I'm on a huge vanilla paste kick these days - I find the flavor to be more intense. Plus, I love the little specs from the vanilla seeds! Feel free to sub in vanilla extract if you don't have vanilla bean paste.

Psst.. Want to know more about feeding your starter, storing sourdough starter, how to use discard, or even which is the best jar for your starter? I've got tons of sourdough guides to help you!

Variations + Substitutions

  • Add some cardamom! Cardamom + cinnamon = amazing. Just like my cardamom cranberry bread!
  • Add raisins! Soak 1/3 - 1/2 cup raisins in boiling water for 5 or so minutes, then drain and allow to cool slightly before spreading them out on the brown sugar layer.
  • Feeling nutty? Toss a scant 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans in with the brown sugar.

How To Make Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Christmas Trees:

Brown The Butter:

Melting butter in a sauce pan.
  1. Step 1: In a medium-sized sauce pan, over medium-low heat, melt 1 cup unsalted butter and simmer the butter, stirring regularly, until it takes on an amber color, the milk solids have browned, and it smells nutty. This will take between 3-5 minutes of simmering, but do watch it closely because the butter can burn.
Butter has been simmered until milk solids are browned.
  1. Step 2: Transfer the browned butter to a heat proof container and place in the fridge to cool for at least 30 minutes.
    Note: You'll only be using 175g of the browned butter. Reserve the remainder for use in other recipes.

Make The Dough:

Adding yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer.
  1. Step 3: In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine 200g warm buttermilk, 100g brown sugar, and 7g instant yeast. Mix on low speed until fully combined.
Liquid ingredients completely combined.
  1. Step 4: Then add 1 large egg, 100g sourdough discard and mix until combined.
Rough dough after kneading.
  1. Step 5: Add 500g bread flour and 8g sea salt. Mix until a rough dough forms. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
Adding browned butter to dough.
  1. Step 6: Add 50g brown butter and mix until dough is smooth and elastic.
Dough in a bowl after kneading.
  1. Step 7: Transfer to a greased bowl.
Proofed dough.
  1. Step 8: Cover and rest for 1 ½ – 2 hours, or until nearly doubled in size.

Make The Filling:

Adding brown butter.
  1. Step 9: While the dough is proofing, make the filling by combining 200g brown sugar, 110g brown butter, 15g cinnamon, 5g vanilla paste, and 3g fine sea salt in the bowl of your stand mixer.
Transferring filling to a small bowl.
  1. Step 10: Mix at medium speed until completely combined.

Make The Rolls:

Rolling half of the dough.
  1. Step 11: Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper, set aside.
    Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using a bench knife, divide the dough into two equal portions. Using your scale can help for this step.
Spreading filling on half the dough.
  1. Step 12: Roll each piece into a rectangle, about 12 by 18 inches and 1/4 inch thick. Try to keep the size and shape consistent. Spread the filling on one of the rolled rectangles leaving a margin around the edges. The cinnamon sugar filling is quite thick, and it spreads by hand better than with a spreader – this is to ensure it doesn’t all run out during baking!
Placing the second dough sheet on top the first.
  1. Step 13: Fold the second rectangle in half, and then in half again, to make it easier to move, then pick it up and place it onto the other. Gently unfold the dough and press the dough together all the way around the rectangle and then roll dough out once more.
Pressing the seam of the dough closed.
  1. Step 14: Gently unfold the dough and press the dough together all the way around the rectangle along the margins. U se a pizza cutter or sharp knife to slice the rolls into approximately 1 ½ inch strips before folding them in a zig zag pattern, increasing in size as you move down the triangle.
Rolling the dough once more.
  1. Step 15: Roll the dough out once more to ensure the pieces are joined.
Using a rolling pin as a guide for cutting the dough into strips.
  1. Step 16: Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to slice the rolls into approximately 1 ½ inch strips. I like to use my rolling pin as a guide to keep my lines straight!
Folding the dough into Christmas trees.
  1. Step 17: Fold each strip into a zigzag pattern, increasing the size as you move down the strip to create a triangle.
Skewering the dough trees.
  1. Step 18: Place your hand on the folded triangle to hold it steady and pierce with a skewer. Use your bench knife to pick up and transfer the rolls to the prepared baking sheet. Cover and rise for another 45-60 minutes.

Bake The Rolls:

Cinnamon roll Christmas trees on baking sheet.
  1. Step 19: Once the rolls have completed the final proof, preheat the oven to 350f, and place a baking rack in the middle of the oven.
Baked cinnamon roll Christmas trees.
  1. Step 20: Bake the rolls at 350f for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Frost The Rolls:

Whipping the glaze ingredients on high speed.
  1. Step 21: While the cinnamon rolls are cooling make the cream cheese frosting; combine 175g powdered sugar, 35g softened cream cheese, 15g brown butter, 15g buttermilk, 5g vanilla extract, a pinch of fine salt in the bowl of your stand mixer and mix on high speed for 3-4 minutes or until completly combined. It will take a while for the glaze to come together, and it will look thick, but will come together.
Icing a cinnamon roll Christmas tree.
  1. Step 22: Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool until warm to the touch then carefully slide out the skewers and spread the glaze over them.

Expert Tips

  • There's more math in baking than just fractions! I actually use a ruler for this recipe to ensure my rolled-out rectangles are equal in size, it helps make the entire process easier!
  • When adding the browned butter to the dough, filling, and glaze, use a spatula and get ALL those little bits of browned milk solids. Those little nuggets add so much caramel, nutty flavor to the cookies!
  • I like to use pretty fresh sourdough starter discard for this recipe, like discarded yesterday fresh. These cinnamon rolls are made with discard, but we’re using buttermilk and cream cheese to add sour tang. If you don't have fresh discard, you can use active sourdough starter in it's place – just be mindful of your proofing times.
  • This recipe is written as a bake right away recipe, but I've also aged the dough in the fridge and it turns out excellent. See the long fermented section below to make overnight cinnamon rolls.

Working With Enriched Dough

If you’ve never kneaded butter into your dough after the fact, you have to trust me a little! I have been playing around with Pain De Mie, brioche, and other enriched doughs in my free time, and have a growing appreciation for this method of dough making.

We are adding the butter after the dough rests, because I actually find it makes a nice tender crumb and improves the structure of the dough. If it looks like the dough is falling apart in your mixer, that is ok – don’t hit the panic button yet. It will come together.

My dough took nearly 10 minutes to complete, and that’s totally normal! You’re looking for a dough that’s soft, tacky to the touch and elastic. See the images below for the stages of kneading; adding butter, 4 minutes, 6 minutes, 10 minutes.

Try another enriched dough recipe: Sourdough Hot Dog Buns

Adding browned butter to dough.
Ankarsrum mixer kneading butter into dough.
Dough looking rough still.
Dough finally coming together.

Long Fermented

This recipe is a bake today recipe, because sometimes you just want instant gratification, am I right? But don’t let that deter you if you want to make them ahead of time. Here’s how you can prep these one day and bake them the next:

  1. Once the rolls have placed into the baking dish and covered, transfer them to the fridge overnight, 12-24 hours.
  2. When ready to bake, remove the buns and allow them to come to room temperature for approximately 30 minutes while the oven preheats to 350f.
  3. Bake them at 350f for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

More Sourdough Discard Recipes

Why This Recipe Works

Uses Sourdough Discard. Instead of letting your sourdough discard go to waste, this recipe transforms it into soft, flavorful cinnamon rolls with a subtle tang.

Enriched Dough for Tender Layers. Brown butter, buttermilk, and eggs create a rich, buttery dough that bakes up soft and tender, with delicate layers you'll love pulling apart.

Silky Vanilla Bean Glaze. A creamy glaze with brown butter and vanilla bean brings everything together, adding sweetness and a little extra indulgence.

Flexible Timing. Works as a same-day bake or an overnight, long-fermented dough, so you can prep ahead for stress-free holiday baking.

Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Christmas Trees FAQs

Individual Trees vs. Pull-Apart Trees; What’s the Difference?

There are two very different formats floating around the internet under the name “cinnamon roll Christmas tree.” Here’s a quick breakdown so you know exactly what you’re making:
Pull-Apart Christmas Tree: Classic cinnamon rolls are sliced from a log, arranged in a triangular tree shape on a sheet pan, and baked together. They puff into each other and you pull them apart at the table. Great for a crowd centerpiece.
Individual Christmas Tree (this recipe): Each tree is its own roll. A strip of filled dough is folded into a zigzag triangle, skewered, and baked separately. Every person gets their own fully formed tree. More gift-able, more portable, and every bite has crisp edges.
Both are delicious. They’re just different things.

How do I prevent the cinnamon roll filling from leaking out during baking?

Two things help here. First, make sure you press the edges of the two dough rectangles firmly together all the way around the perimeter before slicing into strips this helps to seal the filling inside. Second, the filling in this recipe is intentionally thicker than a standard cinnamon roll filling to help it stay put. Some leakage at the base of each tree is normal and doesn’t affect the final result.

How should I store these sourdough Christmas tree cinnamon rolls?

Store your cinnamon trees at room temperature for up to 3 days in an airtight container to avoid smearing the icing. If they are not iced, keep them in a ziplock bag and reheat your cinnamon rolls in the microwave, oven, or air fryer to revive them to their fresh glory!
If you've got too many buns to enjoy in a short time, leave the buns you plan to freeze un-iced. Allow them to cool to room temperature before wrapping in a layer of plastic wrap and storing in an airtight freezer bag or container for 2-3 months.
As an added bonus, the icing can also be stored in the freezer! I like to put mine in snack-sized ziplock bags, enough for a couple of buns, then lay it flat to remove the air before sealing. Store your icing in the same bag or container as the buns and you'll have both ready next time you've got a hankering for cinnamon buns!
Allow the cinnamon rolls to thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours before enjoying.

Treats I’m Baking This Christmas

Iced cinnamon roll Christmas tree on a white plate.

If you tried this Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Christmas Trees recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!

📖 Printable Recipe

Sourdough cinnamon roll shaped like a Christmas tree dusted with powdered sugar on a white plate.

Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Christmas Trees

Allyson Letal
Individual Christmas tree-shaped cinnamon rolls made with sourdough discard, brown butter, and buttermilk. Unlike pull-apart versions, each roll is its own standalone tree, shaped by folding a strip of filled dough into a zigzag triangle and skewered to hold its shape while baking. Brown butter runs through the dough, the cinnamon filling, and the cream cheese glaze for a deep, nutty, caramelized flavor in every layer. Includes same-day and overnight options.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Proofing Time 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours 3 minutes
Course Sourdough
Cuisine American
Servings 12 buns
Calories 299 kcal

Ingredients
 

For The Browned Butter

  • 227 g butter, divided, unsalted (about 1 cup)

For The Dough

  • 200 g buttermilk, warmed to 80f
  • 100 g brown sugar
  • 7 g instant yeast, 2 teaspoons
  • 100 g sourdough discard
  • 1 large egg
  • 7 g sea salt, fine
  • 50 g butter, browned

For The Filling

  • 200 g brown sugar
  • 110 g butter, browned
  • 15 g ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons
  • 5 g vanilla paste, or extract
  • 3 g sea salt, fine

For The Glaze

  • 175 g powdered sugar
  • 15 g butter, browned
  • 35 g cream cheese, softened and cubed
  • 15 g buttermilk, 1 tablespoon
  • 5 g vanilla paste, or extract
  • 3 g salt, fine

Instructions
 

Brown The Butter:

  1. In a medium-sized sauce pan, over medium-low heat, melt 1 cup unsalted butter and simmer the butter, stirring regularly, until it takes on an amber color, the milk solids have browned, and it smells nutty. This will take between 3-5 minutes of simmering, but do watch it closely because the butter can burn.
  2. Transfer the browned butter to a heat proof container and place in the fridge to cool for at least 30 minutes.
    Note: You'll only be using 175g of the browned butter. Reserve the remainder for use in other recipes.

Make The Dough:

  1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine 200g warm buttermilk, 100g brown sugar, and 7g instant yeast. Mix on low speed until fully combined. Then add 1 large egg, 100g sourdough discard and mix until combined. Add 500g bread flour and 8g sea salt. Mix until a rough dough forms. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
  2. Add 50g brown butter and mix until dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover and rest for 1 ½ – 2 hours, or until nearly doubled in size.

Make The Filling:

  1. While the dough is proofing, make the filling by combining 200g brown sugar, 110g brown butter, 15g cinnamon, 5g vanilla paste, and 3g fine sea salt in the bowl of your stand mixer, and mix at medium speed until completely combined.

Make The Rolls:

  1. Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper.
  2. Using a bench knife, divide the dough into two equal portions. Using your scale can help for this step.
  3. Roll each piece into a rectangle, about 12 by 18 inches and 1/4 inch thick. Try to keep the size and shape consistent. Spread the filling on one of the rolled rectangles leaving a margin around the edges, fold the other rectangle in half, and then in half again, then pick it up and place it onto the other. Press the dough together all the way around the rectangle and then roll the dough out once more.
  4. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to slice the rolls into approximately 1 ½ inch strips before folding them in a zig zag pattern, increasing in size as you move down the triangle.
  5. Place your hand on top on the folded triangle and pierce with a skewer. Use your bench knife to transfer the rolls to the prepared baking sheet. Cover and rise for another 45-60 minutes.

Bake The Rolls:

  1. Once the rolls have completed the final proof, preheat the oven to 350f, and place a baking rack in the middle of the oven.
  2. Bake the rolls at 350f for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Glaze The Rolls:

  1. While the cinnamon rolls are cooling, combine 175g powdered sugar, 35g softened cream cheese, 15g brown butter, 15g buttermilk, 5g vanilla extract, a pinch of fine salt in the bowl of your stand mixer and mix on high speed for 3-4 minutes or until completly combined. It will take a while for the glaze to come together, and it will look thick, but will come together.
  2. Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool until warm to the touch then carefully slide out the skewers and spread the glaze over them.
  3. Serve warm or cool completely before storing.

Recommended Equipment + Ingredients

Nutrition

Serving: 1bun | Calories: 299kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 555mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 459IU | Vitamin C: 0.05mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Sourdough

Allyson Letal

Ally is the recipe developer, writer, food stylist, and photographer behind Crave The Good. With nearly two decades of culinary experience, she specializes in creating innovative recipes that inspire adventurous home cooks. Ally is passionate about exploring diverse cooking methods, from fermentation to sous vide, and is dedicated to sharing thoroughly tested recipes accompanied by step-by-step guides. Beyond the kitchen, she enjoys transforming her acreage into a homestead, reflecting her love for sustainable living, fresh ingredients, and local flavors.

5 from 1 vote

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One Comment

  1. 5 stars
    These cinnamon rolls are SO good. I swear by brown butter whenever possible!

    I loved baking them for Christmas gatherings and surprising our guests with a little tree shaped goody!

    Reply