This Christmas, delight your family with Santa Hat Cinnamon Rolls made from store-bought dough. This simple recipe turns refrigerated cinnamon rolls into festive, fluffy treats that are perfect for a holiday breakfast or brunch.
Table of contents
- 🔑 Key to Success #1 – Use Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls
- 🔑 Key to Success #2 – Cool Those Rolls Before Frosting
- 🔑 Key to Success #3 – Use Gel Food Coloring to Tint the Frosting
- 📌 Get the Printable Recipe for Santa Hat Cinnamon Rolls
These Santa hat-shaped cinnamon rolls add a playful touch to your holiday table and are sure to bring smiles. With just a few pantry staples and a little decorating, you can create an adorable centerpiece that tastes as good as it looks.
Start Christmas morning right by serving warm, festive cinnamon rolls everyone will love.
🔑 Key to Success #1 – Use Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls
Pillsbury Grands cinnamon rolls work especially well for this project because the dough unrolls easily and reshapes without falling apart. Some pre-made doughs are too biscuit-like and won’t stretch or fold neatly. Using Grands makes folding the dough into a hat shape quick and reliable.
🔑 Key to Success #2 – Cool Those Rolls Before Frosting
To shape each hat, unroll one cinnamon roll into a long strip. Fold the strip back and forth into a pyramid or cone shape, wider at the base and narrower at the top, then press the dough layers together so they bake as one piece. Place each hat on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake at 350°F for 14–18 minutes, until the rolls are puffed and lightly golden. Let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before adding frosting. If you frost while the rolls are too hot, the icing will melt and lose its color and definition, so patience pays off.
🔑 Key to Success #3 – Use Gel Food Coloring to Tint the Frosting
While the rolls cool, tint the included frosting using gel food coloring. Gel colors are highly concentrated and won’t thin the frosting the way liquid food coloring can, so you’ll get a vibrant red without changing the texture. Start with a few drops and stir until the color is even. AmeriColor Super Red or a similar gel works well, but choose the shade you prefer.
If you need more frosting, stir in about 1/4 cup powdered sugar and a few drops of milk until smooth. Once the rolls are cool, spread the red frosting over each hat with a knife, then add mini marshmallows: one at the tip to form the pompom and a few along the base to create the white brim.
📌 Get the Printable Recipe for Santa Hat Cinnamon Rolls
Save this idea for your holiday menu. The recipe below is quick to follow and makes a charming addition to Christmas breakfast.
Santa Hat Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 can, 17 oz Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls
- red food coloring (gel recommended)
- mini marshmallows
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Unroll each cinnamon roll into a long strip. Starting with the center, fold the dough back and forth into a pyramid or cone shape to form Santa’s hat.
- Place each hat-shaped dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining rolls.
- Bake 14–16 minutes, until the rolls are puffed and lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool at least 10 minutes.
- Mix 3–4 drops of red gel food coloring into the frosting that came with the rolls. Add powdered sugar and a few drops of milk if you want extra frosting; stir until smooth.
- Spread the red frosting over each hat. Top each hat with a mini marshmallow for the pompom and place additional marshmallows along the base to form the white brim.
Notes
Equipment
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheet
- Butter knife or small spatula for spreading frosting
Nutrition Facts
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Calories: 98 kcal
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