DIY Cinnamon Ornaments is a super simple and easy homemade holiday craft or Christmas tree adornment with an amazing aroma. Made with only 3 ingredients, this recipe is a fun way to create a dough that can be rolled, cut, dried, and decorated–a perfect project that makes gift-giving feel thoughtfully festive.
Table of Contents
- Homemade Cinnamon Ornaments
- Why We Love This Cinnamon Ornaments Recipe
- Ingredients / Shopping List
- Substitutions and Additions
- Recommended Tools
- How to Make the DIY Cinnamon Ornaments
- Pro-Tips from Our Recipe Developer
- Storage Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Other Easy Christmas Recipes
- Cinnamon Ornaments Recipe
Homemade Cinnamon Ornaments
Skip the canisters of scented pine cones and pots of potpourri, because this holiday season’s easy must-make recipe is cut-out Cinnamon Ornaments (technically it is a recipe, but not one for eating)!
These amazing smelling “accessories” are meant to look like gingerbread, but unlike the edible version made with perishable ingredients, this one is simply a combination of applesauce and spices, so they maintain a shelf-life and cinnamon-spiced aroma that lasts long after the holidays are over.
This is a fun craft project for kids (and adults) made with non-toxic ingredients from the kitchen that quickly form a dough that can be cut into shapes and then decorated as desired.
These Cinnamon Ornaments can be as simple as plain dried dough tied on a pretty ribbon or all glammed up with glitter, puffy paint, or glitter glue. Hang them on your Christmas tree or wrap them as a handcrafted gift that you can be proud of giving, these beautiful ornaments are even more meaningful than your traditional tree-trimming accessory because you’ve made them yourself with long-lasting memories!
Warning: your house will smell like cinnamon and your tummy will begin to growl. Check out our delicious edible dessert recipes that pair perfectly with this project!
Why We Love This Cinnamon Ornaments Recipe
- Quick and easy to make using only simple ingredients.
- Homemade Christmas tree ornament that smells amazing!
- Fun craft project to make and decorate with kids.
- Ornaments can double as gift tags or pretty package toppers.
- Great DIY gift that is practical and thoughtful (and inexpensive).
More Cinnamon Dessert Recipes
Ingredients / Shopping List
- Ground cinnamon: You can get any generic cinnamon for this recipe. You won’t be eating the ornaments so it does not need to be expensive.
- Ground allspice: You can replace this with cinnamon if necessary. They won’t have quite as strong of a smell but otherwise will work just fine.
- Cinnamon applesauce: You can replace this with regular applesauce. You may need to add a little more cinnamon to the dough so have it on hand, just in case.
Substitutions and Additions
- Awesome Aroma: For an extra boost of holiday aroma, you can mix ground cloves, nutmeg, and/or pumpkin pie spice with the ground cinnamon.
- Add Some Sparkle: Glitter is a great way to dress up your ornaments. You can use glitter glue or spray adhesive to keep the glitter in place.
- Cookie Cutters: You can use any cookie cutters to create your homemade ornaments. Some ideas can include stars, candy canes, Christmas trees, snowflakes, hearts, or your other favorite shapes.
Recommended Tools
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowl and tools
- Measuring tools
- Christmas Cookie cutters
- Drinking straw
- Christmas ribbon
How to Make the DIY Cinnamon Ornaments
It is super simple and easy to create homemade Cinnamon Ornaments! This recipe makes a fun DIY holiday craft or thoughtful Christmas gift for both kids and adults to decorate and customize!
- Combine cinnamon and allspice in a bowl.
- Stir in the applesauce until a dough forms.
Pro Tip: If the dough seems wet, add in 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon and stir together. - Pinching the dough between your fingers to make sure that holds together but isn’t wet. Add the more cinnamon if needed.
Pro-Tip: Don’t be afraid to add more cinnamon! If you’ve mixed up your dough and you feel like it is too wet, don’t be afraid to add another Tablespoon of cinnamon. I struggled more with wet dough than I did with crumbly dough. If the dough is crumbly, it is easy to sprinkle some water or apple sauce on it to get it to stick together. If it is too wet it will just fall apart and be impossible to transfer. - Knead the dough with your hands to make sure it holds together in a ball.
Pro Tip: If it is too crumbly you can sprinkle on a few drops of water but you do not want a wet dough. Use your hands to mix up the dough. I tried all sorts of spoons and whisks but the best way I found of getting an even, consistent dough was to use my hands! It also helped me feel if the dough was too wet and was easier to mix with my hands. - Place your cinnamon dough ball on top of a large piece of parchment paper.
- Place a second piece of parchment paper on top of your dough and and roll it out with a rolling pin to about ¼-½ inches thick.
Pro Tip: Roll out a thick dough. With this particular dough, a thick layer is much easier to work with than a thin one. I found that thin ornaments were more prone to breaking, even before I got them in the oven, and they were much more difficult to transfer or fix. Make your life easy and keep the dough thick and solid. You want it to be thicker than most cookie dough so that it can be transferred without breaking, but the thicker it is, the longer it will take to bake. - Use cookie cutters to cut out Christmas shapes from your dough and transfer them onto a cookie sheet.
- Cut out a hole in the dough using a drinking straw.
Pro Tip: Make sure to keep the hole far away from the edges. Be careful where you poke your hole. For shapes such as snowflakes, I found that a hole in the middle of the ornament worked much better than one at the edge. The shapes that are more detailed are also more likely to break so put those holes far away from the edges. Simple shapes, such as stockings or round ornaments, are much less prone to breaking and the hole can go closer to the edges. - Bake at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 3-4 hours or until the ornaments have hardened in the middle.
Pro Tip: You should be able to tap them in the center and not feel them give. For a more uniform color, you can flip them halfway through baking, but be very gentle. - Allow fully cooked ornaments to cool completely on the cookie sheet.
- String with Christmas ribbon and decorate, if desired. Have fun!
Pro-Tips from Our Recipe Developer
Please note, cinnamon doesn’t act the same way as flour. It doesn’t technically absorb liquid as flour does, so if too much liquid is added to the cinnamon, it just slides together in clumps instead of expanding.
Please see the directions/FAQs that any extra liquid should be added slowly. A little bit goes a long way!
If you have made a flour-based ornament in the past, it is going to be a different experience than to make than a cinnamon ornament.
Also, cinnamon can dry out. So if you choose to make a double or triple batch, you may need to add more liquid because it will dry out more quickly.
Storage Tips
- To Store: Wrap your ornaments in tissue paper or a cloth and store them in a cool, dry place. See details below.
Other Easy Christmas Recipes
- Christmas Sprinkle Cookies
- Ugly Sweater Cake
- Strawberry Santas
- Christmas Cake Mix Cookies
- Melted Snowman Fudge
- Christmas Potpourri
- Gingerbread
Cinnamon Ornaments
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup ground cinnamon divided (plus 1-2 additional Tablespoons, optional)
- 2 tbsp ground allspice
- ½ cup cinnamon applesauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together ⅔ cup cinnamon and the allspice until combined.
- Add in the applesauce and stir together to get a semi-firm dough. If the dough seems wet, add in 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon and stir together.
- Test the dough by pinching it between your fingers. You should have a sugar cookie dough consistency that holds together but isn't wet. Add the last Tablespoon of cinnamon if needed.
- Use your hands to knead together the dough and be sure it holds together in a ball. If it is too crumbly you can sprinkle on a few drops of water but you do not want a wet dough.
- Cut out two large squares or rectangles of parchment paper and place one on the counter. Place your cinnamon dough ball on top.
- Place the second piece of parchment paper on top of your dough and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to about ¼-½ inches thick. You want it to be thicker than most cookie dough so that it can be transferred without breaking but the thicker it is, the longer it will take to bake.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut out Christmas shapes from your dough. Use a spatula to gently transfer the shapes onto the prepared cookie sheet.
- Use a drinking straw to cut out a hole from the shape, being sure to keep the hole far away from the edges.
- Bake for 3-4 hours or until the ornaments have hardened in the middle. You should be able to tap them in the center and not feel them give. For a more uniform color, you can flip them halfway through baking but be very gentle.
- Once fully baked, remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the cookie sheet.
- String with Christmas ribbon and decorate, if desired.
Jenn’s Notes
- Use your hands to mix up the dough. I tried all sorts of spoons and whisks but the best way I found of getting an even, consistent dough was to use my hands! It also helped me feel if the dough was too wet and was easier to mix with my hands.
- Don’t be afraid to add more cinnamon! If you’ve mixed up your dough and you feel like it is too wet, don’t be afraid to add another Tablespoon of cinnamon. I struggled more with wet dough than I did with crumbly dough. If the dough is crumbly, it is easy to sprinkle some water or apple sauce on it to get it to stick together. If it is too wet it will just fall apart and be impossible to transfer.
- Roll out a thick dough. With this particular dough, a thick layer is much easier to work with than a thin one. I found that thin ornaments were more prone to breaking, even before I got them in the oven, and they were much more difficult to transfer or fix. Make your life easy and keep the dough thick and solid.
- Be careful where you poke your hole. For shapes such as snowflakes, I found that a hole in the middle of the ornament worked much better than one at the edge. The shapes that are more detailed are also more likely to break so put those holes far away from the edges. Simple shapes, such as stockings or round ornaments, are much less prone to breaking and the hole can go closer to the edges.
All the recipes sound delish. I hope to make them. Thank you.
Thank You Jennifer 🥰👍🏼♥️These ARE CUTE ❗️G-d♥️Bless
Hi! I would love to make these with my class. Does the dough need to be used immediately after mixing, or can it be stored in the refrigerator and rolled out the next day?
I think the dough could probably be stored in the refrigerator. Once you take it out of the fridge it would need to warm up before you’re able to roll it out. I think if it’s rolled out when it’s cold it’s more likely to crack
can you paint them ?
Easy
Can’t wait to try these with the grandkids! Do you know if they will work with molds also?
I tripled this recipe – it took far more liquid than anticipated but with that said. My 4 year old grandson had a blast making these. Besides the traditional Christmas cookie cutter designs he also wanted dinosaurs to hang so we pulled those cutters out as well. When he was “over” using the cookie cutters he made free form designs. Made for an enjoyable morning and a the start of a tradition with him.
Laughably the worst recipe I’ve ever tried. Do not do these with your kids! It had me in tears. Too wet, too crumbly, couldn’t even cut them out. Plus so messy! I’ve baked ornaments with kids dozens of times before and it was not as difficult as this.
I am so sorry you had such a terrible experience with our recipe.
Here is the thing with Cinnamon- it doesn’t act the same way as flour. It doesn’t technically absorb liquid like flour does, so if too much liquid is added to the cinnamon, it just slides together in clumps instead of expanding. That’s why it says in the directions/FAQs that any extra liquid should be added slowly. Could this have been the issue? A little bit goes a long way! If you’ve made a flour-based ornament in the past, it is for sure going to be easier to make than a cinnamon ornament.
I love these ornaments . I would make them with my students . Now I’m looking forward to making them with my granddaughter .