Holidays & Occasions Christmas Christmas Recipes 20 Bread Recipes You Should Try This Holiday Season From breakfast to coffee to dessert, there's a festive bread for every excuse. By Alana Al-Hatlani Alana Al-Hatlani Alana Al-Hatlani is an Assistant Food Editor at Southern Living. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on November 4, 2024 Close Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Christmas baking is almost a professional sport; with cookies, cakes, and pies, our ovens get a good workout this time of year. Lower on the baking roster around the holidays is bread, but from cinnamon rolls to dinner rolls, there are plenty of festive breads to add to the baking line up (if oven room allows). Get the kids involved and have them help form dinner rolls or measure the flour for breakfast bread. Just like Christmas cookies, homemade breads, both sweet and savory, make excellent, thoughtful gifts during the holiday season. They're also impressive additions to potlucks and Christmas buffets, especially the beautiful shaped breads. Crack out the yeast or maybe the bread machine and dive into these Christmas bread recipes bound to spread holiday cheer. The Best Way To Keep Your Bread Fresh, According To A Baker 01 of 20 Homemade Orange Rolls GREG DUPREE; PROP STYLING: HEATHER CHADDUCK HILLEGAS; FOOD STYLING: EMILY NABORS HALL Two whole oranges infuse these rolls with so much brightness, and sour cream in the dough makes them tender and a little tangy. Glaze these buns while warm for a mouthwatering, gooey finish. Get The Recipe 02 of 20 Chocolate Babka Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer Babka, a braided, Brioche-style bread, can be flavored in many ways, like this one made with dark chocolate and a little orange zest. Serve this with the holiday meal, as a snack, or a comforting breakfast. Get The Recipe 03 of 20 Apple Cinnamon Rolls Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Prissy Lee Montiel A spiced apple filling makes these delicious rolls even more cozy. Ideal for enjoying with a cup of coffee, they will brighten the coldest morning. Get The Recipe 04 of 20 Cinnamon Coffee Cake Antonis Achilleos A pecan-cinnamon-brown sugar streusel runs through the middle of this tender cake and adds a crumbly, crunchy layer on top. Grab a slice for coffee, breakfast, or whenever you want a sweet pick-me-up. Get The Recipe 05 of 20 Cranberry-Orange Bread Alison Miksch; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Brighten cold days with this zingy loaf that features favorite flavors of the season. Filled with cranberries and spices and topped with a sunny orange glaze, this loaf is a holiday must. Get The Recipe 06 of 20 Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Bread Southern Living Family will never know this beautiful appetizer starts with store-bought pizza dough and a jar of marinara. The recipe can be formed into any shape, but we're partial to the Christmas tree, of course. Get The Recipe 07 of 20 Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christine Kelly; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee These sticky-sweet rolls resemble Santa's suit, making them a fun choice for Christmas morning. One day ahead, prepare the rolls, place them into the baking pan, then wrap them up and refrigerate overnight. They'll be ready to bake the next day. Get The Recipe 08 of 20 Christmas-Morning Coffee Cake Will Dickey, Food Stylist: Ali Ramee, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke This bread subtly hints at Christmas with dried red fruits and green pistachios. It also keeps well at room temperature when tightly wrapped, making it perfect for a hassle-free Christmas morning. Get The Recipe 09 of 20 Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox It wouldn't be Christmas morning without cinnamon rolls, right? Making them from scratch might mean waking up before the rest of the house to mix the dough or pop them in the oven, but we assure you they are worth the effort. Get The Recipe 10 of 20 Christmas Wreath Pastry Southern Living Change up your Christmas dessert traditions with this beautiful Christmas wreath. Filled with dried cherries, almond paste, and orange liqueur, it's the perfect special occasion treat to enjoy on Christmas Day. Get The Recipe 11 of 20 Gluten-Free Biscuits Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Those who can't have wheat flour shouldn't have to miss out on homemade holiday bread. With this recipe, your guests will never know you didn't use a speck of wheat flour. Get The Recipe 12 of 20 Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer This bread has the same cinnamon goodness as a cinnamon roll but in a buttery pull-apart bread that will look impressive at Christmas brunch. Lucky for you, it is also a quite forgiving bread recipe. Get The Recipe 13 of 20 Sausage Bread Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner Stuffed with sausage and gooey cheese, this bread will become your go-to Christmas party appetizer. Thanks to store-bought pizza dough, it's also quick to pull together. Get The Recipe 14 of 20 Praline Pull-Apart Bread Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Caroline Murphey When this gooey, sweet, and nutty Praline Pull-Apart Bread hits the breakfast table on Christmas morning, everyone will think they got an extra gift from Santa this year. Made with frozen bread dough, there's little hands-on time needed for assembly. Get The Recipe 15 of 20 Make-Ahead Yeast Rolls Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Micah Morton, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner Between Christmas breakfast, lunch, and dinner, there is a lot to get done in the kitchen on December 25. With this recipe, you can make sure the dinner rolls are squared away in advance. Get The Recipe 16 of 20 Sweet Potato Rolls Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Mashed sweet potatoes are the secret to these soft and fluffy rolls. If you're bored with plain biscuits or dinner rolls for Christmas, try these gorgeous orange-hued rolls instead. Get The Recipe 17 of 20 Eggnog-Spiced Cinnamon Rolls Greg Dupree; Prop Stylist: Ginny Branch; Food Stylist: Micah Morton You'll taste the distinctive flavor of nutmeg-kissed eggnog in these decadent, doctored-up rolls. No one will know these rolls are made with a can of jumbo cinnamon rolls and warm spices. Get The Recipe 18 of 20 No-Knead Buttermilk Bread Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer You might not consider yourself an accomplished bread baker, but with this easy no-knead bread recipe, everyone will think you are. Grab that trusty Dutch oven, crank up the oven to 500°F, and get to mixing. Get The Recipe 19 of 20 Raisin Bread Southern Living Serve this simple bread alongside the holiday dinner, for weekend brunch, coffee with guests, or a midday snack. Swap maple syrup or lemon juice for the milk in the glaze, and drizzle it over the still-warm loaf before serving. Get The Recipe 20 of 20 Southern Butter Rolls Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Best described as a hybrid biscuit-cinnamon roll, the butter roll is a uniquely Southern creation. The rolls are baked with a mixture of milk and sugar on top, which turns into a delicious glaze. Get The Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit