Cinnamon Roll Snowflake (Print View)

Soft, cinnamon-swirled dough baked golden and topped with sweet vanilla icing for cozy gatherings.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 3/4 cup warm milk (about 110°F)
06 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
07 - 1 large egg, room temperature

→ Filling

08 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
09 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
10 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

→ Icing

11 - 1 cup powdered sugar
12 - 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
13 - 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

# How To Make It:

01 - In a large bowl, combine warm milk, granulated sugar, and active dry yeast. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes until frothy.
02 - Add melted butter, egg, and salt to the yeast mixture. Gradually mix in flour until a soft dough forms.
03 - Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
04 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
05 - Punch down dough and divide into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 12-inch circle.
06 - Place one dough circle on the prepared baking sheet. Spread half the softened butter over it, then sprinkle half the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly.
07 - Top with the second dough circle, spread remaining butter and cinnamon sugar evenly over the surface.
08 - Place the third dough circle on top of the stack.
09 - Place a small glass in the center (without cutting through), then cut the dough into 16 equal strips radiating outward from the glass.
10 - Take two adjacent strips and twist them away from each other twice, then pinch the ends together to form a point. Repeat for all pairs to create the snowflake shape.
11 - Remove the glass. Cover the shaped dough with a towel and let rise for 15 minutes.
12 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
13 - Cool the pull-apart for 10 minutes. Whisk icing ingredients together and drizzle over warm pastry. Serve pull-apart style.

# Expert Insights:

01 -
  • It looks impressive enough to be the centerpiece of your holiday table, but it's actually forgiving to make.
  • Everyone tears into it together, making breakfast or dessert feel like a shared moment instead of something rushed.
  • The soft, pillowy dough soaked with cinnamon sugar and vanilla icing is exactly what winter mornings need.
02 -
  • The three-layer trick is what makes this snowflake special—it creates pockets of cinnamon sugar throughout that you can't get with a single roll, and it bakes more evenly than a thick mass of dough.
  • If your kitchen is cold, the rise times might stretch longer, and that's fine—better slow and steady than rushing it with heat that could kill the yeast.
  • Twisting those strips loosely matters; if you twist too tight, they won't puff and separate, and you'll lose that pull-apart magic.
03 -
  • Use a thermometer for the milk temperature—it's the one thing that can really derail a yeast dough, and it's worth getting right.
  • If your kitchen is cold or drafty, place the rising dough in a closed oven with just the light on; it creates the perfect warm, protected environment.
  • Don't skip the second rise after twisting—those 15 minutes let the shaped snowflake puff up and become tender instead of dense.
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