This cinnamon ornaments recipe will make your home smell like the holidays! These Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments are easy to make, a fun DIY craft for kids, and perfect for decorating your Christmas tree or gifting to loved ones.
Table of Contents
For more homemade gift ideas, try this Holiday Potpourri and these Hanging Gingerbread Cookies Gifts.
Nostalgic Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments
Hi folks,
There’s nothing quite like the cozy scent of cinnamon wafting through your home as you bake these easy homemade cinnamon ornaments. I fondly remember making these ornaments every year in elementary school for gifts. This simple DIY craft is perfect for kids and adults, turning a few pantry staples into charming Christmas tree decorations or heartfelt holiday gifts.
These ornaments are fun to make and smell amazing for years to come. The process is straightforward: mix your cinnamon dough, use cookie cutters to create festive shapes, and bake them in the oven. Once cooled, decorate with white puff paint or glitter glue and hang them with baker’s twine or a festive ribbon.
Ingredients, Supplies, and Estimated Cost
Per Serving Cost: $0.48
Recipe Cost: $8.56
- 1 cup applesauce – $0.36
- 1 ½ cups ground cinnamon – $2.40
- 1.25 fl oz bottle white puffy paint – $5.80
Other Supplies:
- baker’s twine, string, or ribbon
- cookie cutters
- glue
NOTE: The recipe prices are calculated by using grocery store websites. The actual cost of the recipe will vary depending on what ingredients you already have. I updated the pricing for this recipe in November 2024.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Simple Ingredients: With just cinnamon, applesauce, and a little creativity, you can create lasting holiday memories.
- Smells Amazing: The warm, spicy aroma is perfect for the holiday season.
- Customizable: Use cookie cutters in different shapes, or add glitter and paint for extra flair.
- Kid-Friendly: A fun project for little ones to help with, from rolling the dough to decorating.
How To Make Cinnamon Ornaments
- First, move the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 200°F. Then, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Combine the applesauce and ground cinnamon in a mixing bowl until a soft dough forms.
- Roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out festive shapes like stars, trees, or a gingerbread man.
- Transfer the cutouts to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 1 ½ hours.
- While the ornaments are still warm, use a skewer to make a hole at the top. If you’re going to glue the string to the back of the ornaments, skip this step.
- Let the cutouts cool entirely for about forty-five minutes.
- Create designs using white puff paint and let them dry completely for about four hours.
- Glue string to the back for hanging or pass the string through the hole you created with the skewer.
Recipe Tips
- Extend Their Life: After a few years, these ornaments will lose their scent. When this happens, I sprinkle a few drops of cinnamon essential oils on them.
- Storage Tip: Keep your ornaments between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container to protect them from breaking or sticking.
Recipe FAQs
Use white puff paint when making these ornaments. I have read that you can use other types of glue, such as Elmer’s Glue or glitter glue, but I have not explicitly tested those.
No, I recommend using unsweetened applesauce when making these ornaments. Sweetened applesauce can make the dough too sticky and affect the overall texture of the ornament.
Yes, while cinnamon is a classic scent for these ornaments, you can use ground nutmeg, ginger, or allspice instead of cinnamon. Just be aware that if you do this, the appearance of the dough will be lightly altered.
Dust your work surface and rolling pin with cinnamon. If the dough feels too sticky, add a bit more ground cinnamon.
More Christmas Recipes
- Struffoli – Italian Honey Balls
- Edible Gingerbread Cookie Dough
- Christmas Oreo Balls
- Grinch Punch
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge
- Christmas Tree Cheese Ball
- Instant Pot Hot Chocolate
- Red Velvet Hot Chocolate Bombs
- Christmas Wreath Cookies
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Cinnamon Ornaments
Equipment
- Measuring cups
- mixing bowl
- mixing spoon
- rolling pin
- baking sheet
Ingredients
Supplies:
- 1 cup applesauce
- 1 ½ cups ground cinnamon
- cookie cutters
- 1.25 fl oz bottle White puff paint
- Baker’s twine
- Glue
Instructions
PREP OVEN AND BAKING SHEET:
- Move the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 200° F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
MAKE DOUGH:
- Add apple sauce and cinnamon in a small bowl until a dough forms.
ROLL AND CUT ORNAMENTS
- Use extra cinnamon to dust a rolling pin and the counter to help prevent sticking.
- Roll the dough out to a ¼-inch thickness.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out festive shapes like stars, trees, or a gingerbread man.
BAKE AND COOL:
- Place the cutouts on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 1 ½ hours.
- While the ornaments are still warm, use a skewer to make a hole at the top. Skip this step if you're going to glue a string to the back of the ornaments instead.
- Cool the cutouts completely, for about 45 minutes.
TO FINISH:
- Create designs using white puffy paint, then let the paint dry completely for about 4 hours.
- Glue string to the back for hanging or pass the string through the hole you created with the skewer.
Notes
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Forget the gingerbread men, I’m making these pretty snowflake, cinnamon applesauce ornaments this year.
This recipe is exactly what I was looking for, for my class! Thank you!
Thank you so much! The flavors are perfect and I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Perfect for Christmas. Looks pretty. Thanks for sharing
What a cute idea! I cant wait to try these when we put up our tree!