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An easy cinnamon ornament recipe made with applesauce, ground cinnamon, and table salt. These three-ingredient ornaments make a fun homemade Christmas gift!
Why Make This Applesauce and Cinnamon Ornament Recipe?
I love making these homemade cinnamon ornaments because they’re a dose of pure nostalgia—I’m pretty sure the first time I made these was way back in elementary school! And while this isn’t a complicated recipe, it definitely remains a classic.
With just applesauce, ground cinnamon, and a bit of table salt, you can create fragrant homemade ornaments to give as gifts, decorate around the house, or add a finishing touch to your holiday wrapping. When stored properly, these applesauce and cinnamon ornaments will last for years, making them a nice addition to your box of decorations. Hang them on the tree, string them into garlands, adorn bannisters and fireplace mantels, use them as gift tags, or add a seasonal scent to closets, cabinets, and drawers.
Ingredients for Making Cinnamon Ornaments
To make this cinnamon Christmas ornament recipe, start by gathering the following ingredients:
- Applesauce – Choose a smooth (not chunky) applesauce. Sweetened or unsweetened will both work. And since nobody will be eating these, feel free to choose the cheapest applesauce you can find.
- Ground Cinnamon – You’ll need 75 grams, or about 3/4 cup. I suggest purchasing bulk ground cinnamon from Amazon or the international aisle at the supermarket, rather than the tiny jars sold in the spice aisle.
- Salt – Salt acts as a preservative, allowing these ornaments to remain fresh for a long time. Cheap table salt is fine.
Tools and Equipment for Making Applesauce Ornaments
While this ornament recipe only requires a few simple ingredients, you will also need some specific tools and equipment, including:
- Metal Cookie Cutter – I used a 2 1/2-inch heart cutter, but you can make stockings, or snowflakes, or stars, or any other shapes you’d like. Smaller cutters work better in general. Larger shapes will crack when moved from countertop to cookie sheet; larger baked ornaments will also break more easily.
- Rolling Pin – For rolling the dough.
- Rubber Gloves – Wear gloves when touching the dough! When I first tested this recipe, I did so without gloves, and the cinnamon left my hands with a residual burning and irritation which lasted for more than a day.
- Metal Straw or Round Piping Tip – You will need a metal straw or piping tip to punch holes in each ornament, creating a space for threading the ribbon. I used a 1/4-inch round piping tip.
- Ribbon – For each ornament, you’ll need a 12-inch piece of ribbon or string. I used a 5/8-inch thick red velvet ribbon.
How to Make Cinnamon Christmas Ornaments
To make these cinnamon ornaments, add ground cinnamon, applesauce, and table salt to a large mixing bowl and mix until a soft paste forms, then use your hands to flatten the cinnamon dough into a disc. Place it between two sheets of parchment and use a rolling pin to roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness.
Next, use a metal cookie cutter to cut the dough into shapes:
Before baking, punch a hole in the top of each ornnament with a metal straw or a round piping tip. Place the cutouts on a parchment-lined tray and bake for two hours, then turn off the oven and allow them to cool for another hour. Once they’re cool, the ornaments should feel dry and slightly rough to the touch, and will lift easily from the parchment:
Once cool, thread a 12-inch piece of ribbon through each hole, tie a knot, and use sharp scissors to trim away any excess.
Other Christmas recipes you might enjoy:
How to Make a Gingerbread House
Old-Fashioned Hard Candy
Cranberry Jelly Candy
Peppermint Marshmallows
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Applesauce and Cinnamon Ornament Recipe
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: 8-12 2-inch ornaments 1x
Description
An easy homemade Christmas ornament recipe made with applesauce and ground cinnamon.
Ingredients
75 grams ground cinnamon (3/4 cup), plus more to adjust consistency
160 grams smooth applesauce (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon table salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 195° F / 90° C. Line a half-sheet rimmed baking tray with parchment.
Add cinnamon, applesauce, and salt to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed until a soft paste forms. If the mixture seems too sticky to roll, add more cinnamon to adjust the consistency.
Use gloved hands* to finish bringing the mixture together, then flatten it into a disc.
Place disc between two sheets of parchment. With a wooden rolling pin, roll to about 1/4-inch thickness.
With a cookie cutter, cut the dough into desired shapes.
With a small stepped palette knife or flat metal spatula, transfer ornaments to prepared tray.
Re-roll scraps and repeat until you’ve used all of the dough.
Use a drinking straw or piping tip to cut a hole in the top of each ornament, about 1/2 inch from the top. (This is where you’ll place the string.)
Bake in preheated oven for 2 hours. Turn off oven and allow ornaments to cool in the oven, about 1 hour more.
Thread a 12-inch piece of ribbon through each hole. Tie at the back, then use sharp scissors to trim away any excess.
Notes
*Wear rubber gloves when working with the dough. Touching the cinnamon can result in burning and irritation, particularly for those with sensitive skin.
After transferring the unbaked ornaments to the tray, use a butter knife or small stepped palette knife to reshape any jagged edges. This way your ornaments will be smooth, rather than rough.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cooling Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Miscellaneous
- Method: Oven