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This festive Chocolate Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Wreath is light, soft, extra sweet, cinnamony, and SO delicious. It even has a bit of melted chocolate. Serve this right out of the oven while the bread is still sticky and warm. This bread is melt in your mouth good…and oh so impressive. It’s also simpler than you’d think to make. Plus, it’s always a crowd pleaser during the holidays.
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I had a perfectly good and very delicious recipe all set and ready to go for today, but…it just didn’t feel like the right recipe for the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
So I changed things around and here we are with this pretty and oh so festive cinnamon sugar wreath. What’s the right recipe for the Tuesday before Thanksgiving? Who know, but this feels good to me!
It’s sweet, cinnamony, and extra delicious. It makes a yummy breakfast or dessert. It will of course be great for Thanksgiving morning (maybe while enjoying the Macy’s Day Parade?). But it’s equally awesome for the entire month of December.
What is a bread wreath?
I know this bread might look like it takes hours to make, but trust me, it’s really pretty simple. I used my favorite base brioche dough, so it’s really light and soft. You’ll roll the dough out with cinnamon sugar, cut it into squares, and arrange it in a tube pan.
What’s great about this pull apart bread is that while it’s a nice addition to your holiday brunch or dessert table, it also works as an afternoon snack that people can enjoy after coming in from the cold. It’s always nice to have something for people to graze on while chatting away.
The details
The dough is the simplest to make. Simply mix the yeast with warm milk and a small touch of honey. It’s important to let that mix sit for a few minutes to allow the yeast to “activate”.
Next, add the butter, eggs, flour, and salt. Mix until smooth and let the dough rest until doubled in size. Then it’s time to assemble.
While the dough rests, mix the filling
It’s super simple. I love to use a mix of brown sugar and cinnamon. The brown sugar adds a nice depth of flavor. And the cinnamon adds a nice cozy festive touch.
And of course, there’s the chocolate. You can leave it out, of course, but I think the mini chocolate chips add a little something special.
Once the bread has risen, simply roll the dough out, then spread with butter, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and chocolate. Cut the dough into squares, then layer the squares, and arrange in a tube pan. If you don’t own a tube pan, I’d recommend dividing the dough between two traditional bread pans. That works great too!
Let the bread rise until it’s puffy on top, then bake. Wonderful smells will waft from your oven…nothing really beats cinnamon sugar baking away.
Here’s the thing, you can’t stress if your unbaked bread dough looks a little crazy. Know that the layers of dough do not need to be perfect…just bake the bread. As soon as you pull this out of the oven you’ll be impressed. And no matter what, it’s going to be delicious.
The most important thing you must do? Serve the bread while it’s still warm and sticky and the chocolate is melty.
Very few things are more delicious. I’m already excited to bake this again…and I’ve made it five times in a three day span. Sooo, I will wait until the family shows up later in December for Christmas. But I really am excited to share it with the fam!
Looking for other cinnamon recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Cinnamon Knots with Coffee Icing
Easy Fluffy Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls
Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts with Cinnamon Maple Glaze
Vanilla Chai Pumpkin Latte Cupcakes with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting
Lastly, if you make this Chocolate Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Wreath be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Chocolate Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Wreath
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup warm milk
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 3 large eggs
- 3 1/2-4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups light or dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the milk, yeast, and honey. Let sit 5-10 minutes, until bubbly on top. Add 4 tablespoons butter, eggs, 3 1/2 cups flour, and salt. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. If the dough is still sticky, add the additional 1/2 cup flour, adding more as needed until the dough is smooth to touch.2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour or until doubled in size.3. Meanwhile, mix the filling. In a bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Butter a tube pan. 4. Transfer the dough to a work surface and cut into 4 equal pieces. Working with 1 dough piece at a time, on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle (roughly 14×10 inches). Spread 2tablespoons butter over the dough, then sprinkle with 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar and 2-4 tablespoons chocolate chips. Gently press the chips into the dough. Cut the dough lengthwise into 3 strips. Cut the strips crosswise into 4 strips each, making 12 squares (see above photo). Stack all 12 dough squares, 1 on top of the other. Repeat with the remaining 3 dough pieces and remaining butter. 5. Arrange stacks in the buttered tube pan, standing up like little books, allowing gaps between dough pieces (see above photo).6. Cover the pan with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until the dough almost reaches the top, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake until the bread is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Let stand in the pan 5 minutes, then carefully remove. Serve warm.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
What would you recommend as an egg replacer? My son is allergic to eggs but would love to give this a try! I typically use Bob’s Red Mill Egg replacer in recipes but sometimes its comes out more dry. Thanks for the help!
Hey Alex,
So sorry, I’ve not tested this recipe without the egg. You could certainly try using the egg replacer to see how that works for you! Let me know if you give the recipe a try! xT
I did try the recipe with an egg replacer and it turned out great! I used 2 TB of water + 2 tsp of baking powder + 1 tsp of olive oil = 1 large egg! I will use it again 😊
Awesome!! So glad to hear this!!
Hi! Looking forward to making this! Do you have a “warm place” that you recommend for the second rise? It’s cold out where I am so I don’t have a warm sunny spot. Do you recommend a very low oven temperature? Or just room temperature? Thanks!
Hey Quinn,
I would just turn your oven on and have the dough sit on top of the oven in a bowl. I hope this helps! Let me know how the recipe turns out! xx
I put a cup or mug on water in the microwave and heat on high for approximately 3 minutes and take out (be very careful, it will be hot) and then I put my pan in. Close the door and it’s like you have your own little proof oven. I use this method all winter long when I’m using any Yeast Recipes. Good Luck!
Would this be ok to make, let’s say 2 days before Christmas (when it’s eaten)? How well does it hold? Or is it something that has to be made the day of
Hey Giulia,
I would make through step 5 and keep covered in the fridge. When you are ready to serve, allow it to come to room temp and rise before baking. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Hey Tieghan! Just wanted to drop in and say how much I’ve enjoyed this particular recipe! Made it exactly how you instructed with the exception of using regular sized milk chocolate chips, and it has always come out perfectly! Made in a loaf pan or Bundt pan, every part pulled off is like the centre of the cinnamon bun, my favourite! Thank you!
Hey Christie,
Wonderful!!🎄 I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! xx
Hi, I was wondering if there was a way to make this gluten free? Hoping to make it for my mom who is celiac on Christmas morning!
Hey Kendall,
You can go ahead and use an equal amount of gluten free flour. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Do you have any recommendations for preparing ahead of time? I’d like to make this for my family Christmas but I want it to be fresh and we’ll have to drive a few hours to get there. I was curious if you had tried to make the dough ahead of time.
Hi Kelly,
Yes, go ahead have everything ready to go in the pan, cover it and then bake it when you get to your destination! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
What kind of yeast do you use? Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Hi Marie,
This recipe calls for active dry yeast. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
In your instagram video, you sprinkle cinnamon sugar at the end before putting it in the oven. How much cinnamon and sugar did you use?
Hi Ann,
I didn’t really measure that, just used extra cinnamon sugar to my liking:) I hope you love the recipe, let me know if you give it a try! xx
I made this for Thanksgiving day 2022. As I was making it I was thinking about how delicious it would taste when finished. I too used a bundt pan.
I turned the bread out on a dish about 5 minutes after it finished, a section stuck the the pan, it seemed dry to me, perhaps overcooked?
After sampling the dessert It was so dry that I just threw it away.
I have great things to say about most of the recipes I make from Half Baked Harvest, but this one is off my list.
Hi Derek,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it did not turn out for you. Was there anything you possibly adjusted in the recipe? What kind of yeast did you use? Did anything seem off before baking? Let me know how I can help! xx
How do you typically store your leftovers for this? Refrigerator?
Hi Jessica,
Yes, that will work best for you:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Would a Bundt pan be okay for this? Don’t have a tube.
Hi Jenny,
Yes, a bundt pan will work for you, you could also use 2 loaf pans, it won’t be wreath shaped but it will still turn out well! I hope you love the recipe!! xx
Could you replace the honey with maple syrup? Or do you have other honey substitute suggestions?
Hi Heather,
Maple syrup will be great to use in place of the honey! I hope this recipe turns out well for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Looks delicious. Have younger added pecans or walnuts to it?
Hey Cheryl,
I’ve never added nuts to this, but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
This looks delicious! I’d love to make it on Christmas morning. Is there any way it could be made and put in the fridge before the second rise to bake in the morning?
Hey Tracy,
Totally, that would be just fine for you to do! I hope this recipe turns out well, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
I only keep unsalted butter and wondering if salted is necessary? With the cost of butter, I really don’t want to buy for such a small amount. Any suggestions?
Hi Dana,
Unsalted butter will be just fine for you to use! I hope this recipe turns out well for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Ive never made bread before..wondering approximately how long it takes to rise?
This looks amazing…I really want to give it a whirl.
Hi Melissa,
You can follow the instructions in step 2 and cover for 1 hour to rise:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx