38 Cozy Holiday Breads to Bake and Share All Season (2024)

Home Recipes Bread Recipes

Updated: Feb. 09, 2024

If you ask us, every holiday celebration should include a fresh-baked loaf or a basket overflowing with rolls. These festive bread recipes—traditional and modern, savory and sweet, quick and slow—will complete your menu and fill your day with cheer.

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Christmas Star Twisted Bread

Swirled with jam, this sweet Christmas bread may look tricky, but it’s not. The best part is opening the oven to find this freshly baked star bread in all its glory. —Darlene Brenden, Salem, Oregon

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Christmas Morning Sweet Rolls

These make-ahead rolls have been a holiday tradition for years. The eggnog in the frosting makes them extra special on Christmas morning. —Kimberly Williams, Brownsburg, Indiana

(Get recipes for more types of sweet bread!)

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Chocolate Chip Cranberry Bread

This cranberry bread is tender and moist. The first time I made it, it immediately became a favorite for the fall and winter holidays. The tart cranberries complement the sweet chocolate so well.—Jessica Hornaday, Nampa, Idaho. Looking for more recipes? Learn how to make kugelhopf, a festive bread made from a brioche-type dough.

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Stollen Butter Rolls

Our family enjoys my stollen so much they say it’s just too good to be served only as a holiday sweet bread. I created this buttery, less sweet dinner roll so we can satisfy our stollen cravings anytime. —Mindy White, Nashville, Tennessee

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Chocolate Babka

I love this chocolate babka. It’s a rewarding recipe for taking the next step in your bread baking. Even if it’s slightly imperfect going into the oven, it turns out gorgeous. Look at those swirls! —Lisa Kaminski, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

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Christmas Bread

Fruitcake is a traditional Christmas treat, but my family and friends prefer this slightly sweet bread. It’s so pretty drizzled with vanilla icing and dotted with festive red and green candied fruit. I like to sprinkle extra fruit on top for added appeal. —Betty Jean McLaughlin, La Vista, Nebraska

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Holiday Herb-Cheese Rolls

These low-fat hot rolls are flavored with garlic, dill and cheese—they’re yummy even without butter! Or stuff with your favorite fixings for mini sandwiches.
—NANCY BOYD, MIDLOTHIAN, VIRGINIA

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Crusty Homemade Bread

Crackling homemade bread makes an average day extraordinary. Enjoy this beautiful crusty bread recipe as is, or stir in a few favorites like cheese, garlic, herbs and dried fruits. —Megumi Garcia, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

These cinnamon rolls are sure to please anyone who has a sweet tooth. They’re just the thing for a Christmas morning treat. Be sure to eat them while they’re still warm—they’re best that way! The dough for these rolls is sticky, so don’t worry if your fingers get messy. —Andrea Price, Grafton, Wisconsin

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Glazed Cranberry Swirl Loaf

This is one of my favorite recipes to serve during the holidays. Without the filling, it makes a nice soft, chewy bread for any regular day! —Chris Carattini, Chadron, Nebraska

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Candy Cane Chocolate Loaves

When I had a bunch of leftover candy canes after the holidays, I was inspired to use them up by adding them to a chocolate bread. Coffee and cocoa intensify the flavor. —Shelly Platten, Amherst, Wisconsin

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Old-Fashioned Stollen

Stollen is a Christmas tradition in Germany. The fruit-filled yeast bread is topped with icing, candied fruit and almonds. Its shape resembles a giant Parker House roll.
—Linda Hinners, Brookfield, Wisconsin

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Halva and Nutella Babka Buns

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Best Dinner Rolls

These are the best dinner rolls around. If you can’t decide which enticing topping to use, just make them all.—Christina Pittman, Parkville, Missouri

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Double Cranberry Banana Bread

We love quick breads, and I’ve found that they freeze nicely if properly wrapped. This is a scrumptious recipe to make before the holidays and freeze for last-minute guests or gifts. —Joan Hallford, North Richland Hills, Texas

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Herb Biscuit Loaf

These buttery, pull-apart biscuits are a sure way to make any meal special, from Thanksgiving dinner to a weekday supper. Their wonderful herb flavor makes my husband think I fussed. —Amy Smith, Maplewood, Minnesota

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Cardamom Holiday Bread

I have fond memories of coming home from school to find this bread cooling on a wire rack. I could hardly wait for a warm savory slice.—Sheryl Olstad, Rochester, New Hampshire

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Caramel-Pecan Monkey Bread

The kids will get a kick out of pulling off gooey pieces of this delectable monkey bread. It’s hard to resist the caramel-coated treat. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread

While cinnamon swirl bread is a natural for breakfast, we love it so much we enjoy it all day long. This is a nice twist on traditional cinnamon swirl yeast breads. —Helen Richardson, Shelbyville, Michigan

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Candy Cane Coffee Cakes

I make my festive-looking coffee cakes at Christmas and for breakfast company. My husband doesn't usually care for apricots, but he loves these. —Kelley Winship, West Rutland, Vermont

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Dutch Oven Bread

Crackling homemade Dutch oven bread makes an average day extraordinary. Enjoy this beautiful crusty bread recipe as is, or stir in a few favorites like cheese, garlic, herbs and dried fruits. —Catherine Ward, Taste of Home Prep Kitchen Manager

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Overnight Reindeer Rolls

Kids love helping in the kitchen. This year, have a little fun making these reindeer-shaped rolls with your little bakers. And make sure to take pictures because the treats will be gone before you know it! —Chris O'Connell, San Antonio, Texas

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Swedish Cream Apple Rings

My mother made this classic coffee cake for every important holiday... Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Now, I carry on the tradition. As I make them, I remember my mom, who was a lot like this recipe: soft and tasteful but full of surprises. The overnight rise let's you make the dough in advance so your morning won't be hectic.—Heather Hood, Hillsboro, Oregon

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Cranberry Orange Walnut Bread

Coming from Oregon, a state famous for its cranberries, this bread is a given at our house. Each fall my husband and I scrounge around for walnuts to go in it. It’s a regular on our table, and not just at Thanksgiving. I freeze the berries so I have a ready supply all year long. —Elaine Kremenak, Grants Pass, Oregon

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Best Ever Banana Bread

Whenever I pass a display of bananas in the grocery store, I can almost smell the wonderful aroma of my best banana bread recipe. It really is amazingly good! —Gert Kaiser, Kenosha, Wisconsin

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Pesto Christmas Tree Bread

This is the ultimate tear-and-share loaf for the holidays! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Best-Ever Crescent Rolls

My daughter and I have cranked out dozens of homemade crescent rolls. It’s a real team effort. I cut the dough into pie-shaped wedges; she rolls. —Irene Yeh, Mequon, Wisconsin

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Olive Focaccia

After adding my own special touches to a basic foccacia recipe, including sun-dried tomatoes, olives and roasted sweet red peppers, the results were simply delectable. The flavorful, chewy loaf makes a wonderful accompaniment to nearly any meal. —Dee Froemel, Hayward, Wisconsin

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Maple Butter Twists

My stepmother passed on the recipe for this delicious yeast coffee cake that’s shaped into pretty rings. When I make it for friends, they always ask for seconds. —June Gilliland, Hope, Indiana

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Breakfast Sausage Bread

Any time we take this savory, satisfying bread to a potluck, it goes over very well. We never bring any home. My husband generally makes this bread and prides himself on the beautiful golden loaves.-Shirley Caldwell, Northwood, Ohio

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Cinnamon Twists

These delightful golden twists are perfect for a spring brunch or lunch. The brown sugar and cinnamon give them a delicate spicy flavor. It’s a good thing the recipe makes a big batch, because people can rarely eat just one.
—Janet Mooberry, Peoria, Illinois

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Sweet Italian Holiday Bread

This is authentic ciambellotto, a sweet loaf my great-grandmother used to bake in Italy. I still use her traditional recipe—the only update I made was for using modern appliances. —Denise Perrin, Vancouver, Washington

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Nutella Cinnamon Rolls

These jumbo Nutella cinnamon rolls will stand alone at your next brunch. Bursting with chocolate, hazelnut, espresso and cinnamon, they will please any palate and bring to mind your favorite coffee shop bakery. —Pam Ivbuls, Elkhorn, Nebraska

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Eggnog Mini Loaves

The seasonal flavors of eggnog, rum extract and nutmeg shine through in these moist, golden loaves. Tender slices are just right with a cup of coffee. —Beverly Elmore, Spokane, Michigan

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Hungarian Nut Rolls

It isn't officially the holidays until I've made this treasured nut roll recipe from my husband's grandmother. The apple-walnut filling is moist, subtly sweet and flavorful. —Donna Bardocz, Howell, Michigan

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Very Cherry Crescent Ring

My mother used to prepare this pretty coffee cake on Christmas Eve for our family to enjoy the next morning after opening gifts. It’s an easy way to add an elegant touch to a holiday breakfast or brunch. —Karen Sevensky, Hackettstown, New Jersey

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Chocolate Chai Mini Loaves

This bread is irresistible! A friend gets mad when I make it because I give her a loaf and she can’t help but eat the whole thing! —Lisa Christensen, Poplar Grove, Illinois

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Sour Cream Fan Rolls

I received this recipe from an email pen pal in Canada. The dough is so easy to work with, and it makes the lightest yeast rolls. I haven't used another white bread recipe since I started making this one.-Carrie Ormsby, West Jordan, Utah

Originally Published: November 13, 2020