The Perfect Christmas Stollen Recipe for Holiday Baking Magic

Festive and rich, Christmas stollen represents a beloved holiday tradition brimming with comforting flavors.

Sweet memories of family gatherings emerge from this delectable German bread, inviting warm nostalgia with every slice.

Generations have cherished its delightful combination of tender crumb and vibrant fruit inclusions.

Soft and buttery, this seasonal treat changes ordinary baking into a celebration of culinary heritage.

Intricate spices and carefully selected ingredients weave magic into each carefully crafted loaf.

Delicate textures and sweet nuances create a sensory experience that transcends simple baking.

Prepare to elevate your holiday spread with a recipe that connects you to time-honored baking traditions.

Tips for Easy Christmas Stollen That’s Always Tender

• Chill Butter Thoroughly: Use ice-cold butter cut into tiny cubes to create flakier, more tender pastry texture that melts perfectly in your mouth.
• Dust Fruits Strategically: Coat dried fruits and nuts in flour before mixing to prevent them from sinking to the bottom during baking, ensuring even distribution.
• Gentle Kneading Matters: Handle dough minimally and knead just enough to combine ingredients, preventing tough and dense stollen that loses its delicate crumb.
• Check Moisture Balance: Add liquid incrementally to maintain proper dough consistency – it should be slightly sticky but not wet, holding together easily.
• Control Baking Temperature: Use precise 325°F heat to achieve golden-brown exterior while keeping interior soft and moist, avoiding potential dryness or burning.

How to Store and Reheat Easy Christmas Stollen Like a Pro

• Refrigeration: Store your stollen in an airtight container wrapped tightly with plastic wrap to maintain freshness. Keep at room temperature for up to 10 days, ensuring the bread stays moist and delicious. Protect from direct sunlight and heat sources to preserve its delicate texture.
• Freezing: Carefully wrap individual stollen pieces in plastic wrap, then place inside a freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months without losing flavor or quality. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying, allowing gentle temperature adjustment.
• Reheating: Warm individual slices in a toaster oven or conventional oven at 300°F for 5-7 minutes.

What to Enjoy with Easy Christmas Stollen

• Pair with Mulled Wine: Indulge in a warm glass of spiced mulled wine that complements the rich, fruity notes of the Christmas stollen. The wine's cinnamon and clove undertones beautifully enhance the bread's aromatic zest and dried fruit flavors.
• Match with Espresso: Enjoy a robust shot of espresso alongside your stollen slice. The coffee's intense, slightly bitter profile cuts through the sweetness and buttery texture, creating a perfect balance of flavors.
• Serve with Cream Liqueur: Sip on a chilled cream liqueur like Baileys or Amaretto. Its smooth, creamy consistency and subtle almond or whiskey notes beautifully accentuate the stollen's nutty and fruity characteristics.
• Complement with Chai Tea: Brew a warming cup of chai tea with its spicy blend of cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon. The tea's aromatic spices harmonize wonderfully with the stollen's festive ingredients, making for a cozy winter treat.

Creative Ideas to Refresh Easy Christmas Stollen

• Nutty Spice Stollen: Enhance the traditional recipe by adding ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom to the dry ingredients. Swap almonds for toasted pecans or walnuts for a deeper, richer flavor profile.
• Chocolate Cherry Stollen: Replace dried fruit with a combination of dried cherries and dark chocolate chips. Drizzle melted dark chocolate over the cooled stollen for an indulgent touch.
• Citrus Zinger Stollen: Incorporate more citrus by adding orange and lemon zest directly into the dough. Include candied citrus peel and use orange liqueur to soak the dried fruits for an extra bright, tangy version.
• Tropical Fruit Stollen: Switch traditional dried fruits with a mix of dried pineapple, mango, and coconut. Sprinkle toasted coconut flakes on top after dusting with powdered sugar for a vacation-inspired treat.

What Makes Easy Christmas Stollen a Holiday Favorite

• Create Holiday Magic: Whip up this easy Christmas stollen that transforms simple ingredients into a festive masterpiece perfect for spreading seasonal cheer.
• Savor Delightful Textures: Experience a delectable combination of soft, crumbly dough studded with crunchy almonds and sweet, tender fruits that melt in your mouth.
• Impress Without Stress: Achieve bakery-quality results with minimal effort, using straightforward techniques that make this recipe accessible to bakers of all skill levels, from beginners to seasoned pros.
• Enjoy Long-Lasting Goodness: Store this versatile treat at room temperature for up to two weeks, making it an ideal make-ahead dessert for holiday gatherings or thoughtful homemade gifts.

Ingredients for Easy Christmas Stollen That You’ll Need

• Flour: Structural base for the stollen, all-purpose works best with consistent texture.
• Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps with browning of the pastry.
• Baking Powder: Provides gentle leavening and helps create light texture.
• Salt: Enhances overall flavor and balances sweetness.

• Cream Cheese: Provides moisture and rich tanginess to the dough.
• Egg: Binds ingredients and adds richness to the texture.
• Vanilla Extract: Contributes warm, deep flavor profile.
• Citrus Zest: Adds bright, fresh aromatic notes to the stollen.

• Dried Fruits, Almonds: Provide texture, traditional Christmas flavor, and nutty crunch to the pastry. Choose plump, high-quality dried fruits for best results.
• Butter: Crucial for rich flavor and creates flaky texture. Cold butter works best for optimal pastry consistency.

• Melted Butter: Creates golden exterior and adds extra richness.
• Confectioners Sugar: Provides classic sweet dusting and festive appearance.

How to Make Easy Christmas Stollen Soft and Fruity

Step 1: Prepare Oven and Baking Sheet

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients

• Flour
• Sugar
• Baking powder
• Salt

Step 3: Incorporate Butter

Cut cold butter into small pieces. Blend into dry ingredients using a pastry blender or two knives until mixture looks crumbly.

Step 4: Create Wet Mixture

• Cream cheese
• Egg
• Vanilla extract
• Lemon or orange zest

Toss dried fruits and almonds in flour mixture to coat evenly. Mix wet and dry ingredients until flour is just moistened.

Step 5: Prepare Dough

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead gently just enough to bring together. Divide dough into 2 equal portions.

Step 6: Shape Stollen

Roll each dough half into an 8 x 7 inch oval, keeping thickness around 1/2 inch.

Step 7: Create Signature Fold

Fold each oval lengthwise, leaving about 1/2 inch unsealed at one end.

Step 8: Seal the Shape

Press down 1 inch from the unsealed edge to create the classic stollen shape.

Step 9: Bake to Perfection

Place shaped loaves on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes until edges turn golden brown. Test doneness with a toothpick inserted in the center.

Step 10: Add Finishing Touches

After removing from oven, let cool slightly. Brush generously with melted butter and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

Step 11: Final Preparation

Allow stollen to cool completely. Brush again with butter and additional sugar if desired. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Tip: For best flavor, let stollen rest for a day before serving, allowing flavors to meld together.

Easy Christmas Stollen Recipe

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.6 from 18 reviews

• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 2 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

German holiday stollen brings festive cheer with rich, buttery dough packed with candied fruits and nuts. Marzipan-filled and dusted with powdered sugar, this traditional Christmas bread delivers sweet, nostalgic comfort right to your holiday table.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Main Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• ½ cup cold butter (equivalent to 8 tablespoons)

Dry and Sweet Ingredients:

• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup slivered almonds (toasted and cooled)
• ⅓ cup mixed dried fruit: combine a half-cup of golden raisins with your choice of chopped dried fruits, like cherries and cranberries

Additional Ingredients:

• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar (for topping)
• 6 tablespoons butter (melted, for topping)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly combined.
3. Dice the cold butter into small cubes and incorporate into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. In a separate bowl, blend cottage cheese, egg, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until smooth.
5. Dust the dried fruits and almonds with a small amount of flour to prevent sinking, then gently fold them into the dry ingredient mixture.
6. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined and the dough begins to form.
7. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead just enough to bring it together without overworking.
8. Divide the dough into two equal portions.
9. Roll each portion into an oval shape approximately 8 inches (20 centimeters) long and 7 inches (18 centimeters) wide, maintaining a thickness of about 1/2 inch (1.3 centimeters).
10. Fold each oval lengthwise, leaving a small border unsealed at one edge to create the traditional stollen shape.
11. Gently press down one inch from the sealed edge to help maintain the distinctive form.
12. Carefully place the shaped loaves on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring they are not touching.
13. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
14. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
15. Brush the warm stollen generously with melted butter, then dust thoroughly with powdered sugar.
16. Allow to cool completely, then brush again with butter and sprinkle additional powdered sugar if desired.
17. Once fully cooled, wrap tightly in plastic wrap. The stollen can be stored at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Notes

• Sweet memories of German holiday traditions inspire this classic Christmas bread.
• Prepare ingredients ahead of time to ensure smooth baking experience.
• Fresh fruit and nuts create delightful bursts of flavor throughout each slice.
• Cold butter works magic in developing perfect crumbly texture for stollen.
• Gentle kneading prevents tough dough while maintaining delicate structure.
• Generous butter and sugar coating transforms this bread into a festive treat.

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: Desserts, Snacks
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: German

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 2
• Calories: 482 kcal
• Sugar: 22g
• Sodium: 306mg
• Fat: 25g
• Saturated Fat: 15g
• Unsaturated Fat: 9g
• Trans Fat: 0.5g
• Carbohydrates: 55g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 7g
• Cholesterol: 60mg