- ¾ cup (6 ounces) applesauce (plus a few tablespoons as needed)
- 1 (4-ounce) container ground cinnamon (or about 1 cup*)
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) white liquid glue (such as Elmer’s glue)
3-Ingredient Cinnamon Ornaments (bake and no-bake options)
Glue is used to make the ornaments sturdy and prevent crumbling, so while they are inedible, these fun-to-make ornaments will last for years to come.
Ingredients
Extra Supplies
- Twine or ribbon for hanging
- Straw, skewer, pencil or piping tip to make hole
- Royal icing, glitter glue, small beads, etc., for decorating
Instructions
- Mix together the ¾ cup applesauce, ground cinnamon, and glue until well combined. Add more applesauce, a tablespoon at a time, as needed, to form a soft dough. Knead with your hands until the dough is smooth.
- Roll out the dough. I like to roll it between 2 pieces of parchment paper to approximately ⅜-inch thickness. (You can make thicker ornaments; they will simply take a little longer to dry out.) Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Use a straw, skewer, piping tip or pencil to punch a hole near the top of the ornament for a ribbon. (Make sure to do this now. Once the ornaments have dried out, they will be too hard to make a hole.)
- Place the ornaments on a parchment-lined baking sheet. As I transfer them, I use my finger to soften any rough edges. Dry in a 200℉ oven for 1½ to 2 hours. I usually flip them halfway through, but this isn’t critical. As an option, you may allow the ornaments to air dry for 3 to 4 days, flipping about once per day.
- Once dry, decorate as desired and then insert a ribbon through the hole for hanging.
Notes & Options
*Note that 4 ounces of powdery ground cinnamon is equal to 1 cup, not a half cup as with a liquid measure.
•To vary the aroma, ground cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and/or pumpkin pie spice can be mixed with the ground cinnamon.
•We got 11 standard-size ornaments from our last batch. I used the scraps to make a few smaller shapes and a bunch of beads for my nieces to make necklaces. The yield will vary based on the thickness of the dough once rolled and the size of the cookie cutters used.
•The recipe may be doubled if desired.