The Weekend Project: Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments

You can make a batch of holiday ornaments that smell like a spice drawer from just applesauce and ground cinnamon. The dough rolls and cuts like cookie dough. Then it dries in a low oven over a long, slow bake, or on a rack over a day or two. An afternoon gives you enough ornaments for the tree, a gift box or a stack of package toppers.

These ornaments are decorations, not food. Nobody will be eating them, so the cheapest applesauce on the shelf will do.

What You Need for Cinnamon Ornaments

Smooth applesauce. Use smooth (not chunky) applesauce.
Ground cinnamon, plus extra for dusting the work surface. You’ll need a lot, so buying in bulk makes sense.
Optional: 1 teaspoon table salt for a small batch, or a little ground cloves mixed in with the cinnamon.
Parchment paper or silicone baking mats, baking sheets, a rolling pin and plastic wrap or wax paper.
Cookie cutters 2 to 3 inches across, a drinking straw or skewer for the hanging holes, and ribbon, baker’s twine or jute.

How Big a Batch to Mix

Cinnamon to applesauce runs from about 3/4 cup to 1 1/2 cups of cinnamon per cup of applesauce. Brands absorb differently, so use these amounts as a starting point and adjust by feel.

Applesauce	Cinnamon	Approximate yield
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (160 g)	3/4 cup (75 g)	8-12 2-inch ornaments
1 cup	1 1/4 cups	roughly 2 dozen 3-inch ornaments
1 1/2 cups	2 1/4 cups	about 20 ornaments depending on size

Steps and Timing

Heat the oven to a low 195°F to 200°F (about 90°C). Line your baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
Mix the dough in a large bowl, by hand or with a stand mixer, until it forms a smooth ball. Dough should not be sticky. It should be moist and easy to handle. Add cinnamon if it’s tacky, or applesauce if it crumbles. You may need your hands to work in the last of the cinnamon.
Rest it (optional). Split the dough into two discs and chill them for an hour or longer. Chilled dough will become slightly firmer and easier to handle.
Roll it out to 1/4 inch thick, either between two sheets of plastic wrap or on a surface dusted with cinnamon. The ornaments can be slightly thicker, but not thinner or they’ll break.
Cut and punch. Cut out your shapes, move them to the sheet and press a straw near the top of each one to make a hole for the string. Smooth any jagged edges with a butter knife. Scraps can be rerolled.
Bake for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the ornaments are completely firm. Flip them halfway through. Check smaller shapes early, because thicker and larger pieces take longer.
Cool them slowly. Turn off oven and allow ornaments to cool in the oven, about 1 hour more. Then thread on ribbon or twine.

Hands-on time is about 30 minutes. With baking and cooling, plan on roughly four hours from mixing bowl to hanging.

Ways to Adapt the Project

No oven time: Skip the bake and set the cut shapes on a wire rack. Let stand 1 to 2 days or until thoroughly dry, turning occasionally.

Crumbling or cracking: Work in a little more applesauce, keep the dough at 1/4 inch and stick to the low oven temperature. A hotter oven doesn’t speed things up safely.

Gift tags and toppers: Before baking, cut a hole near one edge so the shape can be tied onto a package. Expect the pieces to shrink up a bit while drying, so make the holes generous.

With children: Rolling and cutting work well for kids. An adult should handle the oven and the hot baking sheets.

FAQ

– Can these ornaments be eaten?

No. They’re made as decorations only, so keep them where pets and small children can’t treat them as cookies.

– How should I store them after the holidays?

Put them in an airtight container once they’re fully dry. That keeps them intact and helps hold the cinnamon scent until next season.

– Why is my dough too sticky to roll?

It needs more cinnamon. Add a spoonful at a time until the dough comes away cleanly from your hands. If it goes too far and crumbles, add a little applesauce.