🎄 Easy Festive Christmas Bread – Soft, Sweet & Holiday-Ready

This Festive Christmas Bread is soft, lightly sweet, and packed with dried fruit and warm holiday flavors. Topped with a vanilla glaze and optional sprinkles, it’s perfect for Christmas morning, brunch, or gifting to friends and family.

Why You’ll Love It

Soft, tender, bakery-style bread
Lightly sweet with festive dried fruits
Easy to make at home with simple ingredients
Beautiful holiday presentation

⭐ Recipe Card

Servings: 10–12 slices
Estimated Cost: $7–9
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Rise Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30–35 minutes
Calories: ~290 per slice

Ingredients

For the Bread
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 packet (2 ¼ tsp) instant yeast
⅓ cup granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
½ cup warm milk
¼ cup warm water
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp almond extract (optional)
1 cup mixed dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, golden raisins)
1 tbsp orange zest

For the Vanilla Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2–3 tbsp milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
Holiday sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

Step 1: Make the Dough

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add warm milk, warm water, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Stir until a soft dough forms.

Step 2: Knead the Dough

Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead 5–7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Knead in the dried fruit and orange zest.

Step 3: First Rise

Place the dough into a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until doubled.

Step 4: Shape & Bake

Punch down the dough and shape into a round loaf or place into a greased 9×5 loaf pan. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30–35 minutes, until golden brown.

Step 5: Glaze & Decorate

Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Drizzle over the cooled bread and finish with sprinkles if desired.

Note

If your dough feels sticky, add 1–2 tbsp more flour at a time. Swap dried fruit for chocolate chips for a kid-friendly version. For extra richness, replace half the milk with eggnog.

Tasty Twists

Cranberry-Orange: Increase orange zest and use tart cranberries.
Nutty Delight: Add ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts to the dough.
Pull-Apart Wreath: Shape dough into small balls in a ring for a festive centerpiece.

Festive Christmas Bread – A Cozy, Sweet Holiday Loaf Everyone Will Love

There’s something magical about pulling a warm, golden Christmas bread from the oven. This festive loaf is soft, lightly sweet, studded with dried fruit, and finished with a snowy vanilla glaze. It tastes like Christmas morning in every bite—perfect for brunch, gifting, or enjoying with a steaming mug of cocoa.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Rise 1 hour hr

Servings: 11 slices

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 290

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the Bread

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 packet 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup warm milk
• ¼ cup warm water
• ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp almond extract optional but amazing
• 1 cup mixed dried fruit cranberries, cherries, golden raisins
• 1 tbsp orange zest

For the Vanilla Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 –3 tbsp milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Holiday sprinkles optional but festive!

Method

 

Make the Dough

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add warm milk, warm water, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Stir until a soft dough forms.

Knead the Dough

1. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5–7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Knead in the dried fruit and orange zest.

First Rise

1. Place the dough into a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until doubled.

Shape & Bake

1. Punch down the dough and shape it into a round loaf or place it into a greased 9×5 loaf pan.
2. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30–35 minutes, until golden brown.

Glaze & Decorate

1. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Drizzle over the cooled bread and finish with sprinkles.

Notes

If your dough feels sticky, add 1–2 tbsp more flour at a time until it’s soft but manageable.

Swap dried fruit for chocolate chips for a kid-friendly version.

For extra richness, replace half the milk with eggnog.

Bread freezes beautifully—glaze after thawing for best results.

FAQ

Soft, Sweet & Perfect for the Holidays

This Festive Christmas Bread brings warmth, flavor, and a touch of holiday magic to your table. Perfect for sharing with loved ones or enjoying with a cup of cocoa. 🎄✨