Christmas Stollen Recipe

If you are looking for a Christmas bake that feels a little more special than the usual cookies and cakes, this Christmas Stollen is worth making. It has that cozy, old-fashioned holiday feel that’s perfect for Christmas breakfast, afternoon coffee, or gifting.

I first made stollen because I wanted something festive that I could prepare ahead. I was surprised by how much better the flavor and texture became after resting, and it quickly became a Christmas favorite.

There are a few simple tricks that make a big difference, especially for keeping the loaf soft and light. I’ll walk you through the recipe, helpful tips, and a few variations so you can make it at home with confidence.

Why You’ll Love This Christmas Stollen

Perfect for Christmas: It looks and tastes like a traditional holiday bake.

Rich but not overly sweet: The dried fruit and powdered sugar provide plenty of sweetness.

Soft, buttery crumb: The dough bakes into a tender, slightly dense bread.

Make-ahead friendly: The flavor develops nicely after resting.

Great for gifting: Wrap the cooled loaf in parchment and ribbon for an easy homemade gift.

No complicated decoration: A thick layer of powdered sugar is all it needs.

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¾ cup warm milk
• 1 large egg
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fruit Filling

• ¾ cup raisins
• ½ cup golden raisins
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup candied orange peel, finely chopped
• ½ cup sliced or chopped almonds

For Finishing

• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• ¾ cup powdered sugar, or more as needed

How to Make Christmas Stollen

1. Prepare the Dough

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg.

Add the warm milk, egg, softened butter, and vanilla. Mix until the ingredients come together into a soft dough.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 8 to 10 minutes. It should become smooth and elastic. If it feels very sticky, add a little flour, but avoid adding too much. A slightly soft dough gives you a more tender stollen.

2. Add the Fruit and Almonds

Flatten the dough slightly and scatter the raisins, golden raisins, cranberries, candied orange peel, and almonds over the surface.

Fold and knead gently until the fruit and nuts are evenly distributed.

Some of the fruit may try to escape while you’re kneading. That’s completely normal. Just tuck it back into the dough.

3. Let the Dough Rise

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap.

Leave it in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until it has noticeably increased in size.

The dough doesn’t always need to double perfectly. What matters is that it looks puffy and lighter.

4. Shape the Stollen

ransfer the risen dough to a lightly floured surface.

Shape it into an oval about 10 to 12 inches long.

For the traditional shape, use a rolling pin to make a shallow indentation slightly off-center down the length of the dough. Fold the thicker side over toward the indentation, creating the classic raised center.

Gently press the edges so the loaf keeps its shape.

5. Second Rise

Place the shaped stollen on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Cover loosely and let it rest for another 30 to 45 minutes.

While it rests, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

6. Bake

Bake for approximately 30 to 40 minutes, or until the stollen is golden brown and sounds slightly hollow when tapped.

If the top starts browning too quickly, loosely cover it with foil during the final part of baking.

7. Brush With Butter

As soon as the stollen comes out of the oven, brush the entire surface generously with melted butter.

Don’t skip this step. The butter adds richness and helps create that classic finish.

Let the loaf cool for about 10 to 15 minutes.

8. Add Plenty of Powdered Sugar

While the stollen is still slightly warm, coat it generously with powdered sugar.

I like to sift on one layer, let it settle for a few minutes, and then add another layer. It gives the loaf that beautiful snowy Christmas appearance.

Allow the stollen to cool completely before slicing.

My Tips for the Best Christmas Stollen

Don’t add too much flour: This is probably the easiest mistake to make with enriched bread dough. The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky rather than stiff.

Use warm, not hot, milk: Very hot milk can interfere with the yeast. The milk should feel comfortably warm.

Give the dough enough time to rise: Your kitchen temperature can make a big difference. On a cool day, the first rise may take longer.

Don’t overload the dough with fruit: It can be tempting to add extra dried fruit, but too much can make the loaf difficult to shape and cause it to break apart.

Brush with butter while warm: This gives the crust a richer flavor and helps the powdered sugar cling to the loaf.

Let it rest before serving: Freshly baked stollen is delicious, but I find the flavor becomes even better after it has had time to cool and rest.

Can I Make Stollen Ahead of Time?

Yes. In fact, I recommend it.

Once completely cooled, wrap the stollen tightly in parchment or plastic wrap and keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days.

The flavors have more time to come together, and the texture becomes wonderfully tender.

If you are making it for Christmas morning, baking it the day before is an easy option.

Variations

Almond Stollen: Increase the almonds slightly and add a small splash of almond extract to the dough for a stronger almond flavor.

Cranberry Orange Stollen: Use extra dried cranberries and orange zest instead of some of the raisins. This gives the loaf a bright, festive flavor.

Chocolate Stollen: Replace part of the dried fruit with chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate for a richer version that is especially good with coffee.

Marzipan Stollen: For a more traditional festive variation, place a log of marzipan down the center of the dough before folding and shaping it.

Storage Tips

Store cooled stollen tightly wrapped at room temperature for several days.

For longer storage, wrap it well and freeze it for up to about 2 months. Thaw it overnight at room temperature and dust with a little more powdered sugar before serving.

What to Serve with Stollen

Christmas Stollen is wonderful alongside:

• Coffee
• Hot tea
• Hot chocolate
• Mulled cider
• A simple Christmas breakfast spread
• Fresh berries
• Whipped cream

I especially like serving thin slices with a cup of coffee in the afternoon. The buttery bread, dried fruit, and powdered sugar are enough on their own.