This delicious cherry-filled candy cane braided bread is drizzled with sweet vanilla icing! This sweet bread is the perfect treat for the holidays. The best part? It’s a 90-minute recipe!
This is just one of many recipes that I make using this same sweet dough recipe. If you like this one, you might also like these homemade bread recipes:quick-rise pumpkin cinnamon rolls, lemon sweet rolls, or quick-rise cinnamon rolls.
Watch our step by step video!
I have a slight problem with baking an insane amount of goodies during December. And yes, I’ve already started! Here is a sneak peek into my busy kitchen!
Years ago a friend gave us a beautifully braided tree pastry as a Christmas gift. It was made out of sweet dough, filled with cinnamon and sugar, braided to look like a tree, then drizzled in vanilla glaze. She added maraschino cherries after baking to look like ornaments. It was so fun and delicious too.
Inspired by her creativity, I made a cherry-filled candy cane braided bread for our family to enjoy!
How To Make a Braided Candy Cane Loaf
The inside of the braided bread is filled with cherry pie filling—my FAVORITE. So yummy. Drizzled in vanilla glaze and topped with extra cherry pie filling, it is a fun and festive treat. And since it is made with 90-minute sweet dough, it is really quick to make as well!
Cherry Candy Cane Braided Bread Recipe
(scroll down for printable version)
Ingredients
3/4 cup milk
1/4 c. butter softened
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
1 T. instant yeast
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup water
1 egg
1 can cherry pie filling
Vanilla Glaze (recipe below)
Instructions
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then removeit from the heat. Mix in butter; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt; mix well. Add water, egg and the milk mixture; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. (Note: You can use a stand mixer with a dough hook, or use a danish dough hook (my favorite kitchen tool) to make your dough. Either way works, it’s a pretty simple dough to make.)
- When the dough has just pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, 2-3 minutes.
- Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.
Roll out dough into a 15×10 inch rectangle.
Transfer dough to a greased baking sheet and spoon pie filling down the center, about 3″ wide.
Cut strips down each side of the dough, just to the filling.3/4″-1″ wide.
Begin folding sides over each other, alternating left to right. Press down to seal ends.
You can leave it as is, or shape into a candy cane braided bread.
Stretch loaf out to about 20″ long and fold down to form candy cane shape.
Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes then drizzle with vanilla glaze.
Cherry Christmas Loaf
This delicious cherry filled candy cane braided bread is drizzled witha sweet vanilla icing! It's the perfect treat for the holidays.
4.63 from 16 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 1 hour hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
0 minutes minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 371kcal
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp. instant yeast
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 large egg
- 1 can cherry pie filling
Vanilla Glaze
- 2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup butter or margarine melted
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2-4 Tbsp. hot water
Instructions
Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in butter; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt; mix well. Add water, egg and the milk/yeast mixture; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition.
When the dough has just pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, 2-3 minutes.
Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.
Roll out dough into a 15×10 inch rectangle.
Transfer dough to a greased baking sheet (or parchment paper lined baking sheet) and spoon pie filling down the center, about 3″ wide.
Cut strips down each side of the dough, just to the filling. 3/4″-1″ wide.
Begin folding sides over each other, alternating left to right. Press down to seal ends.
(You can leave it as is, or shape into a candy cane.)
Stretch loaf out to about 20″ long and fold down to form candy cane shape.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes then drizzle with vanilla glaze.
Vanilla Glaze: Mix powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla. Stir in water, 1 T. at a time until smooth.
Drizzle over warm loaf of bread.
Notes
For a quick alternative, use puff pastry dough.
Nutrition
Calories: 371kcal
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
