Joanna Gaines Shared the Breakfast She Makes Every Christmas for Her Family & We Have the Recipe

Joanna Gaines shared more than just her Thanksgiving menu in the 2023 special edition of Magnolia Journal—she also shared the recipe that her family looks forward to every Christmas morning.

“These cinnamon squares have been a holiday favorite of ours for years,” Gaines wrote in the Magnolia Journal issue. “When we make them at home, it’s typically all hands on deck because it’s really a labor of love—but I think we all agree that the bit of extra effort required for these cinnamon squares makes them all the more delicious.”

Noted as the “best iteration of a cinnamon roll” that the Gaines family has ever tasted, here’s the recipe for Jo’s Cinnamon Squares that’s sure to become one of your favorite seasonal breakfast bites, too.

Jo’s Cinnamon Squares

Prep: 45 minutes

Rise: 1 hour

Bake: 25 minutes

Makes: 24 squares

Dough

• 1/4 cup warm water (105° to 115°F)
• Two 1/4-ounce packets active dry yeast
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups milk, warmed
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, melted and cooled, plus softened butter for the dough and pans
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

Filling

• 2 cups pecan halves
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) salted butter, cut into pieces and chilled
• 2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Egg Wash

1. In a large bowl, stir together the water, yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let stand until foamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the remaining sugar, milk, butter, eggs and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until well blended. Add the flour and stir until the dough comes together. Rub softened butter on top of the dough and around the bowl. Cover and let stand in a warm spot for 1 hour.
2. To make the filling: In a food processor, combine the pecans, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon and process until the mixture is well blended and paste-like (do this in two batches if necessary).
3. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Generously dust a work surface with flour. Punch down the dough and place it on the work surface. Roll it out into a 16 x 24-inch rectangle.
5. Spoon two-thirds of the filling mixture over the dough. Spread it to cover the dough to the edges. Starting on a short side, fold the sheet of dough in half, pressing the two short sides together to make sure they stick together and to flatten it slightly (you’ll have a roughly 14 x 16-inch rectangle).
6. Spoon the remaining filling on top of the dough and spread it to cover the dough. Starting at a short side, fold the dough in half, bringing the two short sides together to cover the filling. Use your hands to flatten the rectangle and “smoosh” it into an approximately 12 x 18-inch rectangle.
7. Use a chef’s knife to cut the dough into 24 roughly 3-inch squares. Arrange the squares on the prepared pan so that they are touching. Brush the tops of the squares with beaten egg.
8. Bake until lightly golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot.
9. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

It’s important to note that this recipe is high in added sugar, exceeding our own recommended nutrition parameters. Cutting these squares into smaller bites would help reduce the sugar quantity in each serving. Or you could play around with reducing the amount of sugar added to the recipe, especially in the filling. Another option is to use a sugar replacement, like allulose, for some of the sugar in this recipe.

With that said, at EatingWell we believe that any food or drink can be enjoyed in a healthy eating pattern when done in moderation—and this yearly tradition is a great example of that. Gaines also notes on her blog that she loves to eat these cinnamon squares with eggs. This is a good idea not only for added nutrition, but the protein in the eggs will also help slow down how quickly the squares are digested, which may help prevent a large spike in blood sugar.

We think these squares would make a great gift, as well, cut into small bites and nestled into tins with other goodies to share with neighbors, co-workers, family and friends. Our Pecan Tartlets, Ginger Molasses Cookies and Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies would be delicious additions to a baked goods gift.