Cranberry Orange Sweet Rolls are perfect for the holidays. Orange infused roll dough and icing top these homemade rolls that are filled with a cranberry sauce on the inside.
Sweet warm comfort food: the aroma of yeasty, warm sweet rolls are the best thing to wake up to in the morning!
Soft pillowy yeast dough: super soft buns filled with a sweet and tangy filling a the perfect fall cinnamon roll.
Seasonal flavors: orange and cranberry flavors are perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and winter.
🥘 Ingredients
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Dry active dry yeast
Large eggs
Oranges (for juice and zest)
Whole cranberry sauce
Orange extract
🔪 Instructions
To make the roll dough:
- In a mixing bowl, combine ½ cup flour, salt, yeast, and sugar.
- Whisk together egg, butter, and orange juice.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix to combine well. Dough will be wet and loose.
- Gradually add flour, ¼ cup at a time, until dough begins to take shape.
- Turn dough out onto floured board and knead in remaining flour, using more if needed.
- Lightly oil the bottom of a large glass measuring cup (I used a 2 cup measure), Place dough inside cup and flip over to coat with oil.
- Proof for 45 minutes to one hour.
To Assemble the rolls:
- When dough has doubled in size, turn out onto lightly floured board and roll into rectangle, approximately 6" x 4".
- Spread 1 tablespoon softened butter over top of dough then sprinkle with brown sugar.
- Top butter and brown sugar layer with cranberry sauce, spreading out to about ½" of the edge of dough.
- Roll dough, creating a spiral roll. When you get to near the end, pull up the other side and pinch together to seal.
- Cut into six equal pieces.
- Butter baking dish with unsalted butter.
- Place sweet rolls in baking dish and proof for 1 hour.
- Bake at 350 for 17-20 minutes, until browned.
While rolls are cooling, make the icing as follows:
- Combine melted butter, orange juice, orange zest, and orange extract, Mix well until completely combined.
- Spread over top of sweet rolls.
- Store any leftovers in covered container.
🥄 Equipment
Sharp knife , or unwaxed, unflavored dental floss
🥫Storage
Room temperature: Store Cranberry Orange Rolls at room temperature in an airtight container up to 5 days.
Freeze: Store in a freezer safe airtight container up to 3 months.
Reheat: gently reheat rolls in microwave for 15-20 seconds until warmed and soft.
📖 Variations
- Use jellied cranberry sauce in place of whole cranberry sauce.
- Any fruit filling can be used in place of cranberry sauce. Try cherries, blueberries, or apples.
💭 Tips
- When melting the butter, do not let it bubble. Melt it over low heat on the stove top in a small pan. I added the orange juice to the melted butter and let it warm a little also. If it is steaming, it is too hot. Make sure it is lukewarm before adding to your flour mixture.
- Use unwaxed, unflavored dental floss to easily cut the roll dough (instead of a knife).
📚 Related Recipes
You will love these Cranberry Chocolate Chip Muffins!
These Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies are perfect for the holidays.
Cranberry Upside Down Cake is a great brunch or dessert recipe.
Chocolate Hazelnut Orange Potstickers are a unique dessert that is a must try recipe.
These Raspberry Rhubarb Sweet Rolls are another delicious breakfast roll to try!
Everyone loves these Orange Blueberry Muffins!
🍽 Serve with..
Serve as brunch with hot coffee or tea or serve as dessert with a scoop of ice cream.
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📖 Recipe
Cranberry Orange Sweet Rolls
Equipment
- Wooden spoon
- Sharp knife , or unwaxed, unflavored dental floss
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
For the Roll
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 large egg , room temperature
- 2 tablespoons orange juice , room temperature
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
For the Filling
- ½ cup whole cranberry sauce
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
For the Icing
- ½ cup confectioners sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ⅙ teaspoon orange extract
Instructions
To make the roll dough:
- In a mixing bowl, combine ½ cup flour, salt, yeast, and sugar.
- Whisk together egg, butter, and orange juice.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix to combine well. Dough will be wet and loose.
- Gradually add flour, ¼ cup at a time, until dough begins to take shape.
- Turn dough out onto floured board and knead in remaining flour, using more if needed.
- Lightly oil the bottom of a large glass measuring cup (I used a 2 cup measure), Place dough inside cup and flip over to coat with oil.
- Proof for 45 minutes to one hour.
To Assemble the rolls:
- When dough has doubled in size, turn out onto lightly floured board and roll into rectangle, approximately 6" x 4".
- Spread 1 tablespoon softened butter over top of dough then sprinkle with brown sugar.
- Top butter and brown sugar layer with cranberry sauce, spreading out to about ½" of the edge of dough.
- Roll dough, creating a spiral roll. When you get to near the end, pull up the other side and pinch together to seal.
- Cut into six equal pieces.
- Butter baking dish with unsalted butter.
- Place sweet rolls in baking dish and proof for 1 hour.
- Bake at 350 for 17-20 minutes, until browned.
While rolls are cooling, make the icing as follows:
- Combine melted butter, orange juice, orange zest, and orange extract, Mix well until completely combined.
- Spread over top of sweet rolls.
- Store any leftovers in covered container.
