Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls (with Orange Sticky Topping)Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls

Have you seen my award-winning Old Fashioned Butterscotch Pecan Rolls yet? Well, cranberry cinnamon rolls are their fruity, delectable cousin. I bake these every year around the holidays and my family still goes ga-ga over them.

The funny thing about these sweet rolls, they have a long history in my family dating all the way back to my mother’s childhood on a farm in Nebraska. For ages, my mother’s side of the family indulged in the buttery, airy crumb created by allowing yeast to rise twice, long kneading, and upside down baking on a bed of sticky goodness.

Why You’ll Love These Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon roll dough topped with a homemade cranberry filling and baked to perfection- what’s not to love!

• Perfect for special occasions – These easy cranberry cinnamon rolls are perfect for the holiday season. Prep them Christmas Eve and they’re ready for the next morning.
• Something different – While I love homemade cinnamon rolls, this recipe takes plain cinnamon rolls up a notch with so much added flavor.
• Family favorite – This recipe is a fun twist on classic cinnamon buns, and it’s always loved by all who try it.

What You’ll Need

All of these simple ingredients can easily be found at your local grocery store.

• Active yeast – You will want one packet of active dry yeast (not instant yeast) in order to let the dough rise. Make sure the yeast is not expired and has been stored correctly.
• Whole milk – Instead of using warm water to activate the yeast, we use warm milk. Whole milk is ideal for the right fat content.
• Sugar – We want the dough to be just slightly sweet, and granulated sugar is the best way to do that.
• Coarse kosher salt – If using salted butter to make these rolls, you can omit this ingredient.
• Eggs -Eggs help to make the dough even richer and finer.
• Flour – Regular all purpose flour is all you need to make these cranberry cinnamon rolls.
• Vegetable shortening – Vegetable shortening provides the stability and fats we need for the dough, but prevents spreading like a butter would.
• Unsalted butter – I always prefer to use unsalted butter so that I can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
• Dark brown sugar – You could use light brown sugar if you’d like to, but I like the punch of molasses to counterbalance the cranberries.
• Cinnamon – You can’t have cinnamon rolls without cinnamon!
• Light corn syrup – This is what we use to help gain the consistency of the cranberry topping.
• Fresh cranberries – These are super easy to find in the produce section around the holidays. You can use frozen, just make sure to thaw them first. If you have leftovers make a simmer pot.
• Orange – We will use both the orange zest and fresh orange juice for the topping. I always prefer fresh juice to the bottled variety, and since you need the zest anyways, it works out perfectly.

Variations

There are several ways you can make these cranberry orange cinnamon rolls your own.

• Use leftover cranberry sauce – Instead of making the cranberry orange topping, use your leftover homemade cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving as a shortcut!
• Cream cheese glaze – If you want to make these more like regular cinnamon rolls, try topping them with a cream cheese frosting. Keep in mind they will be very sweet.
• Orange rolls – For even more orange flavor, you can add some orange extract to the bread dough itself.
• Orange icing – You could make an orange icing with powdered sugar, milk, and orange juice to drizzle on top.
• Extract – Add vanilla extract for a warm aroma or almond extract for a nutty flavor.
• Spices – Sprinkle in some nutmeg, cloves, or allspice.

How to Make Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls

While this is a labor of love, the end result is more than worth it!

1. Activate yeast. Heat milk in the microwave. Using the dough hook attachment, place the yeast, sugar, and salt in the bowl and stir. Add the hot milk and allow to sit until yeast has activated, bloomed, and smells fragrant. If it doesn’t bloom, the yeast is not active and you’ll need to start over.
2. Add remaining dough ingredients. Stir in the eggs and then half of the flour. Mix until the mixture is fully incorporated and the dough drapes off of the hook. Add in shortening and remaining flour. Continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
3. Allow dough to rise. Roll the dough into a ball and place it in a mixing bowl. Turn once to cover all exterior with cooking spray. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and set aside to rise. The dough will double in size.
4. Make cranberry topping. Combine the butter, sugar, corn syrup, cranberries, and the zest and juice one fresh orange. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the cranberries start to pop. 
5. Make cinnamon filling. In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
6. Add cranberry topping to dish. Spray the baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon the cranberry topping into the bottom, tipping the dish around until the bottom is fully covered.
7. Roll dough and top with cinnamon mixture. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a rectangle. Baste the dough with melted butter and sprinkle with the brown sugar mixture.
8. Slice rolls and add to pan. Roll the dough tightly from the short end. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut into equal slices. Place slices directly on a thin layer of cranberry-orange topping. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rise again.
9. Bake. Bake uncovered until the tops of the rolls reach a golden brown color.
10. Cool and flip over. Allow to cool, then place a serving platter. Using oven mitts, carefully and promptly turnover. If any of the topping sticks to the bottom of the dish, use a spatula to put it back on the rolls.

What to Serve with Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls

Because this is a breakfast recipe, some of my favorite things to serve these warm rolls with are other breakfast favorites. Bacon, sausage, or any other breakfast meats are great options.

You could also serve them with a breakfast casserole. Savory ones like Eggs Benedict Casserole or Hash Brown Sausage Casserole or even sweet ones like Cranberry French Toast Casserole are perfect.

Commonly Asked Questions

Cranberry Cinnamon Roll Recipe

4.56 from 9 votes

The BEST Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls are perfect for a holiday breakfast. Orange cranberry bread in sweet roll form is an award winning recipe!

Prep Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 2 hours hrs

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Servings: 12

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved! Rate this Recipe

Equipment

• 2 Deep 9-inch Pie Plate
• Stand Mixer
• 3- Quart Casserole Dish
• Rolling Mat
• Rolling Pin
• Instant Read Thermometer

Ingredients

Bread Dough:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 3 teaspoons active yeast or 1 packet
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 2 eggs , beaten
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening , melted

Filling:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter , melted
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Cranberry-Orange Topping:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 12 ounces fresh cranberries
• 1 orange , zested and juiced
• 1 teaspoon fleur de sel

Instructions

Cinnamon Rolls:

• Heat the 1 cup whole milk in the microwave for 1 minute (scalded milk)., using a digital thermometer, check the temperature to make sure it is between 105°-115°F to effectively bloom.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a bread hook, or a large mixing bowl, place the 3 teaspoons active yeast, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, stir. Add the scalded milk and allow to sit for approximately 10 minutes, or until yeast has activated, bloomed and smells fragrant. If it fails to bloom, then your yeast is no longer good or the milk was too hot and killed it. Start over.
• Stir in the 2 eggs and half of the the flour. Mix the dough using a bread hook until the mixture is fully incorporated and dough drapes off of the hook. Add in the melted 1/4 cup vegetable shortening and then the remaining flour. Continue to knead with the bread hook or hands until dough is smooth and elastic, approximately 3-5 minutes.
• Roll the dough into a ball and place into a large, well lubricated (cooking spray) mixing bowl. Turn once to cover all exterior with cooking spray. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and set aside to double in size which can take anywhere from 30-60 minutes. The target dough temp for rising is 75-78°F. Consider finding a sunny spot to set it in.
• Make the orange-cranberry topping and filling (below) at this time. For the filling: In a small bowl, stir together the melted 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt . For the topping: In a medium saucepan, combine the 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup light corn syrup, 12 ounces fresh cranberries and the zest and juice 1 orange. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and cranberries start to pop. Remove the heat. Set both aside.
• Spray a 9×13 rectangular baking dish or two 9-inch circular pie plates with cooking spray. Pour the cranberry topping into the bottom (s), tipping around until the bottom is fully covered.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a rectangle, approximately 14×22 inches. Evenly spread/spoon the brown sugar mixture over the dough.
• Roll the dough tightly from the short end. Using a sharp knife, cut into 12 equal slices (approximately 1.5 inches thick). Place the slices directly on thin layer of cranberry-orange topping (either all 12 in the 9×13 or 6 and 6 in pie plates). Cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rise for an additional 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F (350° if using a glass pan). Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. If the tops start to brown, loosely lay a piece of aluminum foil over top. Rolls are done when they register between 195-200°F using a digital thermometer.
• Allow the rolls to cool for 5 minutes (don't wait longer or the topping will stick). Place a serving platter that is at least 1-2 inches larger than your pan over the top. Using oven mitts, carefully and promptly turnover. If any of the topping sticks to the bottom of the dish, use a spatula to put it back on the rolls.
• If desired, sprinkle with a small amount of 1 teaspoon fleur de sel for a salty and sweet flavor.
• If you have tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings!

Notes

Storage: You can store any leftover cranberry cinnamon rolls in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap. 

Freezing: You can also freeze these orange cranberry cinnamon rolls. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then store in a freezer bag.

Note: If you get the topping on your counter tops, floor, etc, allow to cool and you should be able to easily peel it off. Not that I know from experience or anything….

Nutrition

Calories: 427 kcal, Carbohydrates: 75 g, Protein: 6 g, Fat: 11 g, Saturated Fat: 5 g, Cholesterol: 44 mg, Sodium: 277 mg, Potassium: 160 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 43 g, Vitamin A: 290 IU, Vitamin C: 9.6 mg, Calcium: 54 mg, Iron: 2.1 mg

Author: Chef Jessica Formicola

Calories: 427

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: christmas morning breakfast, cranberry cinnamon rolls, cranberry filling, cranberry orange cinnamon rolls, cranberry sticky buns, holiday brunch rolls, make ahead cinnamon rolls, sweet rolls, upside down cinnamon rolls

Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!

More Sweet Breakfast Recipes

Need more ideas for breakfast? Here are some of our favorites!

Breakfast

Banana Chocolate Blended Baked Oats

5 from 5 votes

Breakfast

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

4.72 from 14 votes

Breakfast

Apple Cinnamon French Toast

5 from 2 votes