Cinnamon rolls meets a citrusy sweet and tart twist. Soft, doughy cinnamon rolls flavored with orange zest and filled with cranberries. These cranberry cinnamon rolls go above and beyond to deliver all of the cozy deliciousness that you didn't know that you needed!
Baking is my thing - yours too? Check out these apple cider cinnamon rolls with browned butter frosting and these pear cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting!
When I think of cinnamon rolls, I think of Sunday mornings growing up. We'd get those Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls and pop them in the oven. Shortly after, the house would be filled with this heavenly smell and we'd stand in front of the oven waiting for the rolls to finish baking.
Well, now that I've kind of learned my way around the kitchen, I've decided to put my twist on this classic treat. From my apple cider cinnamon rolls to my pear cinnamon rolls, I think it's so much fun to add a little pizzazz to the mix. I've graduated and now I've made Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls just in time for Christmas.
Before we get started, I wanted to bring to your attention how amazing Calphalon's Nonstick Bakeware is. I've been using it for quite some time and I'm truly impressed. It's durable, dishwasher safe, and can withstand up to 500 degrees F in the oven.
In addition, it's nonstick coating takes the headache of worrying as to whether your baked goods will out of the pan/dish cleanly. Every single bake comes out perfectly in their bakeware and I just can't get over it. This set is my new go to for all of my baking needs. YES!
Let's get to the burning question - did you use fresh or canned cranberries for these Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls? FRESH!! Ok, I didn't need all of those exclamation points, but I kinda did. If I can source fresh ingredients, that's always going to be my default. However, I understand that fresh cranberries aren't always accessible. So, if need be - you can use frozen cranberries... or even canned if unable to find frozen.
Start by dissolving the active dry yeast in warm milk. Once the yeast is foamy, add it to the bowl of a stand mixer along with flour, sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract, and orange zest. Attach the dough hook and knead the dough for 10 minutes. Dough should pull away from the bowl and be slightly tacky to the touch.
Allow dough to rise for 1 ½ to 2 hours - it should double in size.
While the dough is rising, make the filling. If using my cranberry sauce recipe, simply follow those instructions (found HERE). If using cranberry jam or canned cranberry sauce, slightly heat it so that it's spreadable.
Once the dough has risen, roll the dough out onto a well floured surface and roll into a 12 x 18 rectangle. Trim off any excess dough. Spread the cranberry filling all over the dough and roll the dough into a log. Using a serrated knife, cut 1 inch rolls and place into a Calphalon Nonstick 9-inch round cake pan.
Let the rolls rise again for 30 minutes and then bake for 25-30 minutes. The cranberry cinnamon rolls are almost ready!
Make the orange icing by combining powdered sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and melted butter. (Hint: this stuff is SO good. It's my favorite part)
This blog post and recipe for Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls with Orange Icing was made in partnership with Calphalon! I received compensation in exchange for this work. My opinions on their products are genuine. If I didn't love their products, I would certainly mention it! Thanks for your continued support!
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Let's stay connected on social media and continue to cook together! Also, if you decide to make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and leave a comment below! Tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can see your creations! I hope that you love this recipe as much as we do!
This recipe turned out fantastic! The orange icing was so good and the rolls were nice and soft.