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Perfect Cranberry Orange Sweet Rolls: Easy Holiday Breakfast

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These Perfect Cranberry Orange Sweet Rolls for Holiday Breakfast are everything you want on a cozy December morning. The dough is soft and pillowy, filled with a tart-sweet cranberry filling that gets a bright pop from fresh orange zest, all topped with a tangy cream cheese glaze.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 ½ cups (440g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (240ml) warm milk (whole milk preferred)
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons (one packet) active dry yeast
  • 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups (200g) fresh or frozen cranberries
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar (for filling)
  • ¼ cup (60ml) orange juice (freshly squeezed)
  • 2 tablespoons orange zest
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened (for filling)
  • 4 oz (113g) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) orange juice (for glaze)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Make the dough: In a small bowl, combine warm milk and 1 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle yeast on top and let sit 5-10 minutes until foamy. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, remaining sugar, and salt. Add melted butter, egg, and yeast mixture. Stir until a shaggy dough forms. Knead with dough hook on medium-low for 6-7 minutes (or by hand for 8-10 minutes) until smooth and slightly tacky. Shape into a ball, place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise in warm spot for 1-1.5 hours until doubled.
  2. Make the cranberry filling: While dough rises, combine cranberries, sugar, and orange juice in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until cranberries pop and mixture thickens. Stir in orange zest and let cool completely.
  3. Assemble the rolls: Punch down risen dough and roll into a 12×18-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Spread softened butter evenly over dough, leaving 1-inch border along one long edge. Spread cooled cranberry filling over buttered area. Starting from the long edge opposite the border, roll dough tightly into a log. Pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 equal pieces (about 1.5 inches each). Place cut-side up in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise 30-4…
  4. Bake the rolls: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake for 22-25 minutes until golden brown and filling is bubbly. Tent with foil if browning too quickly. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.
  5. Make the glaze and serve: Beat softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, orange juice, and vanilla together until smooth. Pour glaze over warm rolls. Serve warm.

Notes

Cool the cranberry filling completely before spreading on dough to prevent a sticky mess. Use unflavored dental floss to cut rolls cleanly. For make-ahead: assemble rolls, refrigerate overnight, let sit at room temperature 30-45 minutes before baking. For gluten-free: use 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. For dairy-free: use plant-based butter, milk, and cream cheese.

Nutrition

Keywords: cranberry orange sweet rolls, holiday breakfast, cinnamon rolls, sweet rolls, Christmas breakfast, cranberry rolls

Find it online: https://chloeplate.com/perfect-cranberry-orange-sweet-rolls-easy-holiday-breakfast/