Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls

This post is sponsored by Le Creuset and Pampelonne. As always, all opinions and recipe are my own.

 Sweeten up any holiday morning gathering by serving dairy-free Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls! The dough of buns is speckled with fresh cranberries, and the gooey cranberry-maple filling adds the right amount of sweetness to this brunch piece de resistance! Topped with a sweet-and-tart Blood Orange Icing, Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls are a festive, one of a kind recipe for Thanksgiving Brunch, Christmas breakfast or any morning that needs pizzazz.

When I was a kid, my basketball team always practiced on Friday nights.

After practice most Friday nights, we’d have an impromptu sleepover with friends, hitting up our favorite frozen yogurt place that was right next to the video store on the way home. Movie and yogurt in hand, we’d head home and stay up half the night, chatting about everything under the sun after the movie was long done.

The next morning, my parents would bake Orange Cinnamon Rolls for our motley crew of girls.

More cinnamon roll (and cinnamon roll-inspired) recipes to try: Strawberry Cinnamon Breakfast Buns | Cinnamon Roll Pancakes | Walnut Sticky Buns with Cream Cheese Icing | Gooey Cinnamon Rolls

Y’all remember those ones, right? They cane in tube that always popped at the wrong moment and scared everyone in the near vicinity, no matter how prepared they were for the noise.

Those Orange Cinnamon Rolls were a part of our Saturday routine for what felt like years. And while my sister and I enjoyed them for a long while, I can’t think about them anymore without my stomach turning a bit.

Quite honestly, they’re kind of like my childhood overindulgence on brownies, which led to me boycotting brownies for entirely too long.

Those rolls were really orange-y—in an artificial kind of way—and overwhelmingly sweet.

And as a kid, obviously, that was my jam.

But as an adult, I’ve learned that I can only take so much sweetness, especially when it comes to breakfast or brunch.

So today, I’m teaming up with my friends at Le Creuset and Pampelonne to bring y’all Sugar Pink Boozy Brunch with some naturally sweet and utterly indulgent CRANBERRY CINNAMON ROLLS!

The idea behind this brunch is two-fold.

Le Creuset just released their gorgeous Sugar Pink Matte Collection. (Umm, hi, I’d like one of each!) And Pampelonne, the makers of natural, bright and balanced canned wine cocktails that come in the cutest packaging, have three tasty flavors to up the ante for ANY brunch tablescape!

In these photos, you’ll spot the Le Creuset Heritage Pie Dish and Deluxe Round Trivet in the Sugar Pink Matte, as well as the whole Pampelonne collection!

So. Let’s talk about these gorgeous Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls.

They’re sweet—naturally so—and tart, thanks to the large amount of cranberries used in the dough and filling. There’s a little bit of orange-y goodness in them, too, but when combined with the cranberries, it’s not overwhelming.

Not only are the cinnamon rolls sticky and slightly sweet, but when drizzled with the Blood Orange Frosting—which features Pampelonne Blood Orange Spritz—everything comes together.

And they add such a nice sweet twist to our Thanksgiving brunch!

If you’re not a cranberry lover, this recipe probably isn’t for you because it tastes like cranberries (and cinnamon roll, obvs. But very cranberry-y.)

If you’re not, I highly suggest checking out my Strawberry Cinnamon Breakfast Buns or Walnut Sticky Buns.

But if you are, I have a feeling you’re gonna adore this combination because it sings of holiday flavors. Scroll on down to check out the recipe!

I think these cinnamon rolls will make you incredibly happy all season long!

Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls

Erin Parker, The Speckled Palate

Sweeten up any holiday morning gathering by serving dairy-free Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls! The dough of buns is speckled with fresh cranberries, and the gooey cranberry-maple filling adds the right amount of sweetness to this brunch piece de resistance! Topped with a sweet-and-tart Blood Orange Icing, Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls are a festive, one of a kind recipe for Thanksgiving Brunch, Christmas breakfast or any morning that needs pizzazz. 

5 from 1 vote

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Servings 16 rolls

Calories 278 kcal

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Rise Time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Dough

• 1 cup unsweetened cashew milk or another non-dairy milk
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 4 cups all-purpose flour divided
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 oranges zested
• 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup fresh cranberries

Filling

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ½ cups fresh cranberries chopped

Blood Orange Icing

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup Pampelonne Blood Orange Spritz

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Instructions

 

Make the Dough

• Measure the cashew milk and coconut oil in a glass measuring cup. Microwave until the oil has melted.
• Pour the warm milk/oil mixture into the bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment.
• Add 1 cup of the flour, as well as the vanilla extract, orange zest, sugar, egg, yeast and salt. Beat on low for around 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of bowl.
• Add the rest of the flour to the dough. Mix on low until the dough comes together and feels tacky, then add the cranberries. If dough is extremely sticky, add flour by the tablespoon until the dough comes together and pulls away from sides of bowl.
• When it is of the right consistency, turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky. (This should take around 8-10 minutes.) Form into ball.
• Spray a large glass bowl with nonstick spray, and transfer the dough into the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then a kitchen towel, and move to a warm place in your house.
• Let the dough rise until doubled in volume. (Mine took about two and a half hours, though it can take less time if your house is very warm.)

Make the Filling

• In a medium-sized bowl, combine the brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt. Stir until combined. Chop the cranberries in a food processor and set them aside. Do not mix the cranberries into the filling yet because the mixture will become watery.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down in the bowl, and then transfer onto a floured work surface.
• Roll the dough into a rectangular shape that is about ½” thick rectangle.
• Spread the filling mixture evenly on top of the dough, leaving a ½” border.
• Sprinkle the chopped cranberries on top of the filling evenly.
• Starting on a long side, roll the dough into a log, pinching gently to keep it rolled. Be gentle with the dough, and keep in mind that this part can get messy. (You’ve been warned! But it’s totally worth it.) Pinch the seal closed gently.
• With the seam side down, cut the dough crosswise with a sharp knife into 18 slices. I’ve found that making a cut in the middle, then making cuts in the middle of those (and so on and so forth) is the easiest way to get evenly-cut rolls.
• Let the dough rise for another 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size. Please note that the filling will get gooey during this stage. Don’t fret if a lot of it is in the bottom of the pan!
• Easy entertaining tip: If you want to make these buns in advance, transfer them to the fridge at this point. Bring them out 1-2 hours before baking, let them come to room temperature and complete their second rise.

Bake the Cinnamon Rolls + Make the Icing

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• When the oven has preheated, place the baking dishes in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are golden, then remove from the oven.
• While the rolls are cooling, make the Blood Orange Icing.
• In a medium-sized glass bowl, mix the Blood Orange Spritz with powdered sugar and whisk until smooth.
• When rolls have cooled slightly, serve individually, and drizzle the icing on top of the rolls. Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe adapted from my Strawberry Cinnamon Breakfast Buns.

If you don't like using coconut oil, you may replace it with the same amount of another flavorless oil (like vegetable or canola oil.) If you can eat dairy, you can replace it with the same measurement of unsalted butter.

Note that the prep time includes rising time and rest time.

If you make these the night before, put them in the refrigerator in the baking dishes BEFORE the second rise. The morning of, be sure to pull them out of the fridge in time to do their second rise. This will take a little longer, as they'll be cold, so allot about an hour and a half for them to sit out and rise, then bake as directed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1rollCalories: 278kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 4gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 207mgFiber: 2gSugar: 31g

Keyword Breakfast, breakfast recipe, cinnamon, cinnamon rolls, holiday, holiday baking, holiday breakfast, holiday brunch, homemade bread, homemade cinnamon rolls, homemade sweet rolls, sweet rolls

Course Breakfast & Brunch

Cuisine American

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Do you remember those Orange Cinnamon Rolls, too?

Do you think you’d dig these Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls?