These Cranberry Orange Rolls are soft, fluffy, and filled with sweet and tart cranberry sauce, then drizzled with a homemade orange glaze! They’re a fun holiday twist on classic cinnamon rolls and the perfect addition to your Christmas morning breakfast or holiday brunch.

The dough is infused with fresh orange zest for extra citrus flavor, while the cranberry filling adds the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness. Plus, these rolls can be prepared ahead of time, making holiday mornings a little easier!

If you have leftover orange cranberry sauce make my Cranberry Crumb Bars!

Shot of the roll in the middle of the baking dish with a spatula picking it up.

Everyone knows that there is nothing more classic than having cinnamon rolls on the holidays! This Christmas morning, mix things up with a fruity and citrusy cranberry orange rolls recipe! Just like with my Cranberry Orange Muffins cranberry and orange is an iconic flavor duo that perfectly complements each other. Plus, these rolls won’t end up tasting overly sweet thanks to the tart flavors!

The fluffy brioche dough combined with cranberry sauce and a sweet orange glaze makes an amazing breakfast that the whole family will love. Plus, you can set yourself up to make these ahead of time so that you will have your orange cranberry rolls ready in the morning!

Kelley Simmons

Why You’ll Love These Cranberry Orange Rolls

  • Soft and fluffy: The homemade yeast dough bakes up light, tender, and buttery with a hint of fresh orange zest.
  • Perfect balance of flavors: The tart cranberry filling pairs perfectly with the sweet orange glaze. They’re not overly sweet!
  • Great for holiday mornings: These festive rolls are perfect for Christmas breakfast, Thanksgiving brunch, or any holiday gathering.
  • Make-ahead friendly: Prep the rolls the night before and bake them fresh in the morning. Perfect for stress-free holiday entertaining!
  • A great way to use leftover cranberry sauce: Have extra cranberry orange sauce from Thanksgiving? Turn it into these delicious homemade sweet rolls!
Corner view of cranberry orange rolls in a white baking dish after being baked.

Ingredients

  • Instant Yeast: Helps the dough rise and creates soft, fluffy rolls. Since we’re using instant yeast, there’s no need to activate it beforehand!
  • Warm Milk: Adds moisture and richness to the dough. Make sure the milk is warm, not hot, so it doesn’t kill the yeast.
  • Unsalted Butter: Adds richness and helps keep the rolls soft and tender. I use melted butter, so there’s no need to soften it ahead of time.
  • All-Purpose Flour: Regular all-purpose flour works perfectly for making soft, fluffy rolls.
  • Sugar: Adds sweetness to the dough, balances the tart cranberry filling, and helps create soft, tender rolls.
  • Orange Zest: Adds a fresh, bright citrus flavor right into the dough. Be sure to zest only the orange part of the peel, not the bitter white pith.
  • Cranberry Sauce: You can use store-bought whole berry cranberry sauce or my Homemade Cranberry Sauce. I prefer whole berry sauce for the best texture and little bursts of cranberry flavor.
  • Orange Glaze: A simple mixture of powdered sugar, fresh orange juice, and orange zest adds the perfect sweet, citrusy finish.

How To Make Cranberry Orange Rolls

  1. Activate Yeast: Add yeast, warm milk and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes. Yeast should start to get foamy.
  2. Make Dough: Using the paddle attachment, add in the eggs and melted butter and stir to combine. With the mixer running on low, add in the flour, salt and orange zest.
Brioche dough in a stand mixer bowl with a dough hook.
  1. Knead: Switch to the dough hook and knead the dough for 6 minutes. The dough should start to form a ball. You can add up to 1/2 cup extra flour to keep the dough from sticking to the sides of the bowl too much.
  2. Allow Dough to Rest: Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl and cover with a dish towel. Allow the dough to rest until it has doubled (about an hour). A quicker way to speed up the process is to preheat the oven at 200 degrees and once it reaches that temperature, turn the oven off and add in your dough. The dough should take about 30 minutes to double in size.
  1. Roll the Dough: Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Transfer to a floured work surface and roll out the dough to a 14 x 24 inch rectangle. It doesn’t have to be perfect!
Dough being rolled into a rectangle with a rolling pin.
  1. Add Cranberry Sauce: Spread the cranberry sauce onto the dough, leaving an inch or two of space along the edges. Starting with the long side, roll up into a jelly roll.
Cranberry sauce on top of the brioche dough.
  1. Slice: Slice the roll into 12 pieces. Place in a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.
Cranberry rolls being sliced.
  1. Preheat: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven preheats, add in the rolls. This helps them to rest and rise.
Sliced rolls with cranberry filling into a white baking dish.
  1. Bake: When the oven reaches 350 degrees, set a timer for 35-40 minutes or until they are golden brown and not doughy in the center.
  2. Make the Glaze: While the cranberry rolls are baking, make you glaze. Combine powdered sugar, orange juice and orange zest in a small bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.
Orange zest, juice and powdered sugar whipped in a small bowl.
  1. Cool & Glaze: Allow the rolls to cool before drizzling with the orange glaze. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Orange cranberry rolls after being baked with a spatula picking one up.

Kelley’s Tips for the Best Cranberry Orange Rolls

  • Don’t add too much flour: The dough should be soft and slightly tacky. Add extra flour a tablespoon at a time only if needed. Too much flour can make the rolls dense instead of soft and fluffy.
  • Let the dough double in size: Rather than watching the clock, look for the dough to double during the first rise. The exact time will depend on how warm your kitchen is.
  • Use thick cranberry sauce: Make sure your cranberry sauce is completely cooled and thick enough to spread. A watery filling can leak out and make the rolls soggy.
  • Don’t skip the second rise: Once the rolls are shaped and placed in the baking dish, let them rise until noticeably puffy before baking. This helps create soft, fluffy rolls.
  • Use fresh orange zest: Freshly grated orange zest gives the dough and glaze a brighter citrus flavor.
  • Let the rolls cool slightly before glazing: Drizzle the orange glaze over warm rolls for a beautiful finish without having it completely melt off.
Orange glaze being spooned on top of a roll.

Cranberry Orange Rolls FAQ

Can I make cranberry orange rolls the night before?

Definitely! These orange cranberry rolls are great to make ahead so that you can pop them in the oven for breakfast the next day! Follow the recipe instructions until you put the sliced rolls into the baking dish before baking. Instead of baking, cover the dish with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. You can leave them in the fridge for up to 1 day. Then, take them out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature and bake as normal.

How do I know when my rolls are done?

Every oven is different so cooking time may vary. To make sure that the rolls are done in the middle, you can poke them with a fork and check the dough in between the rolls. If the dough is looking too soft, let them cook for a little longer!

Cranberry orange roll on a white plate with a glaze on top.

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    Close-up of freshly baked sweet rolls with a bright red fruit filling and drizzled with glaze, topped with lemon zest—an irresistible treat perfect to enjoy alongside a comforting bowl of Italian Gnocchi Soup.
    Recipe

    Cranberry Orange Rolls

    5 from 1 vote
    Cranberry Orange Rolls are about to be your new favorite holiday breakfast! Featuring a soft and fluffy dough infused with orange zest and a tangy cranberry filling, these delightful, seasonally inspired rolls are a family favorite!
    Author: Kelley Simmons
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Resting Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
    Serves 12
    Rate Print

    Ingredients 

    Orange Glaze

    • 1 cup powdered sugar
    • 2 tbsp orange juice
    • 1 tsp orange zest

    Instructions

    • Add yeast, warm milk and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes. The yeast should start to get foamy.
    • Using the paddle attachment add in the eggs and melted butter and stir to combine.
      With the mixer running on low add in the flour, salt and orange zest.
    • Switch to the dough hook and knead the dough for 6 minutes. The dough should start to form a ball. You can add up to 1/2 cup additional flour to keep the dough from sticking to the sides of the bowl too much.
    • Transfer the dough ball to a large greased bowl and cover with a dish towel.
      Allow the dough to rest until it has doubled (about an hour) A quicker way to speed up this process is to preheat the oven at 200 degrees and once it reaches that temperature turn off the oven and add in your dough. The dough should take about 30 minutes to double in size.
    • Once dough has doubled punch it down.
      Transfer the dough to a floured work surface.
      Roll out the dough to a 14 x 24 rectangle (it doesn't have to be perfect!)
    • Spread the cranberry sauce onto the dough leaving an inch or two of space along the edges.
      Starting at the long side roll up into a jelly roll.
    • Slice into 12 pieces.
      Place in a greased 9 x 13 pan.
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
      While the oven preheats add in the rolls (this helps them to rest and rise)
    • When the oven reaches 350 set timer for 35-40 minutes or until they are golden brown and not doughy in the center.
    • Allow the rolls to cool before drizzling with the orange glaze.
      Serve immediately and enjoy!

    Orange Glaze

    • While the cranberry orange rolls are baking make your glaze.
      Combine powdered sugar, orange juice and orange zest in a small white bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.

    Notes

    Don’t skip the resting time! This yeasted dough needs time to develop flavor and texture. So make sure that you let your dough rest until it has doubled in size!

    Nutrition Information

    Calories: 449kcalCarbohydrates: 84gProtein: 8gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 219mgPotassium: 127mgFiber: 2gSugar: 42gVitamin A: 351IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 3mg
    Close-up of freshly baked sweet rolls with a bright red fruit filling and drizzled with glaze, topped with lemon zest—an irresistible treat perfect to enjoy alongside a comforting bowl of Italian Gnocchi Soup.

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