Description
This Cranberry Orange Sweet Rolls recipe combines the tartness of fresh cranberries with the bright, zesty flavor of oranges in a soft, fluffy sweet roll dough. Perfect for a festive breakfast or holiday treat, these rolls are filled with a buttery cranberry-orange mixture and finished with a tangy orange glaze.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 1 cup milk
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 packet rapid rise (or instant) yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 large egg
Filling
- 1/3 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 2 cups cranberries
Syrup
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 orange, zested and juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon clove
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1/2 tablespoon orange zest
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: Warm the milk until lukewarm, then melt the butter. In a large bowl, combine the milk, melted butter, yeast, 2 cups of the flour, sugar, salt, orange zest, and egg. Mix until combined.
- Knead the Dough: Gradually add the remaining 2 cups of flour and knead the dough on a floured surface until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes.
- First Rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Prepare the Filling: In a bowl, combine softened butter, granulated sugar, orange zest, and fresh cranberries. Mix until well combined.
- Shape the Rolls: Roll the dough into a large rectangle on a floured surface. Spread the cranberry-orange filling evenly over the dough. Roll up the dough tightly from the long edge and cut into 12 equal rolls.
- Second Rise: Place the rolls in a greased baking pan and cover with a cloth. Let them rise for another 30 minutes until puffy.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
- Make the Glaze and Serve: While the rolls bake, prepare the glaze by whisking powdered sugar, vanilla, melted butter, milk, orange juice, and orange zest until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over warm rolls before serving.
Notes
- Use fresh cranberries for the best texture and flavor.
- For a sweeter roll, increase the sugar in the filling slightly.
- Ensure milk is just warm, not hot, to avoid killing the yeast.
- You can freeze unbaked rolls after the second rise and bake them later.
- Adjust the glaze consistency with additional milk if it’s too thick.
