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Cranberry Orange Sweet Rolls

Cranberry orange sweet rolls in a white baking dish, topped with a light glaze.
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Cranberry Orange Sweet Rolls are soft, fluffy, and filled with tangy homemade cranberry-orange jam, topped with a bright citrus glaze. Perfect for holiday mornings, brunches, or gifting.

  • Author: Emily
  • Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: 12 rolls 1x
  • Category: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale
  • ¾ cup whole milk (warm, 95°F)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2¼ tsp instant dry yeast
  • 4¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 3 large eggs (room temperature)
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tsp orange zest (for dough)
  • 4 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (for filling)
  • ¼ cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 tsp orange zest (for filling)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp orange juice (for glaze)
  • 2 tsp orange zest (for glaze)

Instructions

  1. Combine warm milk, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix flour, cornstarch, and salt.
  3. Add eggs to the milk mixture, then add dry ingredients with the mixer on low. Increase to medium until dough forms.
  4. Add softened butter and orange zest gradually, mixing for 10 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides.
  5. Knead on a floured surface into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise 1.5–2 hours.
  6. Meanwhile, make the jam: combine cranberries, sugar, orange juice, and zest in a saucepan. Simmer for 15 minutes, then cool.
  7. Punch down dough, roll into an 18×18 inch square, spread jam leaving a 1-inch border.
  8. Roll into a log, seam down, and slice into 12 pieces.
  9. Place slices in a greased 13×9-inch pan, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.
  10. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake rolls 35–40 minutes until golden brown.
  11. Let cool for 10 minutes, then glaze: whisk powdered sugar, orange juice, and zest. Drizzle over rolls.

Notes

  • Use canned whole cranberry sauce to save time.
  • Make ahead by refrigerating unbaked rolls overnight.
  • Ensure milk is not hotter than 100°F to avoid killing the yeast.
  • You can freeze baked or unbaked rolls for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://recipeshots.com/cranberry-orange-sweet-rolls-dessert/