The combination of my many recipe tests for these orange sweet rolls + the availability of (and my addiction to) Dutch baked goods + the boyfriend-tulip-man’s birthday this week have created what can best be described as a sweet tooth explosion in our fridge. Which like…obviously I’m not complaining about. But you can definitely expect a salad of sorts as our next recipe.

But for now, let’s embrace the sweet. While I’ve always had an irrational fear of any baking requiring yeast/rising/putting my hard work into the hands of fate, these Cranberry Orange Sweet Rolls are pretty fool-proof. We’ll make some dough, let it rise, roll it out, sprinkle it with a killer cran-orange combo, roll it up, slice, and rise again. Refrigerate overnight or bake straight away and boom, sweet rolls.

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Cranberry Orange Sweet Rolls

Make these Cranberry Orange Sweet Rolls for brunch this weekend! With no complicated steps, they’re an easy, fluffy, gooey breakfast solution that everyone will love. Plus, they’re vegan!

Course Baked Goods, Breakfasts, Desserts

Diet Dairy-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Occasion Birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Game Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day

Time 60 minutes or more

Prep Time 3 hours

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes

Calories 386 kcal

Author Live Eat Learn

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 cup almond milk 236 mL
• 3 Tbsp butter 42 g, can sub dairy-free alternative, melted
• 1 packet instant yeast 7 g, aka rapid rise yeast
• 1 Tbsp sugar 14 g
• ¼ tsp salt 1.5 g
• 1 Tbsp orange zest zest of about 2 mandarin oranges
• 2 ½-3 cups all-purpose flour 312 to 375 g
• Oil for greasing bowl

Filling

• 2 cup fresh or thawed cranberries 195 g, roughly chopped
• 2 Tbsp orange juice or juice from 1 mandarin orange
• ½ cup sugar 100 g

Icing

• 1 cup powdered sugar 100 g
• 2 Tbsp orange juice or juice from 1 mandarin orange
• 2 Tbsp melted butter or Greek yogurt 28 g, can sub dairy-free alternatives
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 5 mL

Instructions

1. Heat almond milk and 3 Tbsp of the butter in a saucepan until lukewarm (not boiling!), or heat in microwave in 30 second intervals.
2. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast into milk mixture, then stir in sugar, salt, and orange zest.
3. Stir 2 cups of flour into the milk mixture, then add more flour, a heaping tablespoon at a time, until dough forms a loose ball (it should be moist, but not so sticky that it sticks to your finger if you poke it).
4. Transfer dough to a clean, floured surface and knead for about a minute, until you have a smooth ball.
5. Rinse out the bowl you made the dough in and lightly grease it (with butter or vegetable oil). Set dough in the bowl, cover bowl with plastic wrap, lay a tea towel over the bowl, and set in a warm area to rise for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.*
6. Meanwhile, make the filling. Strain excess moisture from chopped cranberries by patting with a paper towel, then combine cranberries, orange juice, and sugar. (Add a touch of flour if your mixture is very runny)
7. On a floured surface, roll dough into a thin rectangle, about 10 x 14 inches (25 x 35 cm). Spread cranberry mixture evenly over dough.
8. Gently and tightly roll the dough from the widest edge of the rectangle.
9. To cut the rolls, a string of floss works best. Work a string of floss under the roll (a partner may be helpful for lifting the roll), then cross your hands in opposite directions over the roll, almost like you’re going to tie a knot, to make a clean cut. Should make 8 to 10 rolls.
10. Transfers rolls to a parchment paper-lined or greased cookie sheet or pan, and cover with plastic wrap.** Let rise another 30 minutes while oven preheats.
11. Bake at 350 degrees F (176 C) for about 30 minutes, until tops are lightly browned.
12. Combine all icing ingredients. Pour or spread over hot cinnamon rolls.

Notes

• *I like to heat my oven to the 200 degrees F (93 C), then turn it off and set dough inside. Makes for a faster rise!
• **At this point you can refrigerate overnight. In the morning, set them out for 30 minutes then bake according to instructions.
• These are really great fresh out of the oven AND the next day. After a night in the fridge, the icing gets absorbed, creating a gooey custard-like consistency in the bottom of the rolls. Good luck trying not to eat them ALL in one sitting!
• Adapted from Minimalist Baker’s Easy Cinnamon Rolls.

Nutrition Facts

Cranberry Orange Sweet Rolls

Amount Per Serving (1 roll)

Calories 386 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 12g 18%

Sodium 112mg 5%

Total Carbohydrates 64.4g 21%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Protein 5.5g 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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