Cranberry Orange Rolls With Orange Cream Cheese Icing

These cranberry orange rolls include soft homemade dough filled with a spiced cranberry orange filling and finished with orange cream cheese icing. It’s simultaneously sweet, zesty, and mouthwateringly delicious.

This cranberry orange sweet roll recipe brings together the best of my orange rolls and cranberry cinnamon rolls. It’s the perfect indulgent breakfast, snack, or dessert to enjoy this holiday season when fresh cranberries are in abundance.

Now, don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you. You know I like to keep things simple and easy around here and I promise that these homemade cranberry orange rolls aren’t difficult to make. We start with homemade dough made with baking essentials like flour, yeast, milk, butter, sugar, salt, and eggs.

The next step is our cranberry orange filling. Y’all, this filling is SO good. It’s the perfect flavorful combination of zesty orange juice and zest, warm spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves), brown sugar, and tart cranberries. That sounds ridiculously delicious, right?

Once we roll out our dough, we spread it with our filling and shape it into cinnamon rolls. Once they rise, it’s time to bake and make our orange cream cheese icing. Made with cream cheese, butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, and orange juice, it’s so sweet and creamy with just a touch of orange flavor to complement the fresh cranberry filling. Spread your cream cheese frosting all over those cranberry orange rolls and you’re ready to roll!

I hope you get to make these this festive season and share them with your friends and family. The soft dough paired with the flavorful filling and the creamy frosting will have them begging for seconds!

Recipe Ingredients

Dough

• Flour
• Active dry yeast
• Milk
• Unsalted butter
• Sugar
• Salt
• Eggs

Filling

• Fresh cranberries
• Brown sugar
• Orange zest
• Orange juice
• Cornstarch
• Vanilla
• Ground cinnamon
• Ground cloves (optional)
• Ground nutmeg (optional)
• Salt

Icing

• Cream cheese
• Butter
• Vanilla
• Powdered sugar
• Orange juice

How to Make Cranberry Orange Rolls With Orange Cream Cheese Icing

Prep the Dough

In a mixing bowl, combine 1.5 cups of flour and yeast. Set aside.

In a saucepan, heat the milk, ⅓ cup of butter, sugar, and salt until 120 degrees F. Remove from heat and stir until the butter is melted.

Add the yeast mixture to the milk mixture.

Mix on low, using a regular paddle, adding the eggs one at a time.

Change the mixer attachment to the dough hook.

Beat the dough at low, adding the remaining flour a little at a time.

Increase speed to medium until a soft dough forms (approximately 3 minutes).

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, turning once to coat both sides. Cover with a clean dish towel.

Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled like so (about 1.5 hours).

Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a floured surface. Cover and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the Filling

Combine the filling ingredients.

Roll the dough into a rectangle, approximately 20 inches by 10 inches.

Spread the dough with the cranberry mixture, leaving a 1-inch space on one long edge without filling.

Starting on the long side, roll the dough up, working it tightly but without pulling the dough too much.

Seal the long edge by pinching it shut.

Cut the dough into 12 even slices by cutting the dough in half, cutting those halves in half, and then the quarters into three slices each.

Place each roll in a large baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, allowing about one inch between them.

Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes or until doubled.

TIP: Before allowing the final rise, rolls may be tightly covered and placed in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and allow to rise before baking.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Prep the Icing

While the rolls bake, combine the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla, stirring until well blended.

Stir in the powdered sugar and then add the orange juice a little at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.

Remove rolls from the oven and spread with icing.

How good does that look?

No wait, that’s better!

Enjoy your cranberry orange cinnamon roll with that delicious orange glaze. You deserve it.

Storage

• Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. I recommend serving them warm and you can quickly reheat them in the air fryer, oven, or microwave.
• You can also freeze leftover cranberry orange sweet rolls for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before reheating as above.

Recipe Notes

• You can use fresh or frozen cranberries in the cranberry orange jam filling.
• If you remove the cream cheese from the icing, you’ll have yourself an orange glaze. Then, if you substitute the orange juice for milk or heavy cream, you have yourself a simple vanilla glaze. Take your pick!
• If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can mix the dough by hand, it’ll just give your muscles a good workout!
• For added texture, add 1/3 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts to your filling.
• If you have leftover zest, add a couple of teaspoons to the cream cheese icing. Because is there any such thing as too much orange flavor?

Recipe FAQs

Can you make cranberry orange rolls in advance?

Yes, you can make cranberry orange rolls up to 24 hours ahead of time. Follow the directions up until you allow the rolls to rise. Cover the baking dish in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge overnight. Then let them come to room temperature (about an hour) before baking and continuing to make the icing.

Can I make mini cranberry orange rolls?

Absolutely! If you want to make mini cranberry rolls, follow the directions on my orange rolls post.

You may also like these cinnamon-spiced treats:

Cinnamon Twists

Easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Stuffed Cinnamon Toast Sticks

Easy Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls

Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls