Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls
Serves 16
30 mins prep
25 mins cook
180 mins Rise Time
235 mins total
Sweeten up any holiday morning gathering by serving dairy-free Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls! The dough of buns is speckled with fresh cranberries, and the gooey cranberry-maple filling adds the right amount of sweetness to this brunch piece de resistance! Topped with a sweet-and-tart Blood Orange Icing, Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls are a festive, one of a kind recipe for Thanksgiving Brunch, Christmas breakfast or any morning that needs pizzazz.
Dough
Filling
Blood Orange Icing
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Make the Dough
Measure the cashew milk and coconut oil in a glass measuring cup. Microwave until the oil has melted.
Pour the warm milk/oil mixture into the bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment.
Add 1 cup of the flour, as well as the vanilla extract, orange zest, sugar, egg, yeast and salt. Beat on low for around 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of bowl.
Add the rest of the flour to the dough. Mix on low until the dough comes together and feels tacky, then add the cranberries. If dough is extremely sticky, add flour by the tablespoon until the dough comes together and pulls away from sides of bowl.
When it is of the right consistency, turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky. (This should take around 8-10 minutes.) Form into ball.
Spray a large glass bowl with nonstick spray, and transfer the dough into the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then a kitchen towel, and move to a warm place in your house.
Let the dough rise until doubled in volume. (Mine took about two and a half hours, though it can take less time if your house is very warm.)
Make the Filling
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt. Stir until combined. Chop the cranberries in a food processor and set them aside. Do not mix the cranberries into the filling yet because the mixture will become watery.
Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down in the bowl, and then transfer onto a floured work surface.
Roll the dough into a rectangular shape that is about ½" thick rectangle.
Spread the filling mixture evenly on top of the dough, leaving a ½" border.
Sprinkle the chopped cranberries on top of the filling evenly.
Starting on a long side, roll the dough into a log, pinching gently to keep it rolled. Be gentle with the dough, and keep in mind that this part can get messy. (You've been warned! But it's totally worth it.) Pinch the seal closed gently.
With the seam side down, cut the dough crosswise with a sharp knife into 18 slices. I've found that making a cut in the middle, then making cuts in the middle of those (and so on and so forth) is the easiest way to get evenly-cut rolls.
Let the dough rise for another 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size. Please note that the filling will get gooey during this stage. Don't fret if a lot of it is in the bottom of the pan!
Easy entertaining tip: If you want to make these buns in advance, transfer them to the fridge at this point. Bring them out 1-2 hours before baking, let them come to room temperature and complete their second rise.
Bake the Cinnamon Rolls + Make the Icing
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
When the oven has preheated, place the baking dishes in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are golden, then remove from the oven.
While the rolls are cooling, make the Blood Orange Icing.
In a medium-sized glass bowl, mix the blood orange juice with powdered sugar and whisk until smooth.
When rolls have cooled slightly, serve individually, and drizzle the icing on top of the rolls. Enjoy!
