Best Cranberry Cinnamon Buns Recipes

CRANBERRY ORANGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Mix warm milk, sugar, and yeast together in a small bowl until dissolved. Set aside and allow yeast to proof until foamy.
• Whisk eggs and cooled melted butter together in a bowl and set aside.
• Whisk 2 cups all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Pour yeast mixture into flour mixture and stir gently to combine. Mix in egg mixture and continue to stir until a sticky dough forms.
• Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in remaining 1/2 cup all-purpose flour a little at a time until dough is no longer sticky. Continue kneading until dough is smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes, using additional flour if necessary. Place dough into a greased bowl and turn to coat. Cover and place in a warm, draft-free area. Allow dough to rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, combine cranberries, brown sugar, orange juice, orange zest, cornstarch, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to bubble and thicken slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow filling to cool to room temperature.
• Line a 9x13-inch baking pan and a 6-inch cake pan with parchment paper and lightly grease both pans.
• Turn risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out into a rectangle approximately 21x14 inches. Place cranberry filling on the dough leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Roll dough up starting at a long side. Pinch ends to seal dough and lay seam-side down on a cutting board. Use a very sharp or serrated knife to cut into 15 rolls, each about 1 1/4-inch thick. Place rolls cut-side up in the prepared pans, 12 in the baking pan and 3 in the cake pan.
• Loosely cover pans and allow rolls to rise until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven until buns are golden brown on top, 22 to 27 minutes. Allow to cool in the pans for several minutes before transferring to a serving plate.
• Whisk confectioners' sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt together in a bowl until smooth. Add more cream to thin or more sugar to thicken, if needed. Pour glaze over slightly warm rolls before serving.

BEST CINNAMON ROLLS

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm milk. In another bowl, combine sugar, butter, eggs, salt, yeast mixture and 2 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky)., Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Punch down dough; divide in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 portion into an 11x8-in. rectangle. Brush with 2 tablespoons butter; sprinkle with half the brown sugar mixture to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut into 8 slices; place in a greased 13x9-in. pan, cut side down. Cover with a kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350°., Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Cool on wire racks., For frosting, beat butter, cream cheese, vanilla and salt until blended; gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Spread over tops. Refrigerate leftovers.

CRANBERRY-ORANGE CINNAMON ROLLS

Steps:

• Make the dough: Heat the water to 100 degrees F in a bowl in the microwave. (It should feel warm but not too hot.) Sprinkle the yeast and 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar over the top and stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk the flour, milk powder, salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Whisk the melted butter and egg yolks into the yeast mixture, then pour into the well and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together into a shaggy ball.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, dust with more flour and knead, adding more flour as needed, until smooth but still slightly sticky, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the dough to a buttered bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Make the filling: Mix the granulated sugar, brown sugar, dried cranberries and cinnamon in a small bowl. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, pat and roll out into a 10-by-18-inch rectangle. Mix the orange zest into the butter, then spread over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border on one long side. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar and lightly press into the butter. Brush the clean edge with water, then tightly roll up the dough into a log, starting with a long side and rolling toward the clean edge; pinch the seam to seal.
• Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and lightly sprinkle with granulated sugar. Slice the dough log into 12 pieces and arrange cut-side up in the dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour, or you can refrigerate overnight, then in the morning let stand at room temperature 2 hours before baking.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover the rolls and bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes in the baking dish.
• Meanwhile, make the icing: Beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat until combined. Beat in the cranberry sauce. Spread a thin layer on the warm cinnamon rolls; serve with the remaining icing.

CRANBERRY SWEET ROLLS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring 3/4 cup sugar and water to a boil. Add cranberries; return to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until cranberries begin to pop, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes longer or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in orange zest; cover and chill. , In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the next six ingredients, the remaining sugar and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn the dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl; turn once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down. Roll into a 15x10-in. rectangle; brush with butter. Spread cranberry filling over dough to within 1 in. of edges. Roll up, jelly roll style, starting at a long side. , Cut into 15 slices; place, cut side down, in a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. , Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan 5 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool. , In a small bowl, beat cream cheese frosting ingredients until smooth; spread the frosting over the warm rolls.

CRANBERRY CINNAMON BUNS

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Stir together warm water, yeast, and a pinch of the sugar in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over.)
• Put 5 cups flour, salt, and remaining sugar in bowl of electric mixer and mix with dough hook at low speed until combined. Whisk together milk and eggs in a small bowl, then add to dry ingredients along with yeast, beating at low speed until flour is incorporated. Beat at medium speed until a very soft dough forms, about 2 minutes. Add butter and continue beating at medium speed until dough is smooth, soft, and elastic, about 4 minutes (it will be quite sticky).
• Rinse a large bowl with hot water. Add dough to wet bowl and cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Prepare filling:
• Bring water and 1 cup granulated sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add cranberries and simmer just until they begin to burst, about 2 minutes. Pour through a large sieve into a bowl and cool berries, reserving syrup for another use (such as a flavoring for seltzer).
• Form and bake buns:
• Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and dust with flour, then roll out into a 16-inch square.
• Brush off excess flour, then spread evenly with butter with a small metal offset spatula.
• Stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, and remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar and sprinkle evenly over dough. Dot dough evenly with drained cranberries, then sprinkle with nuts if using.
• Beginning with side nearest you, roll up dough, firmly but not tightly, into a log, then pinch seam to seal. Trim 1 inch off each end with a large knife and discard, then cut log crosswise into 12 slices.
• Arrange slices, cut sides up, in buttered cake pans (place 1 slice in center of each pan, then evenly space 5 more around it). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F while buns are rising.
• Bake buns in lower third of oven until puffed and golden, 30 to 35 minutes, then cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes.
• Make glaze:
• Stir together confectioners sugar and milk with a fork until smooth. Drizzle over buns while still hot.
• Serve buns warm or at room temperature.