An undeniable waft of nostalgia hits you with sweet and spicy scent of fresh baked cinnamon rolls. Maybe it brings back memories of your Grandma’s homemade cinnys on Christmas morning. Or perhaps, if you’re like me, it takes you back to your high school job at the mall.
I worked long holiday shifts while being taunted by intermittent whiffs of under-baked Cinnabon drifting through the mall corridors. While these Cranberry Orange Spice Rolls don’t smell quite like a mall, which is probably a good thing, they do take me back to those wintery days working at Northtown Mall.
Let’s set the scene. I was working at a shoe store that sold knockoff versions of trendy 90s shoes. Think Spice Girls white platform sneakers, Clueless inspired, Cher-esque baby doll heels and dip dyed bridal shoes to match the occasion. It was a real scene. My best friend and I would drive our late 70’s Toyotas 40+ minutes in the snow only to be forced to park at another, less popular mall, and ride a shuttle to our mall. We worked grueling holiday hours under a non-stop loop of cherry holiday music from Black Friday to Christmas Eve.
Our only solace from the long lines and demanding customers were Cinnabon dates on our 15 minute breaks. We’d meet up, split a micro-warmed, ooey-gooey, 1000 calorie cinnamon roll and exchange customer horror stories. Then we’d head back into the retail battlefield with the weight of the Cinnabon to keep us grounded.
As I read through this, it all sounds pretty awful, but there was something about the cinnamon rolls and collective misery that now brings a twinkle to my eye.
I just can’t help but reflect on my mall days anytime I make or eat a cinnamon roll. It’s high time to make some new memories! Enter my Cranberry Orange Spice Rolls. This recipe is robust. I have included all kinds of step-by-step images so you can successfully recreate these rolls. My partners from Bob’s Red Mill even helped me put together a recipe video to show you how fun it is to roll out these rolls! Watch below.
The rolls start out like start standard cinnamon rolls, but take a more seasonal and festive twist with a cranberry sauce filling. The base starts with 2 of my favorite tried and true Bob’s products, Bob’s Red Mill Organic All Purpose Flour and Bob’s Red Mill Active Dry Yeast. Bob’s flour is the baseline for 90% of my baked goods and the yeast is what gives these rolls their perfect puff.
Bob’s Red Mill Organic All Purpose Flour and Active Dry Yeast are the foundation of these sweet rolls. They give the rolls structure and rise. 
The yeast is activated with a mix of warm butter, milk and honey before the flour and the rest of the dry ingredients are added into the mix.
There are 3 components to the Cranberry Orange Spice Rolls
- The Dough – a yeasted dough enriched with butter and mascarpone cheese.
- The Filling – a quick and easy, homemade orange cranberry sauce spiced with cardamom and cinnamon.
- The Icing – a creamy, mascarpone icing tinted pink with reserved cranberry sauce.
I’m not going to tell you that these Cranberry Orange Spice Rolls are the easiest of recipes. But, I will say that they are totally attainable and absolutely worth the effort. They’re just the right amount of challenge when you want to step outside of your cookie comfort zone and try something different.
The dough needs to go through 2 rises but don’t worry, it’s easy.
The first rise happens once the dough comes together into a boule (ball). It needs 90+ minutes to rise. 
Once shaped, the rolls need to rise again a second time before baking. This rise only takes 30 – 45 minutes.
Because the dough needs to rise twice, it takes some planning. The simple, enriched yeasted dough comes together quick with the aid of a stand mixer. Once it’s shaped into a boule (or ball) it will need to hang out for 90+ minutes for the first rise. That’s almost enough time to run to the mall.
Once the Cranberry Orange Spice Rolls are shaped, they’ll need to proof again for about 30 – 45 minutes before baking. So, they do take some time, but the actual hands-on time isn’t much.
The filling is just an easy homemade cranberry sauce.
The orange spice cranberry sauce filling is a simple mix of fresh or frozen cranberries, brown sugar, juice from an orange, water, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks and cardamom. That all simmers together on a stovetop for about 10 minutes. 
Once the cranberry orange spice filling has thickened, remove it from the heat an stir in fresh orange zest for brightness.
The cranberry sauce filling gives these rolls a tart and fresh flavor. The simple filling cooks up in just 10 minutes. All you do is simmer down some fresh or frozen cranberries with the juice of an orange, water, brown sugar, cardamom and cinnamon sticks. The juice of the fresh orange and brown sugar balance the tart cranberries with sweetness. Fresh orange zest is stirred in post-simmer for a bright punch of citrus.
The Mascarpone Icing is a hybrid of a classic cinnamon roll icing and Cream Cheese Frosting. AKA, the best of both worlds.
The Mascarpone Icing only has 4 ingredients. Mascarpone, a splash of milk, powdered sugar and reserved cranberry sauce for color. 
All of those ingredients whisk together and the reserved cranberry sauce gives the Mascarpone Icing it’s pretty pink hue. 
The Cranberry Mascarpone Icing should be thick enough to spread but not heavy.
I find myself torn between classic, simple glazed Cinnamon Rolls and Cream Cheese Frosted Cinnamon Rolls. These Cranberry Orange Spice Rolls have a Mascarpone Icing so they are like a hybrid of the two. The best of both worlds! The creamy mascarpone isn’t as heavy as cream cheese but it adds something a little more interesting than just a sweet, thin glaze. It’s got just a bit of tang from the mascarpone and a sweet pink hue thanks to a kiss of reserved cranberry sauce.
Assembling these Cranberry Orange Spice Rolls is bound to get messy. Just roll with it.
Don’t let the assembly scare you. This part is the most fun! The dough is sturdy and rolls out easy peasy into an 18″ x 12″ rectangle. Then, all you have to do is spread it with that cooled cranberry sauce.
When you go to roll, you just start from the bottom and roll on up. Move slow and try and keep that roll as tight as possible. Before you know it, you’ll have a Cranberry Orange Spice Roll log. Just slice the log into 12 rolls and place them in the prepared pan to proof up before baking.
Once baked, you ice those cuties up while they are still a little warm. That way you get the full, served-warm Cinnabon experience without messing with the mall.
This year, I say skip the mall and roll your own. Maybe keep the 90s vibe alive with a Spice Girls playlist while you bake? If you’re feeling festive, turn up Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas” on repeat. I don’t want a lot for Christmas. There is just one thing I need…Cranberry Orange Spice Rolls.
This post was made in partnership with Bob’s Red Mill. Follow Bob’s Red Mill on Instagram and Facebook or check out bobsredmill.com to shop their impressive lineup of flours, whole grains, seeds, and so much more.
Thank you for supporting me and the brands that I love! ?
The Cranberry Orange Spice Roll dough is enriched with whole milk, butter and some mascarpone. All of these add flavor and make for tender rolls. 
The dough is a bit sticky at first but the dough hook of a stand mixer will bring it all together. 
Once the dough starts hugging the dough hook, it is ready. 
This sweet roll dough is supple and easy to handle once it comes together.
Don’t be a scardie spice, this dough is easy to handle. Slam your dough down and wind it all around.
Step 1: Give it a good pat. 
Step 2: gather the dough into a large dumpling shape by grabbing all sides and pinching it together at the top. 
Step 3 – turn that dumpling over and start rolling it around between your hands. 
Step 4 – as you roll the dough into a boule, gently press in to the surface to create tension as you rotate the boule around on a center pivot point between your hands. 
Then transfer that boule to an oiled bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let sit for 90+ minutes to rise.
Here’s a story from A to Z.
Step 1 – transfer the dough to a clean surface and use your hand to pat it down into a rough, rectangle shape. 
Step 2 – Use a rolling pin to roll dough out to 18″ wide by 12″ tall. 
Step 3 – Add the cooled Cranberry Orange Spice filling to the center of the rolled dough. 
Step 4 – Use an offset spatula to spread the filling out to the edges, leaving a 1/2″ border across the tope edge. 
Spread the Cranberry Orange Filling evenly across the surface.
Rolling with the homies.
Step 5 – Start at the long side, closest to you and begin rolling up from the bottom. 
Step 6 – Keep rolling into a log until you get all the way to the top, stop when you hit that bare overhang. 
Step 7 – Pinch the overhang dough together with the log to form a seal. 
Step 8 – Cut the dough into 12 equal rolls by first dividing it in half. then divide each half in half and cut those 4 into 3rds. 
Step 9 – Arrange the Cranberry Rolls in a 3×4 gird in a greased casserole dish. 
Step 10 – Let those lovelies rise again, until they are nice and puffy. About 30 – 45 minutes.
It’s getting hot in here. Let’s bake!
Once baked, you’ll be hypnotized by these Cranberry Orange Spice swirls. 
Once they’ve cooled down enough, spread those those swirly rolls holiday cheer. Just slather it on, no need to be posh.
All I want for Christmas is…
These Icing Cranberry Orange Spice Rolls look so much prettier than their mall based cousins. 
So, tell me what you want, what you really really want. 
These Cranberry Rolls with Mascarpone Icing are messy and that’s the way I like it.
All I want for Christmas is you, Cranberry Orange Spice Rolls with Mascarpone Icing.
There is magic in those rolls. 
This is the ideal Christmas morning breakfast. 
Get it while it’s warm!
Cranberry Orange Spice Rolls
- Total Time: 25 hours
- Yield: 12 rolls
Description
These soft and tender Cranberry Orange Spice Rolls are rolled up with a spiced orange, cardamom and cranberry filling then topped with a creamy dreamy, pink mascarpone icing.
Ingredients
Yeasted Roll Dough
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (- divided)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 cup mascarpone (- softened)
- 2 large eggs (- at room temperature)
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoons neutral oil for bowl
Spiced Cranberry Filling
- 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries (- about 3 cups)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 med – large orange (- zested and juiced)
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 2 sticks cinnamon (- or 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon)
Mascarpone Icing
- 1/2 cup mascarpone
- 1 tablespoons whole milk
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons cranberry juice (- reserved from filling)
Instructions
Yeasted Roll Dough
- In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Remove 2 tablespoons of melted butter and set aside for greasing pan. Whisk in the milk and honey, warm to 100° – 110°F.
- Add the yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer and stir in warmed butter and milk mixture. Allow to stand until it begins to bloom and become foamy, about 10 minutes.
- Add the mascarpone, eggs, flour, sugar and salt. Attach the dough hook and knead the dough on medium speed for 5-8 minutes. The dough will be very sticky and soft (thanks to all that buttery goodness). Once the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and cling to the hook, gently remove it (a bowl scraper or spatula comes in handy here). Transfer the dough to a very lightly floured surface. Shape the dough into a round-ish boule (ball) shape with your hands.
- Lightly oil a large mixing bowl then place the dough boule (ball) into the oiled bowl. Loosely cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and store in a warm area for about 1 1/2 – 2 hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is, until the dough ball doubles in size.
- Using the reserved melted butter, generously butter a 9" x 13" ceramic or glass casserole dish or metal cake pan and set aside for later.
Orange Spiced Cranberry Filling
- Combine cranberries, brown sugar, water, 1/4 cup juice from the orange, cardamom and cinnamon sticks in a small pot and bring to an aggressive simmer over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring often, until the cranberries burst. Reduce heat to a low and allow to simmer until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat, remove cinnamon sticks and stir in the orange zest.
- Place a strainer over a small mixing bowl and pour the cranberry sauce into the strainer. Some juice should strain through naturally but if the sauce is really thick, you may need to to encourage some juice to strain by gently pressing the cranberries with a spatula until you've squeezed about 2 tablespoons of juice through the sieve. Set aside the sauce and the juice aside to cool separately.
Assemble & Bake
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and use your hands to gently shape it into a rectangle with the long side nearest to you. Using a rolling pin, gently roll out to an 18" x 12" rectangle with an even thickness somewhere in the 1/4" range. Try and roll out the dough as evenly as possible, avoiding any super thin spots.
- Spread the cooled cranberry filling evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving 1/2" border at the top and a 1/4" border on the other 3 sides. Starting at the long side, nearest you, slowly start rolling the dough up towards the top border in a tight log.
- Pinch the ends of the dough together to create a seam all the way down the length of the log. Then roll the seam to the bottom.
- Using a bench knife or bread knife, divide the dough directly in half. Then cut each log in half again so you have 4 logs. Divide each of the 4 logs into 3 even slices for 12 total rolls.
- Transfer the cut buns to the prepared baking dish. Arrange the buns, cut side up in a 4×3 grid, relatively close to each other with the seams facing inward towards each other.
- Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and allow the buns to rise in a warm area of your kitchen until almost doubled in volume, between 30 – 45 minutes depending on how warm your kitchen is.
- Preaheat oven 350°F. Place the risen rolls in the oven and bake for 25-30-ish minutes. They should puff up in the pan and have a light golden color.Set aside to cool down while you prepare the Mascarpone Icing.
Mascarpone Icing
- Whisk together mascarpone, milk and reserved cranberry sauce. Add sifted powdered sugar. Whisk until smooth. You want the icing to be almost runny but thick and spoonable. If it's too runny, add more powdered sugar.
- While the Cranberry Spice Buns are still warm, pour on the Mascarpone Icing and use an offset spatula to spread it in an even layer across the surface of the buns. Enjoy while still warm with a hit cup of coffee!
Notes
*Store rolls, covered, in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
*To rewarm, cover with foil and warm in a 300° F oven for a few minutes.
*You can sub jam instead of the cranberry sauce, you will need 1 1/2 cups of jam.
- Prep Time: 24 hours 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
