Orange Cranberry Rolls
Orange Cranberry Rolls are one of my favorite Easy Bread Recipes because they look like they took hours to make, but frozen bread dough does most of the work. Filled with dried cranberries and finished with a sweet orange glaze, they’re the kind of recipe I love serving when I want homemade results without spending all day in the kitchen.
These orange cranberry pull-apart rolls bring a little something extra to any breakfast or brunch. They’re soft, lightly sweet, and easy to share, making them just as fitting for holiday gatherings as a lazy Sunday morning at home. Whether you’re serving family or friends, don’t expect leftovers.
My Orange Cranberry Rolls remind me that baking doesn’t always have to start from scratch. I love making this Homemade Rosemary Bread from scratch, but there are plenty of days when frozen bread dough is one shortcut I’m always happy to use. No one has to know there’s a shortcut involved unless you decide to tell them.
This pull-apart bread has become one of my favorite recipes to serve for holiday breakfasts and weekend brunches because they always disappear fast. We like to enjoy them with my Ham and Broccoli Breakfast Casserole or add them to this Easy Breakfast Charcuterie Board to round out the menu with a little something sweet.
Orange Cranberry Rolls
Soft pull-apart yeast rolls become something extra special with the addition of fresh orange zest, dried cranberries, and a sweet citrus glaze. The bite-size pieces have the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors, while the tender texture makes it hard to stop at just one.
Using frozen bread dough means you can spend more time adding those homemade touches instead of making dough from scratch. The result is an easy orange cranberry monkey bread with homemade flavor and very little hands-on work.
Time-Saving Tips and Variations
Using frozen bread dough keeps these rolls easy to make, and a few simple tips will help them turn out their best. If you’d like to change them up, there are a couple of variations that work well without changing the recipe too much.
- Plan ahead for the dough. Frozen bread dough needs time to thaw and rise, so be sure to allow enough time before you plan to bake.
- Kitchen scissors make prep easier. They’re the quickest way to cut each dough ball into even pieces.
- Zest the orange before juicing it. It’s much easier to remove the zest while the orange is still whole.
- Don’t skip the second layer of orange sugar. Sprinkling the remaining orange sugar over the dough after it rises helps coat the rolls evenly and adds even more citrus flavor.
- Swap the dried cranberries. Dried cherries are a delicious substitute if you’d like to change the flavor while keeping the same sweet and fruity combination.
- Add chopped pecans or walnuts. Sprinkle them over the dough with the cranberries before baking for a little crunch in every bite.
- Serve them warm. The glaze settles beautifully into each piece while they’re still slightly warm, making every bite extra delicious.
Whether you stick with the original recipe or try one of the easy variations, they’re sure to become a favorite for breakfast, brunch, or whenever you’re craving a homemade baked treat.
What to Serve with Orange Cranberry Rolls
These sweet rolls pair well with everything from hearty breakfast casseroles to fresh fruit and lighter brunch favorites. Whether you’re serving them as part of a larger meal or enjoying them with a hot cup of coffee, it’s easy to build a menu everyone will love.
However you choose to serve them, these rolls add a touch of homemade goodness to the table. Keep the rest of the menu simple and let the fresh orange and cranberry flavors do the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Since frozen bread dough needs time to thaw and rise, you can plan ahead so the rolls are ready to bake when you need them. Once baked, they’re best enjoyed the same day, but leftovers store well for another day or two.
Yes. Let the rolls cool completely before wrapping them tightly and freezing for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm them gently before serving.
Dried cranberries work best because they add sweetness without extra moisture. Fresh cranberries can be quite tart and may release liquid as they bake, changing both the texture and flavor of the rolls.
Store any leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. If you’d like to keep them a little longer, refrigerate them and warm individual portions for a few seconds before serving.
Recommended Kitchen Tools
You don’t need any fancy equipment to make this recipe, but a few basic kitchen tools will make prep much easier. Most of these are probably already in your kitchen.
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife or kitchen scissors
- Mixing bowls
- Citrus zester
- Citrus juicer (optional, but helpful)
- 9×13-inch baking dish
- Small whisk
- Cooling rack
Ingredients for Orange Cranberry Rolls
You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make these sweet citrus rolls. Frozen bread dough keeps the prep easy, while fresh orange and dried cranberries add plenty of homemade flavor.
- Frozen bread dough – Frozen dinner rolls, thawed according to package directions.
- Orange – Fresh orange zest and juice give the rolls and glaze their bright citrus flavor.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar combines with the orange zest to coat the dough before baking.
- Dried cranberries – Adds chewy texture and a sweet-tart flavor throughout the rolls.
- Glaze – Whisk together powdered sugar, fresh orange juice, and milk for a simple finishing drizzle.
How to Make Orange Cranberry Rolls
Prepare the dough. Thaw the frozen dinner rolls until soft, then cut each roll into quarters.
Assemble the rolls. Toss the dough pieces with half of the orange sugar mixture and the dried cranberries. Spread evenly in a greased 13×9-inch baking dish.
Let rise. Cover and let the dough rise until doubled in size, then sprinkle the remaining orange sugar mixture over the top.
Bake. Bake until the rolls are golden brown and cooked through. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
Glaze and serve. Whisk together the glaze ingredients, drizzle over the warm rolls, and serve.
If these Orange Cranberry Rolls were a hit, be sure to try my Maple Bacon Monkey Bread next. It’s another easy breakfast recipe that’s perfect for sharing, with the irresistible combination of sweet maple and savory bacon baked into every pull-apart bite.
Orange Cranberry Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Rolls:
- 12 frozen dinner rolls
- ½ cup sugar
- Orange zest from one large orange or 2 med. oranges (reserve about 1 teaspoon for glaze)
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
For the Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
Prepare the rolls:
- Thaw Rhodes Bread dough balls on a greased pan, cover with greased plastic wrap, just until soft enough to cut in pieces. Non-stick spray works well.
- Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick spray.
- Once the dough is soft enough, cut rolls in quarters. Kitchen scissors work well for this but a knife can easily be used. Put quartered rolls in prepared pan.
- In a small bowl, combine sugar and orange zest (reserve a teaspoon for the glaze.)
- Sprinkle half of the sugar mixture over rolls in pan, reserve the other half of the sugar mixture for later. Gently toss the rolls around to coat them with the sugar and orange mixture.
- Pour the melted butter over the rolls.
- Cover pan with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- While oven is heating sprinkle remaining sugar mixture and cranberries over rolls.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes. If you find that the rolls are getting too brown before they are finished baking, cover with a piece of aluminum foil.
- Remove from oven when done, and let cool about 15 minutes.
Prepare the glaze:
- While rolls are cooling prepare the glaze by mixing the owdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest, together until smooth.
- Drizzle glaze over rolls and serve.
Nutritional Disclaimer
“Blogghetti” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
2026 Alphabet Challenge
The 2026 Alphabet Challenge continues with another month of alphabet-inspired recipes from a talented group of food bloggers. This time, the spotlight is on the letter “O,” bringing a variety of delicious recipes that either begin with the letter or feature an ingredient that does.
Don’t forget to check out the 2025 Alphabet Challenge and the 2024 Alphabet Collection for even more recipe ideas. Now, let’s see what’s on the menu for the letter “O!”
- A Day in the Life on the Farm: Apple Cider Old Fashioned
- Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: BBQ Deviled Eggs with Crispy Fried Onions
- Messy Kitchen: Gumbo-laya Stew
- Sneha’s Recipe: Okra / Bhendi Sabzi
- Food Lust People Love: Marinated Apéro Olives
- Culinary Cam: Olive Oil-Cured Chevre-Filled Cigarillos
- Sizzling Tastebuds: Onion and Olive Oil Focaccia with Sea Salt
- Magical Ingredients: Onion Swirls
- Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Orange Blueberry Waffles
- Mayuri’s Jikoni: Pumpkin Olan
Enjoy!
Easter at our house means brunch, so I make various variations of pancakes, apple cinnamon happens to be our favorite.
We usually have a ham dinner on Easter.
We go non-traditional, since none of us like ham. We prefer dining on either roast beef or corned beef.
Easter has to have a ham. We always make a ham, and usually potatoes, green beans, rolls, etc. The side dishes switch-up every year, but the ham is always there.
I make cinnamon rolls every Easter and we always have a good spiral ham. I love ham and we really only have it for Easter, I can’t wait.
The recipes that I traditionally prepare for easter is quiche and my grandmother’s cocoa gravy and biscuits. Thanks for this gracious giveaway opportunity!
For Easter we like to get a honey baked ham and then make cauliflower salad, steamed green beans, yams and rhodes rolls.
We usually have a spiral ham but we also make a small turkey for people who don’t care for ham and potato salad,green beans with bacon,home made rolls.There is usually a cobbler or apple crisp. It depends on how many brought a new dish to try.
I usually fix Ham and scalloped potatoes for Easter.
We like to have a ham with green bean casserole and a potato dish. We also love Rhodes rolls!
We always make the bunnies using the yeast recipe.
Actually, I’m in a rut with what I make for Easter. There’s always the ham with the basic sides, and now that my last daughter has moved out, I think we’ll be doing Easter at her place this year. I’d love to try some of these recipes to surprise her!
We usually have a smoked ham, but this year I am planning a fresh ham, mac n cheese, green, and cresent rolls. I may also have corn on the cobb as well. Your pull apart rolls look wonderful and may replace my cresents. TFS
Love, love, love this! So easy and totally delicious! And really makes life easier for get togethers.