Brioche Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls

Just in time for the winter holiday celebrations, brioche cranberry cinnamon rolls are a make-ahead dream!

Using Foodal’s own collection of recipes, each component of these fluffy pastries can be made in advance before assembling and baking, ultimately leading to a perfectly timed end result.

If you’re always as strapped for time as I am, with multiple jobs and a family to care for, you can understand the necessity for managing a strict schedule, with no time to waste!

Vertical top-down image of freshly baked cinnamon rolls in a casserole dish, with text in the middle and on the bottom of the image.

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Even when you’re trying to maintain the honored traditions of the family during the holidays, there’s still a way to work smart… and not hard!

One of my favorite childhood memories is waking up to freshly baked pastries on special mornings, made by my sweet and incredibly talented mother.

My brothers and I would tumble down the stairs with excitement when we would wake up to the aromas of buttery, sweet baked goodies.

Vertical close-up image of rows of cinnamon rolls with a red fruit swirl, half of them frosted, in a casserole dish.

We’d enjoy Danishes on Christmas Day, blueberry muffins on birthdays, crisp strudel on Thanksgiving, and so many more delights.

Even now, when I visit my parents, I’m still greeted by the same loving embraces as I open the front door – in the form of a hug from mom and dad, and the cozy aroma of warm bread.

Vertical image of two cinnamon rolls with a cranberry swirl on white plates, one with cream cheese frosting.

But now that I’m the adult – already?! – I can’t simply just expect made-from-scratch delights to magically appear as soon as I roll out of bed every time a special occasion arrives on the calendar.

And since there are many miles that separate me from my parents, I need to satisfy those sweet cravings on my own throughout most of the year.

So when I want to make my own homemade cinnamon rolls on a busy grownup schedule, a carefully constructed timeline needs to be predetermined.

Vertical top-down image of freshly baked cinnamon rolls in a casserole dish, half of them covered in frosting.

For this fruitier version, the brioche dough chills and rests in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours, which gives you plenty of time to make the cranberry filling and the cream cheese frosting.

Once the dough is ready to roll, everything else will be good to go for a swift assembly.

Vertical close-up image of a halved pastry on a white plate with a red fruit filling and white frosting on top.

Enjoy the fruits – pun totally intended – of your labor with every bite you take, a satisfactory balance of the tart, spiced cranberry filling, the cloudlike brioche, and the indulgently sweet cream cheese frosting.

Just make sure you pencil in a small nap session in your calendar after eating one!

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Horizontal close-up image of cranberry cinnamon rolls in a casserole dish, half of them frosted.

Brioche Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls


  • Author: Nikki Cervone
  • Total Time: 13 hours, 30 minutes
  • Yield: 12 cinnamon rolls 1x

Description

A tart filling of spiced cranberry sauce is a perfect seasonal spin on a classic sweet and fluffy brioche cinnamon roll recipe.


Ingredients

Scale

For the Brioche Dough:

For the Cranberry Filling:

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:


Instructions

To make the Brioche Dough:

  1. Prepare a batch of Foodal’s brioche dough, following the directions exactly as written.
  2. Let the prepared dough rest and chill in the fridge for 12 hours, or overnight.

To make the Cranberry Filling:

  1. Prepare a batch of Foodal’s cranberry sauce, adding 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the other ingredients before cooking on the stovetop.
  2. Pour the cooked sauce into an airtight container, cover, and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 2 hours. The sauce will thicken as it chills.
  3. Leave the cranberry filling in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the dough. It can be made and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance.

To make the Cream Cheese Frosting:

  1. Prepare a full batch of Foodal’s cream cheese frosting, following the directions exactly as written.
  2. The frosting can be prepared and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance. If made ahead, take out of the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature while the portioned rolls are proofing and baking.

To Assemble, Bake, and Serve:

  1. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray, or use additional softened butter.
  2. On a well-floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle that is about 1/4-inch thick, with the shorter ends positioned left and right and the longer ends positioned top and bottom.
  3. Using an offset spatula, thinly spread the 2 ounces of softened butter evenly across the entire surface of the dough.
  4. Thinly spread the cranberry sauce over the butter, leaving about a 1/2-inch border. You may not need to use all of the sauce.
  5. Starting at the long edge closest to you, roll the dough into a tight log, with the seam positioned on the bottom. Using a sharp chef’s knife, slice the log into 12 pieces that are about 2 inches thick.
  6. Arrange the rolls, cut sides facing top and bottom, in the prepared baking tray with 3 rolls across and 4 rolls down. There should be about 1/2 inch of space between each one.
  7. Let proof uncovered at room temperature until the dough has risen only slightly and springs slowly back into place when touched lightly with your fingertip, about 30 minutes.
  8. As the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350°F.
  9. Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the buns have expanded significantly and are slightly browned on top. Remove the dish from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes.
  10. Using an offset spatula, thickly spread the cream cheese frosting over the tops of each roll. Serve and enjoy while still warm!

Notes

The rolls can be baked and spread with frosting up to 2 days in advance. Allow to fully chill at room temperature before covering the casserole dish and storing in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, place an individual roll on a heatproof plate and microwave on high for 20-30 seconds.

  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Category: Cinnamon Rolls
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Baked Goods

Keywords: cinnamon roll, cranberry, brioche, cranberries

Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prepare the Brioche Dough

The night before you want to bake and serve your pastries, or at least 12 hours in advance, prepare the dough.

Horizontal image of a mound of dough on a lightly floured wooden surface.

For this recipe, we use a single batch of our homemade brioche dough. We provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to make the perfect bread with a gloriously fluffy texture, so read through each section carefully.

And don’t skip anything!

After the dough is made, let it chill in the refrigerator in a large, airtight container for at least 12 hours, or overnight. This long chill time develops the taste and texture of the bread.

And because brioche contains a lot of butter, a cold, firm dough will help you shape it far more easily and efficiently compared to a very soft, flabby, room temperature dough.

Step 2 – Prepare the Cranberry Filling

At least two hours, or up to two days, in advance, prepare the cranberry filling.

Horizontal image of a thick cranberry sauce in a white bowl.

Use our recipe for homemade cranberry sauce – while it is a typical side dish for your Thanksgiving dinner table, it can also double as a sweet-tart pastry filling!

We simmer the cranberries with fresh orange juice and zest, honey, and vanilla extract until each berry bursts and creates its own saucy concoction.

A most welcome addition to this recipe is 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, which you can add along with all the other ingredients as they cook together in the pot.

Transfer the finished sauce into an airtight container, cover, and refrigerate until it is completely chilled, about 2 hours.

The sauce will thicken as it chills, turning into the best spreadable condiment for the purpose of this cinnamon roll recipe.

Step 3 – Prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting

Prepare a full batch of Foodal’s cream cheese frosting, following the directions exactly as written. No changes needed here!

Horizontal image of a cream cheese frosting in a white bowl.

It’s thick, spreadable, and so decadent – the ideal counterpart you want paired with tart cranberries!

You can make, cover, and refrigerate the frosting up to 2 days in advance.

Because the frosting hardens slightly when cold, be sure to take it out of the refrigerator if you decide to make it ahead of time in order for it to soften. Allow it to sit at room temperature while the portioned rolls are proofing and baking in Steps 8 and 9.

Step 4 – Roll out the Dough

When the dough has rested and you are ready to bake, lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with softened butter or a nonstick cooking spray.

Horizontal image of a thick dough shaped into a rectangle on a lightly floured wooden work surface.

We love using Made In’s porcelain baking dish for this recipe! Its naturally nonstick surface is a practical material for baking sticky and sugary recipes, like cinnamon rolls.

Check out our review of this amazing piece of bakeware. Afterwards, you can buy the dish now directly from Made In.

Generously dust your work surface with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle that is about 1/4 inch in thickness.

Horizontal image of a rectangular large piece of flattened dough on a lightly floured surface.

It’s helpful to create an initial shape of a rectangle with the mound of dough before you start rolling.

Position the longer edges at the top and bottom, and the shorter edges at the left and right.

Work quickly here – you don’t want the dough to get too warm and soft, or else it’s more difficult to roll and shape during the next few steps.

Step 5 – Spread Filling

Spread the 1/2 stick of softened butter over the entire surface of the dough. It will be a very thin layer of butter.

Horizontal image of a red fruit sauce spread thinly on a flattened rectangle of dough.

Next, spread a thin layer of the chilled cranberry sauce over the butter, this time leaving about a 1/2-inch border around the dough – you don’t want the cranberry sauce to spill out of the sides as you roll, so leaving a small border keeps your work clean.

An offset spatula will be the best tool for this step.

You may not need to use all of the cranberry sauce – if you have a little left over, don’t let it go to waste! Serve it with a sandwich like a Monte Cristo, or use it on top of a bowlful of cottage cheese or in a fruit parfait.

Step 6 – Roll Tightly

Starting at the long edge that is closest to you, roll the dough away from you into a log. Tighten the log as you continue rolling.

Horizontal image of preparing a rolled pastry with a cranberry sauce spread.

Again, work quickly to keep the dough from softening too much as you roll it. A flabby dough is very difficult to work with!

Step 7 – Portion

Using a sharp chef’s knife, divide the log into 12 even pieces – they will be about 2 inches thick.

Horizontal image of a portioned log of dough with a red fruit filling on a lightly floured surface next to a dusted chef's knife.

Because you’re cutting through a thick and sticky fruity filling, I recommend washing and drying the knife after every slice to keep each portion looking as neat and clean as possible.

You can also lightly dust the knife in flour before each slice.

Step 8 – Proof in Baking Dish

Place each portion, with the cut sides facing towards the bottom and on the top, on the prepared baking dish.

Horizontal image of rows of unbaked fruit-filled pastries in a casserole dish.

Position them so there are 3 across and 4 down, with about 1/2 inch of space between each one. Be forewarned that they will spread and touch each other as they bake.

Proof the dough portions in the dish uncovered at room temperature for about 30 minutes. They won’t rise too much, but the dough should spring slowly back into place when pressed lightly with your fingertip.

Again, due to the high butter content, be mindful where you proof. Don’t choose a space that’s too warm!

While the portions are rising, this is the best time to preheat your oven to 350°F and set out your cream cheese frosting if you prepared it ahead of time.

Step 9 – Bake

Transfer the baking dish to the preheated oven. Bake until the portions have risen significantly and look puffy, with lightly golden-brown tops.

Horizontal image of freshly baked fluffy pastry pinwheels in a casserole dish with a cranberry sauce swirl.

This will take about 30 minutes – but if you prefer a gooier treat, check them a little sooner at 25 minutes.

Remove the baking dish from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes.

Step 10 – Spread Frosting and Serve

Evenly spread the cream cheese frosting over the tops – the warm pastries will help to soften and spread the frosting.

Horizontal image of freshly baked pastry pinwheels in a casserole dish, with half of them frosted.

Serve while still warm – that’s when cinnamon rolls are best!

Save for Later

While we’ve provided detailed instructions for making ahead each component of our cinnamon rolls, there’s also an opportunity for you to bake the entire recipe ahead of time!

You can do everything two days in advance, through spreading the cream cheese frosting over the baked pastries.

Allow the frosted cinnamon rolls to cool completely, about one hour, before making your next move.

You can leave the completed cinnamon rolls in the baking dish and cover the top with a lid, plastic wrap, or aluminum foil. Or, you can transfer the pastries to an appropriately sized airtight container. Store them in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Horizontal close-up image of cranberry cinnamon rolls in a casserole dish, half of them frosted.

When you’re ready to serve, cut out individual pastries and place them on a heatproof plate. Microwave each roll for 20-30 seconds, or until the center is warm and the frosting is slightly melted.

Practically perfect in every ooey-gooey way!

What are your own techniques to adapt family favorites on a busy schedule? Give us the scoop and share your secrets in the comment section below.

Don’t pass up on buying and using more cranberries while they’re fresh at the grocery store or farmers markets! Here are three more recipes featuring this tart, vibrant gem:

Photos by Nikki Cervone, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on December 22, 2014 by Shanna Mallon. Last updated December 12, 2023.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Nikki Cervone

Nikki Cervone is an ACS Certified Cheese Professional and cheesemonger living in Pittsburgh. Nikki holds an AAS in baking/pastry from Westmoreland County Community College, a BA in Communications from Duquesne University, and an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University. When she's not nibbling on her favorite cheeses or testing a batch of cupcakes, Nikki enjoys a healthy dose of yoga, wine, hiking, singing in the shower, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.

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