These Overnight Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls make the BEST Christmas morning breakfast! Save This Recipe! Enter your email and I'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you'll get new recipes from me every week! By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Happy Healthy Mama.
Is there anything better in life than a fresh, homemade cinnamon roll? I’m going to say, no, there is not. And I’m going to try really hard to not post ALL THE PICTURES today, but fair warning: I might go overboard a little. 
I gave traditional cinnamon rolls a holiday twist by adding cranberry sauce. The recipe will totally work if you don’t want to add it, but I thought it was the perfect way to make these extra-Christmasy AND I loved the way the tart cranberries balanced out the sweet cinnamon mixture. SO GOOD. 
I love that the bulk of the work for these cinnamon rolls is done the night before. Then, they can bake while you are opening your presents and sipping on coffee.
These Overnight Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls are a once-a-year indulgence that I wouldn’t classify as “healthy,” but you all know I am all about balance. Sometimes, I eat kale salads, sometimes I eat energy balls, and I don’t feel bad when I face plant into a warm and gooey cinnamon roll. I hope you take the same approach to balanced eating.
That being said, I did use half unbleached all-purpose flour and half whole wheat pastry flour as well as coconut sugar instead of refined sugar. These are still a sugar bomb. Sorry. If you want to make them less so, I suggest using a natural, sugar-free sweetener such as one of these.
I don’t think you’re going to regret having this pan of delicious Overnight Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls on Christmas morning or whatever morning you choose to indulge. Please let me know what you think!
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Overnight Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 rolls 1x
Description
These Overnight Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls let you do the bulk of the work the night before and make a delicious Christmas morning breakfast!
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 1 whole egg, room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 6 ounces buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4–2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (1 packet-1/4 ounce)
- 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- avocado oil
Filling
- 1/3 cup cranberry sauce
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Icing
- 1/4 cup cream cheese
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
For the dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter, and buttermilk. Add the all-purpose flour, yeast, and salt. Whisk until moistened and combined.
- Remove the whisk attachment and replace with a dough hook. Add 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour and knead on low speed for 5 minutes. Check the consistency of the dough, add more flour if necessary; the dough should feel soft and moist but not sticky. Continue to knead on low speed 5 minutes more or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface; knead by hand about 30 seconds. Lightly oil a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl, lightly oil the top of the dough, cover and let double in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
- Combine the coconut sugar, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter in a medium bowl. Mix until well incorporated. Set aside.
- Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape the dough into a rectangle with the long side nearest you. Roll into an 18 by 12-inch rectangle.
- Spread the dough with the cranberry sauce, leaving 1/2-inch border along the top edge. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border along the top edge; gently press the filling into the dough.
- Beginning with the long edge nearest you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Firmly pinch the seam to seal and roll the cylinder seam side down. Very gently squeeze the cylinder to create even thickness. Using a serrated knife, slice the cylinder into 1 1/2-inch rolls. You will have 12 rolls.
- Arrange rolls cut side down in the baking dish; cover tightly with plastic wrap (that does not touch the rolls) or plastic wrap alternative and store in the refrigerator overnight or up to 16 hours.
- Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and place, uncovered, in a cold oven that is turned off. Fill a shallow pan 2/3-full of boiling water and set on the rack below the rolls. Close the oven door and let the rolls rise until they look slightly puffy; approximately 30 minutes. Remove the rolls and the shallow pan of water from the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- When the oven is heated, place the rolls on the middle rack and bake until golden brown, or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 30 minutes.
- While the rolls are cooling slightly, make the icing by whisking the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy. Add the milk and whisk until combined. Sift in the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth.
- Spread over the rolls and serve immediately. ENJOY!!
- Prep Time: 45 minutes (active)
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
This recipe was adapted from here.
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If you are already making cranberry sauce, you might as well use some for this Puff Pastry Christmas Wreath appetizer as well!
Want a less labor intensive breakfast for Christmas morning that you can still prepare the night before? This Crock-Pot Cranberry Eggnog Overnight Oatmeal takes about 5 minutes of prep and is PERFECT!
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