Christmas Cinnamon Rolls with Cranberry – Best Festive Recipe

There’s no better way to celebrate the holiday season than with a batch of freshly baked Christmas cinnamon rolls! This vegan-friendly recipe transforms the classic treat into a festive masterpiece, featuring a tendre, fluffy dough, a sweet-tart swirl of homemade cranberry and orange sauce, and a luxurious cream cheese glaze.

Christmas Cinnamon Rolls with Cranberry Sauce – The Best Festive Recipe

These Christmas cinnamon rolls with cranberry sauce are everything you could want from a festive bake: soft, fluffy, fragrant, and wonderfully indulgent. They make the perfect treat to enjoy throughout the holiday season, whether you serve them warm for breakfast, as part of a festive brunch spread, or simply as a sweet afternoon pick-me-up with a cup of tea. This is a fully vegan-friendly recipe, made without eggs and using dairy-free alternatives, including plant-based spread, milk, and cream cheese, so everyone around the table can enjoy them.

The Kenwood Cooking Chef XL has made the whole process so much easier. You can read my full review and get your exclusive reader’s offer here.

Why These Christmas Cinnamon Rolls Are a Holiday Must-Make

What makes these rolls especially special is the filling, a vibrant swirl of homemade cranberry and orange sauce gently spiced with cinnamon. The tartness of the cranberries contrasts beautifully with the soft, buttery dough and the warm notes of the cinnamon, creating a festive flavour combination that tastes like Christmas in every bite. The icing brings everything together: a simple but luxurious mixture of plant-based cream cheese, icing sugar, a hint of vanilla, and just a splash of orange juice. Once drizzled over the warm rolls, it melts slightly into the swirls and makes each piece irresistibly moreish.

One of the advantages of this recipe is that the cranberry sauce is incredibly easy to make from scratch. In fact, you can prepare it while the dough is proving, so the whole process feels smooth and efficient. Homemade cranberry sauce is far superior to anything shop-bought in this context: it thickens beautifully, spreads evenly, and adds a freshness that perfectly balances the richness of the dough and icing.

Watch How To Make These Christmas Cinnamon Rolls with Cranberry

Kenwood Cooking Chef XL: The Perfect Food Mixer

For this recipe, I used the Kenwood Cooking Chef XL, which made the process even more seamless. Its integrated EasyWeigh scale allows you to weigh ingredients directly into the bowl, ensuring accuracy while cutting down on washing-up. The machine’s induction heating is especially helpful when working with enriched doughs; you can set the bowl to maintain a steady 30°C, creating the ideal environment for the dough to rise softly and consistently. It takes the guesswork out of proving and helps achieve that tender, pillowy texture that makes cinnamon rolls so irresistible.

If you’re curious about how the machine performs in everyday cooking and baking, you can read my full review of the Kenwood Cooking Chef XL. And if you decide it might be the perfect addition to your kitchen, don’t forget to claim your exclusive offer to receive 3 free attachments plus 20% off any extras.

If you’d like to prepare these Christmas cinnamon rolls ahead of time, whether to save stress on Christmas morning or to have a festive treat ready for guests, there are helpful tips in the recipe card below. These festive rolls are sure to become a seasonal favourite.

Other Christmas Recipes You Might Like

How To Make These Christmas Cinnamon Rolls with Cranberry

Ingredients:

To make these Christmas cinnamon rolls with cranberry sauce, you will need:

• plain flour (sifted or pre-sifted)
• fast-action dried yeast
• sugar
• salt
• milk of choice
• dairy-free spread
• cranberry sauce

FOR THE GLAZE

• cream cheese of choice
• icing sugar
• vanilla extract
• orange juice

Step 1: Mix The Dry Ingredients

Combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt into the food mixer bowl. Fit the dough hook.

Step 2: Heat the Milk and Spread

Place the milk and dairy-free spread in a small saucepan and heat up to around 40-45°C/104-113°F until the dairy-free spread has melted. Alternatively you can use a microwave.

Step 3: Mix the Dough

• Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture.
• Knead until the dough forms and is elastic and supple, about 10 minutes at speed 1 or 2.
• Remove the dough hook and place the splashguard (or cover with a damp cloth if you are not using a Kenwood Cooking Chef XL)
• Prove the dough for around 1 to 1 ½ hour, or until the dough has doubled in size at 30°C speed off (if you are not using a Kenwood Cooking Chef XL leave to prove covered in a warm place).

Step 4: Make The Cranberry Sauce

In the meantime, make the cranberry sauce. Once done, leave to cool down completely.

Step 5: Make The Rolls

• Once the dough has risen, punch it with your fist to deflate it.
• Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 42 x 30 cm rectangle (approx 16.5 x 12 inch).
• Spread the cranberry sauce evenly on top of the dough.
• Roll the dough up tightly to a 42cm (16.5 inch) long log.
• Using a sharp knife or a thread (see note 1), cut the roll into 12 buns, each about 3.5cm (1 1/3 inches) thick.
• Arrange the buns in a greased ovenproof dish.

Step 6: Leave The Rolls to Prove

Cover with a cling film or tea/ kitchen towel and leave to prove in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes, until doubled in size.

Step 7: Bake The Buns

Bake the buns for 20 to 25 minutes until lightly brown. When done, remove the buns from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes while you make the glaze.

Step 8: Make The Glaze

To make the glaze, fit the whisk hook in the food mixer. Add the cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla extract and 1 Tbsp of orange juice into the food mixer bowl and whisk together until smooth. Add another tablespoon of orange juice if necessary.

Step 9: Glaze The Christmas Cinnamon Rolls & Serve

Drizzle the glaze over the buns and leave to cool before serving.

Make-Ahead Instructions for Christmas Morning

To reduce stress on the big day, these Christmas cinnamon rolls can be prepared ahead of time using one of two methods:

1. Overnight Cold Proof (Recommended)

This method allows you to bake the rolls fresh on Christmas morning.

Bake: Proceed with Step 7: Bake The Buns.

Prep: Follow the recipe exactly up to Step 5: Make The Rolls (after arranging them in the ovenproof dish).

Chill: Instead of covering them with cling film and leaving them to rise for the second prove (Step 6), cover the dish tightly with cling film and place it in the refrigerator. The rolls can chill for 8 to 18 hours. The cold temperature slows the yeast activity.

The Morning Of: Take the dish out of the fridge 1.5 to 2 hours before you plan to bake. Leave them covered in a warm spot (like on top of a warming oven or a sunny windowsill) to come to room temperature and complete the final prove. They should look puffy and doubled in size.

2. Freezing Unbaked Rolls (For Longer Storage)

If you need to prepare them weeks in advance, freezing is a great option. Freezing them unbaked before the second proving is best, as it enables to dough to rise just before baking, giving the rolls a fluffy texture.

• Prep: Follow the recipe exactly up to Step 5: Make The Rolls (after arranging them in the ovenproof dish). Do not let them rise (skip Step 6).
• Freeze: Cover the dish tightly with cling film and foil or a freezer-safe lid. Place the entire dish in the freezer until solid. Label with date (they should keep up to 3 months)
• Baking from Frozen:
  • Remove the rolls from the freezer.
  • Let them thaw covered in the fridge overnight (8-10 hours).
  • The next morning, take them out, place them in a warm spot, and let them finish proving for about 1 to 2 hours until doubled in size.
  • Bake as directed (Step 7). They may need an extra 5 minutes of baking time.

Storage and Reheating Tips

These tips ensure your rolls remain soft and fluffy for days.

• Storage (Un-glazed): Once the rolls have completely cooled, transfer them to an airtight container. They can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Storage (Glazed): If you have glazed the rolls, they should be stored in the refrigerator due to the cream cheese icing. They will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
• Reheating: The best way to enjoy leftover rolls is to reheat them briefly:
  • Microwave: Wrap an individual roll loosely in a damp paper towel and heat for 15-30 seconds until warm and soft.
  • Oven: Place the rolls in an oven-safe dish, cover loosely with foil, and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C / 350°F for 5-8 minutes.

FAQs: Baking the Perfect Festive Rolls

I hope you enjoy these Christmas cinnamon rolls with cranberry as much as I do.  If you do make them, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

Other Things You Might Like