Upside-Down Cranberry Orange Rolls – Frozen orange rolls are baked on a bed of fresh cranberry sauce, inverted onto a platter, and finished with an orange cream cheese glaze for a festive Christmas breakfast to share with family and friends.
*This recipe is sponsored by Rhodes Bake-N-Serv. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Dessert Now Dinner Later possible.
Cranberries are one of those flavors I’ve learned to appreciate more with time. I’ve always enjoyed cranberry juice, but canned, sliceable cranberry sauce never appealed to me until I started making cranberry dishes from scratch. Fresh cranberries add brightness and a pleasant tartness that pairs beautifully with sweet bakes and morning treats.
I’ve been using fresh cranberries more often over the past few years and they’ve become a holiday favorite. One of my go-to appetizers is a cranberry salsa served over cream cheese with crackers—the balance of spicy, sweet, and cool is irresistible. Cranberries also add a lovely tang to classics like cran-apple crisp; the tart berries cut through the sweetness of the apples and are heavenly with vanilla ice cream.
The classic cranberry-orange combination is especially festive. Last year I made cranberry orange muffins, and this year I’m in love with these upside-down cranberry orange rolls. Cinnamon rolls are already synonymous with holiday mornings, but topping them with a bright cranberry sauce and orange glaze elevates them into something that looks and tastes even more merry. The homemade cranberry sauce is quick to make and packed with flavor.
These Upside-Down Cranberry Orange Rolls are a festive option for holiday brunch or a cozy breakfast. They’re simple to prepare—especially if you use frozen orange rolls that come with cream cheese frosting—so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying the morning. Rhodes AnyTime Orange Rolls make this recipe extra convenient: place them over the cranberry sauce, bake, invert, and drizzle with the included orange cream cheese icing for an impressive and delicious centerpiece.
Upside-Down Cranberry Orange Rolls
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Ingredients
- 1 package Rhodes AnyTime Orange Rolls (6 rolls)
- 2 Tbsp butter (28 g)
- ¾ cup brown sugar (150 g)
- 1 Tbsp orange zest
- 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries (250 g)
- ½ cup dried cranberries (70 g)
- orange cream cheese frosting packet (included with the frozen rolls)
Instructions
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In a medium saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar and orange zest. Add fresh or frozen cranberries and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the berries burst and the mixture thickens, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the dried cranberries, and let the sauce cool for 2 to 3 minutes.
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Remove the orange rolls from the foil pan. Pour the warm cranberry sauce into the bottom of the pan, then arrange the rolls on top of the sauce. Place the pan in a 350°F oven.
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Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown and cooked through. As soon as they’re done, invert the foil pan onto a large plate so the cranberry sauce becomes the topping.
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Let the rolls cool briefly so the frosting doesn’t completely melt. Warm the included orange cream cheese frosting packet with your hands and drizzle it over the top. Serve immediately. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
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