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What is your holiday tradition? There is something so nostalgic and festive about the smell of cinnamon rolls perfuming the air this time of year. Gluten Free Orange Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls are a fun twist on the classic.

Gluten Free Orange Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon rolls are a favorite in all forms, from Gluten Free S’mores Cinnamon Rolls to these sweet yet tangy breakfast favorites. They have the magical power to instantly have your friends and family flocking to the kitchen with their sweet, aromatic beckoning smell.

Ingredients

Go ahead, pick up that can of cranberry sauce when you are holiday shopping. Gluten free Orange Cranberry Cinnamon rolls infuse every bite with the tangy jeweled fruit, and the bright, sweet burst of orange.

Dairy Free Butter – Adds richness to these yeast rolls while also giving them a tender, soft texture.
Dairy Free Milk – Keeps these rolls tender and moist. Use your favorite such as oat milk.
Gluten Free Flour – Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour is my go-to for both sweet and savory recipes.
Honey – Adds slight sweetness and helps feed the yeast.
Sugar – Adds a hint of sweetness to the dough and helps feed the yeast.
Water – Make sure your water is warm. This helps activate the yeast.
Egg
Kosher Salt – Enhances all of the flavors of the ingredients.
Instant Active Yeast – Gives these yeast rolls their texture and tenderness.
Dairy Free Sour Cream – Adds slight tang while also keeping these Gluten Free cinnamon rolls moist.
Orange Zest – The oils in the zest infuse the sweet, bright flavor of orange into every bite.
Whole Cranberry Sauce – Adds a burst of tartness to this seasonal treat.
Dairy Free Heavy Cream – The Dairy Free heavy cream is poured over the top of these cinnamon rolls before baking creating an even more tender, moist, and fluffy texture.
Dairy Free Cream Cheese – Adds tang to the icing.
Orange Juice – Used in the icing to create even more orange flavor.
Powdered Sugar

How to Make Gluten Free Orange Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls

Whether you’re looking for a sweet treat to surprise the family with on Christmas morning, or a dish to bring to brunch, these festive cinnamon rolls with orange and cranberry will be an instant hit.

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Time needed: 3 hours

Orange scented yeast rolls are filled with cranberries and topped with an orange cream cheese frosting.

Pregame
Oil a bowl and set it aside. Add half of the sugar, yeast, honey, and warm water to a bowl. Stir to combine and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. It should begin to foam and bubble.
Scald
Add the Dairy Free butter, remaining sugar, salt, and oat milk to a saucepan on medium heat. Let it cook until the sides begin to bubble and then remove from the heat.
Mix
Mix together the egg, zest, and sour cream. Then add the yeast mixture. With the mixer running slowly pour in the oat milk. 1/2 a cup at a time add the flour. Lightly flour the dough ball and place into the oiled bowl.
First Rise
Cover the bowl with a towel. Let it rise for an hour.
Roll
Lightly flour your work area. Avoid pressing all of the air out of the dough. Fold it over about 8 times. Roll it out into about a 9×12″ rectangle.
Fill
Add the cranberry mixture to onto the dough. Roll tightly. Cut into 9 slices.
Second Rise
Place the roll in a buttered 9×11 baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Let rise for an hour.
Bake
Pour the heavy cream over the top. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Frost
Mix together the ingredients for the frosting. Spread over the top and add the remaining cranberry sauce. Enjoy!

Substitutions

This recipe is made with all Dairy Free products. However, you can use full dairy milk, butter, and cream in this recipe.

Storage

Gluten and Dairy Free Orange Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls are a great for meal prep and making ahead. Keep them covered or stored in an airtight container and they will keep for up to a week, if they last that long!

The Secret To Cinnamon Rolls

Introducing heavy cream to your cinnamon rolls is like adding a secret ingredient that takes them to the next level. The cream brings a luxurious tenderness to the rolls’ texture, making each bite soft, moist, and incredibly satisfying. As the rolls bake, the cream works its magic, creating a golden, slightly caramelized exterior that adds a subtle richness to every bite. It’s an insider’s tip to crafting cinnamon rolls that are not just good but exceptional.

How much do we add?

When pouring heavy cream into the pan for cinnamon rolls, you don’t need to entirely submerge the dough. The goal is to provide a generous amount to ensure moisture and flavor enhancement, but not so much that it drowns the dough. Aim to cover about 2/3 of the dough with the cream, leaving some parts exposed.

Top Tip for Gluten Free Orange Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls

Don’t rush the process. Allow time for your dough to rise and then let it rise the second time once you have sliced your cinnamon rolls. This will ensure that they are airy, tender, and light. There is nothing like biting into warm, pillowy soft dough.

Gluten Free Flours

Oat Flour can give you a chewier, more moist product. It can lend a nice sweet flavor to baked foods and is a flour I tend to mix with others if I want a lighter or fluffy result. I am always very careful to buy organic gluten free oats because they can be sprayed with nasty stuff and be processed in a way that they are no longer gluten free.

Almond Flour has a nice nutty flavor but can tend to dry out what you are preparing. I like to balance it with an extra egg if I am adding it to meatloaf for example and add banana or egg if it is in a sweet treat. Your end product could be a bit denser if you are using straight almond flour as well. I do like using almond flour as bread crumbs or a crunchy topping on savory dishes.

Arrowroot is my normal choice for a thickener in sauce or gravy. It is great for things you want a good crunch on that would normally be dredged in flour. Arrowroot can also be used to temper other gluten free flours for sweets and baked goods.

Brown Rice Flour can also be used in combination with other gluten free flours for baked goods. I like to use it when making a roux and brown rice noodles are a favorite.

Additional Flours

Amaranth is another gluten free flour that works well when blended. It has a nice nutty flavor that makes it good for crusts, tortillas and breads.

Coconut Flour has a bit of a sweet coconut flavor. It tends to absorb liquid so you will need to adjust your recipe but it does give a nice light texture.

Corn Flour is a great thickener, makes delicious tortillas and one of my favorites, corn bread. Just make sure the corn flour you are buying was proceed in a gluten free environment and from a clean source.

Cassava Flour is the most similar to white or all purpose flour but can be expensive if you are using it often and is high in carbohydrates.

Tapioca is a great thickener as well for soups, pies and sauces and works well when combined with other flours.

Chickpea or garbanzo is used often in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine… Think hummus, falafel, flatbreads. It has lots of healthy benefits and a mild nutty flavor. You can also use the water from the beans, called aquafaba, as an egg replacer or instead of cream for whipped cream. Crazy, I know, but it works so stop dumping it down the drain.

Gluten Free Grains

The gluten free grains we grab for most often are…

Quinoa- easy to make and flavor and is high in fiber and protein. It is actually one of the plant proteins that is a complete protein.

Oats are also good for fiber and a bit of protein but make sure they are clean and gluten free.

Buckwheat actually has no wheat in it but does have fiber, protein and trace minerals. I love buckwheat noodles. I also add them to salads and soups for texture and a bit of “chew”.