Use up leftover cranberry sauce in the best way possible: these sweet rolls with leftover cranberry sauce filling can be made the night before, left to rise overnight, and baked in the morning for an easy post-holiday brunch treat. Homemade or store bought cranberry sauce will both work in this recipe! Full recipe makes 16 cranberry sweet rolls; halve all ingredients to make 8 rolls.

sweet rolls with leftover cranberry sauce filling - one roll on a plate with a fork ready to eat

If you’re looking for more Thanksgiving recipes, check out my cranberry crumb cake, cranberry bars, sweet potato casserole (no marshmallows), and baked pumpkin donuts with maple glaze.

Why you’ll love this recipe

After the Thanksgiving feast, comes the Thanksgiving leftovers. If you, like me, have occasionally found yourself staring down at a big batch of extra cranberry sauce after the big day, you’re not alone. I’m personally a huge fan of cranberry sauce (my mother in law makes an incredible one) so I’ll never complain about having it around — but there are only so many turkey-based Thanksgiving leftovers one can consume. After a day or so, I need more creative ways to use the leftover sauce.

This recipe fits the bill of creative + simple in a delightful way:

  • The cranberry filling: we’re using up one cup of leftover cranberry sauce as the filling for these rolls. No other adjustments needed, no additional stirring or cooking (you’ve likely done enough of that already). So use your homemade sauce or store bought, whole berry cranberry sauce or jellied cranberry sauce – it all works.
  • The no-knead dough: not only is the dough for this leftover cranberry sauce bread completely no-knead, eggless, one bowl, and easy to make with no mixer needed…
  • You can let these rolls rise overnight! Totally optional but helpful. Make the dough while everyone is in a turkey coma after Thanksgiving dinner, leave it in the fridge, and bake in the morning to pure delight. Less work in the morning = happier me.
    • Note: I tested these cranberry rolls both ways, baking them immediately and baking them in the morning, and I found I liked the flavor of the dough even better when it sat overnight.  The longer fermentation adds some complexity to the rolls that the immediately baked ones didn’t have – but trust me, I don’t think anyone will complain either way.
  • The vanilla orange glaze: of course, sweet rolls and cinnamon rolls always need a good glaze. This one is a simple orange juice, vanilla extract, powdered sugar concoction but it pairs so well with the cranberry sauce filling. Cranberry orange: is there any better flavor combination?
a spatula underneath a glazed cranberry roll

Ingredients

Only a few simple ingredients needed for these leftover cranberry sauce rolls, and you can substitute or customize as noted below to make it your own! See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.

For the sweet bread dough:

  • milk (I recommend whole milk for best results, but a higher fat non-dairy milk like canned coconut milk or oat milk would also work)
  • oil (any neutral oil or even melted butter or melted coconut oil will do)
  • granulated sugar
  • active dry yeast or instant yeast (either one will work)
  • all-purpose flour (I wouldn’t recommend trying to substitute a gluten-free all-purpose flour here unless you really know what you’re doing!)
  • baking soda and baking powder (I know, it’s weird but it helps the dough roll out more easily and gives a fluffy texture)
  • salt

For the leftover cranberry sauce filling:

  • 1 cup (236 ml) of cranberry sauce. This can be homemade cranberry sauce or canned; whole cranberries sauce or even jellied.
  • Cornstarch – optional, a little bit and only needed if your cranberry sauce is quite loose. If it’s jellied or thick like jam, don’t bother.

For the vanilla orange glaze:

  • Orange juice
  • Confectioner’s sugar/powdered sugar
  • Pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (the vanilla bean flecks look pretty in the glaze)
finished scrolls of dough on a table with cranberries scattered around the rolls

Equipment Needed

  • Large pot or large bowl for making the dough
  • Wooden spoon or rubber spatula
  • 2 pie pans (preferably metal) or 8″ round or 9″ round cake pans (I used a 9″ springform pan in these photos, which works well for removing the finished rolls). You could also get creative and use square cake pans, a 9×13 pan, or several loaf pans.
  • Kitchen scale – I highly recommend weighing your ingredients for most accurate results, especially the flour! This is the primary way I bake these days as it is much more precise than using measuring cups (and there are less dishes to clean).
rolls of sweet bread dough with leftover cranberry sauce as the filling in a pan and ready to rise before baking

How to make sweet rolls with cranberry sauce leftovers

  1. Make the bread dough: in a large pot on the stove or in a large bowl in the microwave, heat milk, oil, and sugar until just before boiling. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool until just warm to the touch, about 105-110 degrees F. Sprinkle yeast over the milk mixture and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Make sure it is foamy and active – otherwise start over. Combine flour (the first 4 cups) with wet ingredients and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
  2. Let dough rise: for 1 hour or until doubled.
  3. Add remaining flour + leaveners: stir in the remaining 1/2 cup flour and baking soda/baking powder and salt until the dough is no longer sticky.
  4. Divide the dough in half and roll one half out on a floured surface to about a 12×8 inch rectangle. Spread half the cranberry sauce (mixed with cornstarch if your sauce is liquidy) over the dough, leaving about an inch around the edges uncovered. Roll it up on the long side and cut into 8 rolls using a sharp knife, bench scraper, or unflavored dental floss (keeps the rolls most intact). Do this again with the second half of the dough.
  5. IF BAKING ROLLS IMMEDIATELY:
    • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Let the rolls rest in a warm place for 15-20 minutes, until slightly risen. Bake for 22-24 minutes, until golden brown. Make the glaze while the rolls are baking.
  6. OVERNIGHT INSTRUCTIONS:
    • Once the rolls are shaped and in the pans, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.  In the morning, take the rolls out and allow them to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes while you preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  Bake for about 24-25 minutes, until golden brown.  Make the glaze while the rolls are baking.
  7. Glaze the cranberry orange sweet rolls: whisk glaze ingredients together and drizzle over the warm rolls. Enjoy!!
Finished pan of sweet rolls using leftover cranberry sauce as the filling, glazed with an orange glaze, sitting on a wire rack

Additions and Substitutions

Cranberry sauce: feel free to use your favorite cranberry sauce recipe, or just buy canned from the grocery store, and add orange zest to the sauce before using it as the filling if you want a stronger cranberry orange flavor.

Halve the recipe: the full recipe makes 16 rolls; you can halve all of the ingredients to make only 8 rolls (bake the rolls in a pie pan or 8 or 9″ round pan).

Glaze with a cream cheese icing instead: see my cream cheese icing for cinnamon rolls, which has the same dough and yield as this recipe.

one cranberry roll being lifted out of the pan

Storage

Room temperature: Cover leftover frosted or unfrosted cranberry rolls tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days. or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Refrigerator: Cover leftover frosted or unfrosted cranberry rolls tightly or store in an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Microwave individual rolls for 20-30 seconds to reheat.

Freezer: Baked rolls can be frozen, glazed or unglazed, up to 2–3 months when tightly covered in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for 2-3 hours and warm up before enjoying.

a glazed sweet roll with cranberry filling on a plate

I hope you can make room for these cranberry sweet rolls in your life this holiday season.  They’re the perfect way to go if you find yourself with too much cranberry sauce amid the holiday leftovers. I hope that this month is full of family, friends, laughter, and wonderful food.  Happy Thanksgiving!

More Holiday Recipes

Cranberry Sauce Breakfast Rolls | katiebirdbakes.com
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4.50 from 4 votes

Sweet Rolls with Leftover Cranberry Sauce Filling

Use up leftover cranberry sauce in the best way possible: these cranberry sweet rolls can be made the night before, left to rise overnight, and baked in the morning for an easy post-holiday brunch.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Resting Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time2 hours 25 minutes
Course: Breakfast, brunch
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cranberry, holiday, thanksgiving
Servings: 16 rolls
Author: katiebirdbakes.com

Ingredients

For the Sweet Rolls:

  • 2 cups (473 ml) milk (I used whole milk)
  • 1/2 cup (118 ml) oil (use any oil you like, or melted butter or melted coconut oil)
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 2 and 1/4 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast (1 packet)
  • 4 and 1/2 cups (562 g) all-purpose flour, divided (see below)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt

For the Leftover Cranberry Sauce Filling:

  • 1 cup (236 ml) leftover cranberry sauce (homemade or store bought, use your favorite)
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch (only if your cranberry sauce is loose or runny – if thick like jam, don't bother)

For the Vanilla Orange Glaze:

  • 1 cup (113g) powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
  • 2-3 Tablespoons orange juice

Instructions

For the Sweet Rolls:

  • Combine the milk, oil, and sugar in a large pot and place over medium heat until just before boiling, or microwave until just before boiling in a large bowl. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool until just warm to the touch, about 105-110 degrees F.
  • Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the milk mixture and let sit for 5-10 minutes. It should become foamy and smell yeasty, meaning it's active. If it doesn't, start over with a new packet of yeast.
  • Add 4 cups (500g) of the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until an evenly combined dough has formed.
  • Cover and let sit in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour. By the end of the hour, it should have doubled in size and smell yeasty.
  • Important: After the rise, add the remaining 1/2 cup (62g) flour along with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and stir until completely combined and dough is no longer sticky. I've forgotten this step before and let's just say, it was a sticky experience.
  • Divide the dough in half and roll one half out on a floured surface to about a 12×8 inch rectangle. Spread half the cranberry sauce (mixed with cornstarch if your sauce is liquidy) over the dough, leaving about an inch around the edges uncovered.
  • Starting with the long edge farthest from you, roll the dough towards you, moving your fingers evenly back and forth along the dough, until it is tightly coiled with seam down. Cut into 8 even rolls with a bench scraper, sharp knife, or unflavored dental floss, and place in a greased pie plate or 9-inch round cake pan.
  • Repeat steps 5 and 6 with the second half of the dough.

IF BAKING IMMEDIATELY:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Let the rolls rest in a warm place for 15-20 minutes, until slightly risen. Bake for 22-24 minutes, until golden brown. Make the glaze while the rolls are baking.

OVERNIGHT INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Once the rolls are shaped and in the pans, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.  In the morning, take the rolls out and allow them to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes while you preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  Bake for about 24-25 minutes, until golden brown.  Make the glaze while the rolls are baking.

For the Vanilla Orange Glaze:

  • Whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla paste or extract, and orange juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture reaches a pourable, but still thick, consistency.
  • Pour the glaze evenly over the warm cranberry rolls in the pan. Serve warm!

Notes

Storage: keep any leftover rolls covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days, and simply microwave for 20-30 seconds to reheat. Baked rolls can also be frozen, well wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or 2-3 hours at room temperature before warming gently in the oven.
Halve the recipe: for just 8 cranberry sweet rolls, halve all ingredients in the recipe and bake as directed. No need to divide the dough in two when rolling it out.
Recipe adapted from my cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing.

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22 Comments

  1. 3 stars
    Way too wet, even with cornstarch added to filling. I’d advise refrigerating dough before rolling. Yeast, baking soda & baking powder are leavening overkill imo. Next time I’d use my cinnamon roll dough recipe.

  2. 5 stars
    They are perfect! I used Trader Joes Cranberry orange relish. SO SO good! They came together well with a little extra flour. Wonderful! Can’t wait to photograph them and tag you!!!

  3. 5 stars
    These are definitely worth the investment of time! I made a cream cheese icing, but otherwise an easy-to-follow recipe and super tasty! The combination of tart and sweet was perfect, thanks!

    On the question about the sticky dough, I think you just need to knead it a little longer to stretch the gluten. Mine was also very sticky at first and came together after a few minutes of work.

  4. I made this for New Year’s Day breakfast. First attempt was a fail as I followed the advice of one reviewer to proof the yeast with 1/4 cup water. Dough didn’t rise at all. Second attempt, I followed the recipe exactly. Dough did rise. YAY!

    But dough was sticky. I couldn’t roll it. I had to put parchment paper on top to roll it. Couldn’t pick it up after I cut it. So I didn’t get nice rolls. I put all 16 rolls in a 9×13 glass pan. Took out of fridge 45 minutes prior to baking. Added 5 minutes to baking time as the middle wasn’t cooked.

    Nice way to finish leftover cranberry sauce. Any advice on why dough was super sticky?

    Thanks.

    1. Hi Lynn – I’m not sure why the dough would be super sticky, as I have never had that issue with this recipe. In fact, I’ve found the dough to be one of the least sticky I’ve ever worked with. Are you sure you added the amount of flour called for? Sticky dough usually means there is more liquid than there should be. thanks!

  5. This recipe sounds delicious and I love cranberries. I would like to suggest proofing your Yeast in 1/4 cup warm water with a pinch of sugar before adding it to your milk mixture. That way you’ll be confident of dough rising

  6. 5 stars
    I just made these. Part of the batch I did right away, and the other half 12 hours later. The second was vastly superior in flavor, texture, rise and crust, I’m sure in part because I used Red Star active dry yeast.

    I also sprinkled a few sliced almonds, which the dough easily supported. Outstanding overall.