I wish there was a smell feature to go with these photos because the delish scent of this citrus and cranberry easy overnight monkey bread is just heavenly. Every buttery bite of sweet-tart monkey bread just melts in your mouth and tastes like the holidays. It’s perfect as a festive dessert or for a holiday brunch, especially when served with a savory breakfast casserole. If you love all things cranberry and orange, be sure to also check out our Cranberry Orange Bread, Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce, and White Chocolate Cranberry Pecan Fudge!
Why This Recipe Works
Every bit of soft frozen roll dough gets dunked in melted butter, rolled around in orange scented sugar, and then nestled into a bundt pan with fresh cranberries for this Cranberry Orange Pull-Apart Monkey Bread that is sure to delight your friends and family this holiday season. Kids love to help with this one. If they are old enough to use scissors, they can snip the partially thawed rolls in half or just roll the balls of dough in the citrus scented sugar if they are younger. Classic monkey bread is usually cinnamon and caramel flavored, but I wanted to incorporate some of my favorite holiday flavors or cranberries and orange. I always make this the night before and let it rise overnight so it’s ready to pop in the oven the next morning.
Ingredient Notes
Cranberries: I love when fresh cranberries are in season! I always stock up on extra bags to stick in the freezer for using year round. You can use dried cranberries if the fresh or frozen ones aren’t available, but they won’t pack the same burst of tart cranberry flavor. Oranges: You’ll need some fresh squeezed orange juice for the citrus glaze, and plenty of fresh orange zest for the sugar mixture. Be sure to zest the orange before you juice it. Frozen dinner rolls: You can find unbaked frozen dinner roll dough in the freezer section of your local grocery store. Don’t let them thaw completely before cutting them into quarters and rolling in the orange zest and sugar mixture.
How to Make This Recipe
Cut 24 partially thawed frozen rolls in half to make the bites of this monkey bread more manageable. I find it’s easiest to work with frozen roll dough when it is still frozen or partially frozen so it doesn’t stick to itself. Roll the dough in melted butter, then roll it in a mixture of granulated sugar and orange zest. Gently toss 2 cups of coarsely chopped cranberries in with the balls of sugar covered dough, then transfer to a bundt cake pan that has been generously sprayed with cooking spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean towel and let rise overnight. Bake in a 375°F oven for 45-50 minutes, covering with heavy duty foil during the last 20 minutes to prevent the top from browning too much. While the cranberry orange monkey bread is baking, whisk together powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest in a bowl to make a simple glaze. Immediately invert the monkey bread onto a serving plate. Drizzle with a simple citrus glaze made by whisking together powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest.
Recipe Tips
Don’t be afraid to spray your bundt pan really well with cooking spray, then be sure to invert the pan right after baking while the filling is still molten and hot. If using frozen cranberries, make sure they are completely defrosted, then chop them up a bit (I just grab a paring knife and slice a bunch of them in half) and squeeze them to get rid of as much excess liquid as you can. I’ve made the mistake before of just throwing the frozen cranberries in and they released so much juice that my monkey bread completely fell apart. To glaze or not to glaze, that is the question. Is the glaze necessary? No, definitely not. There is enough sugar to balance the tartness of the cranberries and create a sticky-sweet coating around each bite of monkey bread. Do I love the extra glaze anyway? Absolutely. You are probably making this Cranberry Orange Pull-Apart Monkey Bread for the holidays or a special occasion. I say go for it.
More Sweet Breakfast Ideas You’ll Love
Deborah’s Knotted Orange Sweet Rolls Glazed Apple Fritter Yeast Bread The BEST Homemade Cinnamon Rolls TikTok Cinnamon Rolls Liège Waffles
Pecan Rolls
Christmas Star Bread
Homemade Apple Cinnamon Rolls
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