It’s time to plan Christmas breakfast. It should feel festive, be easy to assemble and, most importantly, taste amazing—something that makes everyone pause and say, “Wow!”
Meet Cranberry Coconut Sweet Rolls with Spiked Eggnog Cream Cheese Glaze.
These rolls bring together classic holiday flavors, serve a crowd and can be prepared a day ahead to bake fresh on Christmas morning.
I first discovered how well cranberries and coconut work together with cranberry bliss bars — the tart berries and sweetened coconut create a perfect balance.
Serve these rolls with hot chocolate or your favorite coffee for a cozy holiday treat.
For the glaze I used spiked eggnog (already mixed with rum) for an adult version. For kids, simply mix cream cheese with milk and powdered sugar for a creamy, alcohol-free alternative.
I use my favorite dinner roll dough, which works perfectly for sweet rolls. If you’d rather not make yeast dough from scratch, store-bought crescent roll dough can be used and filled the same way.
Frozen cranberries work well in the filling, but fresh ones are fine too. If you only have dried cranberries, soak them in warm water until they plump before using.
You can make the glaze with alcohol-free eggnog or add a splash of rum to store-bought eggnog. If you prefer, use milk instead—it’s flexible to taste and household needs.
Cranberry coconut rolls
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ c all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast 1 pkg
- 1 c milk
- ¼ c granulated sugar
- ⅓ c unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 beaten egg
- 2 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 c frozen cranberries
- ¾ c sweetened shredded coconut
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ c powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon eggnog or milk
Instructions
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together 1 ¼ cups of the flour and the yeast.
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In a saucepan, heat milk, sugar, butter and ¾ teaspoon salt until warm (not hot) and the butter is almost melted.
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Add the warm milk-butter mixture and the beaten egg to the flour-yeast mixture. Beat on low for 30 seconds.
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Increase speed to high and beat for 3 minutes.
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Reduce speed to low and slowly add the remaining flour.
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Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.
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Place the dough in a large bowl greased with cooking spray, turning to coat. Cover with a kitchen towel.
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Let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled, about 1 hour.
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Punch the dough down and let it rest on the counter for 10 minutes.
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Meanwhile, halve the cranberries and toss them with the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Set aside.
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Roll the dough into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Brush lightly with melted butter—do not soak the dough. Reserve any extra butter.
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Sprinkle shredded coconut evenly over the dough, then scatter the sugared cranberries on top.
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Roll the dough tightly from the long side. Use the reserved butter to seal the seam at the end.
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Slice the roll into 1 to 1½ inch disks and arrange them in a prepared pan. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 30 minutes, until doubled and touching each other.
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Preheat the oven to 375°F and bake for 18–20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.
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Make the glaze by beating cream cheese with eggnog (or milk for kids) and powdered sugar until smooth. Drizzle over warm—not hot—rolls.
Nutrition
However you choose to make them, feel free to adapt this recipe to your taste. If you try variations, I’d love to hear about what you did and how they turned out.
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What will you be making for Christmas morning breakfast?
xoxo,
Anna