• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Good Cheap Eats
  • About
    • About Good Cheap Eats
    • Media
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure
    • Contact Me
  • Members Only
    • Login
    • Club Homepage
    • Club Resource Library
    • Downloads
    • Live Club Events
  • Recipe Index
  • Blog
  • SHOP
    • Purchases
    • Cookbooks
    • Planner
    • The Good Cheap Eats Club
    • Meal Plans
    • Holiday Helps
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Memorial Day
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • About
  • My Account
  • Members Only
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Memorial Day
    • Recipes
    • Shop
    • About
    • My Account
    • Members Only
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Breads & Baked Goods » Yeast Bread and Rolls

    Whole Wheat Cranberry Rolls

    Published: Nov 5, 2013 · Modified: Oct 25, 2021 by Jessica Fisher

    Facebook0Tweet0Pin0Print0
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more details, please see our disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    dinner table set with thanksgiving foods

    There’s nothing to get you ready for a holiday like making the meal three and a half weeks in advance. Just call me Martha for baking a full turkey dinner while there are still bags of Halloween candy stashed all over my house.

    But, you see, unlike Martha, preparing a turkey dinner gets me all hot and bothered. It’s rare these last few years of food blogging that I have been able to cook a meal and pull off a photo shoot and keep my head on straight.

    A Thanksgiving Menu

    Since I wanted to share some new recipes with you, I did a dry run of our turkey day, finding some nice compromises to traditional dishes as well as foolproofing some old standbys. That said, I’m super excited about this menu. I’ll be sharing them with you over the next couple weeks, ending with a printable meal plan and grocery list if you want to recreate this yourself for Thanksgiving or some other special feast.

    Whole Wheat Cranberry Rolls in a basket

    Today we start with the bread basket and these yummy dinner rolls. My people jumped on these Whole Wheat Cranberry faster than a bear runs for honey. There were none left. I think I got one.

    Yes, Virginia, we’ll be making a double batch soon and stashing it in the freezer. They really were good.

    One of the things that I loved about them was that they didn’t taste “wheaty”. I think this is thanks to the white whole wheat flour. It’s a whole grain, but doesn’t have that strong wheat flavor that some whole wheat flours have.

    I like the addition of the dried cranberries. Not everyone likes cranberry sauce, so this is a great way to bring the tart berry to the table. And if — IF — there are leftover rolls, they’d be great made into sandwiches with the turkey leftovers. Yum! I can’t wait to make these again.

    Whole Wheat Cranberry Rolls on cooling rack

    I baked the dozen rolls in two 9-inch cake pans. See the cute blossom shapes? You could also let them rise in a 9×13 pan. My feeling is go with the oven space you have available on Thanksgiving, particularly if you’re going to bake these the day of. A fun twist would be to bake them in jars, like Aimee did a few years ago.

    These rolls are definitely best served the day of baking, hot from the oven and slathered with butter, but you can make them the day before and store them in an airtight container. Bake them a few weeks in advance and store them, well-wrapped, in the freezer. Thaw them on the counter, wrapped. You can warm them in the oven (350 for about 5 minutes) before serving if you like.

    To round out the bread basket, consider a mixture of different breads and rolls, like these:

    • Buttermilk Cornbread
    • Butterhorns
    • Cheese and Herb Biscuits
    • Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
    • Garlic-Parmesan Swirl Biscuits

    Whole Wheat Cranberry Roll on plate with butter

     

    cooling rack with Whole Wheat Cranberry Rolls
    Print Recipe Add to Collection Go to Collections
    5 from 1 vote

    Whole Wheat Cranberry Rolls

    Whole grain rolls dotted with sweet cranberries -- what's not to love? Bake a batch to eat now and one to freeze for later.
    Prep Time2 hrs
    Cook Time20 mins
    Total Time2 hrs 20 mins
    Course: Bread
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 224kcal
    Author: Jessica Fisher
    Cost: $5

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup milk
    • 1 egg
    • ¼ cup butter cubed
    • ¼ cup honey
    • 2 cup white whole wheat flour
    • 1 ½ cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
    • 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten optional
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 1 orange zested
    • 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
    • ½ cup dried cranberries
    • 2 tablespoon milk
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Combine the milk, egg, butter, honey, flours, gluten, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest, and yeast in the pan of your bread machine according to the manufacturer’s directions. Set on the dough cycle and start the machine. After a few minutes of kneading, add the cranberries. Scrape down the sides of the pan, and make sure a dough ball forms.
    • (If making the dough by hand: Place the milk, butter, and honey in a medium saucepot and warm slightly. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the yeast. Stir and allow the yeast to proof for 5 minutes. Add the egg, flours, gluten, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, zest and yeast. Stir to combine well. Turn the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead. Continue kneading for 5 minutes, adding in the cranberries gradually, to create a smooth, elastic dough, adding more of the all-purpose flour as necessary. Transfer to a greased bowl and turn the dough ball to coat. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.)
    • Spray two 9-inch cake pans or one 9x13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. When the machine beeps or the dough has doubled in bulk, remove the dough from the pan and divide it into twelve equal parts. Form each portion into a tight round and place in the prepared pans. Allow the rolls to rise 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
    • Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
    • Brush the tops of the rolls with milk and bake the rolls for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a rack before serving.
    • To make this in advance: The baked and cooled rolls can be placed in a ziptop freezer bag and stored in the freezer. Thaw them on the counter before serving. Rolls can be reheated in a 350° oven for five minutes to warm.

    Notes

    Nutritional values are approximate and are based on 1 roll from the recipe (makes 12). Refrigerate leftovers promptly and use within 4 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 244mg | Potassium: 96mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag Me Today!Mention @goodcheapeatsblog or tag #goodcheapeats!

    What do YOU fill the Thanksgiving bread basket with?

    « Maple-Brown Sugar Cinnamon Rolls
    Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Olive Oil and Garlic »
    Facebook0Tweet0Pin0Print0

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Heidi R.

      November 11, 2013 at 5:02 am

      Thank you for this recipe – they turned out so great! My husband and 2-year-old absolutely loved them (well, so did I but that’s less hard to achieve…) I’m so glad I stumbled upon your blog a few months ago which resulted in me getting your book for my birthday and a lot of easy nights thanks to more intentional and varied freezer cooking. Thank you for sharing and being so inspirational!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        November 11, 2013 at 8:53 am

        Yay! I love to hear success stories! Thanks for taking the time to let me know!

        Reply
    2. Sarah K. @ The Pajama Chef

      November 08, 2013 at 7:12 pm

      these sound so good 🙂

      Reply
    3. Deb

      November 06, 2013 at 5:23 pm

      I always make homemade butter crescent rolls, but these might be a nice change. We are having Thanksgiving on Sunday for small group (potluck style) and then again on the real Thanksgiving.

      Reply
    4. Lori H

      November 06, 2013 at 10:18 am

      Do you think I could freeze the dough balls (after first rise, before 2nd rise?). These looks so good – I would love to have a stash of them in the freezer.

      Reply
      • Riann

        November 06, 2013 at 11:25 am

        I’m wondering the same thing. Might need to try it out.

        Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        November 06, 2013 at 12:23 pm

        I haven’t tried it, but it should work.

        Reply
    5. Laura

      November 06, 2013 at 5:58 am

      These rolls look absolutely delicious! We already had Thanksgiving in Canada and I overbought fresh cranberries so I have a surplus of them in the freezer. Do you have any suggestions about how to use them in this recipe instead of the dried ones? By the way, your blogs and book have been the stepping stone to my new perspective on food and health, so I would like to thank you for all the information you put out there and the way you do it – you have absolutely changed my life! Sounds a little dramatic, but it’s true. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        November 06, 2013 at 12:30 pm

        Thank you sooooooooo much for your kind words. Wow! I’m honored. Thank you.

        As for the fresh cranberries, I’ve only ever used them in quick breads and muffins. The breads cook a long time, but muffins don’t…. so I am not really sure what would happen. If you try it, let us know. And stay tuned for the AMAZING homemade cranberry sauce I made. yum!

        Reply
    6. sarah

      November 06, 2013 at 5:26 am

      These look great! I love cranberries so much. I cant wait to try them.
      Sarah

      Reply
    7. Cecee

      November 05, 2013 at 7:59 pm

      Silly question but do you have to use the white wheat flour? Can you use regular AP flour or whole wheat flour?

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        November 05, 2013 at 8:00 pm

        Not a silly question. Never say that! I think that you could do either of the options you suggest. If you go with all AP flour, the dough will be wetter, so you may need to add more flour.

        Reply
        • Charyse

          November 06, 2013 at 11:36 pm

          What adjustments would you recommend for all white whole wheat?

        • Jessica Fisher

          November 07, 2013 at 7:32 pm

          You might need to add a tablespoon or two of water. Just go with the feel. Do you know what I mean?

        • CeCee

          December 06, 2013 at 9:08 pm

          FINALLY just made this with all white whole wheat flour. No adjustments were needed for me. I live at a high altitude. Just wanted to let you know

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    jessica from good cheap eats

    Hi, I'm Jessica! I believe anyone can prepare delicious meals -- no matter their budget.

    More about me

    as seen on banner
    cooking for one
    cooking for many banner
    cooking to freeze banner

    Memorial Day BBQ Recipes

    • BBQ Party Meal Plan for Less than $25!
    • Spicy Chicken Marinade
    • Grilled Pork Tenderloin (78 cent/serving)
    • Loaded Potato Salad Recipe
    • Grilled Brats with Peppers and Onions (94 cents each)
    • The Easiest Grilled Pizza You Can Make

    Popular Posts

    • What to Make for Dinner When There’s “Nothing” to Eat
    • Starbucks Medicine Ball Tea – Cheaper at Home
    • How to Cook a Chuck Roast in the Slow Cooker
    • Roasting Garlic Cloves
    learn how to cook great homemade meals

    Footer

    back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • About

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Good Cheap Eats