Impress your friends and family this holiday season by showing up with this Vegan Pull-Apart Cranberry Eggnog Rolls! Make them festive into the shape of a Christmas tree, or go traditional with a wreath formation. Either way, they're sure to be a hit!
Hellooo, friends! I can't believe we are just EIGHT days away from Christmas! Holy moly. And I still have so many recipes to share! I think I need to step up my posting game over here. Thankfully, I took my last final Friday which means now I'm free!! Today I am sharing these absolutely fabulous Vegan Pull-Apart Cranberry Eggnog Rolls which are so perfect for parties or Christmas brunch. Soft and fluffy eggnog dough is stuffed with homemade cranberry sauce and white chocolate chips, baked to perfection, and drizzled with an eggnog glaze. These are seriously so delicious!
I know these rolls look utterly ridiculous but I really did try. ? I tried to make them look like a Christmas tree but they just ended up getting HUGE in the oven and taking up basically the entire pan so the effect was a bit lost. I think for a better tree effect, try nixing the bottom row of 5 and just start with 4 instead. To be completely honest, these are so good that nobody will really care how much they resemble a tree anyway!
To make these pull-apart cranberry eggnog rolls, I had to track down some vegan eggnog. Which like, going into it, I knew it existed, but I took for granted that all stores would carry it. And alas... that is not the case. I had to bounce around a few different stores, but Target was my saving grace and actually had THREE different brands! I went with the Silk soy eggnog since I regularly drink their soy milk, but I also found So Delicious coconut nog and Califia Farms almond nog. Any one that you find will work the same for this recipe!
I hope you'll try making these vegan pull-apart cranberry eggnog rolls this holiday season! They are absolutely delicious and so easy to make! The homemade cranberry filling is yummy, but in a pinch, you can absolutely use store-bought and make these even quicker. Also ahem, side note. I cheated and used some white chocolate chips I had in the pantry which, turns out, are decidedly not vegan and additionally, seems like vegan white chocolate is near impossible to buy so if you're wanting to be a purist - skip the chips. But everything else should be clear! 🙂
Okay, aaand.... big bite. Happy baking! 🙂
Looking for more vegan friendly sweet rolls? Check out my Perfect Cinnamon Rolls, Chai Pear Cinnamon Rolls, Orange Dark Chocolate Rolls, and Sour Cherry Chocolate Rolls.
{cranberry sauce recipe from Self Proclaimed Foodie. thank you!}
vegan pull-apart cranberry eggnog rolls
Ingredients
- *for the dough*
- 1 ½ cup vegan eggnog
- 3 cups white flour {+ 1 cup separated}
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- ¾ tablespoon instant active dry yeast
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- *for the cranberry filling*
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- zest from one orange
- ¾ cup orange juice
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries rinsed {1 standard bag}
- *for the filling*
- cranberry sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1-2 tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ cup white chocolate chips {optional}
- *for the glaze*
- 2 tablespoon vegan eggnog
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a large nonstick pot, combine the milk, oil, and ¼ cup of sugar. Heat up to about 120F {warmer than body temperature but NOT burning hot} over medium heat, then remove from burner and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
- Afterwards, mix in the 3 cups of flour, cover the pot with a clean tea towel, and let the dough rise for about 1 hour.
- After the first rise, add in the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and additional flour. Knead until all the flour has been absorbed, and add more if needed. You want the dough to be soft and smooth but not too sticky! Using a sharp knife, cut an X on top of your dough {this helps it rise}, cover with a tea towel again, and let rise for an additional 3+ hours. I like to let it rise overnight at this point.
- While the dough rises, prepare the cranberry filling.
- In a medium pot set over medium heat, combine the white and brown sugars, orange zest, orange juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Heat until sugar dissolves.
- Add in the cranberries and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have popped and mixture becomes jammy {about 10-15 minutes}. Remove from heat and cool completely before using.
- After the second rise of the dough, lightly flour a clean surface, and dump the dough on top. Knead it for 2-3 minutes, adding more flour as needed. The dough should be smooth and easy to work with, so add flour if it's too sticky!
- Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a rough rectangle, making sure you don't roll it out too thin (somewhere between ½-¼ inch). Spread the cranberry sauce all over the surface, and top with the sugar, cinnamon, and white chocolate chips. Starting on the long side closest to you, roll up the dough.
- Prepare a large cookie sheet and line with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough into 16 rolls {if making a 5-tier Christmas tree like pictured} or 11 rolls {if making a 4-tier}. Remember to count in the "tree stump" as well. 🙂 Arrange the rolls as desired on prepared cookie sheet. Let rolls rise for 15-20 more minutes.
- When ready to bake, turn oven to 375F. Bake rolls for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown on top and cooked through in the center.
- While cinnamon rolls cool, make the glaze. In a small bowl, combine the eggnog, vanilla, and salt. Add in the powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time, whisking well in-between to prevent lumps.
- To decorate, pour glaze in a small zip-top baggie and cut off the corner. Drizzle as desired onto pull-apart bread. Don't forget to decorate your "star" at the top and "tree stump" at the bottom. Serve warm!
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Jessica says
This looks amazing! I live outside of the US full time and have never shopped vegan there.... will visit next month and hoping to try this. Do you think I could sub the nog for coconut milk or almond milk? Just bc it'll be March and definitely assuming I wont' see much nog around? 😉
valentina says
Hi Jessica! Yes you are absolutely fine to use a different kind of milk for the nog. I know that it can be a bit tricky to find, especially outside of December. 😉 This is actually the same dough recipe I use for my traditional cinnamon rolls so you are welcome to fill them with whatever you like!!
Linda says
Hi there, this recipe looks so yummy. Could I freeze this without the icing and then add it later? I have some home-made cranberry sauce that needs to be used up and am trying to find ideas for it. Thank you.
valentina says
Hi Linda! Thank you for your comment. You can certainly freeze the rolls and save them for later! I agree that I would add the frosting just before serving. Let me know how they turn out for you!
Meuse Family says
I’ve made these cranberry rolls two years in a row for brunch (the day after Thanksgiving) and it is a family favorite. Perfectly tart & sweet. A wonderful way to use up extra cranberry sauce. Thanks for sharing!