Cranberry-Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

By MaryEllen

This cranberry-pecan cinnamon roll recipe is a cinch to put together—there’s no kneading and no rolling of any dough. These rolls are baked in a muffin tin and are already perfectly portioned, making them great for a morning treat or as part of a brunch menu

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup brown rice syrup or light corn syrup
• 1 cup chopped fresh cranberries (see Tips)
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 1 cup white whole-wheat flour (see Tips)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup cold buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons canola oil

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

Combine melted butter, brown sugar, brown rice syrup (or corn syrup), cranberries, pecans and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Divide among the muffin cups, spreading about 1 tablespoon in the bottom of each.

Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a large bowl. Add cold butter and, using two knives (or your fingertips), cut (or crumble) the butter until it’s the size of small peas. Drizzle with buttermilk and oil; stir just until combined. Spoon the batter on top of the cranberry mixture, using about 2 tablespoons for each.

Bake rolls until lightly brown around the edges, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of each to loosen. Place a large serving tray over the pan and invert the rolls onto it. Spoon any topping left in the pan onto the rolls. Serve warm.


Make Ahead Tip: Refrigerate topping (Step 2) and dough (Step 3) in separate containers for up to 1 day.

Tips:
To make quick work of chopping cranberries, place whole berries in a food processor and pulse a few times until the berries are coarsely chopped.
White whole-wheat flour, made from a special variety of white wheat, is light in color and flavor but has the same nutritional properties as regular whole-wheat flour. It is available at large supermarkets and natural-foods stores and online at bobsredmill.com or kingarthurflour.com. Store it in the freezer.

Nutrition

Per serving: 219 calories; 10 g fat (4 g sat, 4 g mono); 14 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrates; 10 g added sugars; 4 g protein; 2 g fiber; 280 mg sodium; 102 mg potassium.