This beautiful cranberry nut roll is one of my favorite tea time treats, especially around Christmas time because of the bursts of red color in there.

Pro tip (or tip for the curious baker): be sure to scroll down past the recipe to see the step by step pictures of this gorgeous pastry.

What is cranberry nut roll

This recipe is a variation of the tried and true Bohemian Nut Roll, which I’ve posted here before… But I wanted to share this version with you because of how gorgeous it is.

This light-as-a-cloud dessert is a soft pastry filled with vanilla-kissed meringue, nuts, and cranberries. The pastry is made with yeast, which causes it to “burst” open in the oven, creating this gorgeous exposed pocket of meringue on the inside.

Making pastry with cranberries

Cranberries can be a little tricky for making pastry, since they are so tart and require something quite sweet to offset their intense flavor. This recipe is perfect because while it’s not-too-sweet, it has just the right amount of sugar in it to make the cranberries shine.

Can you use dried cranberries for this recipe?

Yes! My favorite is to use fresh (or even frozen) cranberries, but you can of course substitute the fresh berries for dried ones with great success.

Recipe substitutes

This is a recipe for which I would be very careful about substitutions, but there are a few that I’ve made and can confidently say will work.

Butter

For butter, margarine will be an adequate substitute and still give you a dough that works for this recipe.

Nuts

Any type of nut would work for this recipe, or if you prefer you could try chocolate chunks or cacao nibs.

Cranberries

You can substitute dried or frozen cranberries for the fresh cranberries in this recipe. While I’ve never tried subbing for another type of berry, I would expect that any whole uncut berries would work well (or even chopped strawberries, since they aren’t likely to bleed much).

Recipe tips

• Meringue: Make sure it’s nice and stiff!
• Pastry: Cut through multiple layers to expose more of the inside of the pastry, but not too deep! I like to open up 1 or 2 layers for my cranberry nut roll.

Can you make cranberry nut roll in advance?

Unfortunately not for the best experience. This pastry is best served on the day it is made.

When to serve this recipe

Cranberry nut roll is fantastic served for any number of occasions, but these are my favorite:

• Tea parties
• With a Jane Austen film (and a cup of good tea!)
• During the advent season
• Christmas
• New Year’s
• Any day of the year that needs a perk

You will need:

• Ingredients
• Cup (any glass cup or mug will do)
• Medium mixing bowl
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Sharp knife
• Pastry cutter
• Spatula
• Knife or angled spatula (for spreading)
• Rolling pin
• Bench scraper
• Non-stick silicone mat or parchment paper
• Cookie sheet
• Cooling rack

I did take one photo of the baking process, just because it was too pretty not to. This image is of Step 5 in the directions, just before I rolled it up.

How to make your own cranberry nut pastry roll

Here’s a breakdown of the recipe directions with step-by-step pictures!

1-3 – For the pastry dough

1 – In a glass cup, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Set aside.

2 – In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Cut in cold butter until it resembles pea-sized chunks, as you would for making pastry.

3 – Add the egg yolks and yeast mixture, and knead until it feels smooth and looks a bit shiny. Divide dough into 2 portions, cover, and set aside.

4 – Making the meringue

4- In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, and continue beating until the mixture is stiff. Fold in vanilla.

5-6 Making the cranberry nut rolls

5 – On a lightly floured work surface, roll 1 portion of dough into a 9×13-inch rectangle. Spread with half of egg white mixture and sprinkle with half of the nuts and cranberries. Roll up jelly roll style; repeat with remaining portion of dough.

6 – Place each roll, seam side down, on a cookie sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Using a very sharp knife, slash along entire length of roll (cut through at least the entire first layer, leaving a little bit at the ends uncut).

7 – Bake

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until brown. Cool on wire racks, and cut into slices.

If you like this recipe, you may also like:

• Bohemian Nut Roll
• Cranberry Apple Butter Croissant Danishes
• Dairy-Free Cranberry Bran Muffins
• Cranberry Apple Butter

I can’t wait to make these again! If you make this recipe, please tag me in your photos on Instagram. I would love to see your beautiful work!!

Bye for now,

Naomi

This post contains affiliate links.