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Sticky and soft with a vibrant orange flavor, these orange rolls are the best you’ll find. Simple to make, these are the zesty sister to a cinnamon roll!
Cinnamon rolls are a popular favorite in our home! Try these fun variations like this Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake, Quick 45 Minute Cinnamon Rolls or this Delicious Cinnamon Roll Pancakes Recipe for more delicious ways of enjoying a sweet and savory breakfast.
Orange Roll Recipe
These sweet rolls are infused from top to toe in zesty fresh orange flavor and you’ll never want store-bought again. These rolls are soft and fluffy and I love the added ingredient of heavy cream over the dough. It makes them moist and delicious!
I don’t know if I like orange rolls or regular cinnamon rolls better. Or, you can try out these strawberry cinnamon rolls and serve them all! But I especially love including orange rolls to my holiday breakfast lineup. Try serving these at Christmas Brunch with an easy Overnight Breakfast Casserole!
Ingredients in Homemade Orange Rolls
You most likely already have a lot of these ingredients ready to go in your pantry! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all of the exact measurements.
- All-Purpose Flour: The flour acts as the base for the rolls.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens both the dough and the filling.
- Orange Zest: This is in the dough and the icing. It creates the best citrusy flavor that you can taste in every bite!
- Salt : This enhances all of the flavors in the orange rolls.
- Instant Yeast: This helps the rolls become light and fluffy.
- Fresh Orange Juice: This adds in some more of that delicious orange flavor.
- Milk: Adds richness to the dough and smoothness to the icing.
- Butter: I used unsalted butter in the dough and salted butter in the icing.
- Large Egg: This helps to provide structure to the dough.
- Heavy Cream: This is drizzled over buns before baking to add moisture and richness to the filling.
- Powdered Sugar: The powdered sugar dissolves easily and creates a sweet and smooth consistency in the icing.
How to Make Orange Sweet Rolls
Making orange rolls from scratch doesn’t require too much hands on time (even if you’re kneading by hand) but it does require planning ahead to allow for rising time.
Dough
- Mix: In a small bowl, mix together the orange zest and sugar. This will release the oils in the zest and create an orange-flavored sugar to flavor the buns.
- Whisk: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, orange sugar, salt, and yeast together. Set aside.
- Combine: In a small bowl, combine the orange juice, milk, and butter together and heat in the microwave until the butter is melted, about 30-45 seconds. This may look curdled, but it’s okay if it does.
- Mix wet and dry ingredients together: Use the dough hook attachment on low to stir the liquid into the dry ingredients. Add the egg and then knead on low speed for 5-6 minutes until the dough is no longer sticky. Form the orange roll dough into a ball and return to the bowl. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Prep oven and pan: Turn on the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×9 pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Filling
- Make orange flavor: In a small bowl, combine the sugar and orange zest for the filling to make more orange sugar.
- Dust counter with flour: Once the dough has rested, dust a clean surface lightly with flour and roll out the dough into a 15×9 inch rectangle.
- Add butter: Spread the softened butter over the dough and dust evenly with the orange-sugar mixture. Roll the dough up tightly and cut into 9 even pieces.
- Cover: Place the rolls into the prepared pan and cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- Let rise: Turn off the warmed oven and place the pan of rolls inside. Let them rise for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes have passed then remove the foil or plastic and drizzle the ¼ cup of cream evenly over the top of the buns.
- Bake: Return the buns to the oven and turn the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tops of the orange rolls are golden brown.
Orange icing
- Combine: In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to combine the butter, powdered sugar, milk, orange zest, and orange juice until smooth. If you would like the icing to be more runny, add milk or orange juice until the consistency is how you would like it.
- Drizzle: Drizzle over the slightly cooled buns before serving.
Can I Make Them Without a Stand Mixer?
Yes! It may take a little longer, but you can knead the orange roll dough by hand.
- Don’t add more flour: This is a sticky dough, which is what keeps it nice and soft once they’re baked, so try to resist the urge to add flour.
- Use a Bench Scraper: I find the easiest way to knead it is to press down with one hand, then use a bench scraper in the other hand to lift and fold it so you can press down again.
- When is the dough done? It’s ready when the dough is smooth and bounces back when you lightly press your finger into it.
How to Make Orange Rolls Ahead of Time
These orange rolls can be prepared beforehand! Then you just pop them in the oven and enjoy them fresh and warm every time.
- After the Second Rise: Once you’ve placed the cut rolls into the baking tray, cover it with plastic wrap and let them sit in the fridge overnight. Let them come to room temperature (about 1 hour) before baking.
How to Store Leftovers
Homemade orange rolls are best eaten fresh, but if you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can warm them up in the microwave or eat them cold!
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Orange Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ instant yeast 1 packet
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
Filling
- ¼ cup salted butter room temperature
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream for drizzling over buns before baking
Orange icing
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1-2 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
Dough
- In a small bowl, mix together the orange zest and sugar. This will release the oils in the zest and create an orange-flavored sugar to flavor the buns.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, orange sugar, salt, and yeast together. Set aside.
- In a small bowl combine the orange juice, milk, and butter together and heat in the microwave until the butter is melted, about 30-45 seconds. This may look curdled, but it’s okay if it does.
- Use the dough hook attachment on low to stir the liquid into the dry ingredients. Add the egg and knead on low speed for 5-6 minutes, until the dough is no longer sticky. Form the dough into a ball and return to the bowl. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Turn on the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×9 pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Filling
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar and orange zest for the filling to make more orange sugar.
- Once the dough has rested, dust a clean surface lightly with flour and roll out the dough into a 15×9 inch rectangle.
- Spread the softened butter over the dough and dust evenly with the orange-sugar mixture. Roll the dough up tightly and cut into 9 even pieces.
- Place the rolls into the prepared pan and cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- Turn off the warmed oven and place the pan of rolls inside. Let them rise for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes have passed, remove the foil or plastic and drizzle the ¼ cup of cream evenly over the top of the buns.
- Return the buns to the oven and turn the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tops of the buns are golden brown.
Orange icing
- In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to combine the butter, powdered sugar, milk, orange zest, and orange juice until smooth. If you would like the icing more runny, add milk or orange juice until the consistency is how you would like it.
- Drizzle over the slightly cooled buns before serving.
Notes
- You’ll need 2 large oranges for this recipe
- If you don’t have a stand mixer, it will take around 10 minutes to knead by hand. It will be sticky but resist the urge to add flour. The easiest way to knead it is to press down with one hand then use a bench scraper in the other hand to lift and fold it so you can press down again.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Orange rolls are my family’s favorite! Delicious! Thanks for sharing!
I made this recipe for Christmas. They tasted great, but there wasn’t enough filling mixture to our tastes. Not sure quite what to do, as the filling wasn’t spreadable.
Instead of making frosting, I melted a couple T of butter with a couple T of orange marmalade and glazed the tops of the rolls when they came out of the oven.
nice twist on a roll! love the orange flavor, thank you!
That is a wonderful recepe.Eagerly waiting to bake it. Kindly let me know the egg substitute.thanks.