Orange cinnamon rolls make the perfect Christmas morning breakfast or special weekend treat. Soft, fluffy yeast rolls are filled with orange zest and sweet cinnamon filling, served warm with a drizzle of orange icing.
Heather's recipe summary
Flavor/texture: Fluffy orange rolls are filled with brown sugar cinnamon filling and topped with a sweet orange zest icing.
Easy to make ahead. They're easy to assemble the night before (or months ahead) with refrigerator and freezer instructions in the recipe card.
Yield: 9 large rolls
Pan size: 9x9 square
Similar to: Lemon Sweet Rolls, Strawberry Sweet Rolls, Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Yeast - You'll need one packet of instant yeast for this recipe. Check the expiration date on your yeast to ensure it's not out of date. Old yeast can prevent your rolls from rising as they should.
- Oranges - You'll need about one large or two medium oranges for this recipe. We're adding orange zest to the dough and icing for plenty of concentrated orange flavor. A small amount of orange juice is added to the icing to thin it out. The orange juice could be substituted with milk if needed.
How to make orange cinnamon rolls
- Warm milk and butter in a microwave safe container and stir to melt the butter. Milk should be about 110F (no hotter). Whisk in yeast until dissolved.
- Pour milk mixture into remaining dough ingredients and stir until a sticky dough forms.
- Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes, or until dough looks smooth and no longer sticky.
- Transfer to a greased bowl and cover for 10 minutes.
- Roll dough out into a 9x14 rectangle and spread butter over dough.
- Top with brown sugar and cinnamon and gently pat to adhere.
- Starting at the long end, roll up into a log. Slice into 9 even rolls using a serrated knife.
- Place in a greased 9x9 square pan.
- Cover and allow to double in size, about 60 minutes.
- Bake until golden brown and rolls reach 195F in the center.
- Prepare orange icing in a small bowl.
- Top hot rolls with icing and serve warm.
Heather's Top Tip
An instant-read thermometer is an essential kitchen tool. Use it to test the temperature of your milk (prevents ruining the yeast) and again to test the doneness of your cinnamon rolls (prevents doughy or dry results).
Tips and tricks
Knead until no longer sticky - Knead the dough using the heels of your hands on a lightly-floured countertop. Keep kneading until the dough no longer feels sticky and begins to form a smooth ball. Add more flour to your counter top as needed during this step.
Rise until doubled in size - During the 60-90 minute rise, your dough will double in size. Store your rolls in a warm, room temperature or slightly warmer environment for best results. If the environment is very cold, your dough will take longer to rise.
Testing for doneness - Visually, your cinnamon rolls will look golden brown and set across the tops. If you have an instant-read thermometer, test the center of the middle cinnamon roll. They're done when they reach 195-200F.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. After assembling your cinnamon rolls, cover and transfer to the refrigerator to rise overnight (this replaces the 60-90 minute rise). In the morning while your oven preheats, allow the rolls to warm up on the counter top before baking. I also include these directions in the recipe card notes below.
Yes, orange rolls freeze well for up to 3 months. I've included directions in the recipe card below on how to freeze baked or raw cinnamon rolls for optimal results.
They're just like a classic cinnamon roll, but with a bright, sweet, and zesty orange flavor in the dough and icing. The filling is just like a classic cinnamon roll - made with brown sugar and cinnamon.
Cinnamon rolls turn out dry if they're overbaked. I recommend testing your rolls with an instant-read thermometer to ensure they've reached 195-200F in the center before removing them from the oven to cool.
Your cinnamon rolls will turn out doughy if they're undercooked. I recommend testing your rolls with an instant-read thermometer to ensure they've reached 195-200F in the center before removing them from the oven to cool.
No, fresh orange zest cannot be substituted with orange juice. Zest has a more concentrated flavor of orange and doesn't add a significant amount of moisture, which is why it works so well in baking recipes.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Orange Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 ¾ cups (330 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) whole milk
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 ¼ teaspoons dry instant yeast, one standard packet
- 1 large egg, room temperature
Filling
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (106 g) brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon
Icing
- 1 cup (113 g) confectioner's sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
Instructions
Dough
- Lightly grease a 9x9 square baking dish or 9-10 inch round cake or pie pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add flour, granulated sugar, orange zest, and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In a microwave safe bowl, add milk and butter. Microwave in 20 second increments until butter has melted and mixture is warm to the touch, but not hot (about 110 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Whisk in yeast and continue whisking until yeast has dissolved. Pour yeast mixture into dry ingredients. Add the egg and stir with a sturdy wooden spoon until a soft dough forms.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using floured hands, knead the dough for 3 to 5 minutes, or until dough looks smooth (not sticky).
- Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl, lightly cover, and allow to rise for 10 minutes.
Filling
- Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 14x9 rectangle.
- Spread room temperature butter evenly across the dough. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle evenly over the butter.
- Starting at the long 14 inch side, roll dough up into a log. Using a serrated knife, slice into 9 even rolls and place into prepared baking dish.
- Lightly cover and allow rolls to rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes, or until they've doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Transfer dish to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 26-30 minutes, or until golden brown across the top and rolls reach 195-200 degrees Fahrenheit in the center (use an instant read thermometer to test internal temperature). If rolls are browning too quickly, lightly tent with foil for the remaining baking time.
- While the rolls bake, prepare the icing.
Orange icing
- In a medium bowl, add confectioner's sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, orange zest, and orange juice. Stir until smooth. Add more orange juice as needed to reach desired consistency.
- Drizzle icing over warm cinnamon rolls and serve immediately.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Overnight directions: After assembling the cinnamon rolls, cover and transfer to the refrigerator to rise overnight (this replaces the 60-90 minute rise). In the morning, remove cinnamon rolls from the refrigerator and uncover while the oven preheats. Bake as directed in the recipe card above.
- Leftovers: Store leftover cinnamon rolls covered at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- Freezing baked rolls: Baked cinnamon rolls freeze well and keep for up to 3 months.
- Freezing unbaked cinnamon rolls: Follow the directions above for assembly and rising, using a disposable foil pan (or other freezer-safe pan you don't mind freezing for a while). Bake your cinnamon rolls at 350F for 10 minutes. They should look risen and par-cooked, but not yet browned. Cool completely, then cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Transfer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. In the morning, preheat your oven to 350F and bake for the remaining 16-20 minutes.
I had so much fun creating this recipe! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. If you have a question, check out the post above, which is packed with information about the recipe. Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts — leave a comment and a star rating to share your feedback!