These fluffy orange cinnamon rolls are soft and gooey, scented with fresh orange flavor, and topped with a tangy orange cream cheese frosting. The sweet orange rolls are filled with spiced orange and brown sugar filling.

About these homemade orange rolls

This orange roll recipe uses a lightly enriched dough that’s tender and flavorful. I use this dough in all my homemade cinnamon rolls, except fresh orange juice and orange zest are added this time. The dough can be worked with by hand or in a stand mixer. It’s not quite as enriched as brioche dough, but the soft dough still has amazing texture and flavor.

The dough will rise twice, once as a large dough ball and the second as the shaped buns. The first dough rise can happen at room temperature for same-day orange cinnamon rolls or rise slowly in the fridge overnight. Letting the dough have a cold rise will give it extra flavor. It would then have its second rise at room temperature.

birds eye of gooey orange cinnamon roll.

Ingredients For Orange Cinnamon Rolls

Find the complete list of ingredients for these fluffy orange rolls in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a rundown of what you will need.

All-purpose flour. A strong all-purpose flour with a protein level of at least 11%.
Yeast. Active dry yeast or instant dry yeast. The yeast used in this recipe can be instant yeast or active dried yeast. Instant yeast will rise faster than active dried yeast. Whichever one you use, it needs to be viable. Usually, the instant yeast sachets are pretty foolproof, but active dried yeast can sometimes lose viability.
Granulated sugar – The dough itself doesn’t make overly sweet rolls, as the sweetness comes from the filling and topping.
Large eggs
Salt
Whole milk
Fresh orange juice and finely grated fresh orange zest
Butter – This can be salted or unsalted butter. Room temperature
Soft brown sugar
Ground cinnamon and ground cardamom – The cardamom is optional but it’s a perfect partner to orange.
Cream cheese at room temperature
Powdered sugar

Baker’s Schedule

Here are two examples of baking schedules you can follow. Feel free to adapt these times to suit your schedule.

Option 1 – same-day orange sweet rolls

9:00 am – Mix and knead the dough.
9:25 am – Place dough in a greased bowl and let the dough rise until doubled.
10:30 am – Roll dough into a rectangle. Spread on the filling. Roll it up and slice. Place slices in the baking pan and let rise until doubled in size.
11:45 am – Bake for around 25 minutes until golden brown. Make the frosting while the rolls are baking.
12:15 pm – Frost the sweet rolls while still warm. Serve

Option 2- Overnight orange sweet rolls

7 pm – Mix and knead the dough.
7:25 pm – Place dough in a greased bowl and wrap it tightly. Let it rise slowly overnight in the fridge (up to 16 hours.)
The following day, 8 am – Remove the dough from the fridge. Roll the dough into a rectangle. Roll it up and slice. Place slices in the baking pan and let rise until doubled in size.
9:30 am- Bake for around 25 minutes. Make the frosting while the rolls are baking.
9:55 am – Frost the sweet rolls while still warm. Serve.

side view of orange cinnamon rolls with orange cream cheese frosting.

Method

The bread dough

In a small saucepan, warm the milk to around 95-104°F / 35-40°C and pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over the warm milk. If using active dry yeast, let this sit for around 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy; if using instant yeast, this step can be skipped.

Add the flour, salt, orange zest, orange juice and eggs to the yeast mixture. Fit the stand mixer with a dough hook attachment and mix until a thick dough forms.

Add in the softened butter, a few cubes at a time.

Keep mixing on medium speed for around 10 minutes until the dough is soft and strong and passes the windowpane test.

Kneading by hand

Alternatively, knead the dough by hand. Mix the dough with a wooden spoon until it forms a shaggy ball. Pull it onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few cubes at a time in the butter.

Knead by hand for around 10 minutes until it becomes an elastic and smooth dough. If you need a break, let the dough rest for 10 minutes and return to it.

First rise

Once kneaded, form the soft dough into a ball. Transfer the ball of dough to a large, lightly greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a damp dish towel.

Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, around 1 to 1 ½ hours. The total time will depend on your room temperature.

The dough can also be covered tightly and refrigerated for up to 16 hours.

Filling

With an electric mixer, beat softened butter, brown sugar, orange zest, cinnamon and cardamom in a medium bowl into a creamy paste.

Shaping

Grease or line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper.

Punch down the risen dough, then pull it from the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with some flour.

If the dough has come from the fridge, it will be very stiff.

Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large 12×16-inch rectangle (30cm x 40 cm).

filling spread on orange enriched dough.

Add the orange-cinnamon mixture and use an offset spatula to spread it out.

Roll the dough up, starting from the longest side up the top, into a jelly-roll style log.

Cut the log into 12 equal pieces using unflavored dental floss for extra clean cuts or a serrated knife.

Place the rolls into the prepared pan.

Cover the pan and let the orange sweet rolls have their second rise in a warm spot until doubled in size.

Baking

Preheat the oven to 350°F /180°C.

Bake the rolls in the oven for around 25-28 minutes until golden brown. If they are browning too fast, you can cover the top of the rolls loosely with aluminum foil.

Orange frosting

While the rolls are baking, make the frosting. In a large bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy.

Add the confectioners’ sugar, orange zest, orange juice and salt. Beat on low speed to incorporate the sugar, then switch to high and beat until creamy.

Let the baked buns cool for 20 minutes, then spread on the orange icing. Top with a bit of extra orange zest. They’re perfect for a Christmas morning treat!

Storing

Leftover orange rolls can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The sweet rolls can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Thaw the orange cinnamon rolls overnight in the refrigerator and warm them up in the microwave before serving.

Related Recipes

Did you enjoy this orange rolls recipe? For more cinnamon roll recipes or orange recipes, check out these!

Orange Cinnamon Rolls

Elien

These fluffy orange cinnamon rolls are soft and gooey, scented with fresh orange flavor, and topped with a tangy orange cream cheese frosting.

5 from 7 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 25

Additional Time 2

Total Time 2 50

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 425 kcal

Ingredients

Dough

180 g whole milk
2 ¼ teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
50 g granulated sugar
530 g all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
60 g fresh orange juice
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons orange zest finely grated
1 teaspoon salt
85 g butter, softened to room temperature

Filling

55 g softened butter
100 g soft brown sugar
1 Tablespoon orange zest finely grated
1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom

Frosting

113 g block style cream cheese, room temperature
30 g butter, softened to room temperature
180 g confectioners sugar
2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 Tablespoon orange zest finely grated
Pinch of salt