These Homemade Orange Sweet Rolls put a fresh, citrusy spin on traditional cinnamon rolls. Made with a soft, buttery dough, they’re filled with a fragrant orange-cinnamon sugar swirl and finished with a smooth, glossy orange icing.
The bright citrus flavor shines through every layer, from the dough to the glaze. This make-ahead friendly recipe is ideal for Easter brunch, Mother’s Day, or any moment that calls for something special and comforting.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Vibrant Citrus Flavor: Bursting with real orange flavor in the dough, filling, and icing.
• Pillow-Soft Texture: The rich dough (milk, butter, eggs) creates pillow-soft, fluffy, flaky rolls.
• Gooey Goodness: A gooey cinnamon-roll interior with sticky, caramelized bottoms.
• Make-Ahead Friendly: Includes an overnight option for stress-free mornings.
🛠 Tools You’ll Need
• Electric stand mixer (with dough hook) or large mixing bowl
• 9×13-inch baking pan
• Citrus juicer & zester
• Rolling pin
• Instant-read thermometer (optional)
🥄 Key Ingredients
Dough (Rich Dough)
• Whole milk – For the richest-tasting dough
• Instant or active dry yeast
• Unsalted butter – Softened
• Fresh orange zest & juice – Vibrant citrus flavor
• Eggs – Adds richness and structure
• Bread flour – For chewier, flakier rolls
Filling
• Unsalted butter – Extra softened
• Granulated sugar & ground cinnamon
• Fresh orange zest – Intensifies the citrus swirl
Orange Icing
• Confectioners’ sugar
• Fresh orange juice
• Pure vanilla extract – For a drippy citrus glaze
🍊 How to Make Homemade Orange Sweet Rolls
1. Activate Yeast: Whisk warm milk, a little sugar, and yeast. Let sit 5 minutes until foamy.
2. Mix Dough: Add remaining dough ingredients and 1 cup flour. Beat, then add remaining flour until a soft dough forms.
3. Knead: Knead 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Dough should be soft and slightly tacky.
4. First Rise: Place in greased bowl, cover, and rise 1.5–2 hours until doubled.
5. Assemble Rolls: Roll dough into a 10×16-inch rectangle. Spread butter and sprinkle filling evenly.
6. Roll and Cut: Roll tightly into a log and cut into 12 even rolls. Arrange in greased pan.
7. Second Rise: Cover and rise 30–45 minutes (or refrigerate overnight). Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
8. Bake: Bake 25–28 minutes, tent with foil after 15 minutes if needed. Internal temp: 190°F (88°C).
9. Glaze and Serve: Drizzle icing over warm rolls and serve.
💡 Tips for Success
• Embrace Soft Dough: Slightly sticky dough = soft rolls. Don’t over-flour.
• Proper Kneading: Full 6–8 minutes is essential for fluffy texture.
• Rest if Needed: If dough shrinks, rest 10 minutes before rolling.
• Warm Icing: Apply glaze while rolls are warm for maximum melt-in.
🆘 Sweet Roll Troubleshooting Guide
Dry or Dense Rolls
• Cause: Too much flour or over-baking
• Solution: Measure accurately; bake to 190°F
Flat Rolls / Poor Rise
• Cause: Inactive yeast or incorrect milk temperature
• Solution: Milk ~100°F (38°C); yeast must foam
Dough Shrinks When Rolling
• Cause: Tight gluten
• Solution: Rest dough 10 minutes
Burnt Filling
• Cause: Loose rolling or too much butter
• Solution: Roll tightly; use extra-soft, not melted butter
👩🍳 Pro Chef Tips
• Overnight Option: Refrigerate cut rolls 8–12 hours, rise before baking
• Freezing: Freeze baked, un-iced rolls up to 3 months
• Gifting: Bake in disposable pans for sharing
• Flavor Boost: Bread flour = better chew and structure
☕ Perfect Pairings
• Coffee – Classic breakfast pairing
• Black Tea – Balances citrus richness
• Fresh Orange Juice – Doubles the citrus flavor
• Mimosa – Perfect for brunch celebrations
📦 How to Store
• Room Temperature: Up to 2 days, covered
• Refrigerator: Up to 5 days, covered
📌 More Recipes You’ll Love
- 🍫 Chocolate Whoopie Pies: Fudgy Cookies with Fluffy Vanilla Filling
- 🍫 Ultimate Brownie Cookie Recipe: Fudgy, Crinkly & Irresistible!
- Warning: This Nutella Cookie Pie Might Go Viral 📸🍪
- Homemade Crumbl S’mores Cookies
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Homemade Orange Sweet Rolls: Soft & Zesty Citrus Rolls with Orange Icing
Description
Pillow-soft, buttery sweet rolls with a zesty orange-cinnamon filling and bright orange icing—perfect for brunch and make-ahead baking.
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
Orange Icing
Instructions
-
Prepare the Dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the warm milk, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and the yeast. Whisk gently to mix, then cover and let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes, until a foamy layer forms on the surface.
If you don’t have a stand mixer, this step can be done in a large mixing bowl. In the next step, the dough can be mixed by hand using a sturdy wooden spoon or silicone spatula. A hand mixer is not recommended, as the sticky dough tends to cling to the beaters.
-
Mix the Dough Ingredients
Add the remaining sugar, softened butter, orange juice, orange zest, eggs, salt, and 1 cup (about 130g) of flour to the yeast mixture. Mix on medium speed for about 1 minute until combined, then stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the remaining 3 cups (about 400g) of flour and mix on low speed until a very soft dough forms and begins pulling away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should feel soft but not excessively sticky. If it is too sticky to handle, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition, just until the dough wraps around the hook and releases from the bowl.
-
Knead the Dough
Continue kneading the dough in the mixer on low speed for a full 6–8 minutes, or transfer it to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for the same amount of time. If the dough becomes sticky during kneading, sprinkle in flour 1 teaspoon at a time as needed. Avoid adding too much flour, as this can result in dry rolls.
After kneading, the dough should be soft and slightly tacky. Press it gently with a finger—if it slowly springs back, it’s ready. For an additional check, perform a windowpane test by stretching a small piece of dough until light passes through without tearing. If it tears easily, continue kneading.
-
First Rise
Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough inside, turning it to coat all sides. Cover with foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm area for 1½ to 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
-
Prepare the Baking Dish
Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch metal or glass baking dish, or line it with parchment paper.
-
Roll Out the Dough
Once risen, gently punch down the dough to release air. Transfer it to a lightly floured work surface and roll it into a 10×16-inch rectangle, keeping the thickness even throughout.
If the dough keeps shrinking back while rolling, cover it lightly and let it rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten, then continue rolling.
-
Add the Filling
Spread the softened butter evenly over the surface of the dough. In a small bowl, mix the filling ingredients together until the orange zest has moistened the sugar (using your fingers if necessary). Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the buttered dough.
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Shape the Rolls
Starting from the long edge, roll the dough up tightly into a log about 16 inches long. Using a very sharp knife, cut the log into 12 evenly sized rolls, each about 1 to 1½ inches wide. Place the rolls into the prepared baking dish.
-
Second Rise
Cover the pan tightly and allow the rolls to rise until puffy, about 30–45 minutes. Alternatively, follow the overnight option if using.
-
Bake the Rolls
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Bake the rolls for 25–28 minutes, or until lightly golden on top. After about 15 minutes, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning. If using an instant-read thermometer, the internal temperature should reach about 190°F (88°C).
Remove the pan from the oven and let the rolls cool slightly on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.
-
Make the Icing
While the rolls cool, whisk the confectioners’ sugar, orange juice, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle the icing over the warm rolls and serve.
-
Storage
Cover any leftover sweet rolls tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days
Note
1️⃣ Make-Ahead Instructions – Overnight 🕒
- To prepare the night before serving, complete the rolls through step 7.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate for 8–12 hours (16 hours max). ⏳
- 8–12 hours is ideal ✅
- 16 hours is okay if absolutely necessary, but do not exceed 16 hours ❌
- The next morning, remove from the fridge and let rise at room temperature for 1–2 hours before continuing with step 9. 🌞
2️⃣ Make-Ahead Instructions – Freezing ❄️
You can freeze cinnamon rolls for up to 3 months. Here are some options:
Method 1 – Freeze Before 2nd Rise
- Shape the rolls, then freeze before the second rise (step 7)
- Thaw overnight in the fridge, then let rise 1.5–2 hours at room temp before baking 🕒
Method 2 – Par-Bake & Freeze
- Bake the risen rolls for 10 minutes, let cool completely, then freeze
- Thaw overnight in the fridge, rest 30 minutes at room temp, then finish baking 15–20 minutes 🔥
Method 3 – Fully Baked Rolls
- Bake completely, cool, then freeze. Reheat when ready 🍩
- See How to Freeze Cinnamon Rolls for full step-by-step guidance
3️⃣ Special Tools 🛠️
Having the right tools makes cinnamon rolls much easier to perfect:
- Stand mixer (or large glass bowl + wooden spoon/silicone spatula)
- Citrus juicer & zester 🍊
- 9×13-inch baking pan
- Rolling pin & cooling rack
- Whisk
- Instant-read thermometer 🌡️
4️⃣ Milk Tips 🥛
- Whole milk = richest, creamiest dough
- Buttermilk = tangier flavor
- Reduced-fat or non-dairy milk works if needed
- Do not use nonfat milk ❌
5️⃣ Yeast Tips 🍞
- Use 1 Tbsp yeast (slightly more than 1 standard packet)
- Active dry or instant yeast works fine
- Active dry yeast may take slightly longer to rise, but otherwise follow same instructions
- Check my Baking with Yeast Guide for FAQs 📝
6️⃣ Flour Tips 🌾
- Bread flour = best texture, slightly chewier and flakier rolls
- All-purpose flour = works perfectly too, still soft and rich
7️⃣ Half Batch Option ✂️
- Halve the recipe for smaller portions using an 8–9 inch square or round pan
- 1st dough rise may be slightly shorter
- Roll dough to approx 7×10 inch rectangle, roll into 10-inch log, cut into 6 rolls
- 2nd rise time stays about the same
- Bake a few minutes less ⏱️