Our soft and fluffy homemade Orange Roll recipe couldn’t be more simple or delicious. They’re baked in a muffin pan and have a delicious orange glaze on top.
Looking for more bread recipes? Try Chocolate Banana Bread, Cranberry Orange Muffins, or Lemon Blueberry Bread!
Why I love this recipe:
- Family Tradition: This recipe holds a special place in my heart. I make it every year for family parties, special occasions, and especially Thanksgiving and Christmas, just like my mom did for our family growing up.
- Muffin Tin: The rolled dough is baked in a muffin pan, making the rolls easier to eat and form. This recipe is SO simple!
- Homemade Filling and Glaze: Making the glaze and filling is the easiest part and also the most delicious, with bursts of orange flavor.
How to make Orange Rolls:
Make Dough: Combine water, yeast, and sugar and let rest for 5 minutes, until foamy. Add eggs, butter, salt, flour, and yeast mixture in a mixing bowl with dough hook. Knead for 3 minutes on medium speed, then let rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Repeat 2 more times. Divide dough into 3 balls.
Make Filling: Roll each dough ball into a 15″x8″ rectangle. Mix ½ cup softened butter with ½ cup of sugar and the zest of 2 oranges. Spread mixture evenly over all three rectangles of bread dough.
Roll each rectangle lengthwise into a long tube (similar to cinnamon rolls). Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the dough into 1 1/2″ sections.
Bake: Place each small dough roll into a greased muffin tin. You could also lay them in a greased baking dish, like cinnamon rolls, if you prefer. Cover lightly with greased plastic wrap and rise for 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven.
Make Orange Glaze: Whisk powdered sugar, orange zest, and orange juice until smooth. Drizzle over warm orange rolls.
Storage and Freezing Instructions:
To Store: Orange rolls are best enjoyed fresh, the day they are made. Store leftovers in an air-tight container for 1-3 days, or freeze.
To Freeze: Baked orange rolls can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm in the microwave for a few seconds.
More Sweet Roll Recipes:
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Recipe
Orange Rolls
Ingredients
Rolls:
- 1 3/4 cups warm water
- 2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
Filling:
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- zest of 2 large oranges
Orange Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest (from fresh orange)
- 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
Instructions
- Make dough: In a small bowl, add water, yeast and sugar. Let rest for 5 minutes, until foamy on top. In a large mixing bowl fitted with a dough hook, add eggs, butter, salt, flour and yeast mixture.
- Knead the dough with your mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes. Cover bowl with a towel and let dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Knead dough again for 3 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes.
- Knead dough one more time for three minutes. Let rest again for 10 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 3 balls. Lightly flour your counter-top and roll each dough ball out into a 15''x8'' rectangle.
- Make filling: Mix ½ cup softened butter with ½ cup sugar and the zest of 2 oranges. Spread this mixture evenly over the three rectangles of bread dough.
- Roll-up each rectangle lengthwise into a long tube (similar to how you would roll cinnamon rolls). Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the dough into 1 1/2'' sections.
- Put each small dough round into a greased muffin tin. (You could also lay them in a greased baking dish, like cinnamon rolls, but we always make them in muffin tins!)
- Cover dough lightly with greased piece of plastic wrap and allow dough to rise once more, for 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle with glaze.
- Glaze: Whisk powdered sugar, orange zest and orange juice until smooth. Drizzle over warm orange rolls.
- Orange rolls are best enjoyed fresh, the day they are made. Store leftoevers in an air-tight container for 1-3 days, or freeze.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe November 2013. Updated August 2019 and December 2023.
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Can you freeze part of the batch to bake later? If so how would you bake after frozen?
I’ve followed the recipe to a T but my rolls are still doughy after 12 minutes. What can I do to help them bake through?