Orange Rolls made in an hour! Perfectly sweet, soft orange roll recipe with a bright citrus glaze that melts in your mouth. Plus, how to make the BEST sweet rolls ever!
Orange Rolls made from scratch are a favorite of mine. I love the fresh taste of citrus paired with a sweet, soft roll. Yum! Bonus too- these are made in only an hour. So you don’t have to spend hours waiting for dough to rise…then rise again, etc. Super simple and oh so delicious.
How to make Orange Rolls
Here’s how to make the best sweet rolls ever:
- Remember to fully knead. The recipe below kneads for just 3-4 minutes but each and every one of those minutes is important! Kneading dough helps to develop the flavor and texture of the bread, so don’t skimp on kneading time.
- Weather can affect your ingredients. If you live in a moist climate, chances are you’ll need at least the recommended amount of flour, maybe even 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup more. Bread dough should be sticky, but still manageable. While you’re kneading, the dough should come together and pull away from the sides of the bowl, leaving the bowl mostly clean. (I try not to add too much flour because your bread will be more dense.) When you pick the dough up, some will stick to your fingers. After the first rise, it will be easier to handle!
- In the wintertime when my house is cooler than normal, I like to turn the oven on for 2-3 minutes, then turn it off and let the bowl of dough rise in there. The oven traps the heat for a longtime and it’s the perfect atmosphere for rising dough.
- Having trouble rolling out a rectangle shape? ME TOO! Here’s my trick- first roll out the dough into an oval shape until the dough is about 1/2″ thick. Then fold the side of the oval over, creating a rectangle shape. Turn the dough over and begin rolling again. This time, creating a rectangle shape is MUCH easier! If you’re having a hard time rolling out a section, fee free to grasp it and gently pull it towards where you want it to be.
- Coll the orange rolls for about 20-30 minutes before spreading on the icing. You want the rolls to still be warm (because OMG eating a fresh baked orange roll while it’s still warm is pretty much the best thing ever!) but if they’re too warm, all the icing will melt right off and puddle at the bottom of the pan.
ONE-HOUR ORANGE ROLLS
Orange Rolls made in an hour! Perfectly sweet, soft rolls with a bright citrus glaze that melts in your mouth. Plus, how to make the BEST sweet rolls ever!
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Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 TBSP yeast
- 1 TBSP + 1/3 cup sugar divided
- 1 TBSP oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 1/2- 3 cups flour
- 5 TBSP melted butter divided
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 TBSP orange zest
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 TBSP orange juice
Instructions
- Combine warm water, yeast and 1 TBSP sugar in a mixing bowl and let sit for about 3-4 minutes, until yeast is bubbling up. Add in oil, salt and flour. Start with 2 1/2 cups of flour, then add more until the dough cleans the sides of the mixing bowl. (I use a mixer for this part as it makes it just so much easier!) Continue mixing for an additional 3-4 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place for 15 minutes. In cold weather, I like to turn my oven on for about 3 or 4 minutes, then turn it off and let my dough rest in the oven.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Stir together cinnamon, orange zest and 1/3 cup sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Spray counter top with non-stick cooking spray and roll dough out into a large rectangle about 1/4? thick. Brush dough with 3 TBSP melted butter, then spread with cinnamon sugar- orange zest mixture.
- Starting with one of the long sides of the rectangle, roll dough up tightly, working from one end to the other end horizontally, then back again. Pinch the seams closed at the end. Use a sharp, thin knife to cut the roll in half, then each half in half. You will have 4 sections. Cut each section into thirds.
- Set rolls in a 9x13 pan. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
- Whisk together powdered sugar, remaining 2 TBSP melted butter and orange juice. Spread over warm rolls. Enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
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Orange Rolls made in an hour! Perfectly sweet, soft orange roll recipe with a bright citrus glaze that melts in your mouth. Plus, how to make the BEST sweet rolls ever!
Dana DeVolk says
WOW, these look and sound to die for!
Jessica says
thank you Dana!
Marilyn Wehrli says
Oh my goodness! I made these this morning. They are to die for. I used raw sugar instead of granulated sugar. I also cut back the amount of butter I used inside the rolls. I used a total of 3 TBSP. between the inside and the icing. I also soaked some dried cranberries and added them, once they were plump. This recipe was absolutely melt in your mouth delicious. I’m making another batch to take to have with our Sunday School class tomorrow morning.
Nellie says
Marilyn – So glad you enjoyed them – what a great idea to add cranberries! You have a lucky Sunday School class!
Trang says
What a great tip! How do you know I always have issue rolling the dough into a rectangle?? I will definitely try our your tip next time 😉
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
I gotta try these orange rolls for breakfast!!
Drew says
Delicious! My family loved them!
Jessica says
So glad to hear that Drew!
Jessica Garcia says
Delicious! The orange was a welcome flavor, not too overpowering. I added a couple of drops of vanilla and a little orange zest to the icing. I just love that you added pointers and such great directions, making this recipe absolutely awesome! I can definitely see making pecan bums or adding cranberry. Very versatile recipe. Thank you very much!
Jessica says
You’re most welcome Jessica! I’m so glad you liked them. Adding cranberry is a fantastic idea- YUM!
L.Kiser says
My family LOVES this recipe but I’m wondering if you’ve ever tried pre-making any of it and freezing it so there’s less prep the morning of. Thanks in advance!
Jessica says
I haven’t tried making them ahead of time, but I’d say instead of baking them rolls, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Then bake them the next morning. I’d even put them in the oven while preheating so that they’ll warm up before the oven comes to temperature. 🙂
Candice says
These look so yummy! I want to make some for my family and friends. Does this recipe still work if it’s doubled? Or do I need to make them separately?
Jessica says
Yes, it works well doubled. Just use a jelly roll pan instead of a 9×13. YUM.
Daphne says
These rolls turned out amazingly! The pop of orange is perfect for a spring time brunch. I have tried other one hour roll recipes that failed miserably. These rolled out and didn’t stick at all to the board. This is a keeper!
Alison says
Daphne, These are a favorite at our house too! Glad you were able to enjoy them!
Christine White says
These orange rolls are so yummy! I make them often for my family because they are so easy and delicious!
Jane says
How much sugar goes in with the yeast? I only see 1/3c listed in ingredients and that’s the amount to put in the filling
Jessica says
It’s 1 TBSP. I updated it to make it more clear- thanks for the feedback!
Amber says
Hi! Thanks for sharing this recipe, I’m trying it today for Easter! Quick question, you mentioned in the notes at the beginning that after the first rise the dough will be easier to handle. However, I only saw one place in the directions where it rises. Is it supposed to rise again after you cut the rolls and place them in the 9 x 13 pan and before you bake them?
Thanks,
Amber
Amber Johnson says
I let these rise a little before baking. They turned out great! Very yummy, the whole family enjoyed them. Would make again. Thanks for sharing!
Alison says
Thank so much Amber!
Josephine Ressler says
these rolls were amazing and so easy to make!
Alison says
Thanks so much Josephine!
Erica Anderson says
The recipe says to bake at 400 degrees, but the video says to bake at 170 degrees, then increase to 400 degrees. Could you clarify this? I’m SUPER excited to make these rolls!
Jessica says
I’ll have to double check that! You just bake them at 400 degrees. : )
MJ Bruer says
What does it mean by roll it from one end to the other “and back again”? (also it’s obvious you mean “cool” but there is a typo on the explanation part where you cool the rolls before icing them; thought you’d wanna know). Thank you so much!
Jessica says
I make a long rectangle of dough and start on one side, start rolling and tucking the dough, gradually moving to the other side. Does that make sense??
Carrie says
LOVED THE ORANGE FLAVOR, but the rolls didn’t really raise. I love the recipes on this website, but something seemed to be off….maybe the time of the second raise? I let them set for about 15 minutes before baking 🤷♀️
Nicole says
Im so sorry to hear that they didn’t rise properly. Any number of things could have caused this to happen including using the wrong type of yeast, expired yeast, too hot of water, too cold of water, etc. I would hope that you try the recipe again and pay more attention to the finer yeast details and see if you can get better results next time.
Susan says
I am “confused” over the CINNAMON. I do not want cinnamon rolls. I want ORANGE ROLLS. Also can you pls SHOW THE ROLLS before the icing please. They must be soft and tall. I cannot see how soft or fluffy they are. I do not want anywhere near dense orange rolls at all.
Jessica says
Susan- they’re orange rolls. For soft and tall rolls, you’ll need to use a pan with taller sides- a 9×13 and not a jelly roll pan. Make sure the rolls are touching before the 2nd rise. That way, when they rise, they rise UP instead of OUT. Make sense? Don’t overbake. Voila, soft and tall orange rolls.