Orange Sweet Rolls

5 from 10 votes

The BEST orange sweet rolls topped with a delicious orange buttercream frosting. Super soft, fluffy and full of fresh orange flavor. This recipe is perfect for breakfast or brunch!

Prep Time35 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Rise2 hrs

Total Time2 hrs 50 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: orange sweet rolls

Servings:

Calories: 594kcal

Author: Jamielyn Nye

Ingredients

For the Dough:

1/2 cup warm water
1/4 ounce package active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup butter (melted)
3/4 cup warm milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg (whisked)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups all-purpose flour (more or less as needed)

For the Filling:

1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
zest of 1 orange
1-2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice

For the Frosting:

1/2 cup salted butter (softened)
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
zest from one orange
1-2 teaspoons orange extract (taste as you add; or can use orange juice)
1 Tablespoon milk

Instructions

In a small bowl, add warm water, yeast and sugar. Let sit for about 10 minutes until bubbly.
In a large bowl, whisk together butter, milk, sugar, egg and salt. Add yeast mixture when ready and stir until combined. Add two cups of flour and stir until smooth. Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time. Knead for 5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, you can add a little more flour.
Once dough is nice and soft, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot.
Mix together filling ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Once your dough has doubled in size, punch it down and roll out on a floured surface. You want to form a rectangle approximately 15×20 inches. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Spread filling onto the dough with a brush and then roll the dough up horizontally. I did not use all of the filling.
Cut the dough into 1 inch pieces with floss or a large knife. Place dough rolls onto a buttered baking dish, about 1 inch apart. Let rolls sit for another hour or until rolls have doubled in size.
Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Beat together the frosting ingredients in a large bowl and then spread on top of the rolls. You can add more milk or powdered sugar to reach your desired consistency.

Video

Notes

Rising tip: Turn the oven to 200°F. Then turn off the oven and let the dough rise in the oven.

Making the night before: You can make these up to 12 hours ahead of time. Simply roll them out and place on a baking sheet. Let sit for 30 minutes to rise and then cover tightly with foil that has been sprayed with non stick spray. Refrigerate overnight. Then in the morning remove from the fridge and let rise about 1-2 hours before baking. Then bake as directed.

Freezing sweet rolls: You can freeze the rolls after they have been baked and cooled. Simply place in a freezer container, then set out to thaw overnight. You can also freeze the rolled dough. Simply place the rolls on the baking sheet and then cover tightly with foil. Then freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to bake allow to thaw and rise for about 4 to 5 hours. I usually let them rise in the oven for the last hour. Once they have risen, bake according to directions.

Orange glaze: Alternatively, you can make an orange glaze instead of frosting. Whisk together the following ingredients.

2 cups powdered sugar
Juice from 1 orange
1-2 Tablespoons milk, more as needed

Nutrition