Orange Cinnamon Rolls

Some mornings call for something that feels both cozy and bright. These orange cinnamon rolls take everything you love about a cinnamon roll but have a little extra sunshine baked in. Each bite of these soft cinnamon swirls is familiar, refreshingly bright, and 100% irresistible.

The cinnamon rolls start with a pillowy soft yeast dough that is filled with a warm filling. The filling is a bit different from a classic cinnamon roll filling. It combines brown sugar, cinnamon, orange zest, and cardamom to create a perfectly light and balanced filling without losing that classic cinnamon flavor. As the rolls cook, they puff into soft, fluffy swirls before they are generously spread with a vanilla orange cream cheese frosting. The icing melts into every crevice of the warm rolls and adds some extra tangy and citrus flavor to each bite. 

These orange rolls will make the perfect treat for slow weekends, a spring or summer brunch, or Christmas morning. Or maybe you just want something that makes the morning feel special! No matter the occasion, these rolls are guaranteed to quickly become a breakfast favorite! 

How to Make These Orange Cinnamon Rolls, Step by Step

Step 1. Make the sweet yeast dough.

Start at the stove top with a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add milk, sugar, salt, and butter to the pan and gently stir until the butter and sugar dissolve. Cool the mixture to a lukewarm temperature. If it is too hot or to cold, it could kill the yeast.

Add warm water and yeast to the mixing bowl of your stand mixer to bloom (or activate). Add the warm milk mixture, room temperature eggs, and flour to the bowl and mix on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes.

Reduce the speed and add the rest of the flour to the dough. Stop mixing when the dough clings to the hook and cleans the sides of the bowl. 

Lastly, continue to knead the dough in the mixture on speed 2 for 5 more minutes.

Tip: It’s essential to keep the ingredients at room temperature to maintain yeast activity while you make the dough.

Step 2. Let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Grease a large bowl and place the dough ball in the bowl to rise in a warm place – microwave or oven with the light on –  for 1 hour. It should double in size as it sits. 

Step 3. Make brown sugar orange-spiced filling.

The filling is arguably the best part of these rolls. Start with softened (not melted) butter. If the butter is too soft, it can make it hard to spread the filling. 

Add softened butter, cinnamon, cardamom, orange zest, and brown sugar to a medium mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix the softened butter until it forms a soft, fluffy filling that can be smoothly spread across the dough. 

Step 4. Roll out the dough, spread filling. Roll and cut the cinnamon rolls into spirals.

Your sweet dough should now be doubled in size. Roll the dough out on a floured surface and use a rolling pin to form a 10 x 30-inch rectangle. 

Spread the cinnamon sugar filling in an even layer over the top of the dough. Starting from the longer side of the dough, tightly roll the dough into a log. Slice into 18 rolls. 

Tip: Use dental floss to get a super clean cut of the dough. Keep scrolling for our tips on cutting the dough with floss.

Step 5. Second rise & bake! Spread orange cream cheese frosting over the warm rolls. 

Butter a baking dish and line the dish with the rolls. This recipe makes at least 16-18 cinnamon rolls, so depending on the size of your baking dish, you may need to grease another dish for the extras. 

Cover the rolls with a clean dish towel to rise for an additional hour. 

While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for about 20-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown. 

Let the rolls set for 10 minutes and whip together the orange cream cheese icing. Add all your ingredients to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat the icing on medium speed until soft and fluffy. 

Use a spatula to spread a generous layer of icing over the top of the rolls. They’re best if enjoyed warm.

Tips for Making Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

• Make sure your milk mixture and warm water are not too hot. Warm water is used to activate the yeast. You want to make sure that it is between 100-110ºF or else it will kill the yeast. You want to also make sure that the milk mixture is not too hot because you will add the yeast to the dough. 
• On the other hand, you don’t want ingredients to be too cold. Make sure eggs and butter are room temperature. This will help to maintain a warm temperature to keep the yeast active. 
• Let the dough rise in a warm place in your kitchen. We recommend putting the bowl in the microwave or in a turned-off oven with the light on. 
• Roll the dough into an even rectangle. When you roll the dough out into a rectangle, make sure the dough thickness is even all the way across. This will help the rolls bake at the same rate. 
• Frost the roll swhile they’re still warm. Let the rolls set for about 10 minutes before spreading the orange cream cheese frosting over the rolls. The warm rolls will still melt the frosting without becoming too thin and runny. 

Use this hack for slicing cinnamon rolls!

We know, it sounds strange, but dental floss slices cinnamon rolls perfectly! Sometimes, when you cut rolls with a knife, they can pinch the dough, and you don’t get those perfect swirls.

Follow these steps to make perfect dough swirls!

1. Use a pastry cutter or butter knife to make light, evenly spaced marks that are about 1 1/2 inches thick. These marks will indicate where you will cut each slice
2. Cut a piece of floss about 10 inches long. Grab the floss on either end with your fingers. 
3. Shimmy the floss underneath the dough where you want to cut the roll.
4. Cross the floss over the top and pull the ends of the floss to make a cut. 
5. Repeat steps 1-4 for cutting the rest of the rolls.

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