Orange Cinnamon Rolls
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These soft, fluffy spiced orange rolls combine the bright citrus flavor of classic orange rolls with the warm, cozy spices of a traditional cinnamon roll. Topped with a creamy orange cream cheese frosting, these rolls are perfect for everything from a cool weather breakfast to a summer brunch.
MY BELOVED CINNAMON ROLLS WITH A CITRUS TWIST
When I set out to expand my cinnamon roll collection for 2025’s monthly baking themes, I knew I wanted to add a fruity twist to the lineup. While I already have a lemon poppy seed version on my site, I was envisioning something simpler– a soft, classic cinnamon roll dough as the base, without any extras like poppy seeds. Just something sweet and citrusy that fit seamlessly into my collection.
Orange rolls aren’t exactly breaking new ground in the baking world– they’ve been around forever, often paired with a light glaze that keeps them bright and subtle. But I wanted to go bolder. I started by pairing my classic cream cheese frosting with a zesty orange remix, leaning into that nostalgic orange creamsicle vibe (I do love a good orange creamsicle cake, cupcake, and cookie).
The first batch was, to no surprise, delicious, but it felt like it needed something more. Something that balanced the brightness of orange with the warm, cozy soul of a cinnamon roll.
That’s when I thought of my sfratti and pecan pie tarts, where orange and spice work beautifully together. Cinnamon and orange were a no-brainer, and a touch of nutmeg sealed the deal. The result was a perfectly spiced, citrus-forward roll that feels just right whether you’re baking on a chilly morning or for a summer brunch. You can even dial up the spice or the orange in the frosting depending on the season or your mood.
This recipe uses my trusted cinnamon roll dough, scaled to a small batch of 6 rolls (perfect with my small batch cinnamon rolls), but it doubles easily for a full dozen and can even be made into 24 mini rolls. It’s straightforward and beginner-friendly, and if you’re new to yeasted rolls or breads, I’ve got you covered with step-by-step photos, tips, and a video to walk you through it. You can visit my guide to baking with yeast if you need a refresher or more details to begin your yeast adventure.
HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED
The nice part about cinnamon rolls in general is that you use a lot of the same ingredients in each different component of them. Here’s a visual of what you’ll need for the yeasted dough and the cream cheese frosting, but be sure to check the recipe card for exact amounts you’ll need for each part of the orange rolls.
INGREDIENT NOTE
You’ll want all of your ingredients to be at room temperature unless otherwise noted. Allow your ingredients to sit out for at least 45-60 minutes before beginning your recipe to ensure a cohesive dough and to create an environment where your yeast dough will thrive.
OVERVIEw: HOW TO MAKE ORANGE ROLLS
Make the dough: you’ll start by activating/blooming the yeast with warm water, granulated sugar, and fresh orange juice. Next, add the rest of the wet ingredients (warm milk, vanilla, orange zest, and an egg). To this, you’ll also add half of the flour, all of the salt, and all of the softened butter before the remaining flour. Just the way biscuits and pie dough are flaky thanks to the incorporation of butter, adding the butter in pats to the flour will help create chunks of fat that melt in the oven and leave behind pockets of air to make our rolls fluffy.
Allow dough to rest: my cinnamon roll dough does not require two rises, but it does need to rest a bit before it will take to shaping. This rest period allows the gluten to relax so that you can stretch and roll it into a rectangle more easily.
Roll into a rectangle: roll the dough into a 9″ x 12″ rectangle, or 12″ x 18″ for a double batch.
Prepare and add the filling: the filling for orange rolls is just like the cinnamon-sugar filling you find in my traditional cinnamon rolls, but we’re rubbing in some orange zest first.
Roll, slice, and allow rolls to rise: once you’ve filled your dough, roll it into a log starting with one of the long sides. Slice this into 6 evenly sized rolls, then place in a dish, cover with a towel, and allow to rise.
Bake the rolls: these rolls are light in color so you will be able to see them starting to turn brown when they’re approaching done. You want them to be golden!
Allow to cool briefly: give the baked rolls about 10-15 minutes to cool while you prepare the orange cream cheese frosting.
Make cream cheese frosting: this is really easy and only takes a few minutes to bring together. I like to spread the frosting onto the slightly-cooled rolls so it gets drippy and gooey. Orange roll perfection!
ADJUSTMENTS TO SPICE
As I mentioned above, if you’re making these in a cozier season, there’s a chance you might want to lean into the cinnamon and nutmeg. If that’s the case, I suggest adding a dash of each to your cream cheese frosting.
If you’re making these orange cinnamon rolls in a warmer month, I highly recommend adding some extra orange zest to the top of the finished rolls for an extra punch of orange.
Of course, you can do both of these things any time of year, because you’re in charge of your baked goods and I’m just here to make sure you don’t miss out on this incredible flavor combination. You do you, roll lover.
Small Batch Orange CInnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
ORANGE ROLL DOUGH
- ¼ cup (60mL) warm water
- 1 and ⅛ teaspoons (3.5g) dry active yeast or half of one packet
- 2 and ½ Tablespoons (32g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (15mL) fresh orange juice
- ¼ cup (60mL) warm milk
- ½ of the zest of one orange reserve the rest for the filling
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2 and ¼ to 2 and ½ cups (270-300g) all purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- 3 Tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature and cut into 4-6 pieces
FILLING
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ of the zest of one orange remaining from the dough
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter melted
ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 2 ounces (57g) cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ¾ cups (90g) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
ORANGE ROLL DOUGH
- Spray a baking dish1 with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Place warm water in a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water, then add the granulated sugar and the orange juice. Whisk with a fork, wooden spoon, or spatula and allow to rest and activate for 10 minutes.¼ cup (60mL) warm water, 1 and ⅛ teaspoons (3.5g) dry active yeast, 1 Tablespoon (15mL) fresh orange juice, ½ of the zest of one orange
- Once the yeast mixture is active and bubbly, add the milk, salt, vanilla extract, and egg. Whisk to combine.¼ cup (60mL) warm milk, 2 and ½ Tablespoons (32g) granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 large egg
- Gradually stir in flour. If using a stand mixer, use your dough hook. If mixing by hand, continue to use a wooden spoon. Add 1 cup of flour, allow dough to come together, then add the softened butter and continue to blend. When butter is mostly incorporated, add the remaining 1 and ¼ cups of flour and blend until dough has mostly come together. It may still be shaggy, but it should pull away from the sides of the bowl fairly easily.2 and ¼ to 2 and ½ cups (270-300g) all purpose flour, 3 Tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter
- Turn out dough on a floured surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes, adding flour about 1 Tablespoon at a time if the dough is too sticky, until smooth and elastic. Your dough should resemble the surface texture of PlayDoh when it is done. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.
FILLING
- In a medium size bowl, combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk or stir until well-blended, then add the orange zest. Use your fingers to press the zest into the spiced sugar mixture until all of the zest is infused into the mixture. Set aside.½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ of the zest of one orange
- Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a rectangle approximately 9" x 12" in size. Dough will be very elastic, so be patient and keep rolling. There is no need to rush this step.
- When you have your rectangle, brush the melted butter evenly over the dough, leaving about ½" border around the edges. Sprinkle the orange cinnamon-sugar evenly over the melted butter.2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter
ASSEMBLE AND BAKE THE DOUGH
- Starting with one of the long sides, roll the dough up into a tight 12" log. Use your fingers or palms on either end of the log to gently squeeze the log to "contain" the uneven ends. Using a sharp serrated knife and taking care to keep the seam side down, cut the log into 6 even slices. Don't worry if filling spills out.
- Place the slices cut side down in the prepared pan, gather any cinnamon-sugar that fell out, sprinkle over the rolls, then press down gently to flatten slightly. Cover loosely with foil or a kitchen towel. Allow rolls to rise for 1 and ½ hours.
- When cinnamon roll dough has risen, preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Bake the rolls for 28-32 minutes or until rolls just start to brown on top. You can cover the rolls with foil to prevent browning, if desired. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes while you prepare the cream cheese frosting.
ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth.2 ounces (57g) cream cheese, 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter
- Turn the mixer speed down to low and add the powdered sugar. Add the orange juice and the salt and continue mixing until smooth.¾ cups (90g) powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons fresh orange juice, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Spread orange cream cheese frosting onto slightly cooled rolls and serve rolls immediately. Leftover rolls stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave for 8-10 seconds before serving. See notes section below for other storage and preparation suggestions.
Notes
- Baking dish: I like to use either an 8″ square baking pan or an 8″ or 9″ round cake pan or pie plate. If using a square dish, arrange them in 2 rows of 3. If using a round pan, place one in the center and the other 5 evenly spaced around it.
- Make ahead: this dough can be made the ahead of time through step 1 of the “assemble and bake dough” instructions. Cover rolls with plastic wrap and allow to rest in the refrigerator overnight or up to 18 hours. In the morning (or when you are ready to bake the rolls), remove them from the refrigerator and allow to rise in a warm environment, about 1 hour. Continue with step 2 in the “assemble and bake dough” instructions.
- To freeze baked rolls: baked rolls freeze well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm before enjoying.
- Two options to freeze unbaked rolls: parbake the rolls for 10 minutes at 350°F (177ºC). Allow to cool completely, cover tightly, then freeze. Remove the rolls from the freezer and allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Finish baking for the remaining 18-22 minutes before frosting and serving OR freeze them after slicing and pull them out the night before you want to bake them and allow them to thaw and rise covered at room temperature and bake when ready.
- Working with yeast: for a comprehensive look at working with yeast in a recipe, see my post about how to bake with yeast.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.