Orange Cinnamon Rolls

Here to celebrate the citrus season, these orange cinnamon rolls are everything you want and need in a cinnamon roll. Perfectly soft & fluffy, these gooey rolls are packed with a delicious orange cinnamon brown sugar filling and topped with an orange cream cheese frosting. 

Orange Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon rolls are one of those things that are typically made around the holidays. Well… I’m here advocating for cinnamon rolls to be an all-year thing and not just a holiday thing. And since it’s citrus season I’m here to introduce… Orange cinnamon rolls! 

I just want to preface this by saying, I do not take any responsibility or ownership for the level of addiction one might obtain due to these fluffy, ooey-gooey, made-from-scratch orange cinnamon rolls… You heard it here first.

Ingredients needed to make orange cinnamon rolls

Now before you get alarmed, cinnamon rolls are one of those things that do have a long ingredient list. But don’t fret friends, I promise the majority of them are pantry staples you most likely already have. And the ones you don’t are typical items you can find in any grocery store. No specialty ingredients are necessary.

• Butter: You’ll need butter for almost every ingredient group specifically the dough, filling, and frosting. This recipe calls for unsalted butter so that we can control its salt content, but regular butter works too!
• All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour is what creates the soft pillowy texture for these cinnamon rolls
• Milk: Whole milk is the best for getting soft, moist, and tender rolls. But any milk can be used here. 
• Instant Yeast: A key ingredient in any cinnamon roll recipe. (not to be confused with active dry yeast!). Instant yeast helps the dough to rise, giving the rolls a light and airy texture.
• Sugar: Used to create our delicious orange cinnamon sugar filling. Also used in the dough to help activate the yeast.
• Cinnamon / Cardamom: These aromatics give the rolls great flavor to compliment the orange-ness.
• Oranges: Zest, juice, and all. We use the whole orange here to infuse the orange flavor into these rolls.
• Cream Cheese: These orange cinnamon rolls are incomplete without a cream cheese frosting. Make sure it’s room temperature to get that smooth/creamy consistency.
• Powdered Sugar: Used to sweeten and thicken the cream cheese frosting.
• Vanilla Extract: A hint of vanilla goes a long way and goes perfectly in this cream cheese frosting.

Tips for making the best cinnamon rolls

If you’re looking to make the best orange cinnamon rolls possible, I’ve got a few tips for you.

• Use room temperature ingredients – Warm ingredients in this recipe are your friend. The yeast likes it, the dough likes it. And your cinnamon rolls will only be better for it. 
• Don’t overmix – Overmixing will result in tough dough, and we don’t want that. Mix your dough until the surface is smooth. You can take a small amount of dough roll it into a ball and stretch it between your fingers. If you can see through the dough without it breaking it’s good to go, and the gluten has formed. 
• Allow proofing in a warm environment – Your dough will rise properly if it’s in a warm setting. One way of doing this is by turning your oven on to 200F allowing it to preheat then turning it off. Set your dough inside and allow it to rise. 
• Flour your work surface – This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s an easy step to forget. Flouring your surface will prevent your dough from sticking as you roll it out. 

The secret to the softest fluffiest cinnamon rolls

So I know you’re wondering what’s the secret to the softest, fluffiest orange cinnamon rolls. It’s all in the method used to create the yeasted dough, known as Tangzhong. Tangzhong is an Asian technique that involves cooking a portion of the flour and milk until it reaches a thick slurry consistency before adding it to the rest of the dough ingredients.

This method allows for the flour to absorb more liquid, which means the dough rises higher, and creates more steam, resulting in puffier & fluffier rolls.

Orange Cinnamon Rolls

Nicole Lee

Here to celebrate the citrus season, these orange cinnamon rolls are everything you want and need in a cinnamon roll. Perfectly soft & fluffy, these gooey rolls are packed with a delicious orange cinnamon brown sugar filling and topped with an orange cream cheese frosting. 

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 hours hrs

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings 12 Rolls

Ingredients

 

Dough

• 5 cups all purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups milk
• 1 egg (room temperature)
• 1 packet instant yeast
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick – cut into pieces (room temperature))
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• ¾ cup milk

Filling

• 1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• ½ tbsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tbsp ground cardamom (optional)
• pinch of salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)

Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• juice of 1 orange

Instructions

 

• Add 3/4 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour to a saucepan. Whisk until thickened, to a paste consistency and there is no longer any flour visible. This paste is known as Tangzhong.
• In a large bowl combine 5 cups of flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Warm-up 1 1/2 cups of milk in the microwave until warm. Don't allow it to get too hot as it will kill the yeast.
• Add warm milk to the flour mixture, along with an egg, and Tangzhong. Mix using a stand mixer, or hand mixer with the dough hook attachment, or knead by hand. Beat at low speed, gradually increasing speed being sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat until dough is smooth, soft, and elastic. Approximately 15-20 minutes.
• Test if the dough is ready by taking a small amount, rolling it into a ball, and stretching it between two fingers. If the dough does not break and you can see through it, it is ready and the gluten has formed. If not continue beating.
• Add in butter and beat at medium speed until butter is fully incorporated. Dough should pull away from sides of bowl and form a ball when ready.
• Spray a medium bowl with non-stick spray. Transfer dough into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm place to allow the dough to proof and double in size, for approximately 1 hour.
• While dough proofs, create filling by adding butter to a saucepan. Once melted add in light brown sugar, orange zest, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, and a pinch of salt. Mix until incorporated, take off the heat and allow to cool.
• Once the dough has doubled in size. Punch down dough and roll out onto a floured surface. Roll out to about 18×12 inches. Spread filling onto dough making sure to reach all edges.
• Starting at the long edge, begin to roll the dough into a log. Making sure to end with the seam side facing down. Using a sharp serrated knife cut off the ends, then continue to cut the dough into 12 even rolls.
• Place rolls in a greased 9X13 baking dish, cover with a damp dish towel or plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place to proof again for approximately 1 hr.
• Once rolls have doubled in size. Pre heat oven to 350℉. Bake for 30 minutes until rolls have puffed up and are golden brown.
• While baking, make the frosting. Beat butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add in powdered sugar, vanilla, orange juice, and salt. Beat until smooth.
• Let the orange cinnamon rolls cool in a pan 5-10 minutes. Once cooled spread frosting all over.

Keyword cinnamon roll, orange cinnamon roll