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These spiced orange cinnamon rolls are full of delicious cinnamony orange filling, generously frosted with a tangy and yummy orange cream cheese frosting!
There’s nothing better than waking up on a chilly morning to the smell of warm cinnamon buns baking in the oven.
But these aren’t just any cinnamon rolls, they’re spiced orange cinnamon rolls. They echo all of the flavors of the holidays, and make your house smell amazing as they bake!
These spiced orange cinnamon rolls are fluffy and tender, with a warm spiced sweet brown sugar orange filling, topped with a deliciously tangy and sweet orange cream cheese frosting.
If you’ve never had the combination of orange and spice before, you won’t believe how much you’ve been missing out!
Trust me, these spiced orange cinnamon rolls will become your new favorite treat to serve to your friends and family for breakfast! Still craving more orange? Try these orange muffins!
Need a good summer option? Try these strawberry rolls!
Ingredients for spiced orange cinnamon rolls
Dough:
- Warm water – Warm water will help activate the yeast.
- Active dry yeast – This will help our spiced orange cinnamon rolls have a nice rise and stay light and fluffy.
- Brown sugar – This will add a slight sweetness to the dough, and also help feed the yeast so it can bloom.
- All-purpose flour – A common baking ingredient that will help create the dough for the cinnamon rolls.
- Butter – Butter will give the dough a yummy flavor and add moisture and fat.
- Egg – The egg will help emulsify the ingredients together.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract will give a slight vanilla sweetness to the dough.
Filling:
- Butter – Butter is the fat of choice to help add moisture and fat to the filling.
- Brown sugar – Brown sugar adds sweetness with a deep molasses flavor.
- Spices – Both cinnamon and nutmeg are classic holiday flavors and pair beautifully with the orange.
- Orange zest – Orange zest will give the filling a burst of citrusy freshness.
Frosting:
- Cream cheese – Cream cheese will help balance all of the sweet flavors with a delicious tanginess.
- Powdered sugar – Powdered sugar is a classic frosting ingredient that dissolves at room temperature.
- Orange juice and zest – Using both orange juice and zest will give the frosting a big kick of orange flavor.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract will give a sweet vanilla flavor to the frosting.
Make ahead
You don’t want to have to wake up early to make these cinnamon rolls, so make them the night before!
The night before, simply roll and cut cinnamon rolls and place them into your baking pan, and cover them with plastic wrap.
There, they can hang out in the refrigerator overnight until the next morning.
Then simply take them out and let them sit on the counter for 10 minutes (just enough to take the chill off) and pop them into the oven!
Storage and leftovers
These spiced orange cinnamon rolls are best eaten the day of, but any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and left at room temperature for up to 1 day.
More breakfast treats
- Love a donut in the morning? Try my Baked Apple Cider Donuts.
- Need something warm and comforting? Try my Baked Gingerbread Oatmeal.
- Looking for a twist on a classic? Try my Roasted Strawberry Greek Yogurt Scones.
- Craving something sweet? Try my Cherry Yogurt French Toast Cups.
Spiced Orange Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For dough:
- 1 cup warm water, 100-110F
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3-½ cups all purpose flour
For spiced orange filling
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1-½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1-½ teaspoons fresh orange zest
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For orange cream cheese frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For dough
- Add the warm water, light brown sugar, and yeast to a large bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes, or until the yeast has bloomed and is foamy on top.
- Next add the butter, egg, and vanilla. Mix to combine. Add the flour and gently mix the dough until it forms a shaggy ball.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for 3-5 minutes, or until it is smooth and bounces back when lightly poked.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and set it in a warm place to rise until doubled in size (about 90 minutes).
- While the dough rises, prepare the filling (below).
- When the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a ¼” thick rectangle (approximately 15” long and 12” wide).
- Spread the orange-cinnamon filling over the dough and roll it tightly into a log. Pinch the seam together to seal the log shut. Slice the log into 1” thick rounds.
- Grease a 9×13 pan with butter or nonstick baking spray or line it with parchment paper.
- Place the cinnamon rolls in the pan cut side up and press them down slightly until they are 1” tall.
- Set the pan in a warm place to rise for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven. While the rolls rise, preheat the oven to 350F.
- When the oven is ready, bake the rolls for 30-35 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
- Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool slightly while you make the frosting (below).
For filling
- In a medium bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, orange zest, and nutmeg. Set aside until ready to use.
For frosting
- Add the softened cream cheese to a large bowl and beat it with a hand mixer until light and fluffy (about 1 minute). You can also use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment if you prefer.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar, followed by orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla.
- Continue to mix on medium speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cinnamon rolls and enjoy immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
