Easy Bread Machine Orange Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

Sneak Preview: Try these Easy Bread Machine Orange Rolls–a simple sweet roll seasoned with orange peel and a hint of cardamom, then frosted with orange icing. Currants are optional.

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Are you looking for a sweet yeast roll that’s not a cinnamon roll? This bread machine recipe produces light, fluffy, and sweet yeast rolls with a distinct orange flavor.

The cream cheese icing makes these a special treat. We like to add raisins or currants, but that’s optional.

These rolls are a ray of sunshine–perfect for Easter breakfast or a summer brunch.  They’re much easier to make than cinnamon rolls–no filling to fiddle with, no rolling out the dough or slicing the rolls.

The recipe is written for a bread machine, but don’t feel left out if you don’t have one.  See the directions in the recipe notes for using a stand mixer or mixing by hand.

Happy Bakers Speak Up

Made these today – a real winner. Light and fluffy and very easy to pull together. I’ll be making this again, without the icing, as a replacement for Hawaiian rolls used for pulled pork sandwiches! “–DAVE

What Do Easy Orange Rolls Taste Like?

They are light, fluffy, and sweet with a distinct orange flavor. A touch of cardamom gives a subtle but wonderful taste when combined with the orange flavors. You will recognize the spice if you’ve ever eaten Swedish Cardamom Bread. Bread like this is why I have to eat a jar of salad every day for lunch.

Ingredients and Substitutions

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  • MILK: You can use any dairy milk regardless of fat content. However, the higher the fat, the richer your rolls will be. You can substitute water if you don’t eat dairy. I haven’t tried non-dairy milk like almond milk, but I’m guessing it would work, also.
  • ORANGE JUICE CONCENTRATE: OJ concentrate intensifies the orange flavor much more than straight orange juice. (Note: It is not necessary to warm any of the liquids for this recipe, except the concentrate, if it is frozen.) Notice that there is no sugar added to this recipe. You will get enough sugar in the concentrate.
  • EGG: All of my bread recipes are written for large eggs. If you go smaller or larger, adjust your liquid accordingly.
  • CARDAMOM: This spice is optional, but it gives these rolls a subtle but wonderful flavor that plays well with the orange. Go ahead and buy a bottle. You can also use it in this Swedish Cardamom Bread and Sweet Bread Machine Banana Bread
  • GRATED ORANGE PEEL: Orange peel adds both flavor and color to your rolls.
  • BUTTER: Add room temperature butter chopped into small pieces. Softened butter works better than melted butter.
  • SALT: The recipe is written for table salt or sea salt. If you want to use Kosher salt, add more. If you want less salt, you can reduce the salt by half. Don’t cut it out completely as the yeast won’t work properly without it.
  • FLOUR: All-purpose flour, either bleached or unbleached, is fine for this recipe. You can also use bread flour, but you may need to adjust the liquid upward. Remember to check your dough while it’s kneading to see if the dough needs more flour or liquid.
  • YEAST: All of my bread recipes use instant or bread machine yeast. This yeast is designed to dissolve quickly. You can use active dry yeast instead. Dissolving it first is optional. It can be slow on the uptake, but it will catch up eventually.
  • CURRANTS OR RAISINS: Dried fruit is optional.
  • CREAM CHEESE: Leave out the cream cheese if you prefer. The icing won’t be quite as rich without it.
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If making nice round dough balls has you stymied, be sure to check out the video.

How To Make Easy Orange Rolls with a Bread Machine

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Place all ingredients into the bread machine pan in the order given.
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The dough should look like this towards the end of kneading. Adjust with more flour or liquid to make the dough stick to the sides of the pan, then pull away cleanly.
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At the end of the DOUGH cycle, the dough should be doubled in size. If not, leave the dough in the machine until it doubles. Then, remove the dough onto a floured surface.
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If using, work raisins or currants into the dough with your fingers. Doing it by hand allows you to add them to only part of the batch if you prefer.
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Divide the dough into 16 equal portions.
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Form each portion into a ball by pulling the edges together and pinching.
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Place eight balls each into two 8-inch pans. Cover and set aside to rise again.
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Dough balls should rise until just short of double their original size.
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Bake until the interior temperature reaches 190-200˚F. Check with a quick-read digital thermometer (paid link). Turn the rolls out of the pan in the first five minutes after removing them from the oven. Let cool on a cooling rack so the bottoms don’t get soggy. Drizzle with icing.

FAQ for Easy Orange Rolls

How do you shape the dough into nice round balls?

Pick up the dough in one hand and use the other hand to pull the dough from the bottom around to the top. Pinch to secure. Work your way around the whole piece until you have a nice round ball.

Watching the video below will give you a better idea. In the end, remember that if the balls are too perfect, people won’t recognize them as homemade. That’s no fun!

Can you mix the dough the day before you bake them?

Yes. After the DOUGH cycle completes, shape the dough and place the balls into baking pans. Cover with a shower cap or plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator.

The next day, set the rolls on the counter to return to room temperature and almost double their original size. Bake as specified in the recipe.

Can I use other flour, like whole wheat, in these rolls?

Yes, you can. But anytime you add whole wheat flour or other whole-grain flour, you can expect the finished product to be denser and heavier. The rise time may also take longer.

Start low by adding no more than one tablespoon of whole wheat flour per cup of flour. Check the dough as it kneads to determine if you need to add more liquid.

What is the best way to store these rolls?

Store in a plastic bag. They will dry out quickly in a paper bag, under a towel, or stored in the refrigerator.

Parting thoughts: If you are looking for a cinnamon roll shape, don’t miss these sweet orange rolls with an orange filling inspired by the orange rolls served at an Alabama steak house.


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Recipe Help at Your Fingertips: For questions or suggestions, email Paula at saladinajar.com. If you need help, I’m happy to troubleshoot via email (faster than leaving a comment). Attach pictures and as many details as possible for the best advice.

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Yield: 16 rolls

Easy Bread Machine Orange Rolls Recipe

Try these Easy Orange Yeast Rolls with directions for mixing and kneading in a bread machine. Bake in your oven.

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Video

Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Mix & Rise Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Total time: 3 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients
 

DOUGH

  • ¾ cup (177 g) milk cool
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate thawed
  • 1 large (50 g) egg
  • 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
  • ¼ cup (57 g) butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon cardamom optional
  • 3 cup (360 g) all-purpose unbleached flour
  • 2 teaspoons bread machine yeast or instant yeast
  • 1 cup (140 g) currants or raisins (optional)

GLAZE

  • 1 oz. (28 g) cream cheese
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice
  • cups (180 g) powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Add ¾ cup (177 g) milk to the bread machine pan along with 1 large (50 g) egg, 1 teaspoon grated orange peel, 2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate, ¼ cup (57 g) butter, and 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon cardamom.
  • Add 3 cup (360 g) all-purpose unbleached flour and 2 teaspoons bread machine yeast or instant yeast on top. Start the bread machine using the DOUGH cycle. Check the dough after 15 minutes and make sure it is the right consistency. It should be tacky enough to stick to the side but pull away cleanly. Add additional water or flour, if necessary, one tablespoon at a time.
  • Add 1 cup (140 g) currants or raisins if using during the last 5 minutes of the DOUGH cycle.
  • When the cycle completes, make rolls into 16 balls. (If you are adding raisins, you may work them into the dough at this point. I divide this dough in half and add 1/2 cup raisins to half of the dough.)
  • Evenly space 8 dough balls into a greased 8 or 9-inch round cake pan. You will end up with two pans of rolls. For a tutorial on making rolls, check out my video.
  • Cover loosely with a tea towel and let rise until almost double.
  • Preheat oven to 375˚F (190˚C). Place rolls into the oven and bake until golden brown for approximately 15-18 minutes. Rolls should register 190˚F (88˚C) before removing them from the oven.
  • Spoon Orange Glaze over rolls when barely warm or cool.

Orange Glaze

  • Warm 1 oz. (28 g) cream cheese for a few seconds in the microwave or let sit out until room temperature. Add 1 tablespoon orange juice and (sifted) 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar and stir until smooth. Drizzle over rolls.

Notes

Directions for making bread with a stand mixer or by hand:
  • To make this recipe in a heavy-duty stand mixer:  Add ingredients to the bowl in the same order. Turn on LOW to mix until all ingredients are moistened. Then, using a dough hook, turn the speed to 2 or 3. Continue beating/kneading until dough becomes smooth and elastic (about 5-10 minutes). Cover and allow to rise in a warm place. Deflate dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
  • If making by hand: Combine all ingredients into a shaggy ball in a large bowl. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead with your hands until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Kneading will likely take 10-20 minutes, depending on your experience. Place the dough ball into a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise until double. Deflate the dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
  • Please note: If you only have active dry yeast, use 1/4 teaspoon more than called for in the recipe. It no longer needs to be dissolved first, but you can if you prefer.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll | Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 189mg | Potassium: 152mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 156IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com

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20 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made these today – a real winner. Light and fluffy and very easy to pull together.

    I’ll be making this again, without the icing, as a replacement for Hawaiian rolls used for pulled pork sandwiches!

    1. Glad you liked them, Dave. I like your plan to use these as a replacement for Hawaiian rolls. I have a recipe for those on this website, too.

  2. Can I make these the day before and refrigerate them? How does that work?

    1. Holly, You can refrigerate after rolling them out and putting the dough in the pan. You will need to allow extra time for them to rise the second time in the pan the next morning. Probably at least an hour extra. Or you can refrigerate the dough before rolling it out but after the dough cycle has completed. You may have to experiment a bit.

  3. Heather A. says:

    I can’t wait to try these. What size pan do you use? If you said that, I missed it.

    I have a cake pan, but it’s nonstick and dark. Would that do, or will the rolls burn?

    I was very glad to find all the bread machine recipes you have and look forward to working my way through them. Thanks!

    1. Heather A. says:

      Oh, I see now that you said in your video on dinner rolls that a dark pan is good! Still curious about the pan size, but I will give it a go with whatever seems okay.

      1. Heather, 8 or 9-inch pans. Two of them. You could also use a 13×9 inch pan but I like the way they bake best in round 8-inch pans.

  4. Oh and yes I iced them by your recipe.

  5. I made the orange rolls for a Thanksgiving breakfast treat, except I rolled them out & spread butter, Marmalade jam, & brown sugar on them. Rolled them up from the long end, pinched the dough together & cut them into individual rolls. The way you do the Cinnamon rolls. Yum, soooo good!! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!!

  6. Martha Lee says:

    They look great. Check Goodwill or thrift stores for breadmakers, that’s where I found the ones for my mom and me.

    1. What a great idea!! So many people don’t realize the treasure they have in a bread machine so most sit unused. Thanks for stopping by.

  7. Oh YUM! These look and sound outrageously delicious!!!

  8. What a nice change from cinnamon rolls, they look so yummy!
    Mimi

  9. Wow. You see, anything that has orange flavor is a weakness of mine. Oddly enough, I don’t like actual oranges! But this… oh this… I would eat this. All of it.

  10. orange rolls are a fave of mine. these look super easy, except I don’t have a breadmaker. KA to the rescue i guess!

  11. These rolls look great, and that glaze! OMG it looks amazing! YUM!

  12. Can’t wait to try your recipe. Think I will try the Amanda Cookin’ version also. Have to Lipscomb friends here till tomorrow. May cook them for breakfast tomorrow.

  13. tasteofbeirut says:

    Love anything with orange in it, especially bread! Great rolls, thanks, I will bookmark this.

  14. Lovely! I love orange rolls, these look wonderful 🙂 I have some on my blog too that are rolled up cinnamon roll fashion. Tasty!

  15. Well, just in time. I was looking for something “cinnamon-rolly” to take to work tomorrow… but I don’t have a bread machine. I’ve got every other gadget and contraption… These truly look wonderful – I might venture into the “manual” method!!!