Slow Cooker Orange Sweet Rolls
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Soft, fluffy sweet rolls filled with a cinnamon-orange filling and topped with a sweet orange glaze. These orange sweet rolls take just over two hours to make and no proofing of the dough is required because everything happens in the slow cooker as the rolls bake. All you have to do is mix the dough and fill it with the filling. The rolls will rise during the slow bake in the slow cooker. The process couldn’t be easier!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Red Star®
As much as I love my cranberry orange sweet rolls, sometimes you just want a sweet roll without all the fuss. Right?
These orange sweet rolls solve all your woes when it comes to working with yeast dough. They are made in the slow cooker so they don’t require rise time.
Can you believe it? It’s become my favorite way to make things like slow cooker monkey bread.
Using the slow cooker method decreases the prep time so you can enjoy sweet rolls sooner. The rising and baking happen in the slow cooker in just two hours.
The dough for these sweet rolls comes together quickly and easily. Mix it up in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment and you won’t need to knead it.
Use quality yeast like Red Star Platinum Instant Yeast for best results with this recipe.
Once the dough comes together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and let it rest for about 10 minutes. This will allow the gluten to relax, making it easier to roll out.
Line a large slow cooker with parchment paper and spray the paper lightly with nonstick spray. This will prevent the rolls from sticking and it makes clean up a breeze.
Roll the dough out into a rectangle, brush it with melted butter, and sprinkle tons of cinnamon orange sugar over it. Roll the dough up to form a tight log and slice it into 10 to 12 pieces.
If your slow cooker is smaller, you may want fewer but longer slices.
Arrange the cut pieces in the bottom of the slow cooker and cook on high for two hours. The sides will turn a gorgeous golden brown.
The icing is a simple mix of confectioners’ sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and heavy cream. Drizzle it over the top while the rolls are still warm and enjoy.
Minimal work and big, bold flavor make these slow cooker orange sweet rolls a very special treat for breakfast.
Visit Red Star Yeast on Facebook to learn more about their products.
Slow Cooker Orange Sweet Rolls
Ingredients
For the rolls
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, plus 1 teaspoon, divided
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast, 1 packet
- 2 ¾ – 3 ¼ cups (357 – 422 g) bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cups (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ tablespoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the glaze
- 1 ⅓ cups (170 g) confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Line a slow cooker with parchment paper and spray the paper lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
Make the dough
- Heat milk and 1 teaspoon of the sugar in a small saucepan until it reaches 105°F. Remove from heat and stir in the yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes, until yeast has dissolved and the mixture begins to foam.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, stir together 2 cups of the flour, salt, and remaining sugar. Add the yeast mixture, ¼ cup of the butter, egg, and vanilla. Mix on low speed until combined. With the mixer on low speed, add the remaining flour, ¼ cup at a time, until a soft dough forms. You may not need all the flour. The dough will be ready when it no longer sticks to the sides of the mixing bowl. It should feel soft but not sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and let rest for 10 minutes.
Make the filling
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, orange zest, and cinnamon.
- Roll the dough out into an 8×13 inch rectangle. Gently brush the remaining butter over the dough and sprinkle the filling evenly over the butter. Starting with the long side, tightly roll the dough into a log and pinch the seam to seal.
- Place the roll, seam-side down, on a cutting board. Cut the dough into 10 to 12 equal pieces and arrange them inside the prepared slow cooker. Place a double layer of paper towel under the lid to prevent condensation from dripping onto the rolls.
- Turn the slow cooker on high and cook for 2 hours or until the rolls are cooked through. Remove the rolls by lifting them out with the parchment paper.
Make the glaze
- In a small bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and heavy cream. Drizzle the glaze over the rolls while they are still warm and serve right away.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.
I’d like to have these fresh baked for breakfast. Can I leave the cinnamon rolls in the slow cooker bowl and place it in the refrigerator overnight and put it in the slow cooker in the morning, say 7am, they would be ready for Breakfast at 9am? What do you think about that?
I’ve not tested this method and can’t give advice on how it will turn out. But the dough is super quick to put together and doesn’t require hours of rising. So it only takes about 30 minutes to put the recipe together.