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 milk
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 teaspoon, divided
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons Red Star Platinum Instant Yeast, (1 packet)
- 2 and 3/4 to 3 and 1/4 cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted and cooled, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the glaze
- 1 and 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 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, 1/4 cup of the butter, egg, and vanilla. Mix on low speed until combined. With the mixer on low speed, add the remaining flour, 1/4 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.
Sherry Carr says
February 4, 2019 at 10:02 amI made them today and I used, as the recipe says, bread flour which is higher protein, and not regular flour . They came out quite dense, more like biscuits or scones than the cinnamon rolls I am used to. Are you sure you mean bread flour??? I rarely use bread flour, usually only for a French bread or a sourdough.
Jen Sobjack says
February 6, 2019 at 7:15 pmHi Sherry! I’m sorry you thought the sweet rolls were dense. I did indeed use bread flour but my rolls came out fluffy. Make sure you are measuring the flour properly and not incorporating more flour than needed. It very possible you didn’t need the full amount called for.
Sherry Carr says
February 2, 2019 at 10:25 amI will be making these today, as a long time cinnamon/orange roll baker, I want to share my trick of cutting the rolls with dental floss, not a knife! Slip a piece of floss under the roll, bring up, criss-cross and pull, it will slice your roll without flattening it!
Jen Sobjack says
February 4, 2019 at 9:21 amThanks for sharing! We use that method also when we have mint-free floss on hand.
Marcy says
January 27, 2019 at 4:28 pm1/27/2019 I made these today and they were really good. Due to health issues, I had to make a couple of ingredient changes. I used water instead of milk, oil instead of butter in the dough, and white sugar rather than brown. I misread and cut the dough into 8 rather than 10 or 12. They were huge! My hubby has enjoyed every bite. Next time I will have everything ready on the counter so I can get them in the crockpot faster.
Jen Sobjack says
January 29, 2019 at 5:09 pmI’m thrilled to hear the rolls came out great with the changes you made. Thanks for sharing!
Craig says
February 19, 2018 at 3:47 pmSeriously? Everyone absolutely tripping over themselves and fawning to inform us of how great the recipe LOOKS, and how they simply CAN’T WAIT to try it, but no one makes it? Puhleeze.
Well, I made it, and hope that if you’re someone — like me — who’s new to this site, that you find your way past the glad-handing to this spot for a short, but honest-to-God review, because this recipe is really quite something. We were promised an easy recipe to follow, and it’s true. It really couldn’t be simpler. I’m not one who knows a whole lot about baking, so I was a bit intimidated by the rolling of the dough, but really, slicing equally sized pieces from the dough is the trickiest part. Make sure you have a sharp knife.
One thing that is a little off-putting (at first) is that when fully baked, the rolls themselves are pretty white. This is evident in the pictures above, and I couldn’t help but feel the urge the put these in the oven for a little while, just to brown. I didn’t, and the rolls came out just fine. In fact, I’ve made them 3 times in 6 months, and I’m about to make them again. As for flavor, they’re wonderful. If the Panera orange scone and a Cinnabon had a love child, this would be it. Really a terrific recipe (that my southern-born mother-in-law can’t stop talking about) that more people should take the time to bake.
Jen Sobjack says
February 20, 2018 at 9:26 amThank you so much for the feedback! These are some of my favorite rolls!
Laura says
November 16, 2017 at 10:35 pmI was thinking for a new food for my next weekend, Now I am rex to show your good recipe. Thank you too much.
Jen Sobjack says
November 17, 2017 at 8:46 amThey’re so easy! I hope everyone enjoys them!
teresa alexander says
January 8, 2017 at 3:28 pmi live in calgary ab i cannot find red starr yeast so can i use fleshnans yeast also can i use margarine instead of butter
Jen Sobjack says
January 8, 2017 at 6:26 pmYes, you can use any brand of instant yeast. And margarine is a great sub for butter!
Sabrina Zaragoza says
October 8, 2016 at 10:54 pmSweet recipe is not my favorite, but this recipe is worthy for a try. Great idea. Rolls look tasty. Thanks for sharing, Jen and happy weekend.
Jen says
October 10, 2016 at 9:22 amYou won’t regret giving them a try! They are super easy.
teresa alexander says
September 25, 2016 at 5:06 pmwhen you put the double papertowel between the cooker& lid do you hang the papertowel over the edge of cooker so lid will close tight, thanks for your time
Jen says
September 26, 2016 at 8:41 amYes, let the paper towel hang over and sit the lid in place. The lid will also prevent the paper towel from slipping.
Pat C.Wilson says
September 20, 2016 at 7:15 amHi Jen, i’m glad to know you use slow cooker , too. i love it so much. it’s my loyal assistant in kitchen, i can cook everything with its help. this recipe looks good and very healthy, it can be a suggestion for my family’s picnic 🙂
thanks for sharing
Jen says
September 20, 2016 at 1:56 pmI hope you try it!
Ashley - The Recipe Rebel says
September 12, 2016 at 9:05 amMy mind is blown. I have never baked any bread in the slow cooker! And they look perfect! I am so going to try these!
Marcie says
September 12, 2016 at 8:10 amI do want a sweet roll without the fuss — this is brilliant and I love the orange flavor here!
Raia says
September 9, 2016 at 12:51 pmOh my goodness! I haven’t had a sweet roll in forever. These look absolutely beautiful!