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.
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.
Ingredients
For the ingredient measurements and the entire recipe, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the blog post where the recipe card is located.
- Milk: Whole milk works best for sweet rolls.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar goes into the dough, brown sugar is used for the filling, and powdered sugar is used for the icing.
- Yeast: Use instant yeast for this slow cooker recipe.
- Flour: Bread flour is preferred but all-purpose will also work.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is best for baking.
- Egg: You only need one egg for binding.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract will taste the best.
- Orange zest: The zest goes into the filling and icing.
- Cinnamon: This is added to the filling for warm flavor.
- Orange juice: Freshly squeezed will taste the best!
Step by Step Directions
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the bottom of the blog post to the recipe card.
- Make the dough. Proof the yeast with milk and sugar then mix all the dough ingredients together.
- Roll the dough. Roll the dough into a rectangle and brush with melted butter.
- Make the filling. Mix all ingredients for the filling together and sprinkle over the dough.
- Roll the dough. Roll the dough into a long log. Slice it into equal pieces and place in parchment lined crock pot or slow cooker.
- Bake. Cook the rolls on high for 2 hours or until done.
- Make the glaze. Whisk together all glaze ingredients and spread over warm rolls.
Tips For Success
- Use a slow cooker that is 12 quarts or larger.
- Don’t skip layering a paper towel under the lid. This will catch condensation and keep your rolls dry.
- No proofing of the dough is required. They rise as they ‘bake’ in the slow cooker.
Orange Sweet Rolls (Slow Cooker Version)
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.
Hi 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.
I 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.
Hi 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.
I 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!
Thanks for sharing! We use that method also when we have mint-free floss on hand.
1/27/2019 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.
I’m thrilled to hear the rolls came out great with the changes you made. Thanks for sharing!
Seriously? 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.
Thank you so much for the feedback! These are some of my favorite rolls!
Seriously? 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.
I was thinking for a new food for my next weekend, Now I am rex to show your good recipe. Thank you too much.
They’re so easy! I hope everyone enjoys them!
I was thinking for a new food for my next weekend, Now I am rex to show your good recipe. Thank you too much.
i live in calgary ab i cannot find red starr yeast so can i use fleshnans yeast also can i use margarine instead of butter
Yes, you can use any brand of instant yeast. And margarine is a great sub for butter!
Sweet 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.
You won’t regret giving them a try! They are super easy.