This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure policy here.
These Easy Orange Rolls have amazing orange flavor thanks to orange zest and a delicious orange glaze.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe.
No Yeast required!! The great thing about this recipe is that it uses frozen roll dough (we use Rhodes here in the Northwest). No kneading, no messing around with yeast!
Make as many as you need! If you need a dozen, just pull a dozen frozen rolls out of the bag or if you only need four like our reduced size family does that’s all you need to make!
These quick orange rolls are a great alternative when you need something quick and easy. My friend Jane shared this recipe with me at a lovely lunch she hosted and I’ve been making them ever since.
Ingredients Needed
- Frozen dinner rolls. I use the Rhodes brand and they can be found in the freezer section of the grocery store with the other frozen breads.
- Orange. I used a naval orange.
- Sugar. Granulated sugar and powdered sugar
- Butter. I use salted butter
How to Make Easy Orange Rolls
- Thaw rolls.
Method 1: Spray a plate or baking sheet with cooking spray. Place your desired number of frozen rolls on the plate so they aren’t touching. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator the night before to thaw.
Method 2: Pull out your rolls in the morning or at least 4 hours before you want to bake them. Place them on a plate or baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray and let them sit at room temperature (covered with plastic wrap) and thaw for about 2-3 hours depending on how warm a day it is.
Tip For Easy Orange rolls
- You want the dough to just thaw, not start to rise, before you assemble them.
- If you find your rolls are thawed but you aren’t ready to assemble and bake them yet, cover them and place them back in the refrigerator and pull them out 1 1/2 hours before you want to serve them. Mine were thawed by noon but I didn’t want to bake them until six so I put the thawed dough back in the refrigerator and then pulled them back out to prepare about 1 1/2 hours before dinner.
Sugar Coating
- Place melted butter in a bowl and sugar and orange zest mixture in a bowl.
- Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan if you are doing 12 rolls, for six rolls I used a 8 inch pie tin or 8 x 8 baking dish.
- Dip thawed roll into butter and then into sugar mixture. I coat both sides. Place in greased pan.
- Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for an hour or double in size.
Bake
- Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Mix up glaze while cooling.
Sweet Orange Glaze
- Combine powdered sugar, melted butter and orange juice to make a nice drizzling consistency. Then enjoy.
I think these are best served warm. They literally melt in your mouth!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make my own roll dough?
You can use your favorite roll recipe to make your own dough. Form your dough into individual rolls weighing about 1.3 oz each. Freeze the individual rolls on a cookie sheet in the freezer and follow recipe as written.
How long will leftover easy orange rolls last?
At our house there are never any leftovers but stored in an airtight container they will last for 2-3 days. They are best enjoyed fresh and warm out of the oven.
Can I make easy orange rolls ahead of time?
Yes, after placing the frozen rolls on a plate and covering them with plastic wrap, place them in the fridge so the rolls can thaw overnight.
Try these other fun and delicious treats:
Check out some of my favorite dinner rolls:
Be sure and follow me over on You Tube for weekly cooking demos.
Easy Orange Rolls
Ingredients
Rolls:
- 12 frozen dinner rolls thawed
- orange zest of one orange
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup melted butter
Citrus Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp melted butter
- 2 Tbsp orange juice
Instructions
- Thaw dough in the refrigerator over night or 2-3 hours prior to use
- Cover with plastic wrap while thawing
- Grate orange rind and mix with sugar
- Roll thawed roll in 1/2 C melted butter and then in sugar and rind mixture
- Place on greased cookie sheet or 9 x 13 pan
- Cover with plastic wrap and allow rolls to double in size – approximately 1 hour
- Remove plastic wrap and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes
- Mix together powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp melted butter and orange juice and stir until smooth
- Let cool 5 minutes and frost with citrus glaze while warm.
Nutrition Facts:
Shari says
Great recipe, but a little too sweet and I’m a sugarholic . I would skip the step of rolling in the sugar before baking and add the rind to the glaze.
Olga says
Wow my mouth is melting.
This looks so so good.
Olga.
Pd:My cooking blog is in Spanish with Google translation.
JoAnn Lee says
Hi Leigh Anne,
Your Orange Rolls look delicious! How do I find the frozen Rhodes dinner rolls? There is a Safeway, Lucky, and Trader Joe’s nearby. Where do I buy the Orange Essential Oil?
JoAnn
Leigh Anne says
Safeway should have the rolls in their freezer section. Do you know anyone who sells Doterra essential oils? That is where I got mine.
irene says
I would like to add sugar, butter and raisins, orange zest and bake the dough in a round fashion. Is that possible? Will it turn out like a sweet babka bread which is what I would like?
Leigh Anne says
Irene, Never done it but anything is possible!
LaVon Grandy says
I just found these. I’m trying them. for Super Bowl Sunday. Since this is 2016. How do I find the other Orange recipe of yours you spoke of above five years ago. The ones with Orange Honey Butter? Thanks, these look delicious!
Leigh Anne says
If you just type orange honey butter in the search box it will come up – here is the link:https://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/honey-butterwild-orange/