Irresistible orange glazed cinnamon rolls with a hint of almond!

If you have never had irresistible orange glazed cinnamon rolls with a hint of almond, you are in for a real treat. These fluffy rolls that melt in your mouth have a subtle orange flavor that is irresistible and delicious! They are made using my basic yeast roll recipe. Adding the filling and glaze will create a yummy cinnamon roll with a melt in your mouth glaze. 

Jump to Recipe
Rolled out yeast dough with a cinnamon and sugar mixutre on it. It is decorated with an orange slice and the rolling pin is pictured in the back.

What ingredients will I need to make irresistible orange glazed cinnamon rolls with a hint of almond?

Dough

  • 2 cups warm water (no more than 110 degrees)
  • 1 package rapid rise yeast
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • 4 1/2 cups bread flour
Yeast dough rising in a bowl.

Filling

  • ½ cup softened butter (1 stick)
  • 1 ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp. Cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. Orange extract
Yellow butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl.

Glaze

  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1/4 cup salted butter softened
  • 1 cups powdered sugar
  • 2-4 tablespoons orange juice (fresh squeezed works well here)
  • ½ to 1 tsp. Orange extract 
  • ½ tsp. Almond extract
Cream cheese and butter mixture in a clear glass bowl with an orange slice displayed in it.

What steps do I take to make these rolls?

Directions for Phase One

Combine water, yeast, and salt. Add sugar, oil, and then bread flour. Do NOT over mix. Cover with wax paper and leave it alone for about 2-3 hours. Knead dough for around 10 minutes, and make sure to sprinkle flour in as you go so it isn’t sticky. Let it rest for 10-20 minutes. 

Resting kneaded dough on the counter with a light gray rolling pin behind it.

Directions for Phase Two

Sprinkle plenty of flour on the counter, and roll out dough into a large rectangular shape. Mix together the brown sugar, softened butter, cinnamon, and orange extract. Spread sugar mixture over dough and roll up dough.  Use dental floss or a large sharp knife to cut individual rolls. You should be able to fill one 9×13 pan and one 8 x 8 size pan with this amount of dough. Cover them with wax paper and let them rise for another one to two hours. Remove the wax paper and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. The inside may be gooey, so you will want to check them and extend the baking time in very short increments so that you don’t over bake them and dry them out.

Three giant cinnamon rolls ready to be baked in a glass pie pan with an orange slice displayed as decoration.

Directions for Phase Three

While the rolls are cooking, you will want to mix up your glaze. I would sit the cream cheese and butter out a little earlier than that so that they have plenty of time to soften. You may not end up using all of the glaze. I just like to have plenty so that you can add more if you would like to. Mix together 4 oz. of softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup softened butter. Use a mixer for this. Make sure it is blended well. Mix in one cup of powdered sugar. Add in ½-1 tsp. Orange extract and ½ tsp. Almond extract. You can add in 2-4 tbsp. of orange juice at this point. The amount will change the thickness of the glaze, so add a little at a time. Spread glaze over the rolls or serve the icing on the side so people can add their own preferred amount.

Close up of yeast cinnamon rolls on the counter.

Can I substitute fresh squeezed orange juice in place of the orange extract?

I have used fresh squeezed orange juice and it takes a lot of it to get a subtle flavor. The extract gives it a stronger flavor and helps the sugar mixture and glaze to not get too runny. You can substitute ¼ cup of fresh squeezed orange juice in the sugar mixture and 4 tablespoons in the glaze instead of the extract.  The orange flavor will be less noticeable, but still good. 

Pan of 6 giant cinnamon rolls baked.

Can I double the recipe? 

Yes, you can double the ingredients for this recipe with no problems. You will need to use an additional 9×13 pan or a couple of 8×8 sized pans. The glaze will already yield a larger batch, so you may not need to double it. That will depend on how much glaze you want on your rolls.   

Approximate Schedule for Making Rolls for Breakfast

4:00 pm Mix up the dough and then let it rise.

6:00 pm Knead dough for 10 minutes.

6:10-6:30 pm Let dough rest. (10-20 minutes)

6:30 pm Roll out dough, spread sugar mixture over, roll up, and cut into individual rolls.

6:45 pm Cover rolls with foil and put into the fridge overnight.

6:30 am          Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Orange glazed giant cinnamon roll on a blue plate.

How long will it take to make these?

These rolls are delicious and you and your friends and family will love them. Even if you are busy, you can make these. The hands-on time is only about 30-35 minutes. However, you will need to plan on being somewhat near the day you bake. It will take you about 10 minutes to mix up the dough, another 10 to knead the dough, and around 10-15 minutes to roll out, spread on the sugar mixture, roll up, and cut them into individual rolls. Rapid rise yeast has sped up the process tremendously.   In the past, if I wanted any type of yeast roll or cinnamon roll by late afternoon, I would have to start them the day before. Not anymore. Everything can be done in one day, depending on when you want to bake them. The waiting and dough rising time is much longer than the actual hands-on time, but it is worth the wait!

What do I do if they are still gooey in the middle when I take them out of the oven?

If they are still a dough like consistency in the middle, you will want to put them back into the oven. Bake them a minute at a time longer, and keep an eye on them. You didn’t do all that work and wait all that time for dried out rolls. Remember, if they are just a teeny tiny bit gooey, they will continue to bake when you take them out of the oven, because the pan is still so hot. If they are just a bit gooey, but not doughlike, then you can probably take them out of the oven. 

How long are these rolls good for?

They are best served while they are warm, but you can always pop one into the microwave and reheat it for about 8 seconds to enjoy the leftovers.  They are still really delicious for up to 3 days afterwards. I have even baked them in the morning and then served them as a dessert for dinner. I wait to add the glaze until right before serving. You can put the glaze on after they bake or wait. They will turn out well either way.

Orange glazed giant cinnamon roll on a blue plate.

Irresistible orange glazed cinnamon rolls with a hint of almond!

KeepItSimpleAnnaSue
If you have never had irresistible orange glazed cinnamon rolls with a hint of almond, you are in for a real treat.  These fluffy rolls that melt in your mouth have a subtle orange flavor that is irresistible and delicious! They are made using my basic yeast roll recipe. Adding the filling and glaze will create a yummy cinnamon roll with a melt in your mouth glaze.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Overnight Resting Time 11 hours
Course Breakfast, Dessert

Equipment

  • large bowl (clear plastic is what I recommend)

Ingredients
  

Dough

  • 2 cups warm water (no more than 110°)
  • 1 pkg. rapid rise yeast
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 4½ cups bread flour

Filling Mixture

  • 1½ cups packed brown sugar
  • 1½ tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 stick butter (1/2 cup butter)
  • ½ tsp. orange extract

Glaze

  • 4 oz. cream cheese (softened)
  • ¼ cup salted butter (softened)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2-4 tbsp. orange juice (optional)
  • ½-1 tsp. orange extract
  • ½ tsp. almond extract

Instructions
 

  • Combine 2 cups of warm water (no more than 110°) and 1 pkg. of rapid rise yeast. Let the yeast dissolve for about a minute and then gently stir around until fully dissolved.
    Yeast sprinkled over the top of water in a large clear bowl.
  • Sprinkle in 1 tsp. salt and swirl around.
    Disolved yeast in a large clear bowl.
  • Add ½ cup granulated sugar and ⅓ cup oil. Gently mix in by swirling the spoon around in the mixture.
    Granulated sugar being poured into disolved yeast.
  • Stir in 4½ cup bread flour. Do not over mix. Dough will be stringy.
  • Cover the bowl with wax paper and then let it rise for 2-3 hours.
    Yeast dough rising in a bowl.
  • After the dough has risen to the top of the bowl or doubled, gently take the wax paper off of the top.
  • Sprinkle plenty of flour on the surface you are going to knead the dough on and gently pour the dough out of the bowl and onto the counter.
    Stretchy yeast dough being poured out of a large clear bowl onto the counter.
  • Sprinkle more dough on top of the flour and begin the kneading process.
    Heel of a hand pressing down on yeast dough.

Kneading the Dough

  • Knead dough for around 10 minutes. The dough will let you know when it is done. Turn, fold, and press. Repeat process.
    Hand kneading large amount of yeast dough.
  • Sprinkly on additional  flour when the dough starts to tear or when you feel sticky dough.
  • Flip dough over and let it rest for 10-20 minutes.
    Resting kneaded dough on the counter with a light gray rolling pin behind it.
  • Roll dough out into a large rectangular shape using a rolling pin.
    Rolled out yeast dough with a marble rolling pin in the background.

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture

  • Mix together softened butter, brown sugar, orange extract, orange juice, and cinnamon.
    Yellow butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl.
  • Spread mixture over rolled out dough.
    Rolled out yeast dough with a cinnamon and sugar mixutre on it. It is decorated with an orange slice and the rolling pin is pictured in the back.
  • Roll up dough into a long tube.
    Rolled up yeast dough in the shape of a long tube.
  • Use dental floss or a large sharp knife to cut individual rolls.
    Hands taking floss and crossing it around the rolled up cinnamon roll tube to create individual rolls.
  • Put rolls in a 9 x 13 pan. You should be able to do three rows of three or three rows or two. You may have enough rolls to fill an 8 x 8 pan as well.
    Cinnamon yeast rolls side by side in a metal pan.
  •  Cover them with wax paper and let them rise for another one to two hours.
  • **If you are baking them in the morning, cover the pan with foil, and put it in the fridge as soon as you add them to the pan. They do not need to rise on the counter as they will rise in the fridge overnight.**
  • Remove the wax paper and bake in a preheated 350° oven for 25 minutes.
    Pan of 6 giant cinnamon rolls baked.

Glaze

  • Mix together 4 oz. of softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup softened butter using a mixer.
    Block of white cream cheese and stick of yellow butter in a glass bowl.
  • Mix in one cup of powdered sugar.
  • Add in ½-1 tsp. Orange extract and ½ tsp. Almond extract.
  • Add in 2-4 tbsp. of orange juice. The amount will change the thickness of the glaze, so add a little at a time.
    Cream cheese and butter mixture in a clear glass bowl with an orange slice displayed in it.
  • Spread glaze over the rolls or serve the icing on the side so people can add their own preferred amount.
    Up close picture of a creamy orange glazed cinnamon roll.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating