PW Wednesday – Orange Sweet Rolls
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Orange Rolls scream Sunday morning. They also scream Morning After Megan’s Bridal Shower/Bachelorette Party survivor’s breakfast.
Which naturally means they were completely worthy of this week’s installment of PW Wednesday. You know PW Wednesday, the bi-weekly series me, Julie, Rachel, Gina and Tina have been inflicting on your waistline and blood sugar levels for months now. You’re welcome.
With a heavy dose of carbs, butter, sugar (as any self respecting PW recipe requires) and orange marmalade to make you think that these can pass as “healthier than traditional cinnamon rolls” – they were perfect for what ailed me and two of my besties staying with me after the weekend’s cahoots. And by “what ailed us”, I mean the overload of dancing, out of this world food that literally made me unbutton the top button of my jeans at the table,
and an overdose hot male volleyball players the mingled with my girls incessantly (is there such thing as an overdose of delicious men? Rhetorical question. I know the answer) and of course, obligatory bachelorette booze. Not too much of the booze. We behaved…mostly.
So after we all awoke, two of us with ridiculous travel lag (one coming in from Idaho and the other from Australia) – it was the least I could do to bake them carby deliciousness and ease the torment waged on their souls. Bless these girls.
The rolls – easy enough, not overly complicated – and as you’re sluggish on a Sunday morning, they take minimal effort (as yeasty creations go) and in the time it takes for them to rise you can wake up slowly and down a hefty mug of coffee, or two. If you’re into that sort of thing.
One thing I realized as I was making this – was that during the filling process, I opted to mix the butter, sugar, orange zest together in a bowl to form a paste instead of pouring butter all over my counter, sprinkling sugar everywhere except the rolls and throwing zest into my eyes. Worked like a charm with more paste in the rolls than good outside them.
Even as I halved the whole recipe it still made enough for the four of us holed up in the apartment all weekend. Oh, I didn’t mention that Ben was home for a long weekend? Three girls and Ben. And Huck. What could possibly be chaotic about that?
Anyway – the original recipe yields 48 rolls, though after halving the recipe I came out with 12. I guess it must mean that Ree makes very thinly sliced cinnamon rolls – probably sliced about an inch thick. I sliced my rolls at 2″ thick and it came up with 12 rolls instead of the suspected 24. Math is logic. I am not.
With 12 full size, fluffy and orange laced rolls at our disposal and a whole pot of coffee – we consumed them all.
#worthit
Overall – there is nothing outrageously difficulty about these. And as previously testified – we ate them all, ravenously.
Ingredients for Orange Sweet Rolls
Dough:
- Whole Milk
- Sugar
- Vegetable Oil
- Yeast
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
Filling:
- Butter
- Orange Marmalade
- Brown Sugar
- Salt
Icing:
- Zest and Juice of Oranges
- Powdered Sugar
- Whole Milk
- Butter
Would I make these again? Abso-freakin’-lutely. As sweet recipes go, these are sweet – but not so much so that I felt compelled to rush to the bathroom right after eating them to scrub and brush the furry slippers from my teeth.
They are soft, fluffy, the bane of my waistline and all I can do is imagine downing a whole half pan to myself. Divinity in carb form.
So go forth and make these. It’s a command.
Check out the other girl’s take on these rolls:
Julie – Table for Two
Gina – Running to the Kitchen
Rachel – Baked by Rachel
If you want to check out our previous PW Wednesday Posts take a peek at:
Inspired Homemade Recipes To Try
Ultimate Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Print
Orange Sweet Rolls
- Prep Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 43 minutes
- Yield: 24–48 rolls 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
These soft, fluffy orange-laced rolls are made for lazy weekend mornings with a cup of coffee.
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 cups Whole Milk
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
- 2 1/4 Tsp Yeast
- 4 1/2 cup Flour
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 2 tsp Salt
Filling:
- 1/2 cup Butter, melted
- 8 Tbsp Orange Marmalade
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Icing:
- Zest and Juice of 2 Oranges
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1/2 cup whole Milk
- 4 Tbsp Butter, melted
Instructions
Dough:
- In large sauce pan over medium heat, warm milk, sugar and oil, stirring together until sugar has dissolved. Remove from stove. Sprinkle yeast over the top and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
- In large bowl add 4 cups flour and pour milk/yeast mixture over the top. Stir together to incorporate. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.
- Stir in remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Roll out down into 30×10 inch rectangle.
Filling:
- Drizzle melted butter over the surface of the dough. Spread orange marmalade over the butter.
- Sprinkle brown sugar over the marmalade. Sprinkle over dash of salt.
- Roll dough and filling in a tight log. Pinch seams of dough closed. Slice dough log into rolls.
- Preheat oven to 375. Butter baking dish and place rolls into the dish. Once all are securely in dish, allow to rise an additional 20 minutes.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes. Allow to cool on counter.
Icing:
- In bowl, whisk together icing ingredients and pour over the top of the warm sweet rolls.
- Slice and serve immediately.
Notes
Original Recipe Source Ree Drummond.

These look amazing!
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I’m seriously impressed that you baked the morning after your bachelorette party. I had greasy diner food. 🙂
Excuse me while I finish drooling. I’m crazy for citrus and these are saying “eaaattt meee”. Who am I to argue with my food, I think I’ll have to make these soon <3
p.s you and your ladies look like you had a wonderful weekend 🙂
These are perfect for post bridal shower/bach party consumption! I can’t even believe you were up baking and PHOTOGRAPHING! Impressive lady, very impressive 😉
Definitely one of the few keepers we’ve made. Poor Ben putting up with you girls all weekend lol. I hope he got his fair share of these rolls!
These make a perfect treat for a crowd! So sweet of you to make them as a little thank you!
These rolls look like the perfect hangover food… sweet, carby, and citrusy. Orange sweet rolls are my fave– i actualyl prefer them over cinnamon rolls! I feel like I could down half of the pan myself too.. esp after a night of booze 😉
Oh my deliciousness! The perfect breakfast. I am going to have to make these very soon! We have friends staying with us next weekend, these will be on the menu!
They sound like perfect hangover food, just enough sugar and carbs to get you going 😉
wow, yours looks gorgeous! this is definitely one of the better dishes so props to you for choosing a winning sweet dish! haha, what a great one to have after a night of partying too 😉
WELL described, and I agree, totally worth it 🙂 I have the same problem with slicing my cinnamon buns the “appropriate” width 🙂
Yum! I love orange in sweet things. I’ve never put it in rolls, but I should really do that.
I have to try these. Like today. Like now.
You ladies look like you had a ball and raised a little heck. My kind of party. Love the photos.
do you use instant yeast or active dry?
Oh boy…these look SO GOOD. I die for anything orange flavored!!
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Oh, YUM. Just pinned it so I remember it next weekend!
For the icing, mine looked really runny. I looked on PW’s site and it calls for 4 cups of powdered sugar, not just 1. Also, the salt in your recipe is double what Rhee’s calls for. I wasn’t sure if it was a typo or you used 2tsp. Salt. These are pretty tasty!
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There are a few problems with this recipe…. guessing the originator was more concerned about her party than the outcome…
baking time doesn’t work – not at all baked through – I don’t like to eat raw dough
powdered sugar for the frosting wrong measurement
Perhaps before raving about how wonderful this looks – people should actually try it.
I found this recipe to be a major disappointment.