Sourdough Orange Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

ByLaRee Colburn Updated on
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This sourdough orange cinnamon rolls recipe combines a delicious orange-flavored dough that wraps around layers of cinnamon sugar and citrus woven into each spiral. Topped with an orange glaze, these rolls are full of fresh orange flavor that your family will love. If you already enjoy classic overnight sourdough cinnamon rolls, this fresh citrus version is a delicious twist that feels extra special.

fresh baked sourdough orange cinnamon rolls in a cast iron pan next to a blue pinstripe towel with a slice of orange.

Quick Look: Orange Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

  • ⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • 🍳 Cook Time: 30 minutes (plus 8 hour ferment time)
  • 🕒 Total Time: 8 hrs, 45 minutes
  • 👥 Servings: 12
  • 📊 Calories: ~326 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
  • 🔥 Cook Method: Oven-baked in cast iron skillet
  • 👩‍🍳 Flavor Profile: Sweet and slightly tangy with bright orange zest, warm cinnamon spice, and soft, tender sourdough layers.
  • ⭐ Difficulty: Easy – beginner-friendly, mostly mixing, shaping, and baking.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

  • Flavor - these orange sourdough cinnamon rolls are soft, fluffy, and packed with bright citrus flavor in every bite. The sweet orange filling paired with a creamy orange glaze makes them the perfect homemade treat for spring brunch, holidays, or slow weekend mornings. If you like citrus and fruit in your sweet rolls, you'll also want to try my raspberry lemon sourdough cinnamon rolls, perfect for spring and summer when raspberries are in season.
  • Make-ahead option - you’ll love that the dough can be made ahead overnight, making breakfast prep simple and stress-free. If you already enjoy classic overnight sourdough cinnamon rolls, this fresh citrus version is a delicious twist that feels extra special.
  • Made with sourdough - they’re made with active sourdough starter for better flavor, a tender texture, and that rich homemade taste you just can’t get from store-bought rolls. If you’re new to baking with starter, learning how to make a sourdough starter first makes this recipe even easier.
  • Great for holidays - these rolls are perfect for Easter brunch, Mother’s Day breakfast, baby showers, or anytime you want a bakery-style recipe made right at home. And if you love fruity sweet rolls, you’ll definitely want to try my raspberry lemon sourdough cinnamon rolls next.

Ingredients

orange roll ingredients.
  • Sourdough starter - active sourdough starter is preferred, but sourdough discard works just fine too providing you are rising them overnight if you’re not adding the baking soda and baking powder into the recipe.
  • Sweetener - sugar is what I use most often, but you can make these with honey or cane sugar as well.

For a full list of ingredients needed to make this recipe, see the recipe card below.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here

How to Make This Orange Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

adding ingredients for orange cinnamon rolls to mixer.

Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the first six ingredients. Start mixing on low and slowly add the flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

rolling out orange cinnamon roll dough.

Step 2: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough using a rolling pin to ¼” thick in the shape of a rectangle.

rolling up the cinnamon roll dough into a log before cutting into sections.

Step 3: Combine the butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and orange zest in a small bowl, and spread on the dough. Roll up the dough, beginning with the long end of the rectangle.

cutting cinnamon roll log into pieces and placing the rolls into the pan.

Step 4: Using a sharp serrated knife, cut rolls into 12 equal pieces.

Place in a greased cast iron skillet or baking dish.

pan full of orange cinnamon rolls ready to raise.

Step 5: To long ferment, cover with plastic wrap or beeswax wrap and let the rolls rise in a warm place overnight.  If you need to wait longer than overnight to bake them, place them in the refrigerator and pull them out to finish rising a couple of hours before baking. This step is optional, and these rolls can be baked right away. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

pouring orange glaze over a cast iron skillet full of orange cinnamon rolls.

Step 6: While the rolls are baking, mix up the orange glaze. Remove from the oven and spread the frosting over warm rolls. Serve with a glass of orange juice or milk.

bite of orange cinnamon roll on a plate next to a blue towel and orange slices.

Tips

  • If your sourdough starter is really thin, you may need to add a little more flour to this recipe.  I always mix them until the dough pulls away from the sides of my mixer bowl, or until it’s not super sticky if mixing up by hand.
  • You can mix these sweet rolls in a mixer (my favorite is a Bosch), or just mix up the dough and do a series of kneading or stretch and folds every few minutes for about an hour to develop the gluten in these rolls.  Then just roll them out, shape, and allow to rise until double and then bake.
  • You can use string to cut the orange cinnamon rolls if you’d like, but I find that cutting them with a knife works just fine for my family.
  • The cinnamon sugar and other filling ingredients can be mixed together first and then spread on the dough, or added individually as shown in the video.
  • It is perfectly safe to add the eggs to this dough and still allow the dough to bulk ferment at room temperature overnight because the good active bacteria in the sourdough starter will prevent any bad bacteria from forming on the eggs.

Orange Cinnamon Rolls Recipe FAQs

What makes orange rolls so fluffy?

Bread flour will give you the fluffiest and softest orange cinnamon rolls, but you can make cinnamon rolls with a variety of flours, including whole grain or all purpose. Also, be sure to make them with an active sourdough starter and allow them to double in size before baking. I prefer to raise them overnight.  You can bake the cinnamon rolls right away if you add the baking powder and baking soda as the leavener, but they won’t be as fluffy as the rolls you allow to rise overnight.

What is the difference between orange rolls and cinnamon rolls?

Orange rolls are similar to cinnamon rolls, but are made with orange juice in the dough and orange zest in the cinnamon filling, giving them a bright citrus flavor. They are topped with a delicious orange glaze that pairs well with the rolls, and helps to bring out the orange flavor.

Other Favorite Cinnamon Roll Recipes

If you try this recipe and love it, please come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @wagonwheelhomestead21.  I can’t wait to see what all you make!

sourdough orange rolls

Sourdough Orange Cinnamon Rolls

These soft, pillowy sourdough cinnamon rolls, infused with bright orange zest and a hint of natural tang, are the perfect balance of cozy and fresh.
LaRee Colburn
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Rise time (optional) 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 45 minutes
Serving Size 12

Equipment

  • 1 Bosch stand mixer
  • 1 measuring cups and spoons
  • 1 Rolling Pin
  • 1 sharp knife
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Ingredients

  • ½ cup orange juice
  • ½ cup sourdough starter
  • ½ cup melted butter
  • ½ cup sugar or honey
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4-5 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional - only use if baking right away)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda (optional - only use if baking right away)
  • 2 tablespoon orange zest

Filling 

  • ½ cup melted butter
  • 1 ½ cups brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoon orange zest

Orange Icing

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoon orange juice

Instructions

  • To make the orange dough, in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the first six ingredients.
  • If using a mixer, start mixing on low and slowly add the flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
  • If you’re not using a mixer, add the flour to the other ingredients in the bowl and knead until the dough comes together into a nice ball.  Stretch and fold or knead the dough every 15-30 minutes for a couple of hours.  This will develop the gluten similar to how the mixer develops it by mixing.
  • Combine the filling ingredients in a small bowl.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough using a rolling pin to ¼” thick in the shape of a rectangle.
  • Spread the butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and orange zest on the dough (see video).
  • Roll up dough, beginning with the long end of the rectangle.
  • Using a sharp serrated knife, cut rolls into 12 equal pieces.
  • Place in a greased cast iron skillet or baking dish.

For the long fermented version:

  • Cover with plastic wrap or beeswax wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place overnight.  If you need to wait longer than overnight to bake them, place them in the refrigerator, and pull them out to finish rising a couple of hours before baking.
  • You can also freeze the cinnamon rolls at this point, and take them out of the freezer to raise and bake later on.
  • For the quick version:  proceed with baking.

Baking The Orange Rolls

  • When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place rolls in the prepared pan. Bake rolls for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
  • While the rolls are baking, mix up the cream cheese frosting.
  • Remove from the oven and spread the frosting over warm rolls. 
  • Serve with a cool cup of orange juice or milk.
  • Savor every bite!  Store any leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to one week, although I know they'll never last that long.
  • If you try this recipe and love it, please come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @wagonwheelhomestead21 
Rate this Recipe

Notes

  • If your sourdough starter is really thin, you may need to add a little more flour to this recipe.  I always mix them until the dough pulls away from the sides of my mixer bowl, or until it’s not super sticky if mixing up by hand.
  • You can mix these sweet rolls in a mixer (my favorite is a Bosch), or just mix up the dough and do a series of kneading or stretch and folds every few minutes for about an hour to develop the gluten in these rolls.  Then just roll them out, shape, and allow to rise until double and then bake.
  • You can use string to cut the orange cinnamon rolls if you’d like, but I find that cutting them with a knife works just fine for my family.
  • The cinnamon sugar and other filling ingredients can be mixed together first and then spread on the dough, or added individually as shown in the video.
  • It is perfectly safe to add the eggs to this dough and still allow the dough to bulk ferment at room temperature overnight because the good active bacteria in the sourdough starter will prevent any bad bacteria from forming on the eggs.

More Breakfast

I'm a homeschool Mom of 5, living out my dreams of growing a simple, sustainable life on our Nebraska homestead. I'm passionate about gardening, preserving, cooking from scratch and baking with sourdough. I enjoy milking Jersey cows and making our own dairy products. Come along with me as I share with you the skills you'll need to be successful at homesteading and frugal living.

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4 Comments

  1. I tried this recipe and had to toss the dough - it never came together. I believe you are missing the eggs in the recipe list … when I looked at your other cinnamon rolls recipe it contained eggs.

    Reply

    1. Oh my goodness you are right! Yes, there should be 2 eggs in it. I'm SO sorry you had to toss the dough. I fixed the recipe, and I really appreciate you letting me know.

      Reply