Copycat Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls
Copycat Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls are a homemade version of the famous refrigerated cinnamon rolls with that amazing orange glaze.
I was shopping at the grocery store the other day with my husband, a semi-rare occasion (it’s usually just me). He was in the frozen section and asked if I could run get some refrigerated orange rolls. (They’re his absolute favorite.) I walked over to the section where they sell the tubes of Pillsbury rolls and thought to myself, I’m a baker. Why don’t I make them homemade. They will taste better and have all natural ingredients. So that’s what I did. And guess what, he didn’t even notice that they were missing from the cart. Hehe.
I went home and came up with this recipe. They’re basically just homemade cinnamon rolls with an extra special orange infused buttercream frosting. I did add a little bit of orange extract to the yeast roll dough for added flavor.
How to make Copycat Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls
1) Start by making your yeast dough and let it rise for 30 minutes. (Full recipe follows.)
2) Roll it out on a floured surface to 9″x12″.
3) Spread with softened butter, then sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and brown sugar.
4) Starting at the wider edge, tightly roll up the dough, then cut into 9 rolls using clean dental floss or a knife.
5) Let rest (covered) for 30 minutes, then bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes. Frost with orange icing.
Here are my rolls before rising (above) and after I let them rise for 30 minutes.
How to Make the Best Orange Roll Icing
1) Start with softened butter, beat until creamy.
2) Add powdered sugar, orange zest and a little bit of orange juice.
3) Stir until completely combined. Spread over slightly cooled cinnamon rolls.
After the rolls rise, bake them at 350°F for 18-20 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Homemade orange frosting is what really takes these homemade cinnamon rolls to the next level.
Slather on that orange frosting in a haphazard way to give your rolls a rustic look. Don’t forget to lick the spoon when you’re done (my favorite part).
My hubby gave these Copycat Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls his stamp of approval (and he’s not easy to please when it comes to a childhood comfort food like this). They’re perfect for breakfast or even a midnight snack which is exactly what someone I know did. Guess who… (hint, it wasn’t me.)
Tools for success
Pioneer Woman 9″ Stoneware Pie Dish (as shown in photos above)
Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons
Note: The above items are affiliate links.
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Copycat Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup whole milk, warmed to 110°F
- 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon orange extract
For the filling
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus 1 tablespoon to butter pan
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
For the glaze
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- zest of one large orange
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
Instructions
For the dough
- Whisk together flour and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Place milk in a glass measuring cup. Microwave for 30 seconds. Use a candy thermometer, milk should be 110°F. Pour into large bowl, sprinkle with yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar. Gently stir to combine. Let blossom for 5-10 minutes. You will see little bubbles on top. Then you know your yeast is working.
- Add egg, 2 tablespoons softened butter and orange extract to yeast mixture. Stir to combine. Then fold in the flour mixture with a large spatula or wooden spoon. Keep folding until a dough forms. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead dough for 5-10 minutes. It should start to feel elastic and not stick to your hands. Place in a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 30 minutes.
For the filling
- In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon and pinch of salt. Set aside.
- Roll dough on a lightly floured surface into a 9"x12" rectangle. Spread the 3 tablespoons of softened butter over the entire surface of the dough. Then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Starting at the widest edge, tightly roll the dough up. Cut into 8 equal sections using clean dental floss.
- Grease a 9-inch pie dish or cake pan with 1 tablespoon of softened butter. Place cinnamon rolls in the pan and cover with plastic wrap. Let them rest for 30 minutes. Then remove plastic and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 18-20 minutes. Let cool slightly before glazing.
For the orange glaze
- Stir together the softened butter, powdered sugar, orange zest and juice until smooth. Drizzle onto freshly baked, slightly cool rolls. They're ready to eat. Store covered for 24 hours at room temperature or up to a month in the freezer.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let us know by leaving a star rating and review!Also try Orange Glazed Cranberry Scones
You might also like Fluffy Homemade Dinner Rolls
Or if you can’t have gluten, try The Best Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls
All text and images © Lise Ode for Mom Loves Baking. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be accurate. This post may contain affiliate links.
Note: This post is featured on Meal Plan Monday 229 over at Julia’s Simply Southern website.
Pillsbury orange sweet rolls have a distinct almond flavoring that this copycat recipe does not include. I use almond butter almond extract and brown sugar in mine we with butter.
I’d like to know if you can make them in a bread machine.
Have made these twice now for hubby and me. Want to make for family coming in for Christmas. Can these be frozen after first rise then pulled out in time to thaw and rise before baking?
Hi Lorie, I’m so glad you love this recipe. Yes, you can freeze after first rise, then pull out in time to thaw and rise again before baking. Enjoy!
Mainly used it for the orange frosting which despite four tries, came out curdled. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong and instructions are incredibly minimal.
Dough didn’t rise very well when cooked or proofed. I ended up with cinnamon pucks with a frosting that does not resemble in taste the “copy cat” claim for what the recipe claims give of.
It sounds like your Yeast was DEAD!! Also, you need to realize that everyone’s idea of the Copycat recipe may not be to your liking.
All I made are these rolls! Delicious!
Flavor was great but the icing for mine didn’t turn out quite as I’d hoped. Maybe I added too much juice? Wasn’t thick and creamy, but very runny. And the zest didn’t blend well. Any suggestions for me? Thanks!
If the icing is runny, try adding a little more powdered sugar and mix well. 🙂
Ok 2 years on but I hope it helps – instead of orange juice I used OJ concentrate from a can of frozen. Just gives more orange punch without too much liquid.
can i double the recipe for this? we have 6 people here so i don’t think 9 will be enough
Yes, you can double the recipe.
Hi Lise! I made these last week and will definitely make them again! I used to buy the Pillsbury orange rolls when you could still get them. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe, they are delicious!
Hi Jim, So glad you liked them. Enjoy!
Can these be made gluten free? Do I need to add xanthan gum if I use gluten free flour?
Here’s a recipe from my blog for Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls, then you could make the orange glaze to go on top. Hope that helps.
Thanks! I’ll try that.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. At any point, can you stop and put them into the fridge overnight so you can have them ready to bake in the morning? I’m guessing while you let it rise one last time?
Yes you can. Just as you said, last rise. Enjoy!
I made these last night… and there are only a couple rolls left this morning.
Delicious!
My two boys absolutely love orange rolls. I used to make a big fancy breakfast casserole for Christmas morning, but they started asking for orange rolls instead. Homemade would make me feel less guilty about ditching the casserole. Thanks for the recipe!
I think your boys will love these, Leslie Anne! xo