We love cinnamon rolls as most people do, but we also love different cinnamon roll variations. These Orange Cinnamon Rolls (with Cardamom) just happen to be a favorite of my husband's.
When he was growing up, Cardamom Rolls were a big part of his life. His mom and aunt made them often for him. I decided to add some orange to the cardamom to make these yummy sweet rolls.
Save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Homemade sweet rolls with a bit of fresh orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon and cardamom spice.
Ingredients needed to make these rolls
Faq's and tips
Yes! Once you place the sliced orange cinnamon roll dough in a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. In the morning, set it on the counter for an hour or two. Loosen the plastic wrap a bit. They need to come to room temperature and rise. When ready, preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and then bake the rolls for 20 - 30 minutes until golden brown.
Absolutely! I would recommend using the whisk attachment first to beat the eggs and add the liquids. Switch to the dough hook when adding and kneading the flour.
Other cinnamon roll variations
- Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
- Pumpkin Cake with Orange Glaze
- Chocolate Espresso Cinnamon Rolls
- No Yeast Cinnamon Twists
How to make Orange Cinnamon Rolls
Zest the fresh orange(s) and squeeze out the fresh orange juice into a measuring cup. You will need about ½ cup of orange juice.
Warm the milk slightly (I use the microwave) to take the chill off. Yeast works best in liquid that is 110F to 115F degrees. Using a thermometer to check the temperature is a good idea.
Mix the sugar and the yeast into the milk. Let the yeast activate. It will start to bubble in a few minutes.
In a large bowl beat the eggs. Add the orange juice along with the orange zest, and the melted butter. Next, mix in the yeast and milk mixture.
Sprinkle in the salt and gradually start adding the flour. I start with a couple of cups then continue to add the flour until I have a workable consistency to knead the dough.
Knead the dough for several minutes. I have done this several ways. I have kneaded it directly in the bowl, on a floured surface, or if you prefer, use a dough hook on your stand mixer.
When the dough is ready, place it in a greased bowl and set it aside to rise. In the second picture, you can see the dough has more than doubled in size. Punch down the dough and get ready to roll it out to make the rolls.
While the dough is rising, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom filling. Set it aside until ready to use.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface. You want a rectangle that measures about 12" x 15". Spread softened butter over the dough and sprinkle with the cinnamon and cardamom filling. Roll up the dough.
Slice up the dough into 12 rolls. I like to cut the dough in half, then each half is cut in half again. Each quarter I cut into 3 rolls.
Place the rolls into a baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Cover the rolls lightly with a towel or plastic wrap and let them rise until they double in size.
If you are making overnight rolls, place them in the refrigerator before they raise. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until the next morning.
After the rolls have risen, bake them until golden brown. Cool slightly and prepare the glaze if you are using it. Enjoy!
Find all my recipes on Pinterest at Cook This Again. Or, on Facebook at Cook This Again.
Thank you for stopping by and checking out my family’s favorite recipes.
If you tried this recipe for the homemade Orange Cinnamon Rolls with Cardamom and you liked it, please use the stars on the recipe card to rate the recipe. If you have a question or suggestion about this or any other recipe, please leave a comment, and I will respond as soon as possible.
Recipe
Orange Cinnamon and Cardamom Rolls
Ingredients
For the orange rolls
- ½ cup Orange Juice *see notes
- ½ cup Milk *see notes
- ¼ cup Sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
- Orange Zest from 1 or 2 oranges
- 4 tablespoons Butter melted
- 2 Eggs
- 4 cups All Purpose-Flour
- ½ teaspoon Salt
For the cinnamon and cardamom filling
- ⅓ cup Brown Sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon more or less to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoons Cardamom more or less to taste
- 4 tablespoons Butter softened
For the cinnamon roll frosting
- 1 ½ cups Powdered Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons Milk *see notes
Instructions
- Zest the fresh orange(s) and squeeze out the fresh orange juice.
- Warm the milk slightly, (I use the microwave) to take the chill off. Yeast works best at 110F to 115F degrees. Using a thermometer to check the temperature is a good idea.
- Mix the sugar and the yeast into the warmed milk. Let the yeast activate. It will start to bubble in a few minutes.
- In a large bowl beat the eggs. Add the orange juice along with the orange zest, and the melted butter. Next, mix in the yeast and milk mixture.
- Sprinkle in the salt and gradually start adding the flour. Stir and continue to add flour until you are easily able to knead the roll dough.
- Knead the dough for several minutes then place in a greased bowl and cover. Let the dough double in size.
- While the dough is rising, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom filling. Set it aside until ready to use.
- When the dough is ready, punch it down.
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface that measures about 12" x 15". Spread softened butter over the dough and sprinkle with the cinnamon and cardamom filling. Roll up the dough.
- Slice up the dough into 12 orange cinnamon rolls.
- Place the rolls into a baking dish that has been sprayed with non stick spray. Cover the rolls lightly and let them to until they double in size.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. When the rolls are ready, bake them for 20 - 30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool slightly. Prepare glaze and spread over slightly warm rolls.
- Enjoy!
Betsy
I’ve never been great when it comes to yeasted bread and rolls but I gave it another try with this recipe. My cinnamon rolls came out SO perfect. Delicious!!
cjesseman
These look delicious. How much milk is in the glaze?
cookthisagainmom
Hi! So sorry about the delay in answering your question. I start with about 1 tablespoon of milk and add just a little at a time until I get a consistency that I like. I hope you enjoy the rolls! 🙂
Blair Lonergan
YUM! These look delicious! Such a great combination of flavors. I wish we had an orange tree...we've had a cold going through our house for about 2 weeks now! 🙂 Pinned!
Cook This Again
These rolls were really delicious. This cold bug that is going around is stubborn! I hope you enjoy the rolls! 🙂
Stephanie @ Plain Chicken
I love orange & cardamom - I can not wait to try these! Pinned for this weekend.
Cook This Again
Thanks! Let me know what you think of them. 🙂