There was a time in my life during which I believed that nothing could top a gooey homemade cinnamon roll loaded with cream cheese icing. I developed a bread machine recipe for those using whole wheat flour and I don’t mind telling you that it’s pretty amazing. But a year or so ago, a new bakery opened here in Huntsville and I quickly became a huge fan of their orange creamsicle rolls. In my very first bite, I discovered the most delicious combination of orange and coconut rolled into a sweet dough. The Orange Creamsicle Rolls I’m sharing with you today represent my best attempt to replicate (and maybe even elevate) the bakery version I love so much.
The bakery version of these rolls are made with white flour. I prefer the nutty depth of flavor that whole wheat flour provides and so my recipe uses that. Have you ever tried whole wheat sweet rolls? You might be surprised at how much complexity the whole wheat flour adds. It results in a hearty, wholesome-tasting treat that bakes up soft as a pillow. You won’t believe how much flavor is packed inside these delicious Orange Creamsicle Rolls.
Besides the taste, one of my favorite things about this recipe is that because it uses a bread machine, these sweet rolls come together quite easily. The bread machine does all the kneading and resting to produce your Orange Creamsicle Rolls dough. All you have to do from there is roll it out, fill it and then bake.
When we serve these, I typically make them the night before I plan to eat them. I go through all the steps up through placing them in the baking pan. From there, I cover them with foil and refrigerate them overnight. The next morning, I remove the foil and cover the pan with a clean towel and place them on top of the stove to rise for about an hour. When they’re ready, I place the pan in the oven while it preheats. I keep an eye on them while they bake and sometimes I cover them with foil if they start to brown on top.
Orange Creamsicle Rolls
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 4 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup honey
- 4 cups whole wheat bread flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons yeast
- unflavored dental floss
For the filling
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- zest from half an orange
- 1/2 cup coconut
- 3/4 cup butter at room temperature
For the glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice + 2-4 additional tablespoons for thinning
- zest from half an orange
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
Instructions
Using a microwave, heat buttermilk to room temperature and pour it into the pan of your bread machine. Add egg, cubed butter and honey to liquid mixture in bread machine pan. Evenly spread whole wheat flour over the liquid. Sprinkle salt over flour. Make a well in the center of the flour and add yeast.
Program your bread machine for the dough setting and start the cycle.
When the dough is finished, remove it from the bread pan and knead it for one minute. Turn it onto a floured surface and allow the dough to rest for fifteen minutes.
Lightly grease a 9x13" pan and set it aside.
While the dough is resting, make the filling mixture by combining brown sugar, white sugar, orange zest and coconut in a bowl. Stir to mix thoroughly.
When the dough has rested for 15 minutes, turn in out onto a lightly-floured surface and gently roll into a 12" x 18" rectangle. Spread with softened butter. Evenly spread filling mixture over butter.
Starting at the 18" base of the dough, gently roll the dough into a log shape and pinch along the seam to seal. With a sharp knife, indicate the middle of the dough by making a shallow cut in the center of the log. Make five evenly-spaced shallow cuts on either side of the middle line. Working from one end, use unflavored dental floss to slice through the dough log at the five evenly-spaced cuts you made.
Place the dough cut side down into the prepared pan.
If you're baking them immediately, cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise for 45 minutes to one hour, or until the dough doubles in size. If you're baking the next morning, cover the dough and refrigerate overnight. Remove the pan from the refrigerator and allow the rolls to rise for an hour or more, until the dough is double in size.
Bake at 375º for 20-25 minutes or until the rolls are just baked through and light golden brown. Be careful not to overbake.
While the rolls are baking, prepare the glaze by combining the powdered sugar, 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice, orange zest and melted butter in a medium-sized bowl and whisking to combine. Thin with additional orange juice to desired consistency.
Allow the rolls to cool slightly and then drizzle the glaze over the top. Serve immediately.
Notes
Extra rolls can be stored at room temperature for up to three days, though they'll taste best straight from the oven.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 526Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 158mgFiber: 2gSugar: 48gProtein: 8g
You might also enjoy:
Glazed Maple Pecan Oatmeal Scones
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pinwheel Pastries
Thanks you for sharing a whole wheat sweet roll recipe! I made these last weekend and they were delicious. I will definitely be making them again soon.
These are amazing! After making them, my kids immediately asked me to make them again next weekend.
That’s awesome, Juanita! Thank you for your comment. I so appreciate it when people let me know that they enjoyed one of my recipes!