Orange Rolls: Granny's Homemade Recipe for Holidays! (2024)

Granny’s orange rolls are the BEST! Perfect for any holiday or family event, they are sure to disappear in a hurry, especially once the kids are allowed near them!

Today I have a real treat for you: my Granny’s Homemade Orange Rolls Recipe. This recipe makes about 18-24 rolls. These orange rolls are DIVINE! They are everyone’s favorite item at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter dinners. We always look forward to them! In the last few years, she has decided they are too much trouble and she is done making them, so I have taken over. Well, today I am going to teach *you* how to make them for your family as well!

Let’s go through things step-by-step, picture-by-picture, and then I will give you the recipe in a concise form that is easy for printing.

First things first: dissolve a packet of yeast (or the equivalent amount from a jar) in 1/2 a cup of warm water and set aside. Next melt the shortening in the microwave. Combine the shortening, sugar, salt, and HOT water and beat to dissolve.

Cool the hot water mixture and then add egg, yeast, and cold water. Stir in 3+ cups flour. (You may have to add a tad bit more flour depending on elevation, climate, etc. You don’t want it to be too wet.) Stir to blend.

Place dough in a bowl that has been pre-sprayed with cooking spray and cover with a piece of plastic wrap that has also been sprayed with cooking spray. (So that the dough is easy to get out of the bowl post-rise.) Rise until the dough has about doubled, about 1 or 1 1/2 hours. (I usually place it in a warm spot or room to help/hurry it along a bit.)

At some point during the first rise, put together the orange spread. You do this by combining softened butter, zest of an orange, and the squeezed juice of half to a full orange. Beat with a hand mixer to combine. Once the dough has doubled in size, roll out the dough and spread with the orange mixture. Roll the dough and then cut off portions of it, as shown above.

Place the dough spirals into GREASED muffin tins.

Cover the muffin tins (with roll dough inside) with a piece of lightly sprayed/greased plastic wrap and allow the rolls to rise for about 1 more hour.

Bake for about 15 minutes at 375 degrees. (Check on them to see how they are browning!) **I usually put a cookie sheet on the racks under the muffin tins because the orange filling is known to ooze out all over the oven.**

Now serve and enjoy! YUMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!

Don’t those look delish?! A bit of a hassle to make, but TOTALLY worth it! TRUST ME . . . your guests will LOVE them!

Here is the full recipe for you, in two more print-friendly formats:

GRANNY’S ORANGE ROLLS RECIPE

Bread

1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup hot water
1 beaten egg
1 package yeast (2 1/4 tsp yeast)
1/2 cup cold water
3+ cups unsifted flour

Orange Spread

1/2 cup sugar
zest of one orange
squeezed juice of 1/2 or more of an orange
1 stick of butter, softened

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water and set aside. Melt shortening in the microwave. Combine melted shortening, sugar, salt, and hot water and beat to dissolve. Cool and then add egg, yeast, and cold water. Stir in 3 cups unsifted flour. (You may have to add a tad bit more flour depending on elevation, climate, etc. You don’t want it to be too wet.) Stir to blend. Place dough in a bowl that has been pre-sprayed with cooking spray and cover with a piece of plastic wrap that has also been sprayed with cooking spray. (So that the dough is easy to get out of the bowl post-rise.) Rise until the dough has about doubled, about 1 or 1 1/2 hours. (I usually place it in a warm spot or room.) At some point during the first rise, put together the orange spread. Do this by combining softened butter, zest of an orange, and the squeezed juice of half to a full orange. Beat with a hand mixer to combine. Once the dough has doubled in size, roll out the dough and spread with the orange mixture. Roll the dough into one large rolled log. Cut portions of it off so that you end up with spiraled rolls. Place the dough spirals into GREASED muffin tins. Cover the muffin tins (with roll dough inside) with a piece of lightly sprayed/greased plastic wrap and allow the rolls to rise for about 1 more hour. Uncover tins and bake for about 15 minutes at 375-400 degrees. **I usually put a cookie sheet on the racks under the muffin tins because the orange filling is known to ooze out all over the oven.** This recipe makes about 18-24 rolls.

If you enjoyed this recipe, then you may also enjoy the following recipes:

Easter Bunny Rolls Recipe

Heirloom Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Copycat Lion House Rolls Recipe