Soft Mini Orange Rolls (Printable version)

Pillowy mini rolls with zesty orange filling and bright citrus glaze, made quickly with crescent dough.

# What you need:

→ Dough

01 - 1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent roll dough

→ Filling

02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 tablespoon orange zest from 1 large orange
05 - 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Glaze

06 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
07 - 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
08 - 1/2 teaspoon orange zest, optional for garnish

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease a mini muffin tin.
02 - Unroll crescent dough on clean surface and pinch perforations together to seal, forming one large rectangle.
03 - In small bowl, combine softened butter, granulated sugar, orange zest, and vanilla extract until well blended.
04 - Spread orange filling evenly over entire dough rectangle.
05 - Starting from longer side, roll dough tightly into a log. Slice into 12 equal pieces using sharp knife.
06 - Place rolls cut-side up on prepared baking sheet or distribute evenly in mini muffin tin.
07 - Bake for 13 to 15 minutes until golden brown.
08 - While rolls bake, whisk powdered sugar with orange juice, adding juice gradually until reaching pourable consistency. Stir in orange zest if desired.
09 - Cool rolls for 5 minutes, then drizzle with orange glaze. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They actually taste fancy and homemade despite using store-bought dough, which feels like getting away with something delicious.
  • Your kitchen will smell like a fancy bakery for the next few hours, and everyone will think you've been up since dawn baking from scratch.
  • Fifteen minutes of baking time means you can have warm, glossy rolls on the table before coffee gets cold.
02 -
  • If you skip pinching those perforations closed, your dough will separate into strips during baking and you'll lose the magic of those cohesive layers that make these rolls special.
  • Don't let the butter get warm or it will make the dough sticky and hard to handle—softened butter at room temperature is the sweet spot between spreadable and firm.
  • Timing the glaze matters: apply it while rolls are still warm enough to absorb it, but cool enough that it won't run right off onto the pan.
03 -
  • If your kitchen is warm, chill your filling bowl for a few minutes before spreading it on the dough—cold filling spreads more evenly without dragging or tearing.
  • Use a bench scraper or offset spatula to lift the rolled log off the surface before slicing; this prevents the underside from sticking and keeps your spiral intact.
  • These freeze beautifully—roll and slice them, freeze them on a sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag and bake from frozen, adding just 2–3 extra minutes to the bake time.
Return