I love cinnamon rolls. Like truly madly deeply kind of love feelings towards these rolled and baked fluffy yeast pillows of butter and sugar delight. I’ve yet to meet a roll I didn’t fall head over heels in love with but these dairy-free orange honey rolls might be my new favourite ever!

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Orange Honey Rolls

Baked to golden brown perfection, these dairy-free orange honey rolls are made with zesty orange juice, naturally sweetened with honey and bake to cloud-like deliciousness. Warm scents of honey, orange zest, and ground cinnamon from the filling will soon wrap gloriously around your house as they bake and bubble up.

Topped with a generous helping of sweet and tangy cream cheese glaze, these orange honey rolls are the perfect brunch, afternoon coffee, or late night sweet treat snack.

Baking With Bee Maid Honey

It’s no secret that I adore honey. Whether it’s simply slathered on a piece of warm buttered toast or baked decadently in a layer cake, honey is a go-to natural sweetener staple in my house.

And let’s be quite clear, you won’t find just any kind of honey on my pantry shelves. You will only find Bee Maid honey. Proudly owned by Canadian beekeepers, Bee Maid Honey has been producing quality Canadian honey since 1954 and packages all of its homegrown honey products right here in Canada at two different locations.

What Kind Of Honey Should I Use?

This delicious dairy-free orange honey roll recipe uses two different kinds of honey: liquid and creamed. I used liquid honey in the yeast mixture which has a gentle sweet flavour and creamed honey in the filling for ease of spreading and creaminess.

With that said, if you don’t have both kinds or can only locate one of the other, don’t fret! Tested both ways, these rolls will work with either all liquid or all creamed.

How To Make Orange Honey Rolls

Anything involving yeast can feel intimidating. I totally get it. It is, after all, a living organism vital to making bread or any bread baked good and can be finicky. But don’t get flustered, I’ll walk you through it.

The Yeast Mixture

The first and most important step to creating fluffy honey rolls is to make the beginning yeast mixture. We want to activate the yeast with warmth but not kill it with too much heat. A temperature of between 100-110ºF is what we are looking for. Too hot or too cold and the yeast won’t grow which will result in your rolls not rising.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the milk and orange juice and heat for 45 seconds. Combine this warm milk and orange juice mixture with the liquid honey and yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer and combine gently.

Kneading & Rising

Add in the remaining dough ingredients and with the hook attachment, begin to mix on low. As the ingredients combine and a rough dough is formed slowly turn the mixer up to medium-high and allow to knead for 5 minutes. Transfer the smooth dough to a large well oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap.

Put this dough in a warm place, I typically place it on the bottom wrack in my oven as I live in a cold climate, and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.

If you do not have a stand mixer, no sweat! With a little bit of effort and elbow grease, these orange honey rolls will work just as well. Using a large mixing bowl follow the above instructions and when it comes time to knead, on a well-floured surface, dump the rough dough, and being the kneading process by hand. You are looking for a tacky, but not sticky, dough.

Orange Honey Filling

As I mentioned before, the filling for these yummy dairy-free rolls is a combination of creamed honey, butter, orange jam or marmalade, and ground cinnamon. It’s sweet, zippy, and with a hint of warmth from the cinnamon.

Rolling Out & Slicing The Dough

After the dough has rested for an hour and doubled in size, it’s ready to roll. On a well-floured surface roll the dough to approximately 24×12 inches. Next, spread the prepared orange honey filling on top making sure to cover the entire surface.

Starting with the short side first, tightly roll the dough into a log formation. With a sharp knife, pastry cutter, or unscented dental floss, cut into 12 even cinnamon rolls and place into a prepared 9×13 inch baking pan.

This step can get a bit messy as the filling might squish out a bit while cutting. I will generally scoop any extra filling back onto the tops of the cinnamon rolls.

Then, cover and let rise for another 30 minutes.

Baking The Rolls

Once the rolls have risen for the last 30 minutes, they are ready to bake. In a preheated 350ºF oven, bake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until the tops of the rolls are a light golden brown. Allow the rolls to cool while you prepare the icing.

Cream Cheese Icing

Combine the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl if using a handheld electric mixer and beat on high until creamy and smooth. Add in the icing sugar and orange juice and, with the mixer on low, mix until fully combined.

Remember to scrape the edges of the bowl with a spatula every so often to make sure all the icing sugar is incorporated.

With a spoon, spatula, or pouring straight from the bowl, spread the cream cheese glaze over the orange honey rolls. This is my personal favourite part of the whole process!

Can I Make These Orange Honey Rolls Overnight?

Yes, these rolls can absolutely be made the day before and baked fresh in the morning. I think we can all agree that a freshly baked cinnamon roll for breakfast is pretty much heaven on earth.

To do so, simply prepare the rolls up until they are sliced and in the pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight. Remove the rolls the following morning and allow them to sit, while still covered, at room temperature for an hour and then bake as per instructions. Voila! Freshly baked orange honey rolls.

The Best Dairy-Free Orange Honey Rolls

You are going to absolutely love these fresh orange honey rolls. Bursting with spring citrus and sweet notes of honey, these rolls are a weekend must bake. Each bite is soft, fluffy, and so very scrumptiously covered in cream cheese glaze. A fresh orange honey roll baked from scratch will never disappoint.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did. Make sure you tag me @cakedbykatie on Instagram and leave a rating and review below if you make these!

Other Honey Recipes To Try

Orange Honey Rolls (Dairy-Free)

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Author: Katie Stymiest
Total Time: 2 Hours 40 Minutes
Yield: 12 Rolls 1x
Diet: Low Lactose

Print Recipe

Description

Fluffy dairy-free orange honey rolls covered in a tangy-sweet cream cheese frosting. Bursting with fresh citrus flavor and naturally sweetened with honey, these homemade rolls will be a family favorite.