Soft Mini Orange Rolls (Printer View)

Pillowy mini orange rolls filled with zesty sugar and topped with bright citrus glaze, ready quickly.

# What you'll need:

→ Dough

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

→ Filling

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

→ Glaze

06 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
07 - 1 to 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
08 - 1/2 tsp orange zest, optional

# Method:

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

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're done in under 30 minutes, which means you can serve warm citrus rolls to hungry people without the usual early-morning stress.
  • One can of dough does all the heavy lifting, so there's almost no cleanup and zero intimidation about yeast or rising times.
  • That bright orange flavor tastes fancy and intentional, like you spent hours perfecting something you actually just assembled.
02 -
  • Don't skip sealing the crescent dough perforations or your filling will separate during baking and you'll end up with random pockets of emptiness instead of a cohesive roll.
  • Fresh orange juice in the glaze makes an actual difference; bottled works in a pinch, but fresh zest is what elevates this from decent to the kind of thing people ask you to make again.
03 -
  • Keep your crescent dough cold until the last second; warm dough tears and resists, but cold dough handles like butter and rolls like it's happy to cooperate.
  • The glaze-to-roll ratio matters—drizzle generously enough that each bite has a little sweetness and shine, but not so much that it pools and makes them soggy.
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