Orange Rolls with Sour Cream Glaze are a special treat your family will love! They’re sticky and gooey and filled with just the right amount of sugar, butter and orange to set them apart from other orange roll recipes!

I’m not sure where orange rolls originated, but I know they are popular in Utah and certain areas in the South. Growing up in Washington state, I never noticed orange rolls at the grocery, or in our favorite neighborhood bakery…
Metcalf’s Bakery on Kitsap Way in Brememerton, WA, was owned by Stanley and Lois Metcalf for 30 years. I loved going there with my mom on Saturday mornings. My mom and dad loved donuts and sweet rolls, so we frequented this sweet little bakery for most of my childhood.

My mom always let me pick out my own special treat, which was usually a gingerbread man. The Metcalf’s finally retired in 1974 and sold their business. Sadly, local mom and pop bakeries are a dying breed!
This recipe for Orange Rolls with Sour Cream Glaze has been a family favorite of ours since the early days of our marriage. I love the sour cream glaze which makes this roll extra special drizzled over the tender orange rolls!

We traditionally make orange rolls at Christmas or Easter, but they are delicious served for any occasion. I love this treat when served at baby or wedding showers as well.
This recipe originally posted in 2011, updated with new content and photos in 2025
Orange Rolls with Sour Cream Glaze

Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 package dry yeast
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 cups flour
Orange Filling:
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange rind
Glaze:
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
Instructions
- In a large bowl dissolve the yeast in warm water.
- Add all other ingredients except flour.
- Add 2 cups flour, mix, then add in the remaining cup and a half of flour.
- Let rise until double in bulk, about 1 hour.
- Divide the dough into two portions.
- Roll out first ball of dough into a 10- 12 inch circle on a floured surface.
- Spread with half of orange filling. Cut into 8-12 pie shaped wedges (using a pizza cutter works well) and roll into crescent shapes. Begin with large end and end with point.
- Set onto lightly greased cookie sheet.
- Repeat with other half of dough.
- Let all rolls rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden.
- Let rolls cool on pans for about 5 minutes before glazing.
- Mix glaze ingredients in a small sauce pan and let boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Spread glaze on rolls. Serve immediately.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. I’d love to see a photo, tag @abountifulkitchen on Instagram!
Tiffany Rigby
Si,
If I am making these for a baby shower and won’t have time that morning to make and wait for them to raise, can they be made before hand or made the night before and put in the fridge to raise?
iSaraTex
This is the recipe I used for years in our Colorado restaurant. I always made them for Easter, Mother’s Day, and Thanksgiving, all big prime rib buffet days for us. They looked spectacular on the desert table. I love this dough, so rich, so tender; almost melts in your mouth. I noticed you often half the glaze for your family. If you are baking them to serve later in the day, as I was, I recommend using all the glaze, which keeps them moist and fresh.
A note to the ladies who found the dough sticky. I’m not an expert chef, just a self-taught cook that loves good food. We baked bread everyday and sweet rolls for holidays in our restaurant. IMO, the flour amounts in a yeast bread recipe are more of a guide. Different flours will require different amounts in your dough. I would add flour to the yeast dough in my stand mixer until it was still slightly sticky, then turned it out on a floured board. Knead the dough, adding more flour, as necessary, until just no longer sticky.
This recipe is truly a star, one of the very best. I’ve never found one better. Do not let the sticky dough scare you, that’s just part of the process. It’s not like baking a cake where you carefully measure, lol. I even started using this sour cream dough recipe for my cinnamon rolls, switching the flavorings & the glaze to cream cheese.
I promise, this one is worth the effort and is NOT difficult. If I can, you can.
Si, thank you so much! I lost my recipe when we sold and am anxious to try them in a few weeks for my husband’s birthday. This was his all time favorite sweet breakfast. Yum!
Trev and Shan
Hi! Just made this dough and it didn't rise! First time that has ever happened to me. I must have killed the yeast somehow. Just trying to decide if I should try again or not. The dough was super sticky, is that typical? I live in Okinawa so the humidity is high. Maybe I should add a little more flour? Also, do you knead it at all or just mix till ingredients are combined?
Thanks!!
Jesse
I just made this tonight and the dough was too sticky to handle. I ended up adding a half of a cup more flour and even then it was pretty sticky. After letting it rise, the dough became a little more manageable, but I had to roll it out into a floured surface to be able to manage it. The rolls turned out amazing though!
Si Foster
Jesse,
Many factors determine how sticky your dough will turn out-such as humidity in the air, and brand of flour used. I’m so glad this recipe worked for you!
Thanks for reading ABK!
xo,
Si
Heather
What is the best flour to use?
Si Foster
Hi Heather, I usually use all-purpose flour for this recipe. Thanks for asking!
xo
Si
Todd Bucher
Very similar to the recipe we have used for years! It's a Christmas favorite we use fresh squeezed juice from the Orange instead of concentrate.
Carrian
oh yum!
and this blog
Si, these look amazing…. i wish i didn't have oven phobia =)