Grandma Coco’s Orange Cinnamon Rolls are so soft, and sweet, and have a brightness from the orange zest and orange frosting. They are amazing with just the orange zest and cinnamon sugar, but I LOVE them with craisins, and nut lovers will love the pecan version.

Grandma Coco's Orange Cinnamon Rolls , 3 photo collage, one with craisins and sliced oranges, one with pecans, and one with several orange cinnamon rolls on a plate.

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SPECIAL INGREDIENT in Grandma Coco’s Orange Cinnamon Rolls:

The secret ingredient in Grandma Coco’s Cinnamon Rolls is the instant potato flakes. The potato makes the rolls extra tender and helps them retain moisture and stay fresh longer. We’ve used potato gems, potato flakes, and even plain leftover mashed potatoes in this recipe. The biggest thing is making sure the moisture is correct. You don’t want mashed potatoes that are too dry or too runny.

What you will need to make Grandma Coco’s Cinnamon Rolls:

1/2 cup warm water
2 Tbsp. dry yeast
1/2 cup butter
1 cup boiling water
1 cup milk
1 tsp. salt
1 cup instant potato flakes
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. mace
4 cups flour

FOR THE FILLING:

6 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup sugar, or brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
zest of 1-2 oranges
1 cup craisins, optional
1/2 cup pecans, chopped, optional

For the frosting:

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. orange juice
1 lb. powdered sugar

This recipe makes 2 dozen. You can halve it or double it. We like to make a pan with just orange and another with nuts, or craisins, or both.

Let’s get baking:

Begin by blooming 2 Tbsp. of yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Let it develop for 5 minutes until it is nice and bubbly.

While the yeast is doing its thing, add 1 cup of water to a large pot over high heat and add a cube of butter. Boil until the butter is melted.

Once the butter is melted, turn off the heat and add 1 cup of milk and 1 tsp of salt, then add the cup of Instant Potato Flakes.

Pouring milk into the saucepan with the water and butter mixture.

Instant Potato Flakes pouring into a measuring cup

Stir the potatoes until everything is combined. Crack two eggs into a bowl and beat them. Or put them in a container with a lid and shake. Grandma Coco uses her Tupperware shaker. Add the beaten eggs to the potato mixture.

Stir the eggs in, then add a 1/2 cup of sugar and stir to combine.

SPICE TIME:

Next, add the mace. This is a beautiful spice that gives these cinnamon rolls a wonderful flavor. Don’t skip it! 🙂

Now it’s time to add the yeast mixture, it should be nice and bubbly by now. Stir it in until incorporated.

Adding the bloomed yeast mixture to the potato mixture

Instant Mashed Potatoes for Grandma Coco's Cinnamon Rolls with bloomed yeast on top.

FLOUR:

Mix in 4 cups of flour to make a soft dough. If the dough is too loose, you may need to add a little more flour. Depending on the type of potato flakes you use, you may need more or less flour. The picture below appears dry, but it is really soft. You want the dough to be nice and soft.

Adding flour to Grandma Coco's Orange Cinnamon Rolls dough

TIME TO REST:

Cover the dough and let it rest for at least 20 minutes. While the dough is resting, go ahead and butter a jelly roll pan. You can also use two 9×13-inch pans instead.

This is also a good time to get your cinnamon sugar ready. Add 1/2 cup sugar to a bowl and mix in 2 tsp. cinnamon. Also, melt 6 Tbsp. butter in a separate bowl, and zest your oranges.

TIP:

When zesting oranges, begin by cleaning and drying your oranges. Use a fine zester rather than a grater, and only zest the top layer of the orange. The white part of the peel is bitter.

CRAISINS:

If you have craisins (dried cranberries) that are fresh, they can be nice and soft. I usually buy craisins in a big bag and they can get a little dried out before I use them all. Grandma Coco uses this trick for Craisins and raisins to “plump” them up! Just add the amount you are going to use to a microwave-safe bowl then cover with water. Microwave for about 90 seconds then drain the water and pat the craisins dry. It makes a big difference!

KNEADING:

After the dough has rested, move it to a floured surface and knead it to make a smooth dough. You may need to add a little more flour, but don’t overdo it. This depends a lot on the type of potatoes you use. Instant mashed potatoes, potato flakes, and potato buds are all very similar but will absorb moisture differently. You want a nice soft dough.

Now it’s time to get rolling.

Split the dough in half, then roll it out into rectangles.

Grandma Coco's Orange Cinnamon Rolls dough rolled out on the counter.

Spread the melted butter evenly over the dough and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and orange zest.

Orange cinnamon roll dough rolled out with cinnamon sugar and orange zest sprinkled on top.

Now add any nuts, raisins, or craisins you want. Doesn’t that look delicious?!

Orange cinnamon rolls dough rolled out with cinnamon sugar, orange zest, and craisins sprinkled on top.

Dough rectangle sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, orange zest, and chopped pecans

Carefully roll them up as tightly as possible (the long side) then pinch the ends together to seal. (these pictures below are of one long roll, not split in half) Grandma Coco scores the dough log into 12 even sections to help get even slices. Each of your 2 rolls will be cut into 12 slices.

Slicing grandma coco's orange cinnamon rolls

Another helpful hint:

You can totally use a knife and slice these babies up. But…if you use plain dental floss (NOT MINT) you can get a clean cut without squishing out all the yummy filling and making a mess. Slide the floss under the end of the dough roll and cross over the top to cut. That’s how Grandma Coco makes her cinnamon rolls.

using dental floss to cut cinnamon rolls — Cross over and pull tight.

cinnamon roll log — Cross over and pull tight.

Place the rolls in a buttered 9×13-inch dish. Cover loosely and allow to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about an hour. (We did 1 1/2 times the recipe this time to get 3 dozen rolls.)

Time to bake your cinnamon rolls!

Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top and cooked through.

Grandma Coco's Orange cinnamon Rolls with craisins

Grandma coco's orange cinnamon rolls with chopped pecans.

WHIP UP THE FROSTING:

While these beauties are baking you can whip together the frosting. Add 1 stick, half a cup, softened butter, a dash of salt, and 1/2 tsp. vanilla, and 2 Tbsp. orange juice (from the orange you zested earlier) to a mixing bowl. Mix together then slowly add 1 lb. powdered sugar. Beat until sugar is well incorporated. Set aside.

Orange frosting for Grandma Coco's Orange Cinnamon Rolls

When Grandma Coco’s Orange Cinnamon Rolls have mostly cooled, go ahead and frost them. You can also frost them when they are warm, but the frosting will melt and run, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We added a little more orange zest on top, for flavor and because it looks pretty!

Grandma Coco's orange cinnamon rolls with pecans and orange slices.

A plate of grandma coco's orange cinnamon rolls

What version of Grandma Coco’s Orange Cinnamon Rolls will you make?

Grandma Coco's Orange Cinnamon Rolls closeup of one roll torn to show the crumb

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