These light and fluffy lemon sweet rolls are deliciously packed with lemon flavor. They’re perfect for a weekend brunch or an indulgent dessert!
If you love a warm sweet roll as much as we do around here, be sure to try our One Hour Blueberry Sweet Rolls, our Cranberry Orange Sweet Rolls, or our Classic Cinnamon Rolls.
Lemon Sweet Rolls
Now that it’s officially spring, it’s time to eat as many delicious lemon desserts as possible!
These lemon rolls are similar to the orange rolls that I remember my mom making. The lemon sugar filling is a little more tart, but the rich lemon cream cheese frosting that goes over the top makes them perfectly sweet.
The recipe might look a little long since there are three separate components to make during the prep time – the rolls, the filling, and the cream cheese frosting/ glaze – but everything is very straightforward and comes together quite easily.
These lemon sweet rolls are the perfect spring treat! They bake up nice and fluffy, so if you love lemon, you’ll definitely need to give them a try. Here’s how to make them –
How to Make Lemon Sweet Rolls
INGREDIENTS –
for the rolls:
- 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
- 3/4 cup warm milk
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- zest of one lemon
- 4-5 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
for the filling:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- zest of one lemon
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
for the glaze:
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
INSTRUCTIONS –
- In a large bowl of the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in the milk. Let sit five minutes, or until bubbly. Next, stir in the butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest, and mix to combine. Add 2 cups of the flour, the salt, and the nutmeg, and mix to combine. Add additional flour, 1/4 cup at a time, to form a soft and slightly sticky dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Place the dough in a large bowl that has been greased, cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in a warm place for one hour, or until doubled. While the dough is rising, mix together the sugar, lemon zest, butter, and lemon juice to form the filling. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment or spray with cooking spray.
- When the dough has risen, roll it out into a large rectangle, about 10 inches by 15 inches, on a lightly floured surface. Spread the filling mixture over the dough. Roll the dough up from the long edge to form a long cylinder. Cut with a serrated knife into twelve equal sized slices and place cut side up in the prepared baking pan. Cover with a towel and let it rise at room temperature for one hour.
- When the dough is close to the end of its rise time, preheat the oven to 325. Bake the rolls 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown on top. While the rolls rise, mix together the lemon juice, cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar for the glaze. Remove the rolls from the oven and pour the glaze over the rolls. Serve warm.
My favorite part is definitely the lemon cream cheese icing! It’s so tangy and lemony and is the perfect complement to the soft, buttery rolls. Yum!
More Lemon Recipes –
- Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars
- Blueberry Lemon Bread
- Lemon Souffles
- Lemon Chex Mix
- Best Lemon Cupcakes
- Lemon Cake Mix Cookies
- Lemon Bueberry Pancakes
- Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
- Mini Lemon Meringue Pies
- Strawberry Lemonade Cookies
HERE’S A PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE –
Lemon Sweet Rolls
Ingredients
for the rolls:
for the filling:
- 1 cup sugar
- zest of one lemon
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
for the glaze:
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in the milk. Let sit for five minutes, or until bubbly. Next, add the butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest, and mix to combine. Add 2 cups flour, the salt, and the nutmeg, and mix to combine. Add additional flour, 1/4 cup at a time, to form a soft and slightly sticky dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for one hour, or until doubled. While the dough is rising, mix together the sugar, lemon zest, butter, and lemon juice to form the filling. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment or spray with cooking spray.
- When the dough has risen, roll it out into a large rectangle, about 10 inches by 15 inches. Spread the filling mixture over the dough. Roll the dough up from the long edge to form a long cylinder. Cut into twelve equal sized slices and place cut side up in the prepared baking pan. Cover and let rise for one hour.
- When the dough is close to the end of its rise time, preheat the oven to 325. Bake the rolls 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown on top. While the rolls rise, mix together the lemon juice, cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar for the glaze. Remove the rolls from the oven and pour the glaze over the rolls. Serve warm.
Nutrition
Other Notes
ENJOY!
