These are the best lemon rolls! They're soft and fluffy lemon rolls, with a gooey lemon sugar filling and lemon cream cheese frosting.
These lemon rolls are the perfect thing to bake for Easter morning breakfast or for a indulgent Mother's Day treat. Nothing beats the smell of fresh rolls baking in the oven!
If you're looking for other spring recipes, check out my lemon curd cookies, lemon cheesecake cookies, lemon lavender cookies, blueberry lemon cake, pistachio cake, strawberry cupcakes, strawberry shortcake cake, lemon strawberry jam cake, carrot cake or carrot cake cupcakes!
Why These are The Best Lemony Rolls
They're full of lemon flavor. The sweet roll dough is flavored with lemon zest and the rolls are filled with a lemon sugar filling. They're soaked in cream while they rise to make them extra gooey and delicious. After baking, lemon cream cheese frosting is spread on top of the rolls.
They are extremely soft. Seriously like little pillows of doughy, buttery, sweet lemon goodness.
They are really fun to make! They do take a little time, but making them is half the fun. There's something about working with yeast dough that makes making the dessert even more exciting. I love to see the dough rise, and transform into a delicious treat. It really makes you feel like you've accomplished something!
Ingredients for Homemade Lemon Rolls
- Active Dry Yeast- this is crucial for these rolls to rise properly, not an optional ingredient
- Whole Milk- makes these rolls extra soft and pillowy
- Flour- all purpose flour will be used to make the dough
- Eggs- make sure they're room temperature
- Butter- make sure it's very soft, will be used in the dough and filling
- Granulated White Sugar- used to make the dough and helps bloom the yeast
- Light Brown Sugar-used in the lemon filling
- Vanilla Extract- adds a sweet note to the rolls
- Cream Cheese- used to make the amazing icing for the rolls
- Lemon Juice- used in the icing
- Lemon Zest- used to make the rolls extra lemony (about 5 lemons total)
- Heavy Cream- used for soaking the rolls while they proof
- Rolling pin
- 9x13 casserole baking dish
- Unflavored dental floss for cutting the rolls
Step by Step Instructions
Please see the recipe card below for complete measurements and baking time.
STEP ONE: Make your dough
To start, bloom your yeast. Mix your active dry yeast, little bit of sugar, and warm milk together and let sit for 10 minutes.
Next, in a large bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, mix flour, salt and sugar together. To the dry ingredients add the whisked eggs, vanilla, lemon zest and softened butter and mix. Add in the yeast mixture and mix until everything is blended. Switch to a dough hook and knead on medium speed for 7-10 minutes until the dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl, forms a ball and springs back when pressed.
STEP TWO: Let it rise.
Form the dough into a ball. Place the dough in a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or kitchen towel and place in a warm place to rise, (outside or a cold oven with the light on works well for this), for 1- 1 ½ hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
STEP THREE: Make your filling.
While the dough rises, make the filling by mixing butter, brown sugar, white sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt together in a small bowl.
STEP FOUR: Roll out your dough and spread filling.
Once the dough has had a chance to rise, remove from bowl, punch dough to release the air, and roll out on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into about an 18 x 12 inch rectangle. It should be about ¼ inch thick. Next, sprinkle the prepared filling over the dough and spread it evenly with an offset spatula.
STEP FIVE: Roll up dough and cut rolls.
Roll up the dough tightly into a long log shape starting from the end closest to you. Cut of a bit off the ends to make the log even. Cut 12 rolls about 1 ½ inches wide using unflavored floss or a very sharp knife.
STEP SIX: Let the rolls proof.
Place the rolls in a greased 9x13" casserole dish and pour room temperature heavy cream in between each roll. Cover them with plastic wrap and let them proof in a warm spot for about an hour, or until they have doubled in size.
STEP SEVEN: Bake the rolls and make the lemon cream cheese icing.
Once the rolls have completed their second rise, bake until golden brown. While they bake, make the cream cheese frosting by adding the softened butter to a medium bowl and mixing on high speed with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add in the cream cheese and mix until combined on medium speed. Sift the powdered sugar into the mixture a little at a time until all is combined. Then add in the lemon zest and combine on low then high speed until the frosting is fluffy. Let the rolls cool for 5 minutes, then cover the warm rolls with the cream cheese icing. Then serve!
FAQs
Why didn't my dough rise? Check that your yeast is not expired. Secondly, perhaps the dough just needed more time. Some times it can take up to 1 ½ hours for the dough to proof all the way to "doubled in size".
Can the dough be prepared the day before? Yes. To prepare ahead of time follow recipe up until you are about to proof the buns for the second time. Cover the prepared buns and place in the fridge. The next morning when ready to bake, take the buns out of the fridge, pour room temperature cream in between them and allow them to proof somewhere warm until they've doubled in size. Keep in mind it will take longer than an hour because the dough is cold and has to come all the way to room temperature and then proof. Once they've doubled in size bake according to the recipe.
How do I store the rolls? Keep left over lemon rolls in an airtight container for up to three days, but I have a feeling they'll be gone before that!
Pro Tips
Lightly grease plastic wrap for covering the dough while it proofs. This will help it not to stick to the rolls.
Use unflavored dental floss to cut the dough into rolls. This will allow for really pretty, clean cuts that a knife really can't give you.
Let your dough proof outside if it's warm enough, or in a cold oven with the light on.
If you make these delicious lemon rolls please leave a star rating! Tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ so I can see! Follow me on Pinterest for other dessert ideas!
Other Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe
Lemon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Lemon Rolls
- 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110 degrees
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar (to bloom the yeast)
- 4 ¾ cups (593 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon (25 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 eggs, whisked
- ½ cup (112 g) unsalted butter, very softened
- ½ tablespoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoon (20 g) lemon zest (about 2 lemons zested)
For the Lemon Filling
- ½ cup (112 g) unsalted butter, very softened
- ½ cup (110 g) brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoon (20 g) lemon zest (about 2 lemons zested)
- 2 tablespoon (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream (for pouring in between the rolls)
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, cold
- ¾ cup (97 g) powdered sugar
- ½ tablespoon (5 g) lemon zest (about ½ lemon zested)
- ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
For the Lemon Rolls
- To start, bloom your yeast. Mix your active dry yeast, sugar, and warm milk together and let sit for 10 minutes.1 ¼ cups (300 ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110 degrees, 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar (to bloom the yeast)
- Next, in a large bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, mix flour, salt and sugar together.4 ¾ cups (593 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 1 ½ teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoon (25 g) granulated white sugar
- To the dry ingredients add the whisked eggs, vanilla, lemon zest and softened butter and mix.2 eggs, whisked, ½ cup (112 g) unsalted butter, very softened, ½ tablespoon vanilla, 2 tablespoon (20 g) lemon zest (about 2 lemons zested)
- Add in the yeast mixture and mix until everything is blended. Switch to a dough hook and knead on medium speed for 7-10 minutes until the dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl, forms a ball and springs back when pressed.
- Form the dough into a ball. Place the dough in a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and place in a warm place to rise, (outside or a cold oven with the light on works well for this), for 1- 1 ½ hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
For the Lemon Filling
- While the dough rises, make the filling by mixing butter, brown sugar, white sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt together in a small bowl.½ cup (112 g) unsalted butter, very softened, ½ cup (110 g) brown sugar, ½ cup (100 g) granulated white sugar, 2 tablespoon (20 g) lemon zest (about 2 lemons zested), 2 tablespoon (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon salt
Assembling and Baking the Lemon Rolls
- Grease a 9x13" casserole dish and set aside.
- Once the dough has had a chance to rise, remove it from the bowl, punch the dough to release the air, and roll it out on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into about an 18 x 12 inch rectangle. It should be about ¼ inch thick.
- Next, spoon the prepared filling over the dough and spread it evenly with an offset spatula.
- Roll up the dough tightly into a long log shape starting from the end closest to you. Cut of a bit off the ends to make the log even. Cut 12 rolls about 1 ½ inches wide using unflavored floss or a very sharp knife.
- Place the rolls in a greased 9x13" casserole dish and pour room temperature heavy cream in between each roll. Cover them with plastic wrap and let them proof in a warm spot for about an hour, or until they have doubled in size.¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream (for pouring in between the rolls)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees about 15 minutes before the rolls are done proofing.
- Once the rolls have proofed, bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a light golden color.
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- While they bake, make the cream cheese frosting by adding the softened butter to a medium bowl and mixing it on high speed with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, softened
- Add in the cream cheese and mix until combined on medium speed.4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, cold
- Sift the powdered sugar into the mixture a little at a time and mix on low speed until all is combined.¾ cup (97 g) powdered sugar
- Then add in the lemon zest and lemon juice and combine on low then high speed until the frosting is fluffy.½ tablespoon (5 g) lemon zest (about ½ lemon zested), ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Let the rolls cool for 5 minutes, then cover the warm rolls with the cream cheese icing. Then serve!
I am going to definitely try these for Easter. I also love the format of your recipes, the fact that I don’t need to scroll up to see the ingredients is life changing. PERFECT 😍
These look incredible! Do you have any advice for someone who does not own a stand mixer? And I agree with Trish, listing the ingredients and their volume under each step is genius!
Excited to try this for an upcoming brunch! But since there's a crowd, I'm going to attempt to make these in mini size and add a bit of lavender to the glaze.
I have never left a review on a recipe before. I feel like it would be a disservice to humanity if I didn't leave a review on this. This is the best dessert I have ever made. The rolls are buttery, soft, perfectly lemony. I feel so much joy eating these. Highly recommend. Thank you so much for this recipe, I feel so grateful.
I am going make these for Easter!
This is a great desert very easy. I will be making this again. I did have to cover and bake mine about 10-15 extra minutes I think I may have used too much cream since I did not measure that so that’s my fault but it made for a very yummy lemon sticky bun-ish bottom.
We just inhaled the first ones minutes ago, 1 am and everyone stayed up just to have them - no one was disappointed! Soooo rich and fluffy/gooey at the same time. Very easy to make, just takes a bit of time. Only change I made was adding a bit more lemon juice to the frosting. Loved the recipe design as others have mentioned, so nice not to scroll back and forth. Not to mention your pictures are beautiful enough to make me try making them. Thanks!
I made these and they were INCREDIBLE!!!! I love the format of your recipes. I will say, you definitely have to love lemon to like these. They’re very lemony. The recipe itself is amazing- especially the dough itself!! I’ve never had luck with homemade dough recipes and this worked perfectly!!
I made these yesterday and oh my they were amazing! Thank you soo much for the recipe x
SOOOOO GOOD! found these on tiktok and not to be dramatic but one of the best desserts ever. You will not regret making, also thank you for putting the measurements in the instructions vs just saying add the flour, salt, etc most recipes you have to keep scrolling up to see how much you need then scroll back to the instructions and this was so helpful!!
Made these today. The recipe was super easy to follow (love the ingredients listed in each step) and the rolls turned out fantastic and delicious.
The only negative is now we have 12 (well 11 now) of these in the house and I’m going to eat them all 😅
Like another reviewer, I needed to leave mine in the oven a little longer than listed to get ~any color on them.
I made these today and they are amazing. The format of your recipe was so appreciated. Loved not having to look back at the measurements while I read the directions. Thank you!! Will be making again.
Excellent rolls! I added 1/2 of a 1/4 c of poppy seeds to the dough for a lemon-poppy seed version - so good!!
This is the best recipe I've ever had the pleasure of using. I made the rolls a bit too big so I had to bake them a little longer but they came out perfect! The taste of lemon is there but it's not overpowering and overall it's not overwhelmingly sweet like cinnamon rolls! 10/10 would bake again
Just made them this weekend, and they were a hit! They were gone within 24 hours. My husband ate 5 of them on his own and almost had a 6th. We also shared with a couple friends and family. I followed the recipe to a tee except for the baking time as others have mentioned. I think total I baked them for 35 minutes and then took them out because I was worried they would become over baked. I regret not leaving them in a bit longer or increasing the temperature for the last 5 minutes or so or even broiling them just to get that golden brown because the parts that were golden brown had incredible flavor.
I forgot to mention! I put the chopped off end bits in a greased ramekin and proofed those too for a 13th "roll," kind of in a monkey bread form. It worked really well, but one thing I would do for next time is make and reserve a tiny bit extra of the filling to add to that one. Since it was the ends of the log, it didn't have as much of the filling in it.
These were UNREAL. I loved how easy you make it to follow the recipe even for people who dont really bake!!!! Also I LOVED how you add the measurements of each ingredient in the directions instead of having to scroll back up to see how much to use for each step. That in itself was enough to keep me coming back to your page!!! Thank you SOO much for sharing 🙂
Hello! I don’t have a mixer now, my dough won’t be good?
I made these today for my husband and I think he would have proposed if we weren't already married. I don't have a stand mixer, so I hand kneeded the dough which was sticky and messy but worked just fine. I'm not a huge lemon person but I loved making and eating these- they were so light and fluffy and delicious. We'll definitely be making these again!
I love your recipes, and this one was no exception. I live in Guatemala, and we don't have lemons here very often. I happened to see some this week, and remembered your recipe. It was a big hit! Gorgeously, fluffy big rolls, full of lemon flavor. Thank you so much!
I have made many sweet rolls, but these turned out the softest of all the recipes I have tried. Because of the cream cheese frosting I refrigerated the uneaten, cooled rolls to share and eat the next day and microwaved 30 seconds and they were just as soft. I shared with my daughter and barista /friends at my local cafe and they loved them also. Going to try orange rolls next. Thanks for the recipe
Just made this today. I knew this was going to be good just as the dough was done kneading. Incredibly tasty rolls, perfectly sweet and tangy, a ned go-to recipe for lemony goodness.
Hi Luci! I'm so glad you liked them! Thanks for trying them! 🙂
Wanted to try these however wanted to make ahead, wasn’t sure if anyone has tried making them shards of time and freezing?
These look incredible! Is there any way to prep these the night before and bake them in the morning? Thanks!
Hi Ginny! Any recommendations on how best to adjust the ingredients for baking at higher altitude? Thanks!
These tasted amazinggggg!!! I didn’t have a stand mixer so I just kneaded the dough on the counter top with a enough of flour that it wasn’t sticking to everything but still a little sticky and they came out fantastic. I could eat all of them in one sitting if it wouldn’t make me feel sick.
This recipe is beyond delicious!!! I used Meyer lemons, since that is what I had on hand. They were a hit at work. Currently, making them again. I give 10 stars!!!
These turned out really nice! Rolla are always challenging for me but the recipe was easy to follow and I surprised myself. Will be making again!
I just made these myself and didn't use a mixer at all. I mixed by hand and the dough with my hands and oh my goodness they still turned out beautiful.
I saw the video on TikTok and had to try it, I saved a lot into the "food to make" folder but never actually get around to it. The rolls are fantastic and soft, and I wanted a "refreshing" form of a cinnamon roll. My only complaint is how the recipe is laid out. Complete ingredients should be a list first before splitting them up. I had not nearly enough lemons for zesting, 4 1/2 just for zest? I did not read that far after so much scrolling before making my shopping list after finding the recipe from TikTok. Please recipe makers, structure things differently, we are all begging you 😊
Oh my gosh. I rarely leave comments on recipes but these rolls are AMAZING. I love lemon, but usually shy away from lemon recipes because nothing ever has that tart lemon - it's always just too sweet. These are SO good though. And that frosting at the end... I could just eat it out of the bowl. My roll/cut process was pretty messy and I don't know if it's just because I didn't roll tight enough or used too much filling, but once they were in the pan, it was fine. 10/10 will make these 100 more times!
It was pretty good… husband liked it well.
AMAZING recipe!
I made this recipe today but made it vegan.
Instead of two eggs I used two flax eggs(2 tbs of ground flax mixed with 6tbs of water) and used vegan butter . And oat milk. For the heavy cream between the rolls I used coconut cream .mmm
Oh and vegan cream cheese as well!
So far they look amazing! Still in the oven as I write this lol
Despite my best efforts to sabotage my batch of rolls (old lemons, refrigerating dough after first rising AND after assembly, not fully 2nd proofing, taking 24 hours from start to finish!) these are truly some of the most amazing things I’ve ever baked. The filling becomes curd-like and the balance between sweet and tart is absolute perfection. Don’t even get me started on the cream cheese icing. Hubby said I need to make that for EVERYTHING now. Hahaha! NGL, these were hellalotta work, but worth every single second of effort. And yes, I most definitely licked my plate. :oP
melt in your mouth good!
Made these yesterday and the recipe was perfect! Do NOT skip the cream between the rolls — it gave them such an amazing texture.
The only place I differed from the recipe was kneading time. I ran my stand mixer for 10 minutes per the recipe but the dough was still pretty sticky. I let it rest a couple minutes and then ran for another good 5-10 minutes until it finally pulled away from the side and somewhat passed the spring back test (it never got 100% there but that didn't end up mattering). Obviously this will differ based on humidity, etc in your kitchen so others may not have this problem.
Otherwise I followed the recipe to a T and wouldn't change a thing!
Yummy yummy!
Delicious and not too sweet!
Macro breakdown (rounded) in case anyone needs it:
1 roll: 525 cal, 8p, 65c, 25f
Just seconding the question regarding how it would work out to prep the day before and bake the day of or if anyone can report how it worked for them to bake the day before!
I have been searching for the best cinnamon roll recipe. This dough looked amazing, so I nixed all the lemon elements and used the dough as the base for my cinnamon rolls. I subbed the milk for canned coconut milk and used silk dairy-free heavy whipping cream instead of heavy cream. It worked beautifully! I think these may be the BEST cinnamon rolls I've ever had!! For anyone else who wants to try it, I used Bon Appetit's recipe by Zaynab Issa for the cinnamon filling. For the frosting, I used the creamy white frosting recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens book (subbing butter instead of shortening).
The best sweet rolls I’ve ever tasted. I knew I had to try this recipe the moment I saw it! They were the perfect texture not dry at all. Can’t say enough good things about these, they just turned out perfect!
Hi Jade. I talk about this in the blog post!
Saw these on Tiktok, finally got around to making them! Absolutely delicious, and the only thing I changed was using powdered sugar to cover the rolls instead of making the frosting. Love the recipe format!
These were great. This is the first time I've ever made anything with yeast from scratch. I'm going to take a batch to our family's Mother's Day bash this Sunday.
This recipe is perfect! I've made cinnamon rolls before, but they ended up dry and just alright, but this recipe? Everything was perfect even when I made some little mistakes. I used almond milk for the dough, I forgot to soften the butter in advance, and I forgot to pour heavy cream, and yet the rolls ended up still soft and fluffy, the lemon flavoring is wonderful (I did use lemon extract for the frosting due to not having any lemon zest left). The only "issue" is that it takes time to make them, but the easiness of the recipe really balances that out.
the best recipe for lemon rolls! I am new to baking and these turned out perfectly. SO delicious and will definitely make again!
These were incredible! Made them for a family get together and everyone LOVED them! People even said that they’re better than cinnamon rolls. There is just the right amount of lemon so that you definitely taste it but it’s not too overpowering, and the dough?! It feels like you’re biting into a cloud. So fluffy! Also, these rolls are sweet but not too sweet to the point where you can’t eat anymore. Refreshing summer desert that were an absolute hit!
These were incredible! Made them for a family get together and everyone LOVED them! People even said that they’re better than cinnamon rolls. There is just the right amount of lemon so that you definitely taste it but it’s not too overpowering, and the dough?! It feels like you’re biting into a cloud. So fluffy! Also, these rolls are sweet but not too sweet to the point where you can’t eat anymore. Refreshing summer desert that were an absolute hit!
Made these for my husband this morning…. Delicious 🤤
Hi Jackie! Yay! I'm so glad you liked!
Question: Can this recipe be halved?
Hi Ann! Yes! Just use a smaller pan and you may need to reduce the bake time.
I am not a baker—I’ve never worked with yeast and I don’t own an electric mixer let alone a standing one. But I couldn’t resist attempting these. They turned out beautifully and my husband has been telling me nonstop how great they taste. The instructions made it easy for a novice like me. The texture is perfect and the flavor incredible.
I did find that mine tasted a little yeasty, but I have no doubt that was a mistake on my part and not the recipe. Can someone advise what I should do differently next time? Did I let it proof too long? Or did I over-knead? I can’t wait to make these again.
I spent part of my day off today making these, and omg are they ever good!!! This recipe is definitely a keeper, and will be made again and again in the future. The only change I made was to bake them for approximately 10 minutes longer than the recipe states, and added an extra half tbsp of juice and zest to the icing. I also zested another lemon to sprinkle over the top after icing, just to make them look pretty. 🙂 THEY ARE SO YUMMY!!!
Beautiful dough..made them for a “back to Fall schedule at our church” …morning brunch…going to be awesome! What fun…you gave such fine instructions—any level should try!
Thank You!
Also, I forgot to mention I really like that you include weight measurements with your recipes, as this is how I prefer to measure ingredients when baking. Plus, as others have stated, including these measurements in the instructions makes following your recipes so easy - no scrolling my phone screen with sticky, flour-dusted fingers! Thank you - you've got a new subscriber! 🙂
This has CONVERTED the way I make cinnamon and/or lemon rolls! I love love LOVE this recipe; minus the frosting. I instead do a lemon glaze with powdered sugar, milk, and lemon zest if I have any remainder. Thanks for this!