Lemon Rolls
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
- 9×13 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 1/2 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 1/4 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 off a bit of the ends to make the log even. Cut 12 rolls about 1 1/2 inches wide using unflavored floss or a very sharp knife.
STEP SIX: Let the rolls proof.
Place the rolls in a greased 9×13″ 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
Check that your yeast is not expired. Secondly, perhaps the dough just needed more time. Some times it can take up to 1 1/2 hours for the dough to proof all the way to “doubled in size”.
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.
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 review! Also, tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ so I can see your creation! Follow me on Pinterest for other dessert ideas!
Other Recipes to Try
Lemon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Lemon Rolls
- 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110 degrees
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp granulated white sugar (to bloom the yeast)
- 4 3/4 cups (593 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (25 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, very softened
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp (20 g) lemon zest (about 2 lemons zested)
For the Lemon Filling
- 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, very softened
- 1/2 cup (110 g) brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 tbsp (20 g) lemon zest (about 2 lemons zested)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream (for pouring in between the rolls)
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/4 cup (56 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, cold
- 3/4 cup (97 g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 tbsp (5 g) lemon zest (about 1/2 lemon zested)
- 1/2 tbsp 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 1/4 cups (300 ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110 degrees, 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast, 1 tsp 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 3/4 cups (593 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tbsp (25 g) granulated white sugar
- To the dry ingredients add the whisked eggs, vanilla, lemon zest and softened butter and mix.2 eggs, whisked, 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, very softened, 1/2 tbsp vanilla, 2 tbsp (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 1/2 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.1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, very softened, 1/2 cup (110 g) brown sugar, 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated white sugar, 2 tbsp (20 g) lemon zest (about 2 lemons zested), 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, 1/4 tsp salt
Assembling and Baking the Lemon Rolls
- Grease a 9×13" 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 1/4 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 off a bit of the ends to make the log even. Cut 12 rolls about 1 1/2 inches wide using unflavored floss or a very sharp knife.
- Place the rolls in a greased 9×13" 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.1/4 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.1/4 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.3/4 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.1/2 tbsp (5 g) lemon zest (about 1/2 lemon zested), 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Let the rolls cool for 5 minutes, then cover the warm rolls with the cream cheese icing. Then serve!
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!
You are so mysterious Mrs Beecroft. I want to love on your lemon rolls up and down. Can I become Mrs Beecroft please.
(P.S. I have IBS)
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!
Love the lemon rolls great hit my family loved them. So you think I could replace lemon for orange it it still taste great?
Hi ! I would like To know if i Can use límes instead of lemons? Or maybe orange, in my country we dont have lemons . Thanks!
I had a really hard time getting my dough to the right consistency during the mixing stage. Is it okay/customary to continue adding flour until the appropriate texture (described) is achieved?
This was a hit!! My whole family waited until 1AM for these to be finished and it was well worth the wait. Thank you for suck a yummy and gooey and lemony delicious goodness of a recipe. I didn’t realize how long I needed to proof them, hence, why we’ve been up waiting for them to be done baking haha. Great recipe though. I did add more zest and lemon juice just because I love lemon. Thank you!
So I haven’t looked through the rest of the comments, but I’m waiting for the dough to rise now, it’s not. Recipe says the bloom yeast at 110, but the instructions on the yeast jar say 120 to 130, so I’m guessing the milk was too cold. So caution to anyone going by the recipe look at your jar to see what you’re yeast should be bloomed at.
If anyone was looking for the calorie count, I found out that one roll is 522 cal
Thank you for that! You can also plug the ingredients into an app like chronometer and it will generate total calories and calories per serving/per gram.
My family LOVED these so much that even after having tasted them just once, they want the recipe included in a family cookbook that I’m working on. The texture is at its peak when the rolls are slightly warm. MAKE AHEAD: The night before I wanted to serve them, I made the recipe right up to having the rolls in the baking dish. I covered it with plastic wrap and refrigerated until morning when I let them get to room temperature and double in size before baking. Perfect! Thank-you so much for including weight measurements so I can be assured of consistent results every time. Including ingredient amounts in the instructions is brilliant! You absolutely aced this recipe.
I made these for Easter morning, so delicious and soft! Easy to make too!
Made these for easter brunch and i was not disappointed! Soft, lemony, easy to make and sooooo delicious! They went so fast I cant wait to make them again!
I made a batch of those today and they are *huge*. Like, I rolled the dough into a bigger, thinner recktangle and in the end there were 20 rolls, and yet they are so big. Atm they are freshly out of the oven and cooling, but the colour is nice, the top is crispy and the whole apartment smells like a lemony summer day! 😀
I love this recipe! The scrolls are always perfection, everyone I share them with loves them.
Also, I really appreciate the way the ingredients are at each step. It makes life so much better.
Thank you ?
This is the best baked good I have EVER had! I know it sounds dramatic but it’s true! Thank you for the recipe and for putting the ingredients at each step! I added 1 tsp cardamom to the filling and loved the little bit of flavor it adds. Also added a splash of vanilla to the frosting. I forgot about the second prove before baking but they still turned out fluffy and delish!
These are the absolute best thing I have ever tasted, and made! The recipe was so detailed and easy to follow, and my rolls looked exactly like the pictures. Thank you!
Needed way more flour than the recipe indicated for a workable dough. After that adjustment final result was incredible!!! Very very lemony- may want to reduce the amount of zest if you want a milder flavor.
Amazing, best rolls i’ve ever eat!
Delightfully delicious ?
I just made these on a whim tonight and they are to die for!!!! I used less butter in the frosting because I like it more cream cheesy and my boyfriend came home exactly when I pulled them out of the oven and had three for dinner ?
What a great recipe, I’m definitely gonna make them again!
Flavor is great but I cannot get these to rise consistently (have tried following both by weight and by volume) despite following the directions to a t. The filling and topping are excellent will probably just use them with a different base recipe.
It could be your flour or yeast – maybe try with those variables and see what you get.
Just made these – INCREDIBLE. Is there a good way to freeze them?
I am pretty sure eating these is a religious experience. I love cinnamon rolls – these rolls make the best cinnamon roll bland and boring in comparison. My eyes rolled into the back of my head in pleasure. Be warned, you will want to eat them all and then you will be a roll. 😉
I made these and they are delicious…I’ve got to work on my rolling skills…but these are 5 out of 5 for me!
these were so delicious! the heavy cream made them so moist and soft too !! im not sure why but mine took so much longer to bake than the recipe stated. i think they were in the oven for over an hour and still didnt look done. i was worried they would be dry from the long bake time but they were so moist and soft. maybe my oven is on its last leg haha. either way they came out perfect!
Yay, I’m so glad they turned out well! I love hearing that the heavy cream made them extra moist and soft. Sounds like your oven put in a little extra work, but I’m thrilled they came out perfectly in the end!