Lemon Sweet Rolls
These lemon sweet rolls have been on my list for a while, and I am so glad I finally made them. The dough is soft and pillowy, the filling is buttery and bright, and the simple lemon glaze adds the perfect finishing touch.
There is something about lemon rolls that feels brighter and a little more special than cinnamon rolls, even though the process is almost identical.
The dough is soft and pillowy, the filling is buttery and sweet, and instead of warm spice, you get that clean, sunny hit of lemon in every bite. If you love the process of making yeasted sweet rolls, my easy homemade cinnamon rolls are made the same way.
Most lemon sweet roll recipes are topped with a sweet cream cheese frosting. I wanted something different, so I chose a simple powdered sugar and lemon juice glaze. Cream cheese is wonderful with cinnamon, but it can actually mute lemon. If you want the lemon to be the star of the show, a light glaze is the way to go.
One note: the glaze makes just enough for a light coating. If you like yours more generous, make 1.5x the amount.
Before You Start: Check Your Lemons
The last several times I bought lemons, they were the size of baseballs. They looked like lemons. They just didn’t taste like them.
Before you start, zest your lemons, then cut one open and smell it. If the scent is faint or flat, add a small amount of lemon extract to the glaze. You don’t want enough to taste artificial, just enough to actually taste the lemon when you take a bite.
A Few Things to Know Before You Bake
About the yeast. My lemon sweet roll recipe uses instant yeast, which goes straight into the dry ingredients. If you only have active dry yeast, it works great, too. Heat your liquids to 110 to 115°F, add the yeast directly to the warm liquid, and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy and active before pouring it into the flour. Either way, check that your yeast is not expired before you start.
On the cream. Pouring a little warm heavy cream over the rolls just before baking makes them noticeably softer and gooier. It’s optional, so you don’t have to do it if you don’t have heavy cream handy.
Proofing in a cold kitchen. If your kitchen runs cool, set a heating pad on low, lay a kitchen towel over it, and rest the covered pan on top.
About the glaze. Let the rolls cool for 10 to 15 minutes before glazing. If you glaze them straight out of the oven, it will sink straight to the bottom of the pan.
How to Make Lemon Sweet Rolls
You’ll find the full recipe with ingredient amounts a little further down the page.
Making These Ahead
King Arthur Flour has a great breakdown of this, and their info works great.
After the first rise, once you have rolled out the dough, added the filling, cut the rolls, and arranged them in the pan, let them rise about three-quarters of the way during that second rise before refrigerating.
You want them touching each other and just starting to puff upward, but with room to spare. If they reach full rise in the fridge overnight, they can deflate. Three-quarters gives you a bit of a buffer.
Cover the pan tightly and refrigerate. The next morning, pull the pan out and let it sit at room temperature while you preheat the oven. The rolls will not rise much more in the fridge, so that room temperature rest matters before they go in. Then bake as directed.
Oh, one more thing: on a hot, humid day your dough can rise so fast that it is nearly fully proofed before you can get it in the fridge. Keep an eye on it. If it’s moving quickly, get it in sooner.
If you love baking yeasted doughs for breakfast, my caramel apple cinnamon rolls use a similar process and are just as good fresh out of the oven.
Storing and Reheating
These sweet rolls keep well in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. To reheat, microwave at half power for 15 to 20 seconds.
If you want to freeze them, bake and cool the rolls completely before freezing. Leave the glaze off and add it fresh after reheating. Wrap them tightly and freeze for up to 2 to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat in the microwave at half power or in a low oven at 300°F until warmed through.
More Cinnamon Rolls to Love
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 4 to 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast, 1 packet
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup water
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten and at room temperature
For the Lemon Filling:
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- zest of 2 to 3 lemons
- 1 pinch salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
For the Cream (optional):
- ⅓ cup heavy cream, slightly warmed
For the Lemon Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, optional
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Instructions
To Make the Dough:
- Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set it aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 3 cups of flour, granulated sugar, yeast, and salt.3 tablespoons granulated sugar2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast1 teaspoon salt
- In a microwave-safe bowl or small saucepan, heat the water, milk, and 4 tablespoons of butter until warm and the butter is mostly melted, about 110°F to 115°F.⅔ cup water⅓ cup whole milk4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Pour the warm milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Add the beaten egg.1 large egg
- Using a dough hook, mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Add more flour a little at a time until a soft dough forms.
- Increase to medium-low speed and knead for 5 to 6 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours.
- After the dough rises, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a rectangle about ¼-inch thick.
To Make the Filling:
- In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, lemon zest, and pinch of salt. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers for about 30 seconds to help release the lemon oils.¾ cup granulated sugarzest of 2 to 3 lemons1 pinch salt
- Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough, going almost to the edges. Sprinkle the lemon sugar mixture evenly over the butter and gently press it down so it sticks.6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Starting from the long side, either roll the dough into one tight log and cut it into 12 equal pieces with a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss, or use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 12 long strips and roll each strip individually.
- Arrange the rolls in the prepared baking dish. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until puffy and almost doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- During the last 15 minutes of rise time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Once the rolls have risen, gently pour the warmed heavy cream around and lightly over the rolls.⅓ cup heavy cream
- Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the rolls are lightly golden brown and cooked through.
- Let the rolls cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before glazing.
To Make the Glaze:
- To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Add the lemon zest if using.2 cups powdered sugar3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Spoon or drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls and serve.