lemon sweet rolls

Soft and fluffy lemon sweet rolls are filled with a lemon vanilla sugar and topped with homemade lemon cream cheese icing. They're sweet, citrusy, and tart.

Lemon Sweet Rolls

milk (3/4 cup),

butter, melted

egg,

all-purpose flour (3 cups)

instant yeast (1 + 1/2 teaspoons)

granulated sugar (2 tablespoons)

salt (1/2 teaspoon)

vegetable oil

butter (1/4 cup), softened to room temperature

granulated sugar (1/2 cup)

lemon

vanilla extract

cream cheese, softened

confectioners’ sugar

lemon juice

lemon zest (optional,

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together milk, butter and egg until smooth.

In another large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, yeast, sugar and salt until evenly combined.

Pour the wet mixture into flour mixture. Stir well with a spatula until no dry flour is visible. Make sure to scrape off any remaining flour on the sides of the bowl.

Transfer the dough mixture onto a clean and dry surface. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until it turns into a soft and smooth dough ball. Because of the high fat content (butter and milk) in this recipe, the dough is much easier to knead by hand and does not require a stand mixer.

Prepare the Dough:

Transfer the dough back into the mixing bowl, lightly grease the dough ball with a little vegetable oil and cover with a lid. Covering the dough with oil will help prevent the dough from losing moisture and drying out. Let it rise at room temperature for 1 hour (or overnight in the refrigerator) until it doubles in size. 

Proof the dough (first rise):

Pour the dough onto a floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll the dough to a rectangle approximately 20x14-inches in size.

Gently spread softened butter evenly over the rolled dough. 

Whisk together sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon zest, and vanilla extract until evenly combined. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the butter.

Roll up the dough tightly into a log and pinch the end edges to seal.

Cut into 12 even pieces using a knife or bench scraper, each about 1.5-inches in width. Arrange the rolls into a greased 9x13-inch casserole pan.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap or seal it in a large Ziploc bag. Let it rise (second rise) at a warmer place for 1 hour or until the rolls double in size.

Shape the Lemon Rolls (second rise):

Evenly sprinkle the remaining lemon zest over the rolls, and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Cover the pan halfway with aluminium foil if is browning too much. Let the rolls cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Bake the Lemon Rolls:

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese on medium speed until smooth.

Add confectioners' sugar and lemon juice, and beat until creamy and smooth. You can also mix together using a whisk and spatula.

Spread the cream cheese icing over the rolls and serve hot. Sprinkle extra lemon zest on top, if desired.

Make the Cream Cheese Icing:

Sweet lemon-scented rolls with cream cheese frosting, these are like a cinnamon roll gone rogue!

Lemon Buns

whole milk (lukewarm)

Tbsp sugar

tsp active dry yeast

all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)

eggs (large, room temperature)

salt kosher salt)

unsalted butter (melted)

lemons (zested)

sugar

Tbsp unsalted butter (very soft)

oz cream cheese (block/brick style, room temperature)

Tbsp unsalted butter (softened)

sugar (icing sugar)

Mix the milk and sugar together in a small bowl, then sprinkle the yeast over the top and leave to sit for 5 minutes.

Put the flour, eggs, salt and melted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Give the yeast mixture a stir and tip into the bowl. Mix on low speed to combine everything for 2 minutes, then increase the speed to medium and mix until smooth and glossy, about 6 minutes. The dough will be very soft, so don’t worry if it doesn’t pull away from the sides of the bowl easily.

Make the dough

Set your oven to dough proofing setting (or steam-only setting, if you don’t have dough proofing), 38ºC/100ºF. Put the uncovered bowl in the oven for 40 minutes, after which the dough should have doubled in size.

Do the first proof

While the dough proves, make the filling by rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingertips. Mix in the soft butter and set aside.

Make the filling

When the dough has finished the first prove, scrape it out of the bowl onto a floured bench. Gently press to knock out any large air bubbles, then roll it into a rectangle about 40cm/16 inches wide and 30cm/12 inches long.

Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, gently spread the butter and sugar mixture all over the dough, leaving a half inch of space on one of the long edges.

Roll the dough up tightly from the other long side, so you have a 40cm/16 inch long spiral. Put the entire roll into the fridge for 40 minutes or the freezer for 20 minutes; this makes it much easier to slice into pretty buns.

Carefully cut the chilled dough into 12 even pieces with a serrated knife. Lightly grease your baking pan, or line with parchment paper, and arrange the rolls evenly into it.

Assemble the rolls

Set oven to dough proving setting (or steam only setting) again, 38ºC/100ºF. Put the uncovered dish in the oven for 30 minutes. The rolls should look puffy and be starting to fill out the baking dish.

Do the second proof

Set oven to 350ºF/180ºC, combi steam setting (if you have variable steam settings, use 30% – if you can’t vary your steam, just set to combi steam and let the oven take care of the humidity). Leave the pan in the oven while it heats up. Bake the rolls until deep golden brown and risen, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and spread the cream cheese frosting over the hot rolls – it will melt in slightly and form a glaze as they cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Bake the buns

Mix this up while your lemon buns are baking. Put all the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low speed until smooth and creamy.

Cream cheese frosting

Fluffy &amp; soft lemon sweet rolls covered in a simple lemon cream cheese frosting. These rolls use my quick sweet roll dough—only 1 rise!

Tablespoons (45 grams) granulated sugar

salt

(120 milliliters) water

(60 milliliters) whole milk*

2 and 1/2 Tablespoons (40 grams) unsalted butter

(60 grams) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

(150 grams) granulated sugar

seeds vanilla

(112 grams) cream cheese, softened to room temperature

(120 grams) confectioners’ sugar

juice of two medium lemons*

lemon zest

Make the dough: 

Set aside 1/2 cup of flour. In a large bowl, toss the 2 and 1/4 cups flour, the sugar, salt, and yeast together until evenly dispersed. Set aside.

Heat the water, milk, and butter together in the microwave until the butter is melted and the mixture is hot to touch. About 115°F (46°C). Stir the butter mixture into the flour mixture. Add the egg and only enough of the reserved flour to make a soft dough. I only needed 1/3 cup, but you may need the full 1/2 cup. Dough will be ready when it gently pulls away from the side of the bowl and has an elastic consistency.

On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for about 3-4 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl (I used non-stick spray) and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling

In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla. Stir it around until the mixture becomes sandy. Some juices may be excreted from the lemon zest; that&#8217;s ok.

After the dough has sat for 10 minutes, roll it out into a 14&#215;8 inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Spread the softened butter on top. Sprinkle the lemon sugar filling all over. Roll up the dough tightly. Cut into 11-12 even pieces and place in a lightly greased 9-inch round pan. I used a 9-inch pie dish, lightly sprayed with nonstick spray. Sprinkle uncooked rolls with additional lemon zest at this point, if desired.

Loosely cover the rolls with aluminum foil and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place for 60-90 minutes. Here is what I do: heat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Turn oven off. Place rolls inside oven and allow to rise.

After the rolls have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned. I covered the rolls with aluminum foil after 15 minutes to avoid heavy browning.

Make the frosting

 Right before serving, top your sweet rolls with the cream cheese frosting. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Add the confectioners&#8217; sugar and lemon juice and beat on medium-high until creamy. Frost warm rolls and sprinkle with additional lemon zest, if desired.

Rolls are best enjoyed the same day, but stay fresh and soft in a covered container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 5 days. Rolls (with or without frosting) freeze well, up to about 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and heat up however you prefer.

These are so good! I love the tang of the cream cheese and lemon in these sweet rolls-a fantastic balance. Thank you for another winner, Sally!

Well, holy heck.  If you like lemon, these are the rolls you want to make.  Like....now.  Especially when we are all stuck at home, having this burst of Spring today was especially welcome.  I absolutely love these and will be making them again, as soon as I can find lemons!!  

Thanks so much for having all of these recipes available.  I made these, the sandwich bread, and an herb garlic sea salt skillet rolls (which were amazing as sandwiches!!).  I'll be here a lot while we are down and already have your cookbooks in my cart on Amazon for when money is a bit more fluid.  You're amazing!!

These rolls are THE BOMB! I'm not sure how this could be improved upon in any way!

Hi Sally.  

May I begin by thanking you for yet another amazing recipe.  I have been baking and following your blog since mid April. 
Your sweet scrolls are amazing.  Your cinnamon scrolls and your plain cheesecake recipe have become sort after treats at gatherings.  People commenting on the amount of technique required etc to create such perfection .  The actions are buttery soft yet airy  and light.  It is amazing how earlier this year I was a home cook who feared yeast .  You may laugh but I now have a “daily yeast ritual” where I try new ideas or another of your amazing recipes.  
These little babies are now proofing in the perfect environment of the oven ; another amazing tool you gave me.  
Anyway.... basically I would like to thank you for making me  take risks and  love baking.  I aLso thank you for taking my sweet treats to hero status at family events.  These lemon scrolls will be the next talked about item.  


The of reading and trying your recipes is that I have taken my baking skills to the next level.

Oh my god oh my god these are delicious!!! Absolutely wonderful!!!! the dough itself was almost spongy and had such a lovely flavour. These are a new fav for sure. cannot state enough how much i loved these.

Hi, I really loved this recipe. I was just wondering how to stop the filling caramelizing and getting burnt on the bottom of the dish and rolls.

Thank you :)

Tender sweet roll dough filled with a lemon raspberry filling and topped with a sweet lemon glaze, these lemon raspberry sweet rolls make a perfect treat!

Lemon Raspberry Sweet Rolls

unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

egg, slightly beaten

all-purpose flour

instant yeast

buttermilk

unsalted butter, softened

lemon juice (juice of one lemon)

raspberries (I used frozen)

In the bowl of a stand mixer with...

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the butter, salt, and sugar. Add the egg and mix until smooth.

Switch to the dough hook on a stand...

Switch to the dough hook on a stand mixer (or a wooden spoon if mixing by hand), and add the flour, yeast and 1 1/8 cups of the buttermilk.

Mix on low speed until the dough comes...

Mix on low speed until the dough comes together into a ball and clears the sides of the bowl.

Knead for 10-12 minutes (12-15 if kneading by...

Knead for 10-12 minutes (12-15 if kneading by hand) until the dough is smooth and silky, a bit tacky but not sticky at all. If it’s very sticky, add a bit more flour, a tablespoon at a time, if it’s very dry and not coming together add a bit more buttermilk, a tablespoon at a time.

Move the dough to a large, lightly oiled...

Move the dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap.

Allow it to rise for about 2 hours...

Allow it to rise for about 2 hours until it doubles in size.

In a small bowl, mix together the butter,...

In a small bowl, mix together the butter, lemon juice, lemon zest and granulated sugar for the filling and set aside.

Punch down the risen dough and turn it...

Punch down the risen dough and turn it out onto a lightly oiled counter.

Roll it out to about 1/2 inch thick...

Roll it out to about 1/2 inch thick rectangle, about 12 by 14 inches.

With a rubber spatula, spread the filling over...

With a rubber spatula, spread the filling over the dough, leaving 1/4 inch space around the edges.

Sprinkle the raspberries evenly over the filling.

Starting from one long side, roll the dough...

Starting from one long side, roll the dough up into a log, keeping it even as you roll. Pinch the seam closed with your fingers and lay the log seam side down on the counter.

Using a serrated knife, slice the log into...

Using a serrated knife, slice the log into 12 even pieces.

Place the rolls, cut side down, in a...

Place the rolls, cut side down, in a 9x13 inch pan and cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap.

At this point, you can either refrigerate the...

At this point, you can either refrigerate the rolls for up to 2 days, pulling them out 3-4 hours before baking to let them proof, or let them proof (rise) at room temperature immediately for about 90 minutes, or until the the buns have doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, with...

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, with a rack in the middle of the oven.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until they are...

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until they are golden brown.

While the buns are baking, make the icing.

With an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese,...

With an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese, lemon juice and lemon zest until smooth and creamy.

Add the powdered sugar and whip again until...

Add the powdered sugar and whip again until smooth.

Set aside, covered tightly with plastic wrap.

When the sweet rolls are finished baking, allow...

When the sweet rolls are finished baking, allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then spread the lemon cream cheese icing over top of the warm rolls. Serve warm.

Keep any leftovers in a sealed container in...

Keep any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator, they reheat well in the microwave.

Absolutely to die for, big, soft lemon blueberry sweet rolls bursting with a homemade quick lemon blueberry filling and topped with a luscious lemon cream cheese frosting. These lemon sweet rolls are a glorious new take on my famous cinnamon roll recipe and are perfect for brunch, dessert, and celebrating spring and summer holidays!

Lemon Lover’s Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls

For the dough:

(100 grams) granulated sugar

(180 grams) warm milk (2% or whole milk preferred)

quick rise or active yeast (from 1 (1/4-ounce) package yeast)*

egg yolk,

bread

For the filling:

blueberries

(50 grams) granulated sugar

cornstarch

almond extract

lemon cream cheese frosting

Make the blueberry filling: Place a medium pot over medium heat. Add in blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice and almond extract. Use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture together. Bring to a gentle boil, breaking up the blueberries with the back of a wooden spoon as they cook. Cook mixture, stirring frequently, for approximately 5 to 10 minutes total, until the mixture is thick like jelly and coats the back of the spoon. The thicker it is, the less likely it will be to spill out of the rolls when you roll them up. Set mixture aside to cool completely.

Prepare the dough: In the bowl of an eclectic mixer, or if making by hand, a large bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest. Use clean hands to rub the zest into the sugar for approximately 30 seconds to release and infuse lemon flavor into the sugar.

In a small microwave-safe bowl or glass measuring cup, warm the milk by microwaving it for 45 seconds to 1 minute, until it registers 115°F on a thermometer and feels like very warm bath water (but it shouldn’t be too hot!). Add the warmed milk into the bowl with the sugar and sprinkle the yeast on top. Wait 3 to 5 minutes to activate the yeast; you will know it is activated when it starts to bubble and foam on top. Add the egg, egg yolk and melted butter. Mix on medium speed until well combined, 30 seconds. (Alternatively, mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.) Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a wooden spoon to stir in the flour and salt until a dough begins to form (this will prevent flour from flying everywhere!).

Knead the dough: Place the dough hook on the stand mixer and return the bowl to the mixer. Knead the dough on medium speed, 8 to 10 minutes. (Alternatively, you can use your hands to knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes on a well-floured surface.) Please know that this is a sticky dough, but if measured properly they will bake up beautifully!

Lightly grease a large bowl with olive oil. Transfer the dough ball to the bowl, then cover with plastic wrap and the warm towel. Allow the dough to rise until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (This may be more or less time depending on the time of year, the humidity, and the temperature in your home.) You will know the dough has risen enough when you poke your finger into the dough about an inch without the indentation bouncing back immediately.

Generously dust a clean surface with flour. Transfer the risen dough to the surface and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 10x14-inch rectangle.

Prepare the filling: Spread the blueberry filling over the dough, leaving a 1/4th inch margin at the far short side of the dough. Using a spatula or spoon, evenly spread the blueberry filling all over the dough.

Starting from the short side (the 10 inch side) without the margin, very tightly roll up the dough. Seal the far edge of the dough as best you can by pinching  the dough together just slightly, then make sure the dough log is seam-side down. Cut a ½-inch off the ends of the dough, as the ends won’t have enough filling; feel free to discard (or bake separately as yummy extras). Use your hands to give the dough log a gentle push inwards on both ends so that it compacts slightly, as it may have stretched out a bit during the rolling process.

Using unflavored dental floss or a serrated knife, cut the dough into nine 1-inch slices.

Line a round or square 9-inch pan with parchment paper. Place the rolls in the prepared baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise again until the rolls have puffed up, are doubled in size, and touch each other in the pan, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Once the rolls have risen, remove the plastic wrap and towel and bake until just golden brown on the edges, about 20 to 25 minutes. Not overbaking the rolls ensures that they will stay soft in the middle.

While the rolls bake, prepare the lemon cream cheese frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Beat on low speed to start, then increase to medium-high speed and mix until smooth and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. (Alternatively, whisk the frosting by hand.) Immediately spread the frosting over the rolls so the frosting gets into every little nook and cranny of the roll and then serve. ENJOY!

To store: cover the cooled cinnamon rolls with plastic wrap and foil or place individual cinnamon rolls in airtight glass containers or silicone bags and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat rolls individually in the microwave in 15 second intervals until warm. For freezing instructions, see the blog post.

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Top 5 lemon sweet rolls recipes from across the web

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Lemon Sweet Rolls

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