This are the best Lemon Rolls! They have a pillowy soft lemon infused dough that is swirled with a delicious lemon butter and lemon sugar filling. It is topped with the most mouthwatering lemon cream cheese frosting, giving it tons of lemon flavor.
These Lemon Rolls are absolute delicious and a perfect breakfast treat! This delicious lemon rolls recipe have a soft, gooey lemon dough, filled with lemon sugar and topped with a lemon cream cheese frosting. These Lemon Rolls are so delicious you'll want to make them every weekend!
For more cinnamon roll recipes, try Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls, Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls and Banana Cinnamon Rolls.
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Brioche dough: This brioche dough for these rolls are so soft and incredibly delicious!
- Lemon sugar: Spread out over the dough is a delicious lemon sugar butter.
- Lemon cream cheese frosting: These rolls are topped with most amazing tangy lemon cream cheese frosting.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- Yeast: I use fresh yeast but you can also use active or instant dry yeast.
- Butter: Room temperature butter is used both in the dough and melted in the filling.
- Whole milk: Heat the milk up to 37ºC, make sure it's not warmer as it can kills the yeast if it's too hot.
- Granulated sugar: Granulated sugar is used in the filling.
- Lemon: Both lemon zest and lemon juice is used in the recipe. I therefore recommend using organic lemons.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS - DOUGH
The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.
Here is how to make and bake these caramel cinnamon rolls. This recipe needs a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment and a 24x34 cm (9 x 13 inch) baking tray lined with parchment paper or butter or non-stick cooking spray.
STEP 1: For the dough, heat up the milk until it’s lukewarm (37ºC). Crumble the fresh yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer and pour in the heated milk. With a spatula stir it together until the yeast has melted. (If you are use dry yeast, let it bloom in the warm milk per instruction of the pack).
STEP 2: Add the granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, lemon zest, egg, and salt and using the dough hook, mix the dough on low-medium speed until it is all hydrated and there is no dry flour left. Then mix further for 4 minutes on medium speed.
STEP 3: Continue kneading on medium speed and add the softened butter. This part looks messy but don’t worry. Once the butter is incorporated, scape down the sides of the bowl and keep mixing the dough for 8-10 minutes. It should end, looking smooth and released from the bowl.
STEP 4: Add the dough to a clean large bowl, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Place it in a warm place in your house or use the trick with the oven. Let it rise for 1 hour. See FAQ above for overnight rising.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS - FILLINGS + ASSEMBLING
STEP 1: While the dough rises, add lemon zest into a bowl with granulated sugar. Rub together the granulated sugar and lemon zest. It will almost look like wet sand. In a separate bowl, add melted butter and lemon juice and mix it together. Set both items aside.
STEP 2: After the first rise, it should now be double in size. Punch the air out of the dough and roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface into a large square of 44x44 cm / 22x18 inches, so they are about 5 mm thick with a rolling pin. Brush the melted lemon butter on the rolled out dough and sprinkle with the lemon zest sugar. Roll it into a log.
STEP 3: Using a piece of unflavored dental floss or a serrated knife cut 12 rolls. Place them in a 34 x 24 cm (13 x 9 inch) baking tray lined with parchment paper and let them rise for a second time on the kitchen counter for 45 minutes under some plastic wrap and a tea towel.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 190ºC/ 375ºF conventional oven.
STEP 4: After the second rise, bake them for 23-25 minutes on the second lowest rack. Then let them cool down on a wire rack for 5 minutes before adding cream cheese frosting.
STEP 5: For lemon cream frosting, creaming the butter. Then add the cream cheese and cream it together with the butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract and mix it together with the butter until smooth. Spread the frosting over the rolls with a spoon.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
- Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.
FAQ
How do I know when it's done?
The pan you use decides how long the rolls needs to bake for. If you use a metal pan they need 23-25 minutes. If you use a ceramic pan, they need to bake for 25-28 minutes.
Can the dough rise overnight?
Yes, let the dough rise its 1st rise in the fridge overnight, proofing for no more than 16 hours. Then follow the recipe as and let the dough do its 2nd rise at room temperature.
STORAGE
Store the lemon rolls in the fridge covered tightly with cling film or in an airtight container. Best enjoyed within a 2-3 days. They taste the the best when reheated in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Other Rolls Recipes To Try
Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Lemon Rolls
Equipment
- 33 x 23 cm (13 x 9 inch) sheet pan
Ingredients
DOUGH
- 225 g whole milk
- 30 g fresh yeast 10 g of active dry yeast or instant dry yeast
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 550-560 g all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest about 3 large lemons
- 2 eggs (around 120 g with shell)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 100 g butter room temperature
LEMON FILLING
- 100 g sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 50 g butter melted
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 35 g butter room temperature
- 70 g cream cheese
- 125 g powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
DOUGH
- Heat up the milk until it’s lukewarm (37ºC). Crumble the fresh yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer and pour in the heated milk. With a spatula stir it together until the yeast has melted. (If you are use dry yeast, let it bloom in the warm milk per instruction of the pack)225 g whole milk, 30 g fresh yeast
- Add the granulated sugar, all-purpose flour (start with 550 g and add the last 10 g if needed), lemon zest, eggs, salt and using the dough hook, mix the dough on low-medium speed until it is all hydrated and there is no dry flour left. Then mix further for 4 minutes on medium speed.50 g granulated sugar, 550-560 g all-purpose flour, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoon lemon zest
- Continue on medium speed and add the butter in two parts. Add the second part of the butter, once the first part has mixed into the dough. This part looks messy but don’t worry. Once the second part has incorporated, scape down the sides of the bowl and keep mixing the dough for 8-10 minutes. It should end, looking smooth and released from the bowl.100 g butter
- Add the dough to a clean large bowl, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Place it in a warm room temperature area in your house. Let it rise for 1 hour. See FAQ above for overnight rising.
LEMON FILLING
- While the dough rises, add lemon zest into a bowl with granulated sugar. Rub it together to release all of the lemon zest flavor, until it looks like wet sand.1 tablespoon lemon zest, 100 g sugar
- In a separate bowl, add melted butter and lemon juice and mix it together. Set both bowls aside.50 g butter, 2 teaspoon lemon juice
ASSEMBLING
- After the first rise, it should now be double in size. Punch the air out of the dough and roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface into a large square of 48x33 cm / 19x13 inches, so they are about 5 mm thick with a rolling pin. Brush the melted lemon butter on the rolled out dough and sprinkle with the lemon zest sugar. Then roll it into a log.
- Using a piece of unflavored dental floss or a serrated knife cut 12 rolls. Place them in a 33 x 23 cm (13 x 9 inch) baking tray lined with parchment paper and let them rise for a second time on the kitchen counter for 45 minutes under some plastic wrap and a tea towel.
- Meanwhile preheat the oven to 190ºC/ 375ºF conventional oven.
- After the second rise, bake them for 23-25 minutes on the second lowest rack. For the last 3-5 minutes of the baking time, if needed, cover the rolls with aluminium foil, to prevent too much browning.
- While they bake, prepare the frosting. Once the rolls are baked let them cool down on a wire rack for 5 minutes before adding cream cheese frosting.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- In a mixing bowl, start by creaming the butter for 1 minute on high speed. Then add the cream cheese and cream it together with the butter until smooth, about 30 seconds.35 g butter, 70 g cream cheese
- Sift the powdered sugar and add it to the bowl with the lemon juice and vanilla extract. Mix it together with the butter until smooth and combined.125 g powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Spread the frosting over the rolls with a spoon.
Alicia
The dough is perfect. Unfortunately the rolls were burnt a bit on the bottom. I think my oven cooks a little higher temp than I set it for. Or next time I’ll keep the rack in the middle.
I enjoyed making this recipe and will most likely try again.
Hilary
This dough is beautifully soft and billowy. The flavor is the creamiest lemon and delicately buttery. It is a wonderful recipe to create and will fill your home with delicious aromas and joy. Thank you!
Fátima
Wonderful 💛🍋 I just changed the topping for a basic lemon icing, I loved it, I’ll identify it on Instagram
Carrie
Would this work with a 1-1 GF flour?
Julie Marie
I'm sorry but it is unfortunately not something I have experience in so I can't tell you for sure 🙂