Description
These Lemon Sweet Rolls are a bright and buttery twist on traditional cinnamon rolls, filled with lemon zest and sugar, and topped with a tangy lemon cream cheese glaze. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon treat, they’re soft, fluffy, and full of citrus flavor.
Ingredients
- Dough:
- 1 ½ cups whole milk, warmed to 110°F
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast (1 packet)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3½ to 4¼ cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- Olive oil or butter for greasing the bowl
- Filling:
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ tablespoons lemon zest (about 2 large lemons)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter for greasing baking dish
- Glaze:
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese (brick style)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
- Garnish:
- Lemon slices
- Lemon zest
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together warm milk, yeast, egg, sugar, lemon zest, melted butter, and salt until foamy.
- Add flour and knead with dough hook for 3 minutes. If mixing by hand, knead on a floured surface for 5 minutes until dough is tacky but not sticky.
- Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough inside, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 16×12-inch rectangle.
- In a bowl, mix sugar and lemon zest for the filling. Dot the surface of the dough with softened butter and spread evenly. Sprinkle lemon sugar mixture on top.
- Starting from the long edge, tightly roll the dough into a log. Cut in half, then cut each half into 6 equal pieces (12 total).
- Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Place rolls in the dish, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise again for 45–60 minutes until puffy.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush rolls with remaining melted butter and bake for 28–30 minutes, or until golden brown. Tent with foil if browning too fast.
- For the glaze: Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add powdered sugar, salt, and lemon juice. Mix until pourable, adjusting consistency with more lemon juice or sugar if needed.
- Drizzle glaze over warm rolls. Garnish with lemon slices and zest. Serve warm.
Notes
- Ensure milk is no hotter than 110°F to avoid killing the yeast.
- All-purpose flour works, but bread flour yields softer, fluffier rolls.
- For overnight prep, refrigerate after second rise and bring to room temp before baking.
- Freeze baked rolls for up to 1 month. Reheat in oven before serving.
- Active dry yeast can be substituted; proof with milk and sugar first for 5–10 minutes before continuing with recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 428
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 148mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0.4g
- Carbohydrates: 70g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
