These popular Lemon Sweet Rolls are incredibly soft and full of bright, lemony flavor throughout. Think classic cinnamon roll but make it all about the magic of citrus! You’ll love these decadent, lemon-infused rolls that are extra tender, fluffy and smothered with gooey lemon cream cheese icing. Serve these festive rolls for breakfast/brunch or devour them after dinner for a delightful sweet treat!

lemon sweet rolls on small plates

Many of you already know just how much I love me some lemons. I don’t know what it is exactly but for as long as I can remember, I adore the flavor. The tart, sweet, make-you-pucker signature flavor that is the lemon, yasss. And it’s not even just lemon-flavored food that I’m obsessed with, it can be anything, ha!

The other day I bought some lemon drop room spray from Home Goods (anyone else love this store?!) and it brought me so much joy. To me, lemon things have such a vibrant, fresh, and almost therapeutic smell. I’ve made tons of lemon cakes and savory eats but these lemon sweet rolls…Y’ALL! We’re gonna discuss.

fluffy lemon sweet rolls in white baking dish with sliced lemon

What Are Lemon Sweet Rolls? 🍋

Okay so boom, these lemon sweet rolls are almost identical to their cousin, the traditional cinnamon roll. Although, there is no cinnamon or brown sugar involved here. These rolls are soft and fluffy, full of lemon flavor, and super delicious- they’re the perfect ray of delicious sunshine! I’d say they’re the perfect treat to whip up on the weekends, special occasions, and holiday gatherings. They’re the perfect ray of delicious sunshine.

Listen, these rolls are well-loved with rave reviews on the site…

ingredients for lemon sweet rolls in bowls and dishes on blue surface

Ingredients Needed For This Recipe:

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

  • For the dough: Milk, sugar, yeast, eggs, butter, vanilla essence, lemon zest, flour, and salt.
  • For the filling: Sugar, lemon zest, salt, and butter.
  • For the icing: Cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, milk, and lemon zest.
ingredients for dough in large bowl
raw mixed dough in large bowl
raw dough proofing in large bowl
proofed dough in large bowl

How To Make These Lemon Sweet Rolls:

(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)

Don’t let these rolls intimidate you…I got you covered with step-by-step photos, let’s break this recipe down into easy parts! 💛

  • LET’S PREP THE DOUGH. In a large bowl, combine the warm milk and sugar. Then sprinkle the yeast on top and mix well. Let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes or until foamy. Once the mixture is foamy, add in the remaining sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla essence, lemon zest, flour, and salt.
  • Mix/knead until the dough begins to come together, kneading the dough until smooth and elastic, about 5-6 minutes.
  • Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a lightly greased, large bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise/proof in a warm environment until it doubles in size.
sugar and lemon zest in bowl with spoon
citrus sugar in bowl with spoon
  • NEXT, LET’S MAKE CITRUS SUGAR! In a medium bowl, combine the granulated sugar, lemon zest, and salt. Use your fingers to rub/smear the sugar with the zest until well combined. Then set the citrus sugar aside for the lemon zest to continue infusing with the sugar.

The oils in the zest infuse in the sugar which yields a super fragrant, deep lemon flavor. Since the zest is where the oil is stored on citrus, the sugar soaks up all that lemon essence! 🤌🏾

raw dough rolled out on blue surface
citrus sugar sprinkled on top of raw dough on blue surface
cut lemon sweet rolls in baking dish
cut and proofed lemon sweet rolls in white baking dish
  • ROLL, FILL & CUT ROLLS. After the first proof, punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to about 20 x 10 inches. Spread the softened butter over the dough. Then sprinkle the citrus sugar over the dough.
  • Roll up the dough into a tight log. Use a large sharp knife or unscented dental floss to cut the log crosswise into 12 pieces.
  • Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with a piece of parchment paper. Add the cut rolls into the baking pan. Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel. Then preheat the oven to 350°F. Let the assembled rolls sit out while the oven is preheating, they’ll get puffy while they rest.
lemon cream cheese icing in large mixing bowl
lemon cream cheese icing in large bowl with spoon
lemon cream cheese icing spread over on lemon sweet rolls in baking dish
lemon sweet rolls in white baking dish

Baking & Finishing These Rolls:

  • BAKE TIME. Bake the rolls until lightly golden, about 30 minutes.
  • LET’S MAKE DAT ICING: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and continue mixing until the icing is well combined. Then stream in the milk along with the lemon zest and continue beating until the icing is smooth and free of lumps.
  • SERVE IT UP. When the rolls are done, spread the cream cheese icing over the rolls. Garnish the rolls with an extra sprinkling of lemon zest if you’d like. Dig in and enjoy these dreamy, fluffy lemon sweet rolls! 😍
cake knife taking lemon sweet roll out of baking dish

Make-Ahead Lemon Sweet Rolls:

If you want to get a head start on these lemon sweet rolls by doing some prep work, you can! This is a great way to break the recipe into parts, saving you some time on the day of baking/serving.

Here’s how it’ll go down: Follow the recipe instructions up to step #8 in the recipe card, below, minus the baking. Transfer the assembled rolls to the refrigerator to rest overnight (about 8 hours). The next morning, take the rolls out, let them sit out to reach room temperature for about 1 hour or until puffy, and then follow the remaining steps to bake as directed.

BBR tip: Please know that I do not recommend refrigerating the assembled rolls for an extended amount of time as they will dry out.

cut lemon sweet roll on small plate

Tips + Tricks, FAQs & More For Recipe Success

⇢ My extra notes for the most amazing lemon sweet rolls:

  • Stick to the written recipe! Following the recipe as written= best results!
  • Use fresh yeast! Make sure your yeast is not expired, fresh is best!
  • Working with yeast: Make sure that your milk is warmed to the appropriate temperature- active dry or instant yeast. If your milk is not warm enough, the dough will not activate. Alternatively, if the milk is too hot, it can kill the yeast and your dough will be no good, causing you to start over.
  • Best milk to use: I’m partial to whole milk for the richness it brings, it is the best. However, you can use 2% or almond milk, too.
  • Follow rise times: For proper yeast effectiveness, allow the dough to proof until it doubles in size (first rise) and the cut rolls are puffy (second rise) before baking. This will make sure that the rolls’ texture will be on point.
  • Cutting rolls: A super sharp knife or unscented dental floss is clutch for this. I do, however, prefer the floss method because you don’t run the risk of having to press on/flatten the dough like you do with a knife.
lemon sweet rolls on small plates on blue surface

Tips For Storing Your Baked Rolls:

These lemon sweet rolls are best served the day-of; the texture and taste will be chef’s kiss! However, you can keep leftovers, covered, at room temperature for about 1-2 days on the counter. Otherwise, store leftovers inside an airtight container in the refrigerator, and they’ll keep for 3-4 days. Reheat these rolls in the microwave until warmed through and gooey again!

fluffy lemon sweet rolls in baking dish with lemon slices

These Lemon Sweet Rolls are a reader-favorite for a reason, y’all! You just can’t beat these bright and fluffy rolls, mmm. Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾

More BBR desserts & sweets:

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lemon sweet rolls on small plates

The Best Fluffy Lemon Sweet Rolls

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 77 reviews
  • Author: Quin Liburd
  • Prep Time: 2 hours
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 12
  • Category: Desserts & Sweets
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

These popular Lemon Sweet Rolls are incredibly soft and full of bright, lemony flavor throughout. Think classic cinnamon roll but make it all about the magic of citrus! You’ll love these decadent, lemon-infused rolls that are extra tender, fluffy and smothered with gooey lemon cream cheese icing. Serve these festive rolls for breakfast/brunch or devour them after dinner for a delightful sweet treat!

Ingredients

For the yeast dough:

  • 1 cup whole milk, warmed to about 115–120°F
  • ½ cup granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 package (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence (vanilla bean paste or extract)
  • Zest of 1 lemon, about 1 tablespoon
  • 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • Zest of 1 lemon, about 1 tablespoon
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

For the lemon cream cheese icing:

  • 4 ounces cream cheese (brick-style), softened
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup whole milk
  • Zest of 1 lemon, about 1 tablespoon

Instructions

  1. Make the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl (if you plan to mix/knead by hand), combine the warm milk and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Then sprinkle the yeast on top and mix well. Let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes or until foamy.
  2. Once the mixture is foamy, add in the remaining sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla essence, lemon zest, 4 ½ cups flour, and salt.
  3. Secure the dough hook attachment to the mixer and mix on low speed until the dough begins to come together, about 1-2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading the dough until smooth, elastic, and supple, about 5-6 minutes. Alternatively,  if you are not using a stand mixer, knead the dough by hand for 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface. If the dough feels super sticky, add in a tablespoon of flour, only if needed.
  4. Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a lightly greased, large bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise/proof in a warm environment until it doubles in size, about 1 ½ hours or shorter/longer depending on the temperature of your environment.
  5. For the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the granulated sugar, lemon zest, and salt. Use your fingers to rub/smear the sugar with the zest until well combined. Then set the citrus sugar aside for the lemon zest to continue infusing with the sugar.
  6. Roll, fill, & cut rolls. After the first proof, punch down the dough knocking out the air and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to about 20 x 10 inches. Spread the softened butter over the dough, leaving a slight margin around the edges. Then sprinkle the citrus sugar over the dough, leaving a slight margin around the edges.
  7. Roll up the dough into a tight log starting from the longest side with the seam side down. Pinch the seam to seal in the edges as much as you can. I like to cut off a bit of the ends of the dough because they are not as full in size as the other sections. Use a large sharp knife or unscented dental floss to cut the log crosswise into 12 pieces.
  8. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with a piece of parchment paper (this helps just in case any of the filling leaks out). Add the cut rolls into the baking pan, leaving a bit of space between each one for expansion. Cover the pan with plastic wrap/clean kitchen towel. Then preheat the oven to 350°F. Let the assembled rolls sit out while the oven is preheating, they’ll get puffy while they rest.
  9. Baking the rolls. Remove the plastic wrap/kitchen towel. Bake the rolls until lightly golden, about 30 minutes. While the rolls bake, prepare the icing.
  10. To make the lemon cream cheese icing: In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a handheld electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and continue mixing until the icing is well combined. Then stream in the milk along with the lemon zest and continue beating until the icing is silky smooth and free of any lumps. Set the icing aside until the rolls are done baking.
  11. Serve. When the rolls are done, use a spreading utensil to spread the cream cheese icing over the rolls. Garnish the rolls with an extra sprinkling of lemon zest, if desired. These lemon sweet rolls are best served right away. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. Make-ahead lemon sweet rolls: Follow the recipe instructions up to step #8 (placing the filled/cut rolls in pan), minus the baking. Transfer the assembled rolls to the refrigerator to rest overnight (about 8 hours). The next morning, take the rolls out, let them sit out to reach room temperature for about 1 hour or until puffy, and then follow the remaining steps to bake as directed.
  2. Please read blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.

Recipe by: Quin Liburd- Butter Be Ready

Photography by: The Mindful Hapa