Lemon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

These lemon rolls are soft and fluffy and filled with a gooey lemon sugar filling and lemon curd to balance the sweetness! These pillowy sweet rolls are also topped with a lemon cream cheese frosting and are sure to be your next obsession!

Ingredients for Lemon Rolls

• Milk: Your milk will need to be warm for this recipe to ensure the yeast will bloom. I usually check with a thermometer and make sure its between 115-120 degrees F. Whole milk is great for extra moist rolls but use whatever you have on hand!

• Large eggs: These will help bind the ingredients together for a cohesive dough. Make sure they are room temperature before using!

• Lemons:  Use any lemons you can find, I love meyer lemons for this recipe! You will need at least 5 large lemons for this recipe as we will be using the zest and juice. 

• Melted butter: This adds fat to keep the rolls soft and fluffy as well as helps the gluten bind better.

• Granulated sugar: To balance the tartness from the lemons and increase the moisture in the dough!

• Salt: Just a pinch to balance the sweetness and control the rise of the dough!

• Instant yeast: I used instant because it cut the rise time by an hour overall, but if you only have active dry yeast on hand that will work too! I included notes about this at the end of this page!

• All purpose flour: I have only tested this recipe with all-purpose flour.

• Cream cheese: This is used for the lemon cream cheese frosting and compliments the lemon filling beautifully!

• Powdered sugar: This is also for the frosting to make it thick and sweet!

This recipe took a few months of trial and error but I am so happy to finally share it with you all! I wanted these lemon rolls to be extra fluffy as well as have amazing lemon flavor in every bite. That is why I made sure to add lemon zest and lemon juice to all parts of this recipe! Lemon is one of my favorite flavors for desserts so these lemon rolls are definitely my favorite recipe I have made so far! Whether you call them lemon sweet rolls or a breakfast roll, they are delicious either way!

How to make Lemon Rolls

1. Make sure you have room temperature ingredients before starting this recipe! 
   • In a large bowl, combine warm milk with instant yeast and let sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy. Add in your eggs and whisk until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest with your hands until fragrant. Add in your melted butter to the sugar and mix well. Add the sugar mixture into the yeast mixture and whisk until well combined.
3. Add in the flour and salt and whisk until a shaggy ball forms. Cover with a damp towel and let the dough rise for 30 minutes.
   • A warm environment works best, like by a window or under kitchen lights. 
4. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll dough into a large rectangle. Spread the softened butter on and then the lemon zest and sugar mixture on top. Roll the dough up into a tight log and pinch the seams.
5. Use a very sharp knife to cut rolls into 12 pieces. A serrated knife will work best and make the rolls retain their shape! You could also use unflavored dental floss in that is easier. Place them on a greased baking dish and cover and start the second rise for 30 minutes.
   • This is optional but I like to swirl lemon curd on top using a piping bag before baking. Transfer the rolls to a baking pan, I like to use a round cake pan or a 9×13 glass pan for these. Make sure to use nonstick spray or butter to make sure they don’t stick! 
6. Preheat oven to 350 F then bake the lemon rolls for 10 minutes. This is optional but I like to add 3/4 cup of heavy cream over the top for extra fluffy rolls. Then place then back in and bake for another 28-30 minutes. They should be golden brown on the edges but slightly soft in the centers! 
7. While the rolls cool, make the make the lemon cream cheese frosting. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Then add powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla until fluffy.
   • I like to add the sugar in 1/2 cup at a time to adjust sweetness level. While the rolls are slightly warm, spread the lemon cream cheese glaze evenly with an offset spatula and enjoy warm! 

Substitutions for Lemon Rolls

• Swap the instant yeast for active dry. You will have to add 15-20 minutes to the proof times but if you don’t mind then this swap is perfect!

• You can swirl any type of curd or jam in these rolls! Strawberry or raspberry would be amazing with the lemon flavor!

• You can make buttercream frosting instead of the cream cheese frosting as well as swap the lemon for extra vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste!

These fluffy lemon rolls are the perfect breakfast, snack, and dessert! Give these rolls a try and you might just like them more than classic cinnamon rolls! If you enjoyed this recipe, feel free to leave a 5 star rating below and as always, poftă bună!