Lemon sweet rolls are a citrus lover’s dream. These soft, fluffy lemon rolls are made with a milk-bread dough, swirled with a bright lemon sugar filling, layered with sticky lemon curd, and finished with tangy lemon cream cheese frosting, all baked and shaped like classic cinnamon rolls, just without the cinnamon.
These rolls are all about that fresh lemon flavor, balanced with just enough sweetness to keep them cozy and comforting. They feel light, bright, and completely different from your usual cinnamon roll.
They’re my go-to for spring baking, weekend brunches, and any excuse to bring a little lemony sunshine into my kitchen!
🍋 P.S. This is the kind of bake I save for a slow weekend morning. When I want something bright and lemony without the extra steps, I’ll go for my lemon raspberry muffins instead. Done in an hour and perfect for breakfast or brunch!
How to Make Them Step-by-Step
1
Make the tangzhong. Cook a portion of the water and flour until thickened like a roux.
2
Knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball. This is best done with a stand mixer.
5
Roll out the yeast dough and spread the filling across it. You can use homemade lemon curd or store-bought. I prefer homemade, but store-bought is great in a pinch.
6
Cut and roll the dough. I found that using a pizza cutter instead of floss gives you perfect swirls.
7
Place the rolls in a 9×13 baking pan, leaving space between them to rise. Cover the top with plastic wrap and place the pan in a warm spot to rise.
8
Bake the rolls. You’ll know they’re ready to bake when they are double the size and the dough feels airy and bubbly when lightly pressed.
9
Make the lemon cream cheese icing. Just whip it until it’s light and fluffy.
10
Frost the warm rolls. Once baked, cool the buns briefly on a wire rack, then top with the cream cheese frosting and more lemon curd.
Truly bright, lemony, and perfect any time of the year. It’s always the dessert my neighbor asks me to make when she brings me an abundance of fresh lemons (and, of course, my fresh lemon loaf cake).
It’s also not the only citrus roll I make. The same base and method show up in my orange cream cinnamon rolls, just with a different curd!
—Cambrea 🫶🏻
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments; I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Lemon Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Tanghzong
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup bread flour, *see notes below for measuring*
For the Roll Dough
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 2/3 cups bread flour, *see notes below for measuring*
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature
- 1/3 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- Tangzhong from above
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cool room temperature
Lemon Sugar Filling
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cool room temperature
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons lemon curd, store-bought or homemade
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 ounces cold cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- Lemon curd for the tops
Instructions
- First, make the tangzhong. Whisk the water and flour in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened into a roux, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.1/4 cup (32 g) bread flour, 2/3 cup (155 g) water
- Rub the lemon zest into the sugar until it looks like wet sand.1/3 cup (66 g) granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Whisk together the flour, lemon sugar, yeast, and salt in a stand mixing bowl. Add the heavy cream, milk, egg, and tangzhong. Knead on low speed with the dough hook for 2 minutes until it forms a rough dough ball.3 2/3 cups (485 g) bread flour, 2 teaspoons (6 g) instant yeast, 1 teaspoon (4 g) fine sea salt, 1/3 cup (78 g) heavy cream, 1/3 cup (78 g) whole milk, 1 (55 g) large egg, Tangzhong from above
- With the mixer running on low, add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, letting it fully incorporate before adding more. Then, continue kneading for 12 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter
- Form the dough into a smooth round ball. Place it seam-side down into a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
- Combine the butter, brown sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla until smooth.12 tablespoons (168 g) unsalted butter, 3/4 cup (150 g) light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 21×15-inch rectangle. Evenly spread the lemon-sugar mixture across the dough, leaving a 1-inch border at the top clean. Then spread the lemon curd on top.1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (100 g) lemon curd
- Use a pizza cutter to cut twelve 1 3/4-inch strips. Roll each strip away from you, then carefully transfer them to a parchment-lined or buttered 9×13 baking pan.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and set it aside to rise for 1-2 hours or until the rolls double. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325°F/162°C.
- Bake the rolls for 30-35 minutes or until the tops are light golden brown.
- While the rolls are baking, make the cream cheese frosting. In a stand mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and butter until combined. Then, mix in the powdered sugar. Keep beating on low speed until the frosting is light and fluffy, then mix in the lemon zest and heavy cream.6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, 4 ounces cold cream cheese, 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon heavy cream, 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- Let the pan cool on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes, then spread the cream cheese frosting on top. Top with extra lemon curd and serve warm!Lemon curd for the tops
can I do a double batch without ruining the chemistry?
Yes, you can absolutely double the recipe! Just double all of the ingredients, preferably using the gram measurements for accuracy. The biggest thing to keep in mind is your mixer’s capacity, since a double batch of dough can be quite a lot to knead properly. If your mixer isn’t large enough, I’d recommend making two separate batches instead. You’ll also want to divide the rolls between two baking pans rather than crowding them into one. 💛
The lemon curd did not appear yellow as yours. Did you add food coloring? Also, I baked at 325 for 30 min and it’s still not fully cooked (yes, my oven is calibrated) baked another 10 min still read at 160, added another 10 min this time I covered it so it doesn’t burn the edges. Why is it taking longer than your suggested bake time?
Maybe my egg yolks were darker yellow than the ones you are using! Are you baking them in a metal pan or is it ceramic/glass?
I baked in both metal and other in glass. Same no sifference
Did the rolls look noticeably puffy and proofed before baking? When touched gently, the sides of the dough should feel like there are tiny air bubbles underneath the surface. Underproofed dough can take longer to bake because the dough is still really dense.
yes, they were proofed and puffy and my clients loved it. I also noticed that your lemon curd are also very yellow. Did you do your image on chat gpt or AI? No judgement. I’m just comparing how mine turned out compared to the image you posted.
No, I don’t use AI-generated images for my recipes. All of my photos are of the actual food I’ve made and photographed myself. The color of lemon curd can vary depending on the eggs used, especially the color of the yolks, so it’s completely normal for yours to look lighter or less yellow than mine.
I am not a baker. My dough turned out incredibly wet and sticky, completely unable to be “rolled out” on a countertop. I needed to add a lot of extra flour in order to accomplish any “rolling!” I could have sworn I followed the instructions exactly; is there a clear baking mistake I could have made that might have led to this textural issue?
Hi! The dough is meant to be very soft and tacky, but it definitely shouldn’t be so wet that you can’t roll it out. The first thing I would check is the flour measurement. If you’re measuring with cups, it’s easy to accidentally use less flour or more liquid than the recipe needs, so I always recommend weighing ingredients in grams if possible. Also, check the kneading time. The dough will start out quite sticky but should become much smoother and less sticky as the gluten develops, so make sure it reaches a strong windowpane before you stop kneading. I hope that helps! 😊