Lemon Sweet Rolls

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This Lemon Sweet Rolls recipe is light, fluffy and slathered in lemon buttercream frosting. They make the perfect sunshiney breakfast alternative to cinnamon rolls that taste great all year long.

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Lemon Rolls with Buttercream Frosting
How to Make Lemon Sweet Rolls from Scratch
Tips and Tricks for Perfect Lemon Rolls
Frequently Asked Questions
Storing and Reheating Sweet Rolls
Recipe: Sweet Rolls with Lemon Frosting
More of our Favorite Sweet Roll Recipes

Lemon Rolls with Buttercream Frosting

These cold and dreary winter days have me dreaming of bright and sunny spring mornings. What better way to fill your kitchen with sunshine than by making a batch of this delicious Lemon Rolls Recipe?

This soft and fluffy lemon roll recipe is packed full of sweet lemon flavor. They’re filled with a lemon butter spread, rolled up and baked, then covered in sticky, gooey lemon frosting straight out of the oven.

Enjoy these citrus beauties for breakfast, brunch, as a snack or even for dessert. You can serve them as is, with a dollop of whipped cream or even topped with lemon curd. And after all this, if you are still just craving a good old fashioned Cinnamon Roll, don't worry - we’ve got those too.

A small white plate with a Lemon Sweet Roll covered in frosting and a full pan of sweet rolls in the background. lemon butter icing, cindy cinnamon rolls.

Lemon Rolls Dough

Water - you want your water to be lukewarm to help activate the yeast. You can also substitute milk, warming it to no more than 115 degrees F.
Sugar - we use white granulated sugar for the dough, or you could certainly use the same amount of honey instead.
Yeast - this recipe calls for active dry yeast which must be activated, or “proofed.” It comes in a few different sized packages - a small envelope, a small jar or a large 1 pound air-sealed package. You can substitute instant or Rapid Rise yeast, keeping in mind that it won’t take as much time to rise.
Butter - you want the butter to be either melted, or incredibly soft. You could also use avocado oil if you’d like.
Eggs - any kind of large eggs will do. It helps if they have come to room temperature, but don’t worry if you forget. You can also run them under warm water while they are still in the shells. The eggs help with rising and the fats in the yolk help keep the dough tender and light.
Salt - you can use regular sea salt or table salt, but I like to use pink Himalayan sea salt in my baking. It has extra vitamins and minerals in it that regular table salt doesn’t have.
Flour - we like to use all-purpose flour, but bread flour works great, too.

A baking pan with sweet rolls ready to bake in the oven. cinnamon roll recipe, cinnamon roll recipe. lemon rolls with lemon icing recipe.

Lemon Filling

Butter - this should be melted or incredibly soft.
Sugar - regular white granulated sugar.
Lemon Zest - be sure and zest your lemons before juicing. For this filling, you’ll need 3 tablespoons, or the zest from about 3 lemons.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

Butter - make sure your butter is at room temperature so that it will mix well with the other ingredients.
Powdered Sugar - any type will work.
Lemons - you’ll need the zest and juice from roughly 2-3 fresh lemons for the frosting.
Vanilla Extract - pure vanilla extract tastes best.

A close up picture of sweet rolls that have risen and are ready to bake. how to make lemon icing.

How to Make Lemon Sweet Rolls from Scratch

Step 1 - Mix the Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm water, sugar and yeast and stir well. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until it gets bubbly and activates the yeast.
Add the melted butter, eggs, salt and 3 cups of flour into the yeast mixture, then mix on low using the dough hook for 2 minutes, or until everything is well-mixed.
Add an additional 2.5 cups of flour, then stir on low to combine. Finally, add up to 1 cup more flour slowly, only until the dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl. Once all of the flour has been added, continue to knead the dough on low for 3 minutes more.

Step 2 - Let the Dough Rise

Turn off the mixer and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Step 3 - Roll and Cut the Sweet Rolls

Once the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured surface. Form the dough into a small rectangle with your hands. Using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough into a rectangle that is ½" thick and approximately 24" x 18." (Note: depending on the size of your work surface, you may need to divide the dough into 2 portions. If so, you can roll each to about 12" x 18" and still ½" thick.)
Using an offset spatula, or knife, carefully spread the soft or melted butter evenly onto the rolled dough.
In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar and lemon zest. Evenly sprinkle the sugar lemon zest mixture over the top, then pat down gently.
Starting at either 24" side, roll the dough up evenly making sure to get a nice tight tube, then cut into 1" slices using a very sharp knife or floss. (Note: we recommend using a ruler and pre-marking before you actually make any cuts.)
Lay the slices ½"-1" apart in a lightly greased 9 x 13" baking pan and cover loosely with a kitchen towel. Let the cinnamon rolls rise for another 30 minutes, or until doubled and touching in the pan.

Step 4 - Make the Frosting

In an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the room temperature butter until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer down very low and add powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix on low until all the ingredients are combined, then turn the mixer on high again and beat until fluffy.

Step 5 - Bake the Lemon Sweet Rolls

Bake Lemon Sweet Rolls in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.
Remove from the oven and spread the Lemon Buttercream Frosting over the tops while they are still warm.
Let them cool for about 5 minutes, then serve warm. Enjoy!

A pan of sweet rolls that has just been baked but has not yet been covered in frosting.

Tips and Tricks for Perfect Lemon Rolls

When rolling out the dough, it's helpful to start in the middle of the dough and roll outwards from the center. If the dough is a little sticky, pull back the dough and add some more flour to your baking surface.
Try to keep the dough as symmetrical as possible. This will help keep the size and thickness of the cinnamon rolls the same.
One lemon yields about 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice.
If cream cheese frosting is your thing, try substituting our Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting instead of the buttercream. The ingredients and instructions are located at the bottom of the recipe.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Rapid Rise Yeast instead of Active Dry Yeast?

You can! Either one will work, but Rapid Rise Yeast will rise twice as fast. You also don’t need to “proof” Rapid Rise (or Instant) yeast.

How can I make sweet rolls ahead of time?

Easy peasy - you have a few options:

1. After you have shaped and cut the sweet rolls, wrap the pan in plastic wrap and immediately refrigerate overnight. The next morning, pull the pan out, preheat the oven and bake as directed.

2. Make the dough, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a large bowl in the fridge overnight. The next day, remove the bowl from the fridge. Let the dough come up to room temperature, then shape, cut and bake as directed.

3. If you want to get a serious head start you can freeze the shaped and cut Lemon Sweet Rolls right in the baking dish. Wrap well with 2 layers of plastic, then store for up to 1 month. The night before baking them, transfer the dough to the fridge then pull out as you preheat the oven the morning of.

What should I do if my dough is too sticky?

Simple - just add a touch more flour. You’ll find that adding about 1-2 tablespoons at a time works great. Flour is also the answer if you find your dough is sticking to your rolling surface. Just a little dusting will usually do the trick.

Storing and Reheating Sweet Rolls

Refrigerator: wrap leftover Lemon Sweet Rolls in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezer: wrap leftover sweet rolls in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight.
To Reheat: for a single serving, you can reheat in the microwave until warm. Otherwise, add the entire pan of sweet rolls back into the oven at 300 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through. Adding an extra dollop of frosting when reheating makes them extra delicious!

lemon sweet rolls recipe with lemon icing

Recipe: Sweet Rolls with Lemon Frosting

These Lemon Sweet Rolls are light, fluffy and slathered in lemon buttercream frosting. They make the perfect sunshiney alternative to cinnamon rolls that taste great all year long.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1 50

Servings people

Calories 438kcal

Author The Carefree Kitchen

Ingredients

Sweet Rolls Dough

2 cups Water lukewarm
2 Tablespoons Active Dry Yeast
¼ cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Butter melted, or cooking oil
2 large Eggs
2 teaspoons Salt
5.5-6 cups All-Purpose Flour

Lemon Filling

4 Tablespoons Butter melted
½ cup Sugar
3 Tablespoons Lemon Zest about 3 lemons

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

½ cup Butter room temperature
4 cups Powdered Sugar
1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice fresh
½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions

How to Make Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm water, sugar and yeast and stir well. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until it gets bubbly and activates the yeast.
Add the melted butter, eggs, salt and 3 cups of flour into the yeast mixture, then mix on low using the bread hook for 2 minutes, or until everything is well-mixed.
Add an additional 2.5 cups of flour, then stir on low to combine. Add up to 1 cup more flour slowly, only until the dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl. Once all of the flour has been added, continue to knead on low for 3 minutes more.
Turn off the mixer and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rest in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Rolling and Filling the Sweet Rolls

Once the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured surface. Form the dough into a small rectangle with your hands. Using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough into a rectangle that is ½" thick and approximately 24" x 18." (Note: depending on the size of your work surface, you may need to divide the dough into 2 portions. If so, you can roll each to about 12" x 18" and still ½" thick.)
Using an offset spatula, or knife, carefully spread the soft or melted butter evenly onto the rolled dough.
In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and lemon zest. Evenly sprinkle the sugar mixture over the top, then pat down gently.
Starting at either 24" side, roll the dough up evenly making sure to get a nice tight tube, then cut into 1" slices using a very sharp knife or floss. (Note: we recommend using a ruler and pre-marking before you actually make any cuts.)
Lay the slices ½"-1" apart in a greased 9 x 13" baking pan and cover loosely with a kitchen towel. Let the cinnamon rolls rise for another 30 minutes, or until doubled and touching in the pan.

Baking

While your dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once risen, bake in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.
Remove from the oven and spread the Lemon Buttercream Frosting over the tops while they are still warm.
Let them cool for about 5 minutes, then serve warm. Enjoy!

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

In an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the room temperature butter until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer down very low and add powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix on low until all the ingredients are combined, then turn the mixer on high again and beat until fluffy.
Add more powdered sugar and/or a splash of lemon juice until you reach your desired consistency, then spread a thick layer of frosting over the warm cinnamon rolls, paying close attention to evenly coat the edges.

Notes

Lemon sweet rolls are a delicious treat that can be enjoyed for breakfast or dessert. Here are a few recipe variations to try:

Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls: Add fresh blueberries to the lemon filling mixture before rolling up the dough. Top with a lemon glaze and extra blueberries.
Lemon Cream Cheese Sweet Rolls: Mix cream cheese with the lemon filling mixture and spread it over the dough. Bake as directed and top with a lemon glaze.
Lemon Poppyseed Sweet Rolls: Add poppyseeds to the dough and the lemon filling mixture. Top with a lemon glaze and extra poppyseeds.
Lemon Raspberry Sweet Rolls: Add fresh raspberries to the lemon filling mixture before rolling up the dough. Top with a lemon glaze and extra raspberries.
Lemon Coconut Sweet Rolls: Add shredded coconut to the dough and the lemon filling mixture. Top with a coconut cream glaze and toasted coconut flakes.
Lemon Ginger Sweet Rolls: Add ground ginger to the dough and the lemon filling mixture. Top with a lemon glaze and crystallized ginger.
Lemon Honey Sweet Rolls: Add honey to the lemon filling mixture and brush the rolls with honey before baking. Top with a lemon glaze.

These variations are just a few ideas to get you started. Feel free to get creative and experiment with different flavor combinations to find your favorite.

Nutrition

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These Lemon Sweet Rolls are filled with a lemon butter spread, rolled up and baked, then covered in sticky, gooey lemon frosting straight out of the oven. They're soft, fluffy and packed full of lemon flavor.

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