Description
These Lemon Sweet Rolls are a bright, citrusy twist on classic cinnamon rolls. Soft, fluffy dough is swirled with a tangy lemon-sugar filling and topped with a zesty cream cheese glaze.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole milk, warmed to about 110°F
- 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast
- 1 large egg
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp melted unsalted butter
- 3½–4¼ cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
- Olive oil or butter (for greasing)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (filling)
- 1½ Tbsp lemon zest (filling)
- 5 Tbsp softened unsalted butter (filling)
- 1 Tbsp butter (for greasing pan)
- 4 oz full-fat cream cheese (glaze)
- 2 Tbsp softened unsalted butter (glaze)
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar (glaze)
- A pinch of salt (glaze)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice (glaze)
- Lemon slices (garnish)
- Lemon zest (garnish)
Instructions
- In a stand mixer bowl, whisk the warmed milk, yeast, egg, sugar, lemon zest, melted butter, and salt until foamy.
- Add flour and knead for 3 minutes (or hand-knead for 5 minutes) until smooth and slightly tacky.
- Coat a bowl with oil, place the dough inside, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Roll the dough into a roughly 12×16″ rectangle.
- Spread softened butter over the dough, then sprinkle with the lemon-sugar mixture.
- Roll tightly from the long side into a log, pinch the seam, and cut into 12 equal pieces.
- Grease a 9×13″ pan with butter, arrange the rolls with space between, cover, and let rise again for 45–60 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush rolls with 1 Tbsp melted butter and bake for 28–30 minutes, covering with foil if browning too quickly.
- While rolls rest, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, salt, and lemon juice; beat to a pourable consistency.
- Drizzle glaze over warm rolls, top with lemon slices and zest, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Bread flour makes the dough extra fluffy, but all-purpose flour works too.
- You can swap lemon with orange for a citrus blend or add berries/nuts for variation.
- Store in an airtight container for 2–3 days or freeze for up to a month.
- To reheat, microwave for about 30 seconds.
- Dough can be made ahead and refrigerated before baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 19g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
