Lemon Sweet Rolls – Delicious yeasted buns filled with a sweet lemon filling and topped with a gooey cream cheese frosting. The perfect breakfast recipe!

Lemon Sweet Rolls

My favorite food is hands-down cinnamon rolls.  I just think they are the greatest thing ever for literally every meal.  Somehow, I have yet to actually make a post about them just because it’s either late at night and the lighting on photos would be horrible or what not.  I ended up adapting my normal cinnamon roll recipe to be more of a simple lemon sweet roll because I thought it was time to branch out into sweet rolls.  These lemon sweet rolls are really delicious and SO easy to make! You don’t need to knead any dough and they only take 30 minutes! Crazy, right? I topped the lemon rolls with a little bit of lemon zest for a pop of color which is totally optional but it adds to the overall look!

Common Questions About Making Lemon Sweet Rolls

What are lemon sweet rolls?

Lemon sweet rolls are yeasted buns filled with a sweet lemon filling and topped with a cream cheese frosting.

What is the difference between a cinnamon roll and sweet roll?

It’s really just the filling! A cinnamon roll is a variety of sweet rolls with a cinnamon filling but you can really have any citrus or fruit as a filling instead, depending on what kind of sweet roll you want.

What other types of sweet rolls can I make?

Some of my favorite sweet rolls are –

• Cinnamon Rolls
• Chelsea Buns
• Raspberry Sweet Rolls
• Orange Sweet Rolls
• Sticky Buns

Can I use a different citrus?

Yes! I’ve made this recipe by using orange instead of lemon (I skipped the nutmeg) and it was amazing!

What else can I make with lemons?

So many things! Some of the BEST lemon recipes are –

• Lemon Shortbread Cookies
• Lemon Biscotti
• Lemon Macarons
• Lemon Sugar Cookies

Looking for more breakfast recipes? Check these out!

• Chocolate Waffles
• Baked Vanilla Donuts
• Peach French Toast
• Homemade Bagels
• Old Fashioned Glazed Donuts

Yield: 12 Servings

Lemon Sweet Rolls

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Lemon Sweet Rolls - Delicious yeasted buns filled with a sweet lemon filling and topped with a gooey cream cheese frosting. The perfect breakfast recipe!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

Dough

• 1/4 ounce active dry yeast (1 envelope or 2 1/2 teaspoons)
• 3/4 cup milk (warm)
• 1/2 cup butter (softened)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Zest of one lemon
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoons nutmeg

Lemon Filling

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter (very soft)
• Zest of two lemons
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Zest and juice of one lemon

Instructions

1. In the bowl or a stand mixer, combine yeast and warm milk. Let sit for 10 minutes or until the mixture is foamy.
2. Stir in butter eggs, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, salt, and nutmeg. Slowly add in the flour, mixing on low until the dough comes together and is soft and sticky.
3. Knead on low speed (or by hand) for about 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth, yet stretchy.
4. Transfer the dough to a large bowl that has been lightly greased with vegetable oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
5. In a mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Set aside.
6. Lightly grease a 13x9" pan with baking spray and set aside.
7. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and shape it into a 10x15" rectangle.
8. Spread the lemon filling evenly on the dough before rolling it up tightly starting at the top long end. Cut the dough into 12 evenly sized rolls before placing them in the baking pan.
9. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and let them rise for 1 hour. They should double in size.
10. While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Once the rolls have risen, remove the plastic wrap and place them in the oven to bake for about 35 minutes.
11. While the rolls are baking, combine the ingredients for the frosting and beat using a mixer until well combined and smooth.
12. Once the rolls are done cooking, remove them from the oven and cover with the frosting. Sprinkle extra lemon zest on top (optional) and serve.

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