Get ready to treat yourself to the most amazing lemon rolls you’ve ever tasted! These soft and fluffy delights are filled with a gooey lemon sugar filling and topped with a heavenly lemon cream cheese frosting. They’re perfect for Easter morning breakfast or as a special treat for Mother’s Day. And let me tell you, there’s nothing quite like the aroma of freshly baked rolls wafting through your kitchen!
Here’s why these lemon rolls are simply the best:
- Bursting with lemony flavor, from the zesty dough to the sweet lemon sugar filling. Plus, they’re soaked in cream while they rise, making them extra gooey and irresistible.
- These rolls are incredibly soft, like little pillows of buttery, lemony goodness that practically melt in your mouth.
- And let’s not forget how fun they are to make! Sure, they take a bit of time, but the process is half the joy. Working with yeast dough is such a satisfying experience, and watching it rise and transform into these delicious treats is truly rewarding.
Now, let’s gather our ingredients:
Lemon Rolls
Ingredients
**For the Lemon Rolls:**
- 1 ¼ cups 300 ml whole milk, warmed to about 110 degrees Fahrenheit
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar to bloom the yeast
- 4 ¾ cups 593 g all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons 25 g granulated white sugar
- 2 eggs whisked
- ½ cup 112 g unsalted butter, very softened
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons 20 g lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
**For the Lemon Filling:**
- ½ cup 112 g unsalted butter, very softened
- ½ cup 110 g brown sugar
- ½ cup 100 g granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoons 20 g lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons 30 ml fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup 60 ml heavy cream (for pouring in between the rolls)
**For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:**
- ¼ cup 56 g unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz 113 g cream cheese, cold
- ¾ cup 97 g powdered sugar
- ½ tablespoon 5 g lemon zest (from about ½ lemon)
- ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
**For the Lemon Rolls:**
- Start by blooming your yeast. Mix the active dry yeast, sugar, and warm milk together, and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer with a whisk attachment, combine the flour, salt, and sugar.
- Add the whisked eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and softened butter to the dry ingredients, and mix well.
- Pour in the yeast mixture and knead the dough until it forms a ball and springs back when pressed.
- Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1-1 ½ hours, until doubled in size.
**For the Lemon Filling:**
- While the dough rises, mix together the softened butter, brown sugar, white sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl.
**Assembling and Baking the Lemon Rolls:**
- Roll out the dough into a rectangle, spread the filling over it, and roll it up tightly.
- Cut the dough into rolls, place them in a greased casserole dish, and let them proof until doubled in size.
- Bake the rolls at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
**For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:**
- While the rolls bake, make the frosting by mixing together the softened butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice until fluffy.
- Once the rolls are baked and slightly cooled, generously spread the cream cheese frosting over the top. Then, dig in and enjoy the irresistible lemony goodness!