Lemon rolls are a deliciously tangy twist on a classic breakfast treat. Easy to make, these sticky lemon buns come topped with a delectable lemon cream cheese glaze. They are quite an indulgence.
Lemon rolls laden with goodies such as lemon curd, juicy sultanas, sweet pistachio nuts and a luscious lemon-infused cream cheese frosting are too good to pass up. These tangy lemon buns are exceptionally tasty, gooey and irresistible.
Confession: I handed a couple of my first batch to my builders then scurried away to eat my own. I’m sure that I heard at least one person making highly appreciative noises before my first bite and then I sighed… loudly. In fact, I sighed so loudly that I fear I embarrassed myself.
In fact, these lemon curd rolls win the prize for being my favourite creation over all of the years that I’ve been blogging. They are fun to make, indulgent, zesty, sticky, fluffy, bouncy and a total joy to bite into. What a bake!
What are lemon rolls?
This bake can go by a number of names including lemon rolls, lemon buns, lemon scrolls, and of course, they can be called lemon curd buns, sticky lemon rolls, iced lemon buns… the list goes on.
Essentially, lemon rolls are a riff on cinnamon buns. Enriched bread dough is rolled out and spread with lemony goodies such as curds, preserves and lemon zest. The dough is then rolled up and sliced to make pretty spiralled buns.
There are, of course, a wide variety of recipes for sweet lemon rolls out there, but my recipe boasts the following:
- Soft and fluffy rolls made from a dough enriched with butter, sugar, egg, fresh lemon zest and baking spices (nutmeg and cardamom).
- A generous filling of lemon curd topped with juicy sultanas and pistachio nuts.
- Cream cheese frosting laced with lemon.
In short, these lemon curd buns are an absolute treat. Though suitable for any time of the year, they would be particularly welcome at Easter or during spring and summer.
What makes these lemon buns so amazing?
- Appearance: these iced lemon buns have charm in abundance. They are gloriously golden and the lemony cream cheese frosting just adds to their allure.
- Aroma: gosh, there’s the comforting smell of homemade bread along with citrussy notes and wafts of gentle spices. Your kitchen will smell amazing as these buns bake.
- Taste: expect lively and fresh lemon flavour mixed in with hints of spice and juicy dried fruit in these decidedly delicious lemon rolls.
- Texture: so many words could be used to describe the texture of these treats. They are pillowy soft, alluringly squishy, delightfully fluffy, lusciously sticky and gloriously gooey.
- Indulgence: these rolls have sweetness and stickiness in abundance and they are generous in size.
- Wow factor: there is no doubt that these iced lemon buns are a great option for anybody wanting to break away from the more usual cinnamon bun. They are a fantastically fun take on this bakery classic.
- Overnight: this recipe for lemon rolls is ideal to prepare in advance then stash the uncooked dough in the fridge to rise and bake fresh the next morning.
Don’t miss my East Midlands currant buns or my Lincolnshire Plum bread. They are both sweet and delicious bread recipes that anybody who enjoys lemon rolls or cinnamon rolls should not miss out on.
Ingredients notes
Lemon curd: this is a star ingredient, providing plenty of that signature zesty citrus flavour so pick a quality one. Go with a thick curd rather than one that is too loose. I get on well with a lemon curd from The Carved Angel as it’s gloriously thick and made from butter, so tastes amazing.
Lemons: this recipe for lemon rolls uses the zest and juice from fresh lemons too. If using waxed lemons, give them a rub in a clean kitchen cloth to the remove the wax.
Flour: use bread flour for the fluffiest texture to your buns. I experimented with plain flour and a blend of the two, but the results using just bread flour were far superior.
Butter: use it if you can for richer tasting lemon buns but feel free to use dairy-free butter if dietary requirements make it necessary.
Milk: for best results, use whole milk, semi-skimmed at a pinch, but avoid the watery and woefully inferior product that is skimmed milk (shudder).
Yeast: I like the ease of fast-action dried yeast but you can substitute regular dried yeast or fresh yeast into this recipe.
Eggs: this recipe for lemon rolls calls for a whole egg and 2 yolks. The yolks really do help ensure that the dough is soft and fluffy.
Spices: a touch of nutmeg and cardamom enhance the dough superbly. The spices are subtle but combine with the lemon zest to lift the flavour entirely.
Sultanas and Pistachio nuts: these are welcome additions for a boost to the texture and some additional visual interest.
How to make sweet lemon rolls
Full instructions and measurements are given in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Put the flour, butter, sugar, milk, yeast, salt, cardamom, nutmeg, the egg and the 2 egg yolks plus the finely grated zest of a lemon into the bowl of a stand-mixer (or a large mixing bowl).
- Knead (using the dough hook attachment on your mixer) for 6-8 minutes (or by hand for 8-10 minutes) until the dough feels smooth and elastic.
- Place in a clean bowl and cover with a clean tea towel and leave for 2-3 hours until doubled in size.
- Knock the dough back and roll it out on a lightly floured worktop to make a rectangle approximately 25cm x 45cm. Trim to neaten any wonky edges.
- Spread the lemon curd over the rectangle of dough.
- Cut the dough into 8 long strips (lengthways), each approximately 3cm wide.
- Roughly chop the pistachio nuts and sprinkle them over the lemon curd along with the sultanas.
- Roll each strip up tightly to form a spiral, tucking in any nuts and sultanas that escape as you do so.
- Lay each spiral inside a rectangular baking tin (20cm x 30cm) lined with baking parchment.
- When all 8 lemon buns have been rolled cover them loosely with clingfilm and either transfer to the fridge to prove slowly overnight or leave on the side for 1-2 hours until doubled in size. If stored in the fridge you will need remove them from the fridge 1 hour before baking them.
- Make the frosting by beating the butter, cream cheese, lemon juice and icing sugar together until smooth. Store in the fridge for at least 1 hour or until required.
- When ready to bake the rolls brush beaten egg over the top of each one and bake for approximately 20 minutes until golden on top.
- Let the buns cool for 10 minutes then spoon the frosting over the top and spread out.
Expert tips
- Use thick lemon curd rather than a runny one.
- Don’t be tempted to swap the 2 egg yolks for an extra whole egg. The yolks add richness to the dough and ensure that the buns are soft and fluffy.
- Use a baking tin of adequate size – I used a rectangular tin approximately 20cm x 30cm. There needs to be enough room for the rolls to rise and expand prior to baking and then continue to expand in the oven.
- Roll the dough out and neaten the edges to ensure that all of you lemon curd buns are of a similar size. If you do not trim the edge then a couple of them will be much smaller than the rest.
- Don’t overbake these buns as it will dry them out and they will lose their soft and fluffy texture. It’s better to underbake them than to overbake them.
Frequently asked questions
No. Although a stand-mixer will take the effort out of making these lemon rolls, it is not essential. The dough can be kneaded by hand (and it’s really quite a therapeutic baking task).
Any. I get on well with fast-action dried yeast but you can use regular dried yeast or fresh yeast. Just convert the amount accurately (this recipe uses 2 teaspoon fast-action dried yeast which weighs 7g). Also, adjust the recipe accordingly to activate the regular dried yeast or fresh yeast (stir ½ teaspoon of the sugar into the lukewarm milk and then add the dried or fresh yeast and let it bloom (turn bubbly) before continuing with the recipe.
Yes, this recipe is ideal for making the day before. Simply prepare the recipe up to stage 9 (above) then cover loosely with foodwrap and store in the fridge overnight. Pull out of the fridge and let sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours before proceeding to glaze with beaten egg and baking them.
There are a number of reasons that your dough might not rise.
First of all, your yeast might be past its best. Check the use-by date or ask yourself how long ago you opened the packet. Dried yeast typically has a shelf-life of 1-2 years.
The temperature of the milk can also be an issue. Too cold and it will take the dough much longer to rise, but if it’s too warm then this can kill the yeast, preventing the dough from rising.
Similarly, if the room temperature is too cold, this can seriously slow down the rise of the dough. Try to put the bowl in a place that is at least 20C/ 68F
Also, ensure that you add the yeast and salt to separate parts of the mixing bowl. If they touch prior to mixing, this can inhibit the ability of the yeast to fully activate.
Yes, these lemon curd rolls can be reheated. However, you will need to do so cautiously if they have been topped with the lemon cream cheese frosting. If you have a microwave then heat each bun on a low setting for around 20 seconds, then in bursts of 10 seconds until heated sufficiently. Alternatively, wrap the sides in foil and heat in a low oven (150C/ 300F) for 8-10 minutes.
Ideally, these iced lemon buns should be eaten on the same day, within 30 minutes of being baked. However, they can certainly be eaten cold after that. Again, it’s best to eat them on the day that they are baked.
If there are spares, these can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a day. Reheat according to the instructions in the previous question.
They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost fully, then reheat as required.
Variations
- Make orange rolls: swap the fresh lemon, zest and curd for orange.
- Marmalade: use lemon marmalade in place of the lemon curd to introduce a distinctly bittersweet element to your sweet lemon rolls.
- Go nut free – leave out the pistachio nuts if dietary requirements make this necessary.
- Poppy seeds: mix 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds into the dough.
- Make lemon and blueberry buns: scatter fresh blueberries (in place of the sultanas) over the lemon curd before rolling up each bun
- Water icing: swap the cream cheese frosting for water icing.
- Unadorned: leave your sweet lemon rolls uniced for a less sweet and sticky version.
More sweet bread recipes
Have you made this lemon rolls recipe? I hope you enjoyed them. Please leave a rating and/ or comment to let me know how you got along with the recipe.
📖 Recipe
Lemon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Rolls
- 450 g Strong bread flour
- 75 g Butter (room temperature)
- 60 g Caster sugar
- 180 ml Whole milk (lukewarm)
- 2 teaspoons Fast-action dried yeast
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon Ground nutmeg
- Zest of a lemon (finely grated)
- 1 Egg (lerge, free-range)
- 2 Egg yolks (large, free-range)
- 115 g Sultanas (or raisins)
- 4 tablespoons Lemon curd (thick)
- 30 g Pistachio nuts
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 80 g Cream cheese (full-fat, preferably Philadelphia)
- 40 g Butter (room temeperature)
- 60 g Icing sugar
- 2 teaspoons Lemon juice
Instructions
Make the Lemon Rolls
- Put the flour, butter, sugar, milk, yeast, salt, cardamom, nutmeg, the egg and the 2 egg yolks plus the finely grated zest of a lemon into the bowl of a stand-mixer (or a large mixing bowl).
- Knead until the dough feels smooth and elastic. This will take around 8-10 minutes by hand or 6-8 minutes using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- Place in a clean bowl and cover with a clean tea towel and leave for 2-3 hours until doubled in size.
- Knock the dough back and roll it out on a lightly floured worktop to make a rectangle approximately 25cm x 45cm. Trim any wonky edges to make a neat rectangle (it will be easier to make even sized rolls).
- Spread the lemon curd over the rectangle of dough.
- Cut the dough into 8 long strips (lengthways), each approximately 3cm wide.
- Roughly chop the pistachio nuts and sprinkle them over the lemon curd along with the sultanas.
- Roll each strip up (firmly, but not too tightly) to form a spiral, tucking in any nuts and sultanas that escape as you do so.
- Lay each spiral inside a rectangular baking tin (20cm x 30cm) lined with baking parchment.
- When all 8 lemon buns have been rolled and placed in the tin cover them loosely with clingfilm and either transfer to the fridge to prove slowly overnight or leave on the side for 1-2 hours until doubled in size. If stored in the fridge you will need to remove them from the fridge 1 hour before baking them.
Make the frosting and Bake the Rolls
- Make the frosting by beating the butter, cream cheese, lemon juice and icing sugar together until smooth. Store in the fridge for at least 1 hour or until required.
- When ready to bake the rolls brush beaten egg over the top of each one and bake for approximately 20 minutes in a preheated oven (200c/ 400F) until just golden on top (dpn't overbake them).
- Let the buns cool for 10 minutes then spoon the frosting over the top and spread out. These buns are best served warm.
Notes
- Use thick lemon curd rather than a runny one.
- Don’t be tempted to swap the 2 egg yolks for an extra whole egg. The yolks add richness to the dough and ensure that the buns are soft and fluffy.
- You can use regular dried yeast or fresh yeast. Just convert the amount accurately (this recipe uses 2 teaspoons of fast-action dried yeast which weighs 7g). Also, adjust the recipe accordingly to activate the regular dried yeast or fresh yeast (stir ½ teaspoon of the sugar into the lukewarm milk and then add the dried or fresh yeast and let it bloom (turn bubbly) before continuing with the recipe.
- Use a baking tin of adequate size – I used a rectangular tin approximately 20cm x 30cm. There needs to be enough room for the rolls to rise and expand prior to baking and then continue to expand in the oven.
- Roll the dough out and neaten the edges to ensure that all of you lemon curd buns are of a similar size. If you do not trim the edge then a couple of them will be much smaller than the rest of the batch.
- Don’t overbake these buns as it will dry them out and they will lose their soft and fluffy texture. It’s better to underbake them than to overbake them.
Carmo
These are absolutely divine! Definitely worth making them. They didn’t last long ! My neighbour loved them so much that she placed an order! 🍋💛
Jane Coupland
Ahhh Carmo how lovely – your neighbour is one lucky person! Thanks for the lovely review – if you like coffee watch out as I’ve got some coffee rolls at the recipe testing stage