Move over cinnamon rolls, there are new rolls in town and they’re lemon rolls! It’s no secret that I love cinnamon rolls (and make them often). I was wanting to shake things up a bit so I decided that it would be nice to make Lemon Rolls for a change. Lemon is such a great flavor for spring, but I’ve never tried it in a breakfast type of food. Oh my, I have been missing out. Lemon Rolls rock – you need lemon sweet rolls in your life, trust me on that!
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LEMON ROLLS
When I was figuring out how to make these, I wasn’t sure what to put in the filling. Cinnamon was clearly not the top choice. So after noodling ideas for a while, I decided to try something a little crazy. A secret ingredient if you will. Sugar and some lemon zest was fine, but just didn’t feel complete. I needed something more for these lemon rolls.
Because I’m crazy and will try anything, I added lemon pudding mix (not made into pudding, just the dry mix) to the filling in these lemon rolls. I had no idea what to expect. But oh my heck, it turned out to be a great idea.
Serious lemon sweet roll deliciousness in that pan right there.
I didn’t leave out the cream cheese frosting, of course! The only thing better than a lemon roll is a lemon roll with cream cheese frosting. So delicious, and absolutely perfect for a spring breakfast or brunch. I’ve already added these to my list of Easter breakfast ideas and Mother’s Day breakfast ideas.
LEMON ROLLS RECIPE
Lemon Rolls
Ingredients
Rolls
- 1 box of lemon cake mix
- 2 packages of rapid rise dry yeast
- 2 1/2 cups of very warm water
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp salt
- 5 cups flour
Filling
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- 1 cup white sugar
- Zest from one lemon
- 1 package Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding Mix
Frosting
- 1 package (8 ouncePHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese (softened)
- 1/4 cup (1/2 sticbutter (softened)
- 2 teaspoons pure lemon extract
- 3 1/2 – 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3-5 TBSP milk
Instructions
Rolls
- Mix yeast and warm water until dissolved.
- Combine cake mix, salt and flour in a large bowl.
- Add warm water/yeast mixture and vanilla to cake mix, salt and flour mixture. Mix well. This may require kneading with your hands a bit to completely combine ingredients.
- Cover tightly. Let rise for one hour. Punch down and let rise again for another 30-60 minutes.
- Divide dough in half. On a floured surface, roll one half of dough into a rectangle shape, approx 1/4? thick.
- Once dough is rolled out, brush with half of softened butter.
- Combine white sugar, lemon zest and JELL-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding Mix in a bowl, stirring until well combined.
- Sprinkle half of the sugar, lemon zest and JELL-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding mix over buttered dough.
- Starting at end opposite from you, roll the dough towards you until all dough is rolled into one long piece.
- Slice dough into 12 equal sized pieces. Place 12 rolls into a 13×9 inch pan that has been sprayed with non stick cooking oil.
- Repeat process with remaining dough to make the second pan of lemon rolls.
- Cover and let both pans rise until almost doubled in size, approximately 30 minutes. Don’t worry if rolls don’t completely double in size, they will continue to rise while baking.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes or until lightly brown.
- While rolls are baking, prepare your frosting.
- Remove from oven and either frost immediately if you would like frosting to melt into rolls, or wait until rolls have cooled, then frost.
Frosting
- Beat cream cheese, softened butter and lemon extract in a bowl until light and fluffy. Mix until well combined. Add in your confectioner’s sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add in three tablespoons milk, and mix until very well combined. If you desire a thinner frosting, add additional two tablespoons of milk, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Store rolls in refrigerator.
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
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Love Lemon? Want to add a little more of this sweet citrus to your table? I’ve got some great lemon recipes that you will want to try! Click on any photo or link to be taken to the recipe post! Enjoy!
Great Lemon Recipes
Want those delicious Girl Scout Lemon Cookies but it’s not Girl Scout Cookie season? Try my copycat Girl Scout Lemon Ups.
This Lemon Cake is a family favorite.
Lemon Cupcakes are perfect little bites of sunshine!
Lemon Loaf Cake is something I could eat every morning.
Lemon Cookies are so fun, great for Easter!
This Lemon Poke Cake is both easy and delicious.
My fellow food bloggers have some great lemon recipes to try as well!
Barefeet In The Kitchen has some amazing Lemon Crinkle Cookies.
This Lemon Cheesecake Crescent Braid from Wine & Glue would also be great for a spring breakfast or brunch!
These Raspberry Lemonade Bars from Tidy Mom make my mouth water!
This Lemon Angel Pie from Your Homebased Mom is such a classic dessert recipe.
And speaking of lemons and pies, how fun are these Mini Lemon Hand Pies from Lemons For Lulu? Love these!
Originally published March, 2015.
Meet Christi, Love From The Oven
I’m Christi I love sharing easy & delicious recipes that your family & friends will love. I’m a mom, baker, cookbook author and lover of sprinkles.
Yum
These sounds absolutely amazing and I would like to try them! I was wondering if I could just add instant yeast to the dry ingredients without having to dissolve it in warm water?
Hi Teri, I’ve only made it as written in the recipe, so I can’t say how it would do. That said instant yeast is usually really forgiving, so you would probably be okay.
Have you had pick freezing these? Made ahead and wondering about freezing extra…I would assume but just wanted to see if you had and with or without frosting you think???
I haven’t made this particular roll ahead of time so I can’t speak to the results, sorry. If I did however, I don’t think I would frost them ahead of time. My preference in general for making rolls ahead of time is to make them and freeze them before baking. Then thaw, bake and frost.
No eggs or oil?
Nope, just the ingredients listed!
Hi,
These look delicious! When you roll out half of the dough, what size should the rectangle be?
Thanks,
Donna
could you make the dough in a bread machine?
Hi Jackie, I don’t have a bread machine so I’m afraid I don’t know how it would work.
So, you CAN make these in a bread machine but unless you have time to baby sit your machine you probably shouldn’t. I did successfully make the dough in a bread machine but I had to run the knead cycle 3 times before letting it rise and then had to sprinkle the forming ball with a little extra flour to help it fully mix. Also, it rose out of the machine so I had to open the lid and cover with a towel. It was a little too big of a recipe for my machine. If you halved the recipe it would be able to run itself with no help.
Hi,
I wondered if you use a mixer to mix the cake ingredient before you have to I knead with your hands. If so, do you just follow the mixing time on the cake box?
Thank you so much -this sounds delicious!
Hi Fran, no, you do not. Just mix by hand, and it will be so thick that you might need to literally mix by hand (knead) to bring it all together. Enjoy!
Hello
I did use my kitchen aid mixer.
I used the knead replacement .
That’s how I do al my rolls .
Do my carpel tunnel.
How much yeast is two packages? I’m a beginner! Thanks!
One packet of yeast contains 1/4 ounce or approximately 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast. Hope that helps!
So you said 12 fit in one pan with enough left over dough to make 12 more. So it serves 24 people not 12? I’m just wondering because I’m using this for a math project and it it looks, and sounds good. Just wondering. Thanks!
I like the way you do math projects! Yes, you divide the dough in half before you roll it out and add the filling. You could skip this and just roll it out and cut into 24 rolls, but that takes up quite a bit of space on a countertop, so I find dividing it in half is easier. I divide it in half, make 12 rolls, put them in a pan, then repeat the process with the remaining dough and a second pan. Hope that helps!
The Lemon Rolls are phenomenal! I tried these out on my family and friends, and they received RAVE reviews. Thanks for sharing this culinary delight with us.
I’m in the process of making these and I’ve just punched the dough down. It’s very very sticky, is that normal?
Hi Lia, if the dough is sticky you can always add some extra flour, a little at a time, to get the desired consistency.