Lemon Sweet Rolls With Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

If you are looking for a fun twist on a cinnamon roll recipe, then you need to try my lemon raspberry sweet rolls! These soft and fluffy breakfast rolls have a sweet, citrusy lemon filling and are topped with a fresh raspberry cream cheese frosting.

These sweet rolls are the perfect breakfast or dessert idea for the spring and summertime and would be a beautiful (and delicious) addition to your easter brunch.

I love lemon in the springtime; if you feel the same way then you should try out my lemon blueberry cookies next! They sort of taste like fruity pebbles in the best way possible.

Ingredients

I love this recipe because it uses fresh fruits and simple ingredients. I like to include a little cardamom in my sweet doughs, but if that's not your thing, feel free to leave it out! It won't negatively affect the results.

• Active-dry yeast
• Whole milk
• Unsalted butter (salted works too)
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs
• Bread flour (all-purpose works too)
• Salt
• Milk powder (optional - I add it to enhance the flavor and make the dough extra soft, but they will still be delicious without it!)
• Cardamom (optional - I love cardamom and the way it enhances a sweet dough and pairs well with citrus)
• Lemons
• Raspberries
• Cream cheese
• Confectioners sugar

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

This recipe is quick and easy! I'm including process shots below to walk you through the process as seamlessly as possible.

Step 1: In a small saucepan, butter and whole milk until the butter melts. You could also do this in the microwave by heating the mixture in 30-second increments until the butter is melted. Let cool to 120 or less and add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the sugar and yeast and stir with a fork. Rest for roughly 5 minutes until the yeast is proofed (pictured).

Step 2:  Mix the flour, salt, milk powder (optional) and cardamom (optional). Add the dry ingredients into the bowl with wet ingredients. Use a dough hook to combine the ingredients. Let the dough knead for 5-10 minutes or until it forms a cohesive ball that passes the windowpane test.

When the dough has finished kneading, place it in a separate bowl, cover with a wet tea towel or cling wrap, and let rise for roughly an hour or until doubled. 

Step 3: In a small blender or food processor, blend raspberries until smooth. Pour the puree into a fine mesh strainer over a small bowl. Use a small spoon or spatula to push the puree through the strainer so that only the seeds remain. I find that vigorously moving my spoon in circular motions helps move the process along faster.

Step 4: Using your stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. It is best to use soft/room-temperature ingredients here. Scrape down the sides of the bowling mix in the raspberry puree.

Once thoroughly mixed, start adding your powdered sugar in 1 cup at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

I personally like my frosting a bit runnier for this type of recipe, but if you like a thicker frosting you can easily add more to the mix. 

Step 5: Once your dough has sufficiently proofed, roll it out onto a floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into an 18x12-inch rectangle. The dough will be roughly ¼ inch thick.

In a small bowl, mix the butter, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until combined. Spoon the mixture out onto your dough and rub it in with your hands (trust me, just use your hands). Then, roll the dough starting at the shorter, 12-inch side into a log. 

Step 6: Cut the dough with a serrated knife into 12 1-inch pieces. Place in a parchment paper lined 18x12 baking dish and let rise again for 30-60 minutes. Once puffy, bake at 350F for 23-25 minutes or until it just barely starts to get golden on the edges. Let cool for 10 minutes or so before adding the frosting and topping with additional lemon zest. Enjoy!

Hint: Use a serrated knife to cut the rolls and use long, slow motions to get smooth cuts without having to squish your rolls too much in the process! Let the knife do the work so that you don't need to use too much pressure.

Substitutions

Want to try this recipe but some of the ingredients don't work for you? Try these swaps!

• Milk - Use high-fat non-dairy milk if you don't want to use dairy! I highly recommend  Oatly oat milk (full-fat or regular would be ideal).
• Butter - Use a non-dairy butter like Country Crock's plant butter. A neutral oil (like coconut oil) would work well here too! I've also had great luck using that brand in frosting.
• Cream cheese - While I haven't tested using a cream cheese alternative, there are lots of great ones out there like Kite Hill's cream cheese. (If you try it out, let me know how it goes!)

Variations

Want to change things up a bit? Try these ideas!

• Berry frosting - use any berries of your choice in the frosting if you want to switch it up! Just follow the same process of blending, straining, and adding a measured amount of liquid to the frosting.
• Citrus filling - try swapping the lemon juice and zest in the filling with something like orange, lime, or grapefruit!

Equipment

• Stand mixer - for dough and frosting. (optional but recommended)
• Rolling pin.
• Small bowl - for mixing the filling.
• 18x12 inch baking dish.
• Parchment paper - for easy clean up.
• Small blender or food processor - for blending up the raspberries.
• Fine mesh strainer - for straining out the raspberry seeds before making the frosting.
• Zester or grater - for zesting the lemons

Storage

Since these rolls use cream cheese in the frosting, it is best to store these in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

With proper freezer-safe containers, these can freeze nicely for up to 3 months.

FAQ

Related recipes

Looking for other breakfast recipes like this? Try these:

More sweet treats

If sweets are on your brain, I've got you covered! Try these sweet treats:

Lemon Sweet Rolls With Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

If you are looking for a fun twist on a cinnamon roll recipe, then you need to try my lemon raspberry sweet rolls! These soft and fluffy breakfast rolls have a sweet, citrusy lemon filling and are topped with a fresh raspberry cream cheese frosting.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Resting time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 12 rolls

Equipment

• Stand Mixer - for dough and frosting. (optional but recommended)
• Rolling Pin
• small bowl - for mixing the filling.
• 18x12 inch baking dish.
• Parchment Paper - for easy cleanup.
• small blender or food processor - for blending up the raspberries.
• fine mesh strainer - for straining out the raspberry seeds before making the frosting.
• zester or grate - for zesting the lemons.

Ingredients

  

For the rolls:

• ¾ cup warm milk no more than 120F
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast one packet of yeast
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs room temperature preferred
• 4 ¼ cup bread flour 510g - all purpose flour works great too*
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoon milk powder optional
• ½ teaspoon cardamom optional

For the lemon filling:

• ¼ cup butter soft
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest about 2-3 lemons zested

For the raspberry cream cheese frosting:

• ¼ cup butter room temperature
• 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
• 3 tablespoon raspberry puree roughly 3 ounces of raspberries pureed and strained
• 4 cups of confectioners sugar use your judgement about how much to use, some like thinner frosting and some like thicker**

Instructions

 

• In a small sauce pan, heat ¼ cup of butter and ¾ cup whole milk until the butter melts. Let cool to 120 or less and add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the ⅓ cup of sugar and 2 ¼ teaspoon of yeast and stir with a fork. Let rest for roughly 5 minutes until the yeast has proofed (pictured)
• Mix the 4 cups of flour (use a kitchen scale for best results, salt, milk powder (optional) and cardamom (optional). Add the dry ingredients into the bowl with wet ingredients. Use a dough hook to combine the ingredients. Let the dough knead for 5-10 minutes or until in forms a cohesive, soft ball that doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl. I find I usually need closer to 4 ¼ cups to get my preferred results, so if you notice your dough sticking too much, add flour in 1 tablespoon at a time until you get the results you want. When the dough has finished kneading, place in a separate bowl and cover with a wet tea towel or cling wrap and let rest until doubled (roughly an hour).
• In a small blender or food processor, blend roughly ½ a cup of raspberries until smooth - this is about ½ or a 6oz container of raspberries (seeds are fine). Pour the puree into a fine mesh strainer over a small bowl. Use a small spoon or spatula to push the puree through the strainer so that only the seeds remain. I find that vigorously moving my spoon in circular motions helps move the process along faster. You will get about 3 tablespoon of puree.
• Using your stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. It is best to use soft/room-temperature ingredients here. Scrape down the sides of the bowling mix in the raspberry puree. Once thoroughly mixed, start adding your powdered sugar in 1 cup at a time until you reach your desired consistency. I personally like my frosting a bit runnier for this type of recipe, but if you like a thicker frosting you can easily add more to the mix.
• Once your dough has sufficiently proofed, roll it out onto a floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into an 18x12 inch rectangle. The dough will be roughly ¼ inch thick.

  In a small bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until combined. Spoon the mixture out onto your dough and rub it in with your hands (trust me, just use your hands). Then, roll the dough starting at the shorter, 12 inch side into a log.
• Cut the dough with a serrated knife into 12 1-inch thick pieces. Some people prefer to cut off and discard the ends of the log for a more uniform look. I don’t think this is necessary, but do whatever you like! Place in a parchment paper lined 18x12 baking dish and let rise again for 30-60 minutes. Once puffy, bake at 350F for 23-25 minutes or until it just barely starts to get golden on the edges. Let cool for 10 minutes or so before adding the frosting and topping with additional lemon zest. Enjoy!

Notes

1. *start with 4 cups and then gradually add in the final ¼ cup until the desired consistency is reached (soft, smooth, and not sticking to the sides of the bowl). PLEASE use a kitchen scale for the best results!
2. **Start with 2 cups of confectioners sugar and add more until you reach your preferred consistency. I prefer mine a bit runnier than a cake frosting for cinnamon rolls. Use your best judgment!

Keyword breakfast

Food safety

• Wash hands after touching raw batter. 
• Never leave a hot oven unattended.
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove (or oven).

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.