These no knead lemon sweet rolls are soft, fluffy, filled with tangy gooey lemon curd and topped with a creamy sour cream frosting. They're the perfect easy and tangy cinnamon rolls to make for breakfast and brunch. Plus, you don't need a stand mixer to make them since they involve no kneading! You can use homemade lemon curd for the filling, or store bought for a shortcut. The sour cream frosting is super fluffy, a little tangy, and makes the perfect topping. I swirled some lemon curd in with the frosting for even more lemony tang.
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🍋 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Tangy lemon: The lemon curd in the filling and swirled into the frosting create really tangy and lemony rolls.
- Easy no knead dough: You don't need to knead the dough to get soft and fluffy rolls.
- Sour cream frosting: Super fluffy, rich, and tangy - she's like cream cheese frosting's sister. Perfect for these lemon sweet rolls.
- Overnight roll instructions included: If you want fresh rolls without most of the work in the morning, this recipe has an option for overnight lemon sweet rolls.
📝 Key ingredients
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
Lemon curd: Lemon curd makes a super tangy and gooey filling that's packed full of lemon flavor! I personally think that homemade lemon curd has the best flavor - but store bought lemon curd is a great shortcut. If you're looking for lemony rolls without lemon curd, you'll love my zesty and tangy raspberry rolls.
You can also try these rolls using my blueberry curd, strawberry curd, and raspberry curd recipes.
Cornstarch: This thickens up the lemon curd filling a bit and helps it create a thick, gooey filling without oozing out.
Lemon zest: A bit of lemon zest in the dough creates a fragrant, zesty dough.
Heavy cream: It gets poured onto the rolls, steaming them when they get cooked creating soft and fluffy, gooey rolls. It really prevents them from being dry! Heavy cream, whipping cream, and even half and half will work in this recipe.
Butter: The dough has quite a bit of butter in it, helping create fluffy rolls that won’t dry out as the bake.
Sour cream: Creates the fluffiest frosting with a bit of tang. It’s like cream cheese frosting but more subtle and fluffier.
👩🍳 How to make lemon sweet rolls
No knead dough step by step
Step 1: Pour warm water in a medium bowl. Add sugar and yeast and whisk to dissolve. Let sit for 8- 10 minutes until you see a thick foam form on top.
If a foam doesn't form, then the yeast isn't active and you need to try with another container or packet of yeast.
Step 2: Sift the flour into a separate large bowl. Make a well in the middle and add sugar, salt, warm milk, eggs, softened butter, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and the bloomed yeast mixture.
Using a Danish whisk or a large spoon, slowly incorporate the flour into the wet mixture in the middle. Keep mixing and switch to mixing with your hands as the mixture forms into a dough. Once it comes together and looks like a shaggy, sticky dough - cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 45-55 minutes, until puffed and doubled in size.
Step 3: Once risen, lift up one edge of the dough and lift it over the rest of the dough. Repeat 6 times until the dough is deflated. Knead it with your hands a few times to form a smooth ball.
Optional: Let the dough rise again, for about 25 minutes (until doubled) and repeat the stretch and fold process. The second rise helps the dough get super soft and buttery. You can do without it but I do recommend it!
Step 4: Transfer the dough onto a clean, floured surface. Roll it out into a large rectangle. While you roll it out, pull the corners out to help create a rectangular shape.
Filling and shaping step by step
Step 1: In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon curd and cornstarch.
Step 2: Spread the curd mixture on top of the dough in an even layer. Starting with the longer edge, gently roll the dough into a long and tight roll.
Step 3: Mark the roll into 12 equal pieces with a knife. Use a piece of unflavored floss or thin cotton string to wrap around the roll. Pull the string to cut the roll into individual rolls.
Step 4: Place each cut roll into a buttered 8" by 12" rectangular baking pan. Let rise for about 15 minutes for the rolls to fill out the gaps in the pan a little better.
While they rise, preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C).
Pour heavy cream over the rolls and bake for 25 -30 minutes - until the rolls are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool. Work on the frosting while they cool.
Sour cream frosting step by step
Step 1: Add the softened butter into a large bowl or stand mixer. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Add powdered sugar, salt, and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and beat again. The longer you beat the frosting, the fluffier it'll be - I beat mine for about 5 minutes.
Step 2: Add sour cream, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Beat well, the frosting will become very light and fluffy.
Step 3: Spread the frosting onto the warm rolls and add dollops of lemon curd. Swirl them together with a spatula. Serve while warm or at room temperature.
✔️ Expert no knead roll tips
- Let the dough rise enough: This ensures soft and fluffy lemon sweet rolls. And if you have time, don't skip the second rise! It takes extra time but it's inactive time so you don't have to actively work on it.
- Use homemade lemon curd: I love using my homemade lemon curd recipe because it's so tangy, zesty and flavorful. Store-bought lemon curd will also work, but homemade is just so delicious!
- Measure flour properly: It's best to weigh the flour with a scale - this is the most accurate method. If you don't have a scale, carefully scoop the flour into a measuring cup and use the flat handle of a spoon or side of a knife to scrape excess flour off.
🥄 Make ahead overnight rolls
These lemon rolls can be prepped the night before and left to rise in the fridge overnight. Once the rolls are rolled up, cut, and you place them in the pan - tightly cover the pan with wrap or a lid, and refrigerate overnight. They'll rise in the fridge. I don't recommend having them in the fridge for longer than 10 hours because they might rise too much! Pour cream on the rolls before baking and bake according to the recipe instructions.
🥫 Frosted rolls storage
Leftover baked rolls need to be stored in the fridge. Refrigerate wrapped tightly or in an airtight container for up to 4 days. I recommend reheating the rolls briefly in a microwave or gently in the oven so that they get all gooey and soft again. You can also freeze the rolls for up to 3 months in an airtight bag or container.
📖 Recipe FAQs
The key is giving the dough enough time to rise. And if you have time to do a second rise - that's even better! After they rise, you stretch and fold the dough with your hands to help form the gluten quickly without needing to spend a lot of time kneading it. The cinnamon roll dough is enriched with a similar texture and flavor to brioche - but way easier to make.
Yes you can, this is a great shortcut to use. I do recommend homemade over store-bought just because it is usually more flavorful and actually quite easy to make.
This can be because of a few things. Firstly, you should have checked if the yeast was active when blooming it in the first step. If a foam formed, then it will be still be active and you can rule that out. Secondly, the dough is enriched meaning that it has more sugar, eggs, and butter than the average dough. This may make it a little more difficult to rise. It might need some more time and more help. Place it in a warmer area to help it rise - like a sunny windowsill or beside a heater. Just make sure that the temperature stays below 122oF (50oC). Anything higher and you risk killing the yeast.
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📖 Recipe
Lemon Rolls with Lemon Curd
Equipment
- electric mixer for the frosting
Ingredients
Dough
- ½ cup water warm
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast 1 packet, or 7 g
- 5 cups all purpose flour 600g
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup milk warm
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup butter softened
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest from about 1 lemon, save juice for the frosting
Filling and Shaping
- 1 cup lemon curd
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
Frosting
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ¼ cup lemon curd for swirling
Instructions
Dough
- Pour warm water in a medium bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and the yeast, whisk to dissolve. Let sit for 8-10 minutes until you see a thick foam form on top. If a foam doesn't form, then the yeast isn't active and you need to try with another container or packet of yeast.½ cup water, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- Sift the flour into a separate large bowl. Make a well in the middle and add sugar, salt, warm milk, eggs, softened butter, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and the bloomed yeast mixture.5 cups all purpose flour, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon sea salt, ¾ cup milk, 2 large eggs, ¾ cup butter, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Whisk the ingredients in the middle of the well together. Using a danish whisk or a large spoon, slowly incorporate the flour into the wet mixture in the middle. Keep mixing and switch to mixing with your hands as the mixture forms into a dough. Once it comes together and looks like a shaggy, sticky dough - cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 45-55 minutes, until puffed and doubled in size.
- Once risen, lift up one edge of the dough and lift it over the rest of the dough. Repeat 6 times until the dough is deflated and forms a smooth ball.
- Transfer the dough onto a clean, floured surface. Roll it out into a large rectangle. While you roll it out, pull the corners out to help create a rectangular shape.
Filling & Shaping
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon curd and cornstarch.1 cup lemon curd, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Spread the curd mixture on top of the dough in an even layer. Starting with the longer edge, gently roll the dough into a long and tight roll.
- Mark the roll into 12 equal pieces with a knife. Use a piece of unflavored floss or thin cotton string to wrap around the roll. Pull to cut the roll into individual rolls.
- Place each cut roll into a buttered 8" by 12" rectangular baking pan. Let rise for about 15 minutes for the rolls to fill out the gaps in the pan a little better. While they rise, preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C).
- Pour heavy cream over the rolls and bake for 25 -30 minutes - until the rolls are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool. Work on the frosting while they cool.⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
Frosting
- Add the softened butter into a large bowl or stand mixer. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.½ cup butter
- Add powdered sugar, salt, and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and beat again. The longer you beat the frosting, the fluffier it'll be - I beat mine for about 5 minutes.2 cups powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Add sour cream, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Beat well, the frosting will become very light and fluffy.¼ cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Spread the frosting onto the warm rolls and add dollops of lemon curd. Swirl them together with a spatula. Serve while warm or at room temperature.¼ cup lemon curd
Video
Notes
- Let the dough rise enough and don't skip the second rise for the softest rolls
- Use homemade lemon curd for the best flavor
- Measure flour using a scale
Mandy
Im not a natural baker but the feedback I got from my church when I made a batch of 24 was a huge ego boost! The recipe was well explained and easy to follow and I would definately recommend this recipe. Its utterly yummy! Thankyou!
Mandy
Made 24 for our childrens church group...they were really light, fragrant and looked amazing . Feedback..they were heavenly so I went to try one 5 minutes later but they had all gone! Def will do this one again ...Thankyou so much.