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Incredibly Easy Lemon Pull Apart Rolls

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Made with frozen dough, these Lemon Pull Apart Rolls couldn’t be easier! They have a crunchy lemon sugar topping, and a drizzle of lemon icing. People can’t get enough of these lemon sweet rolls!

easy lemon rolls title photo

 

SUPER EASY LEMON ROLLS

I am a big fan of lemon baked goods, and these lemon rolls are one of the easiest recipes in my lemon collection. You only need five ingredients!

I love the taste of lemon, especially during the hot summer months.  These lemon rolls start with frozen dough, so they are super simple to make. But don’t tell anyone, and they will never know. They look and taste like you slaved in a hot kitchen for hours.

The lemon zest is what gives them amazing flavor, so don’t leave it out.  These would be perfect for a summer brunch, or at a baby or bridal shower. They look just as good as they taste!

 Looking at the photo of these lemon pull-aparts makes me want to bake up another batch. They are sooo yummy!
close up of lemon pull apart rolls with lemon glaze

HOW TO MAKE LEMON PULL APART ROLLS

INGREDIENTS NEEDED:

  • frozen dinner rolls (I use Rhodes rolls.)
  •  fresh lemon zest
  • granulated sugar
  • powdered sugar
  • fresh lemon juice

step by step instruction photos for making lemon pull apart rolls

  1. Take the rolls out of the freezer, cover them and let them thaw at room temperature. It usually takes 1 1/2 – 2 hours, but it depends on the temperature of your kitchen.
  2. Cut rolls in half and place cut side down in a greased 9×13″ pan. (I like to use kitchen shears, but a really sharp knife will also work.)
  3. Zest and juice your lemon; set aside.
  4. Melt the butter and pour it over the rolls. Mix together the granulated sugar and lemon zest and sprinkle just HALF of it over the buttered rolls.
  5. Cover the rolls and let them rise till doubled. Mine took about 2 1/2 hours.
  6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
  7. Sprinkle the remaining half of the lemon sugar mixture over the top of the raised rolls. Bake at 350° for about 25 minutes.
  8. Whisk together the lemon juice and powdered sugar and drizzle over warm rolls.

pan of lemon sweet rolls with glaze

We think these sweet rolls are best served warm, but if you have any leftovers, you can store them at room temperature. Just cover them tightly with plastic wrap and they will last for 4-5 days.

PRO TIPS

  • To get the most juice out of lemons, roll them on the counter while pressing down firmly. This breaks up the fibers and releases more juice.
  • For best flavor, you must use fresh lemon zest, not dried. Frozen zest works great. Fresh lemon juice is also a must.
  • If you are in a hurry and need your rolls to raise faster, heat your oven to the lowest setting. (Mine is 170°.) Turn the oven off, then place the covered rolls in the warm oven. The texture isn’t as great as if they raise at room temperature, and you have to watch them closely, but it does shave off a fair amount of time.

LOVE LEMON? TRY THESE RECIPES:

MORE TASTY SWEET ROLLS:

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LEMON PULL APARTS

Yield: 2 dozen

Lemon Pull Apart Rolls

plate of lemon pull aparts with glaze

These melt in your mouth citrus rolls are a perfect blend of sweet and tangy. And they are so easy to make!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

Rolls

  • 12 Rhodes dinner rolls, thawed but still cold (you can find them in the freezer section)
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 Tbsp butter, melted

Glaze:

  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice (more or less)

Instructions

  1. Cut rolls in half and place cut side down in a greased 9x13" pan. Drizzle with the melted butter.
  2. Mix lemon zest and sugar together in a small bowl. Sprinkle HALF of the lemon sugar mixture over the rolls.
  3. Cover with plastic wrap and let raise till doubled. Since the dough is still cold, it can take 2-3 hours.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  5. Sprinkle remaining lemon sugar mixture on top of the rolls.
  6. Bake at 350° for about 20-25 minutes.
  7. Whisk together glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle over rolls while still warm.

Notes

-If you can't find frozen roll dough in your area, you can use homemade dough and it works just fine.

-If you like lots of icing on your rolls, double the icing recipe.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 148Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 170mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 3g
© Kara
Cuisine: American / Category: Bread: Yeast Bread

(originally published 6/13/2011, updated January 2021)

If you love lemon baked goods, you must try these lemon pull aparts. With just a few simple ingredients, you can make a wonderful lemon treat that will have everyone begging for more!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Natalie

    My family wants these for breakfast, dessert, you name it..all the time!! They just melt in your mouth & are so light & fluffy!!

    Reply

    • Kara Cook

      The rolls are round, so when you cut them in half, you should have two half circles. I like to place them in the pan cut side down, but it doesn’t matter to much.

      Reply

  4. Lauren Bowie

    I want to make this for Easter brunch, do you think I can somehow incorporate blueberries into this recipe? How would you do it?

    Reply

  6. Samantha

    HELP! They are not rising!!! They have been sitting for an hour in the mixture and haven’t risen yet! What can I do to make this move along? Do they have to rise in the fridge?? That seemed counter productive to the melted butter….

    Reply

    • Kara

      To make them rise a little faster, turn your oven on to the lowest setting. (Usually 175-200°) After it has heated, turn the oven OFF. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and place them in the oven. The warm air will speed up the process. For even better results, place a saucepan with about a cup of boiling water on the bottom rack of the oven when you place your pan in. Helps prevent them from drying out. Hope that helps! 🙂

      Reply

    • Kara

      You cut them in half so that there is more surface area for the yummy lemon topping to stick to. And they are easier to eat all cute and bite sized. 🙂

      Reply

  10. Jean

    Hi Kara, The Lemon Pull Aparts look so good but I am not fond of lemon and I’m not very good at redoing a recipe. Could you tell me how to make them into just plain old cinnamon, brownsugar pull aparts. Thanks so much. Jean

    Reply

    • J

      I would nix the zest over the rolls and instead add 1t of cinnamon or apple pie spice. For the glaze sub water (with a touch of cinnamon…)

      Reply

  11. Shannon A

    Can’t wait to make these! For those who have made them, would they be just as good if at room temp or should they be served hot/warm? Thanks! 🙂

    Reply

  12. Jane @ Cottage at the Crossroads

    Hi Kara,
    Saw these on Pinterest and clicked over to see the recipe. I am so glad I did because I always have Rhodes dinner rolls in my freezer. I use them to make Pioneer Woman’s Rosemary Rolls. I will try these soon. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

  13. Melissa

    These look so yummy! We’re going to try them this weekend. Can someone give me an idea of about how long they take to rise?

    Reply

    • Anonymous

      Made these yesterday…takes about 30-45 minutes to rise…but well worth the wait! They are deliciously lemony!

      Reply

    • Peggy

      Never has “delicious” been this easy to bake. This is absolutely the best recipe I have tried in a very long time and hands down the easiest to make. I had to give them away to neighbors just so my husband I would not devour all 24 rolls before they had a chance to cool. Love, love, love lemon and the lemon in these is fabulous. I am already thinking about when to bake them again. Thank you so much for this recipe. Already a family favorite.

      Reply

  14. Gloria

    Greetings, it took me a year and a day to find this blog! I saw this recipe on Pinterest, and re-pinned, but with the way they have revamped it now, I couldn’t find where to locate your recipe. But I’m glad I found you, and thank you for sharing! This looks delicious and I am looking forward to trying it one day.
    Best,
    Gloria

    Reply

  15. Ashley

    These look so yummy. However the directions to prepare them are kinda fuzzy. I wasn’t sure which way to cut the roll and how long it usually takes for them to rise. So I just winged it and they are in the oven now. Can’t wait to taste them.

    Reply

  16. Tracey

    Wow the look mouth watering. Pity we can’t get those frozen rolls here in Australia. I am sure these would have been a favorite of mime.

    Reply

  20. Sweet Peas and Bumblebees

    We are featuring these yummy treats at the start of our new What I Made Wednesday Party tomorrow! Thanks for linking up! Come and grab a button and link up your latest & greatest!

    Alisa @ Sweet Peas and Bumblebees
    sweetpeasandbb.blogspot.com

    Reply

  22. Kirsten

    Hmm…these look fantastic! My husband loves lemon anything so this will be a hit for sure. I don’t know if I can get Rhodes dinner rolls here in Canada? I’ve never heard of that brand…I guess any brand would do??
    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

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