Lemon Cream Cheese Sweet Rolls are tangy and sweet with a hint of cream cheese, and easy to make using frozen dough.
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Spring and lemon desserts belong together, and these Lemon Cream Cheese Sweet Rolls capture that bright flavor. Soft dough, creamy lemon-tinged filling, and a simple glaze make these rolls a perfect treat for brunch or a sunny weekend breakfast.
The weather has been unpredictable where I live — weeks of snow and cancelled school days followed by heavy rain and flooding, and now warm, sunny days. Lemon desserts always lift my mood when winter drags on. Their bright, citrus flavor feels like sunshine on a plate.
Now that the weather has improved, we’re out exploring again — stroller walks and bike rides are back on the calendar. These Lemon Cream Cheese Sweet Rolls are an ideal follow-up to a morning outdoors: comforting, tangy, and slightly indulgent without being fussy.
They’re also wonderfully simple to prepare using Rhodes frozen dough. No need to fuss over yeast or long rise times — just thaw, roll, fill, let rise briefly, bake, and top with glaze. The result is bakery-style rolls with minimal effort.
These rolls are perfect for holiday brunches like Easter or any weekend when you want a special, homemade pastry without the fuss. Serve them warm so the creamy lemon filling and fresh glaze melt into the soft dough.
Lemon Cream Cheese Sweet Rolls
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Ingredients
Rolls:
- 1 loaf Rhodes White Bread, thawed and slightly risen
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Glaze:
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 ½ Tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
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Roll the thawed dough into a large rectangle about 12 inches by 18 inches. Lightly dust with flour if it becomes sticky.
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In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest with an electric mixer until smooth.
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Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border at the edges. A bit of filling leftover is fine.
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Starting from a long side, roll the dough into a tight log, sealing the seam and placing the roll seam-side down on parchment or a silicone mat. Use unflavored floss to cut the log into 12 even pieces—criss-cross the floss under and over the dough and pull outwards to slice without squashing the rolls. Dust the floss with flour if it sticks.
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Transfer the parchment or mat to a baking sheet and arrange the rolls in three rows of four, about 1 inch apart. Cover loosely with sprayed plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
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Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until golden. Let the rolls rest 5 minutes. Whisk the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest into a thick glaze, then spoon it over the warm rolls. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
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