Easy Lemon Rolls
These easy lemon rolls are unbelievably light, with an airy texture and a refreshingly lemony flavor. The crunchy topping offsets the tender bite inside perfectly.
Servings: 12 rolls
Ingredients
- 12 frozen white dinner rolls, raw, unbaked dough, such as Rhodes frozen dinner rolls
- lemon zest, of one large lemon
- ½ cup white sugar
- 3 TB salted butter, melted
- butter, for greasing
For the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 TB fresh lemon juice, slightly more or less, depending on desired consistency
Instructions
- Thaw frozen dinner rolls just until no longer frozen but still cold - not yet risen.
- Butter a 9x13 baking pan or two round cake pans. Cut rolls in half and arrange in pan cut-side down, 1/2 inch apart. Drizzle with melted butter, evenly over rolls.
- Mix lemon zest and sugar together in a bowl. Sprinkle a third of the zest/sugar mixture evenly over the rolls.
- Cover and let rise until rolls are doubled in size, approx. 1 hour, depending on your room temp. (Tip: I covered my baking pan with an equal-sized baking pan in lieu of cling wrap, to give room for rolls to rise upward.)
- Preheat oven to 350F, with rack on lower middle. Carefully sprinkle remaining zest/sugar mixture evenly over the rolls.
- Bake 16-18 minutes or just until golden.
- Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over warm rolls. Serve warm.
Notes
- If baked the night before, let the rolls cool completely. Cover and let sit at room temp until ready to reheat.
- To ensure your easy lemon rolls turn out perfect, make sure to only thaw the frozen dinner rolls until they are no longer frozen but still cold. This will allow them to rise properly and maintain a light, fluffy texture.
- Butter your baking pan before arranging the rolls. This will not only prevent them from sticking, but also add a delicious buttery flavor to the rolls.
- When letting the rolls rise, cover them with an equal-sized baking pan or tea towel to give them room to rise upward. This will help to keep the heat around the rolls and prevent them from drying out.
- Be sure to sprinkle the remaining zest and sugar mixture over the rolls just before baking. This will give them a beautiful, golden crust and a sweet, citrusy flavor.
- For the glaze, drizzle it over the rolls while they are still warm. This allows the glaze to seep into the rolls, keeping them moist and adding a wonderfully sweet and tangy lemon flavor.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 110kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 0.04g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 23mg | Potassium: 4mg | Fiber: 0.01g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 88IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.01mg