These vanilla bean lemon rolls are everything. Pillowy soft, bursting with bright lemon flavor, and topped with the dreamiest lemon cream cheese frosting, they’re impossible to resist. But what really sets them apart? The subtle, warm notes of vanilla in every single layer. Trust us, they’re way easier to make than you think and sooo delicious.

Ingredients you’ll need

All-purpose flour: When measuring out the flour, use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup. This helps prevent overpacking and helps create a fluffy dough.
Granulated Sugar: Sugar adds sweetness to the dough and is also used in the filling.
Yeast: This recipe calls for instant yeast. If you’re using active dry yeast, add it to the milk and butter mixture with 1 tsp of sugar. Stir to combine and let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
Baking Powder: Baking powder is used to help the dough fluff up and rise.
Milk: Whole milk or 2% is recommended for this recipe.
Butter: You’ll need unsalted butter for the dough, filling, and frosting.
Egg: One egg is used to bind all of the ingredients together.
Vanilla Bean Paste: This is what gives the rolls those beautiful specks and rich flavor. We recommend Rising Star Baking Supply’s Organic Vanilla Bean Paste.
Heavy Cream: This is poured over the rolls after they’ve proofed. This helps create that soft, gooey center.
Lemons: You’ll need lemon zest and fresh lemon juice for the filling and frosting.
Cream Cheese: Make sure the it’s softened to avoid any lumps in the frosting.
Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar is used to stabilize and sweeten the frosting.

The Breakdown

01. Dough

The dough is soft, fluffy, and slightly sweet. It’s made with butter, milk, and a touch of sugar to keep it tender and melt-in-your-mouth.

02. Filling

The lemon sugar filling is bright and sweet, made with sugar, fresh lemon zest and juice, and Rising Star Vanilla Bean Paste.

03. Frosting

Our favorite part is the frosting. It’s a classic cream cheese frosting that’s elevated with lemon and vanilla flavor!

Fill, Roll, Slice, & Bake

Fill: To fill the dough, roll it out into a large rectangle and spread the lemon sugar filling all across the dough.
Roll: Starting from the long end, tightly roll up the dough into a log. Try to keep it even as you roll so the spirals come out uniform when baked.
Slice: For clean, round rolls (without squishing the layers), use a piece of thread or unflavored floss. Slide it under the log, cross the ends over the top, and pull. Alternatively, you can use a knife to cut. Repeat until you have 8 rolls, each about 2 inches wide.
Bake: Place the rolls into a 9×13 pan. Cover and let them proof for 30 minutes. Then, pour the heavy cream over the rolls and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and just set.

Recipe Tips

Room-temperature ingredients: Make sure your butter, milk, and cream cheese are at room temperature so the dough and frosting mix evenly.

Proofing: After you cut the rolls, allow them to proof until slightly puffy but not over-proofed, otherwise they may collapse in the oven. About 30 minutes is usually perfect.

Make ahead: You can assemble the rolls the night before, cover them tightly, and let them proof in the fridge overnight. Bake them fresh in the morning. The rolls can also be frozen for up to a month. When ready to bake, let them rise at room temperature (about 1 1/2-2 hours).

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Vanilla Bean Lemon Rolls

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Rise Time 1 30

Total Time 2 10

Course Dessert

Servings rolls

Ingredients

Dough

3/4 cup whole milk
4 tbsp unsalted butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp instant yeast*
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg room temp.
2 tsp Rising Star Vanilla Bean Paste
1/4 cup heavy cream

Filling

1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
2 tsp Rising Star Vanilla Bean Paste

Frosting

8 oz cream cheese softened
1/3 cup unsalted butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tbsp lemon zest
2 tsp Rising Star Vanilla Bean Paste

Instructions

To make the dough

Microwave the milk and butter for 30 seconds until the milk is warm and the butter is melted. Then, add the yeast and 1 tsp sugar. Stir once to combine then let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the flour, sugar, yeast, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined, then add the milk/butter mixture, egg, and vanilla. (You can also use a wooden spoon to mix until combined)
Mix on medium speed until the dough comes together and forms a ball. Gradually increase to high speed and knead for 10 more minutes. The dough should be smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (You can also use your hands to knead the dough for 10 minutes)
Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until doubled in size.

Make the filling

Meanwhile, make the filling by mixing the butter, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla until combined. Set aside.

Roll out, proof, and bake

Once the dough has risen, generously dust a surface with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 12×16 inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Spread the filling into an even layer. Starting from the long end, tightly roll up the dough into a log.
Use a piece of thread or unflavored floss. Slide it under the log, cross the ends over the top, and pull. Alternatively, you can use a knife to cut. Repeat until you have 8 rolls, each about 2 inches wide.
Place the rolls into a 9×13 pan and let proof for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350℉.
Once the rolls are proofed, warm the heavy cream in the microwave for 15 seconds and pour over the rolls. Bake at 350℉ for 20-25 minutes.

Make the frosting

Using an electric handheld mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. Beat on medium-high until fluffy and spreadable, about 2 minutes.
Allow the rolls to cool for 10 minutes then spread the frosting on top.

Notes

If using active dry yeast, add it to the milk and butter mixture with 1 tsp of sugar. Stir to combine and let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy.

Keyword cinnamon, cinnamon rolls

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