Easy Lemon Pull Apart Rolls Recipe - Creations by Kara (2024)

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Home » Recipe Index » Incredibly Easy Lemon Pull Apart Rolls

January 5, 2021 by Kara Cook 45 Comments

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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!

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!

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

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.
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.)
Zest and juice your lemon; set aside.
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.
Cover the rolls and let them rise till doubled. Mine took about 2 1/2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Sprinkle the remaining half of the lemon sugar mixture over the top of the raised rolls. Bake at 350° for about 25 minutes.
Whisk together the lemon juice and powdered sugar and drizzle over warm rolls.

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:

Lemon Drop Cakes
Lemon Brownies
Lemon Butter Cookies
Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
Lemon Sugar Cookies
Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread
Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

MORE TASTY SWEET ROLLS:

Gooey Cinnamon Rolls
Strawberry Cheesecake Rolls
Raspberry Rolls
Nutella Rolls
One Hour Cinnamon Rolls

WANT TO MAKE THIS LEMON PULL APART RECIPE?

PIN ITTO YOUR APPETIZER, PARTY OR HOLIDAY BOARD TO SAVE FOR LATER!

LEMON PULL APARTS

Yield: 2 dozen

Lemon Pull Apart Rolls

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

Prep Time15 minutes

Cook Time25 minutes

Additional Time2 hours

Total Time2 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

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

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a comment below and pin the recipe to Pinterest!

(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!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Meghan Bryant
December 24, 2022 at 2:26 pm
Has anyone prepared these the night before and then cooked them the next morning? How did you do it? Thanks!
Reply
- Kara Cook
  December 26, 2022 at 10:28 pm
  Because you have to thaw the rolls to cut them, it doesn’t work well to prepare them the night before. They over-rise, which changes the texture and the flavor.
  Reply
  See Also
  Best Homemade Toffee Recipe - Creations by Kara Cinnamon Eggnog Scones Recipe - Creations by Kara German Chocolate Cake – Recipe from Yummiest Food Cookbook Stamped Citrus Shortbread Recipe
Kellie H
April 23, 2021 at 1:29 pm
These are seriously so addicting…..and so easy to make. We love them!
Reply
- Kara Cook
  June 7, 2021 at 1:19 pm
  You’re right, they are so addicting!
  Reply
Natalie
April 23, 2021 at 1:12 pm
My family wants these for breakfast, dessert, you name it..all the time!! They just melt in your mouth & are so light & fluffy!!
Reply
Patti
February 20, 2020 at 4:05 pm
Which way do you cut the rolls in half?
Reply
- Kara Cook
  February 21, 2020 at 9:26 am
  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
Lauren Bowie
March 19, 2018 at 4:38 pm
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
Becky
January 5, 2018 at 9:22 am
I just discovered Rhodes Rolls and can’t wait to these!
Reply
Samantha
April 29, 2013 at 7:53 pm
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
  April 29, 2013 at 8:40 pm
  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
- Samantha
  April 29, 2013 at 9:18 pm
  Thank you! That really did help! Now they are rising nicely already!!!
  Reply
Renae
October 13, 2012 at 8:53 am
These are unbelievable!! You cannot stop eating them!
Reply
- Kara
  October 18, 2012 at 12:50 pm
  Yes, they are totally addicting and a diet buster! Thankfully I have four boys to help me out. 🙂
  Reply
Sue
July 7, 2012 at 7:45 am
Why do you cut them in half? So am I actually making 24 rolls?
Reply
See Also
Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe - Small Batch - ZagLeft
- Kara
  July 7, 2012 at 9:46 am
  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
Yvette
June 22, 2012 at 9:37 am
I made these a few days ago.. DELISH…!! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Reply
Jean
April 29, 2012 at 1:24 pm
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
  November 3, 2016 at 1:57 pm
  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
Shannon A
April 4, 2012 at 4:28 pm
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
- Kara
  April 5, 2012 at 10:04 am
  Shannon,
  We devoured ours before they had a chance to reach room temp, but I bet they would still be delicious!
  Reply
Jane @ Cottage at the Crossroads
March 27, 2012 at 5:20 pm
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
Melissa
March 8, 2012 at 10:49 pm
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
  March 12, 2012 at 8:20 pm
  Made these yesterday…takes about 30-45 minutes to rise…but well worth the wait! They are deliciously lemony!
  Reply
  - Kara
    March 12, 2012 at 11:25 pm
    So glad you tried and liked them! I totally agree that they are worth waiting for. 🙂
    Reply
- Peggy
  December 21, 2019 at 1:11 pm
  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
Gloria
February 4, 2012 at 9:47 pm
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
Ashley
January 27, 2012 at 7:50 pm
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
- Ashley
  January 27, 2012 at 8:21 pm
  Update. They were great! My husband loved them.! Thanks!
  Reply
Tracey
January 23, 2012 at 9:53 pm
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
LaurieBee
January 23, 2012 at 7:36 pm
Look wonderful! I’ll be trying them substituting the sugar for Splenda for Diabetic Dad.
Reply
Danielle
January 20, 2012 at 3:27 pm
I found my way here from Pinterest and so glad I did:) I can’t wait to try these even in the winter. Thank you for sharing! And lovely blog!
Reply
Melanie@Reasons to Skip the Housework
August 14, 2011 at 3:55 pm
Found this recipe on Pinterest….can’t wait to make them. I’m featuring them on my blog tomorrow…You should stop by!
Smiles,
Melanie
Reasons To Skip The Housework {The Blog}
Tinker B Boutique {The Shop}
{skipthehousework@hotmail.com}
Reply
Sweet Peas and Bumblebees
July 12, 2011 at 10:56 pm
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
Sissi
July 7, 2011 at 5:09 pm
These look amazing and I’m thinking I’ll have to try them soon! Thanks for sharing!
Reply
Kirsten
July 7, 2011 at 12:20 pm
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
- Laree
  January 23, 2012 at 9:44 pm
  Just make sure they’re a yeast roll! Rhodes are delicious, but I’m sure any yeast roll would do.
  Reply
Briana
July 7, 2011 at 9:41 am
Oh my goodness these look amazing!! I’m so making these tonight!! I would also love if you would share these at our {What I Made Wednesday} Linky Party!
Briana
Reply
Alison
July 6, 2011 at 4:03 pm
This looks DIVINE! My mouth is watering! I just featured your tutorial on my blog today. Here is the link:
http://www.oopseydaisyblog.com/2011/07/wednesdays-wowzers-woot-woot.html
YUM!
~Alison
Reply