Lemon Pull Apart Rolls

By: Leigh Anne WilkesPosted: 2/20/25Updated: 2/20/25

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These lovely lemon pull apart rolls are a piece of heaven and they literally melt in your mouth! Making them with frozen rolls makes them so easy!

cast iron pan full of lemon pull apart rolls

Why You’ll Love This Recipe!

Amazing Lemon Flavor! The best part of this lemon pull-apart bread is how it tastes. It is full of lovely lemon flavor.

So Easy to Make! The second best part is how easy the recipe is because it uses frozen roll dough! I actually found this recipe over at the Rhodes website and it was love at first site and first taste!

Great Texture: The sugar creates a nice crunchy, lemony texture on top and the inside of the roll is soft and sweet.

No Yeast Involved! Because these rolls are made with store bought, frozen roll dough there is no instant yeast or dry ingredients involved!

baked lemon pull apart rolls in a black cast iron pan

Ingredients Needed

Frozen Dinner Rolls. I use Rhodes frozen rolls but you can use other brands. Each roll weighs about 1.3 oz. See below if you prefer to make your own roll dough.
Lemons
Granulated Sugar
Butter, salted
Powdered Sugar

How to Make Lemon Pull Apart Rolls

Remove frozen rolls from freezer, place on a baking sheet or plate and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to thaw at room temperature. You want them to be thawed but still cold. Depending on the temperature of your house, this will take around 1 1/2 hours. I used 12 rolls for my 10 inch cast iron skillet pan.

making lemon sugar with lemon zest and sugar

Mix up lemon sugar mixture by combining sugar and lemon zest. Stir together with a fork or spoon, you can even use your fingers to rub the lemon zest into the sugar so it gets infused into the sugar.
Cut the rolls in half with a pair of scissors and lay them into the pan. Pour melted butter over the top.

rolls placed in cast iron pan and butter poured over them.

Sprinkle half of the lemon sugar mixture over the top. Cover them with plastic wrap.

sugar sprinkled over rolls and rolls rising in pan

Set the rolls in a nice warm place and let them rise for an hour or until they double in size.
Sprinkle the other half of the sugar mixture on top after they have risen.

lemon pull apart rolls in a cast iron pan, golden brown

Bake at 350 degree F until they are nice and golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
Combine powdered sugar, melted butter and lemon juice until you have a nice drizzling consistency.
Remove the rolls from the oven and cool for five minutes, then glaze.

pouring glaze over top of lemon pull apart rolls

Tips from leigh Anne

Don’t let the rolls start to rise before you cut them in half, they should be still cold and just thawed. Time will vary depending on how warm your house is.
Enjoy this delicious great warm, I think that is the way it is best enjoyed!
If you prefer to make your own homemade dough, form your rolls into 1.3 oz. balls after the first rise and then cut them in half and continue with recipe as written.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to store leftover pull apart lemon rolls?

Keep them stored at room temperature in an airtight container. They will stay fresh for up to 3 days.

How do I rewarm pull apart rolls?

Place on a microwave safe plate and put them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.

Can I make these into a cinnamon roll pull apart bread?

Absolutely! Instead of the lemon sugar and zest, mix together sugar and cinnamon and use that.

Some of my other favorite recipes bread recipes:

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