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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!
The best part of this recipe is how it tastes. It is full of lovely lemon flavor. 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! After I made them, my husband tried them and loved them too. I had boxed up some for him to take over to the neighbors and after tasting them he added more to the box. Not because he didn’t like them but because he loved them and he knew he would be way to tempted to eat them all.
Frozen Roll Dough
I used Rhodes frozen rolls for these lemon pull apart rolls but if you can’t find that brand use what is available. If you are feeling energetic you can totally make your own roll dough.
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.
- 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.
- I like to use my 10 inch cast iron skillet every chance I get so that is what I used. If you don’t have one, you should! But you can also use a deep dish pie pan too.
- Cut the rolls in half and lay them into the pan. Pour melted butter over the top.
- Sprinkle half of the lemon sugar mixture over the top. Cover them with plastic wrap.
- Set the rolls in a nice warm location and let them rise for an hour or so or until they double in size. Then sprinkle the other half of the sugar mixture on top. They should look like this.
- Place in the oven and bake until they are baked through and nice and golden brown.
- While they are baking, mix up the lemon glaze combing powdered sugar, melted butter and lemon juice until you have a nice drizzling consistency.
- Remove the rolls from the oven and let them cool for five minutes before adding the glaze.
Easy Pull Apart Lemon Rolls
Aren’t they pretty!? They will look perfect sitting on your brunch or breakfast table. I serve them right out of the cast iron pan.
The sugar creates a nice crunch, lemony texture on top and the inside of the roll is soft and sweet.
Let’s just say I ate my fair share before my husband delivered them to the neighbors. I probably really should thank him for sharing them or I would have definitely eaten them all! Make these lemon pull apart rolls now and thank me later.
For all of my other favorite kitchen products and tools visit my Amazon Store.
Some of my other favorite recipes made with frozen rolls:
- Quick and Easy Orange Rolls
- Everything Bagel Seasoning Pull Apart Rolls
- Magleby’s Rolls
- Garlic Cheese Pull Apart Bread
Lemon Pull Apart Rolls
Ingredients
- 12 frozen dinner rolls thawed but still cold
- zest from 2 whole lemons
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup butter melted
Citrus Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Mix lemon zest with sugar.
- Cut rolls in half and place in a 10-inch cast iron pan or 9×13-inch sprayed baking pan.
- Drizzle 1/4 cup melted butter over rolls.
- Sprinkle with lemon zest/sugar mixture, reserving 1/2 of mixture to sprinkle on just before baking.
- Cover with sprayed plastic wrap. Let rise until double in size.
- Remove wrap. Sprinkle on remaining mixture.
- Bake at 350°F 20-25 minutes. Remove immediately from pan and place on cooling rack.
- Combine glaze ingredients and mix well. Drizzle over pull-aparts.
Nutrition Facts:
Gena Norris says
Can’t wait to try those Lemon rolls. Perfect for summer.
Rachelle says
What else do you love your cast iron skillet for? Trying to see if I would use it a ton??
Thanks!!
Leigh Anne says
Rachelle, I use mine a ton. I love to make cornbread in it, focaccia bread (recipes on the blog). I also do egg frittata, puff up pancake and just scramble eggs in it. Those are a few off the top of my head. Love that I can use it on the stove top and in the oven.
Nick Hedrick says
What do you mean cut rolls in half? Do not see a pic of this actual step? Cut them in the middle or not use the whole pan of rolls?
Leigh Anne says
Just take a pair of scissors and snip the ball of bread dough in half into two pieces.
kappyblu says
Made these tonight and they are AMAZING!!!!!!! Thank you for sharing them.
Leigh Anne says
So glad you loved them too!!
Scarlett says
I so want to try these. Do you know of any gluten rolls I could use? And thanks for this receipt.
Leigh Anne says
I am on the search for gluten free roll dough – no luck yet.