These lemon flavored cinnamon rolls are soft and sweet. The rolls need just 3 ingredients and don’t require any yeast, eggs, or proofing. They are easier to prepare than classic cinnamon rolls and ready in about one hour.
Lemon cinnamon rolls with lemon zest on top

I love eating homemade cinnamon rolls, but I don’t often have time to make them the traditional way, which usually requires using yeast and proofing the dough. This shortcut recipe is an easy way to make cinnamon rolls without all the work.

Ingredients

  • Self-rising flour
  • Lemon yogurt
  • Cinnamon sugar butter

Self-rising flour: Self-rising flour is a flour blend that already has a leavening agent and sodium added to it, saving a few extra preparation steps. Since these rolls don’t use any yeast, they rely on the leavening agent in the self-rising flour to rise. You can also make a homemade self-rising flour blend with all purpose flour, baking powder and salt.

Lemon yogurt: You need to use either Greek yogurt or Icelandic Skyr yogurt for this recipe. Regular yogurt will make the dough too sticky to work with. Lemon flavored Greek yogurt or lemon flavored Skyr yogurt gives the dough lemon flavor and a light sweetness.

Cinnamon sugar butter: Cinnamon sugar butter is butter that is already mixed with cinnamon sugar. I love using these spreads or butter sticks when I make cinnamon rolls or similar baked goods that need cinnamon sugar and butter because they are very convenient. There are a few brands that offer this product. If you don’t have cinnamon sugar butter available, you can also just make the filling with unsalted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.

If desired, you can also top the rolls with icing. However, the rolls are already sweet on their own so you can also skip the icing if you prefer to make them a little healthier or want to reduce the amount of sugar.

How to Make Lemon Cinnamon Rolls

  • The self-rising flour and yogurt are mixed together until a dough forms. Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out into a 9 x 12 inch rectangle.
  • Spread the cinnamon sugar butter across the dough.
  • Place the dough into the fridge for about 15 minutes to allow it to firm up enough to make it easier to roll.
  • Starting from the long end of the dough, roll the dough tightly into a log. Place the dough into the fridge briefly for another 10-15 minutes so it is firm enough to slice easily.
  • Using cooking twine or dental floss, slice the dough into 7 equal rolls. Place the rolls into your prepared baking pan.
  • Bake the rolls for about 30-35 minutes or until done. Allow the rolls to cool before eating. You can also add a glaze or frosting before serving.

Cinnamon rolls in a baking dish

Expert Tips

  • This cinnamon roll dough is soft on the inside but not as fluffy as classic cinnamon roll dough. It is only lightly sweet since you get more sweetness from the filling and if you add icing on top.
  • If you want a stronger lemon flavor, you can also add a little lemon juice and/or zest to the dough. If you want to do this, I would recommend 2 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tsp lemon zest.
  • This recipe makes large cinnamon rolls. If you prefer smaller cinnamon rolls, you can cut the dough into more pieces.
  • If you like having more layers of swirls, roll the dough up from the short side instead of the long side.

A lemon cinnamon roll on a plate

More Cinnamon Roll Recipes

Recipe Save - Raptive

Envelope icon

WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?

Enter your email and we'll send it straight to your inbox!

Plus, you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!

I’d like to receive more tips & recipes from Kirbie's Cravings.

5 from 4 votes

3 Ingredient Lemon Cinnamon Rolls

These lemon flavored cinnamon rolls are easy to prepare and don't require any yeast or proofing. They only require 3 ingredients and you can have homemade cinnamon rolls in about one hour.
Servings: 7 rolls
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups (315g) self rising flour, see note before starting
  • 1 1/2 cups (371g) lemon Icelandic Skyr yogurt, see note
  • 4-8 tbsp (56-112g) cinnamon sugar butter, softened to very, very soft (see note)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease an 8-inch round baking pan with non-stick cooking spray (you can also use an 8-inch ceramic pie dish). Make sure you use a solid one piece pan rather than a springform pan because the filling will leak through a springform pan.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt and flour. Stir with a spatula until a cohesive dough forms. If needed, use your hands to mix until a dough forms. If dough is too sticky, add a little more flour. If it's too dry, add a little more yogurt.
  • Lightly flour a large pastry board or cutting board and your rolling pin. Roll the dough out into an approximate 9 x 12 inch rectangle.
  • Using an offset spatula, spread cinnamon sugar butter across the dough. I recommend starting with 4 tbsp and adding more if desired for a thicker layer of filling. Place the dough into the fridge for about 15 minutes to help it firm up enough to roll.
  • Once the dough is firmer, starting from the long/wide (12-inch) end of the dough, roll it up tightly to form a log, sealing it along the edges (add a little water if it’s not sealing). Place the log into the fridge to chill for about 15 minutes to firm up a little again.
  • Using kitchen twine or dental floss, slice the log into 7 same-sized rolls (Use a ruler to make them all the same). See note if you don't know this method for cutting. Place rolls into the prepared baking pan, leaving a little space between each roll to give them room to expand. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the rolls are puffed and lightly golden brown. The butter will be bubbling at the bottom, this is normal.
  • Let rolls cool about 30-60 minutes before serving. You can also add frosting or icing on top. The optional icing recipe I used is in the recipe notes. Rolls are best enjoyed within a few hours after they are cooked. Store uneaten rolls in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer and reheat before serving.

Notes

  • This recipe makes regular/large cinnamon rolls. You can cut the dough into smaller rolls if you want smaller rolls. If you like more swirl layers, you can also roll the dough starting from the short end of the log instead of the longer end.
  • Lemon note: The cinnamon rolls have a light lemon flavor. If you prefer a stronger lemon flavor, you can add 2 tbsp of lemon juice and 1 tsp of lemon zest to the dough. You can also use a lemon icing on top.
  • Yogurt note: Make sure to use Icelandic Skyr Yogurt or Greek yogurt. Regular yogurt is too runny and doesn't contain enough protein. If you can't find lemon Skyr or Lemon Greek yogurt you can use vanilla Skyr or Greek yogurt and add 2 tbsp of lemon juice and 1 tsp lemon zest to make it lemon flavored. I used Siggi's lemon yogurt.*
  • Self-rising flour note: There are 2 main kinds of self-rising flour sold in the US. One that is a lower protein (2 grams per 1/4 cup serving) flour and one that has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup (30g) serving). The amount of protein affects how much liquid is absorbed. For this recipe, I tested it with Gold Medal self-rising flour* (regular amount of protein). Please use a self-rising flour with a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup), or make your own self-rising flour with the recipe below.
  • *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • Homemade self-rising flour blend: To make your own self-rising flour, combine 3 cups all purpose flour, 4.5 tsp baking powder and 1.5 tsp salt. Whisk together until evenly combined. Make sure your all purpose flour has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup). Most brands in the US contain this amount but there are some brands with higher protein (4 grams per 1/4 cup) such as King Arthur Flour and Bob's Red Mill. You do not want a high protein flour for this recipe because the dough will be too dry. Measure out 2 1/4 cups for this recipe.
  • Cinnamon sugar butter note: The butter needs to be very, very soft so that it can spread easily. I used Kerrygold cinnamon sugar butter stick. Another popular brand is Land O Lakes cinnamon sugar butter spread. If you don't have cinnamon sugar butter, you can use this homemade version:
  • Cinnamon sugar butter homemade substitute: use 4 tbsp unsalted butter (softened to very, very soft), 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon
    • Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon until evenly combined
    • Spread the butter thinly across the 9 x 12 inch rolled out dough
    • Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly across and press it down lightly.
  • Kitchen twine or dental floss: I use kitchen twine to cut the rolls to prevent them from squishing. To do this, use about 10 inches of twine. Slide the twine under the log. Bring the ends above the log and criss-cross them and pull tight to slice. 
  • Optional Lemon Glaze
    • 1 cup powdered sugar
    • 1 tbsp melted butter
    • 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
    • Whisk together the ingredients until the sugar is dissolved and you have a smooth icing. Spread or drizzle over the rolls.
  • Estimated nutrition is for the rolls without any icing.
Serving: 1roll, Calories: 229kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 495mg, Sugar: 6g, NET CARBS: 36
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!