These soft Earl Grey Lemon Sweet Rolls are filled with a buttery lemon & Earl Grey sugar and topped with a simple lemon icing. Inspired by my favorite Earl Grey Sugar Cookies, these sweet rolls are the perfect sweet dessert for Spring!
I absolutely love baking vegan sweet rolls, especially in fun and unexpected flavors like Matcha Black Sesame Buns, Orange Cinnamon Rolls, or even Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls for a Holiday twist! It was time for a new spring flavor- so I knew these rolls with swirls of Earl Grey sugar and a lemon icing would be the perfect treat!
Ingredients:
Ingredient & substitution notes:
- Active Dried Yeast: For this recipe, I used Red Star Active Dry Yeast.
- If using Instant Yeast, you don't need to use warmed milk (cold is okay), and you don't need time to bloom the yeast.
- Earl Grey Tea: I have made these rolls with Tea Pigs Earl Grey tea and Rishi Earl Grey Tea.
- Just make sure to grind them up before adding to the dough!
- Vegan Butter: My favorite vegan butter for baking is Country Crock Olive Oil Sticks or Earth Balance Buttery Sticks.
- Oat Milk: While I used oat milk, any plant-based milk can work in these Earl Grey rolls.
- Almond, rice, soy, and coconut milk all work really well.
How to make Earl Grey lemon sweet rolls
Make the Earl Grey lemon sugar
In a small box, mix together the sugar, ground Earl Grey tea leaves, and lemon zest. Then, set aside.
Make the Earl Grey dough & 1st rise
To make the dough, start by activating your yeast in the warm oat milk. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to make sure it is blooming. Then, mix in ¼ cup of the Earl Grey lemon sugar, the melted vegan butter, and the vanilla. Finally, mix in the flour and salt until you have a tacky dough.
Once all the flour has been added, knead the dough. If using a standing mixer, switch the attachment to the bread hook and knead for 5-10 minutes until elastic. If you are kneading by hand, knead on a lightly floured surface for 10-15 minutes or until the dough is elastic and significantly less sticky.
Then, add the dough to a well-oiled bowl and cover with a tea cloth or plastic wrap. Move it to a warm place and let it rise for about 2 hours until doubled in size.
Add filling & slice dough
Once the dough has doubled in size, make the filling. Mix the remaining Earl Grey lemon sugar with the room temperature vegan butter until you have a thick but spreadable paste.
Then, remove the dough from the bowl and roll it out into a rectangle. Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a ¼ inch border around the edges of the dough.
Roll the dough into a log and pinch the edges together to seal the dough.
Let rise & bake
Cut the log into 10 evenly-sized rolls using a sharp bread knife or floss. Then, cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let the rolls rise about 1 more hour until they have doubled in size.
Bake the rolls at 350F for 32-35 minutes or until they are cooked through and lightly browned on top. Set aside and make the lemon icing.
Top with lemon icing
To make the lemon icing, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and oat milk until you have a thick but smooth consistency.
Then, drizzle the lemon icing over the Earl Grey rolls and enjoy!
FAQ & Tips:
Can I make these Earl Grey sweet rolls gluten-free?
Unfortunately, this recipe will not work with any flour alternatives. The gluten formation is very important for the structure of this dough, and without it, the dough will not stay together well or have the right texture.
How do I store Earl Grey lemon rolls?
Sweet rolls can be stored in a closed container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
I like to separate each roll and then store them between layers of parchment paper for the best results.
I can't wait for you to try these decadent Earl Grey Lemon Rolls! With notes of citrus, bergamot, and florals, these sweet rolls are truly the perfect treat for Spring!
-TSG
More vegan sweet rolls you will love:
If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star review in the recipe card. I always appreciate your feedback and support! You can also follow along on my Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest or sign up for our newsletter!
Earl Grey Lemon Sweet Rolls
Ingredients
Earl Grey Lemon Sugar
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 2 Tablespoons earl grey tea leaves ground
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest *about 2 lemons zested
Earl Grey Dough:
- 1 cup oat milk warmed
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dried yeast
- 6 Tablespoons melted vegan butter
- ¼ cup Earl Grey lemon sugar *made above
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 2 ¾-3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoons salt
Filling:
- ¾ cups Earl Grey lemon sugar *made above
- 6 Tablespoons softened vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Lemon Icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon oat milk
Instructions
Make the Earl Grey Lemon Sugar:
- Add the sugar, ground Earl Grey tea leaves, and lemon zest to a small bowl. Mix together and set aside.
Make the Earl Grey Dough:
- Begin by adding your warmed oat milk and yeast to a large mixing bowl. Let sit for 3-5 minutes to make sure the yeast is activated. You will be able to tell if it's bubbling.
- Next, add the melted vegan butter, ¼ cup of the Earl Grey lemon sugar, and vanilla to the large mixing bowl. Whisk together to combine.
- Once mixed, gradually begin adding in your flour about ½-1 cup at a time. Also, add in ½ teaspoon of salt at this time.
- Once all the flour has been added, knead the dough. If using a standing mixer, switch the attachment to the bread hook and knead for 5-10 minutes until elastic. If you are kneading by hand, knead on a lightly floured surface for 10-15 minutes or until the dough is elastic and significantly less sticky. The dough is ready once it can be stretched without tearing and is smooth and tacky but not sticky.
- Once the dough is ready, add it to a well-oiled bowl for the first rise. I prefer to coat my bowl in olive oil, but any oil works here.
- Cover the bowl of dough with plastic wrap or a towel, place it in a warm place, and let it rise for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
- I like to test my dough by "poking" it with a finger. If it doesn't bounce back and stays indented, it is ready. It is also important to not “overproof” the dough as it can turn sour from the yeast turning the sugar into alcohol, so do not let the dough sit too long.
Make the filling & add to dough:
- In a separate bowl, mash together the softened room temperature vegan butter, ¾ cups of the Earl Grey lemon sugar, and the vanilla until a thick paste forms. This can also be done in a blender, food processor, or by hand with a fork. Set aside.
- Roll the dough into a 1" thick rectangle that is around 9*14 inches in width and length. You don't want the dough to be too thin, or you will have a hard time rolling it up once the filling is inside!
- After the dough is rolled out, use a spatula to spread the Earl Grey lemon filling evenly across the dough. Make sure to leave a ¼ inch border around the edges of the dough without filling.
- Beginning with the longer side of the rectangle, tightly roll up the dough into a log. Lightly flour the dough as you go to help if it gets a bit sticky. Make sure to seal the roll by pinching the edges together. Then, flip the dough over so the pinched seal is facing down.
- Once the dough is rolled into a log, trim the ends and discard. Cut the remaining dough into 10 evenly sized rolls using a very sharp bread knife or using dental floss.
- Place the rolls into a large ceramic pan, cover with plastic wrap or a towel, and let them rest for another hour until doubled in size. You can also move the rolls to the fridge to rise overnight at this time.
Baking the rolls:
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Once the oven is preheated, remove the plastic wrap or towel from the pan of rolls and add the pan to the oven.
- Bake the rolls for 32-35 minutes or until cooked through and lightly browned on top. Then, remove the rolls from the oven and let them cool slightly. While the rolls are cooling, make the lemon icing.
Make the lemon icing:
- Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and oat milk to a bowl and whisk together until a smooth, but thick, icing forms.
- Then, pour the icing over the lemon rolls and serve!
Notes
- Leftover Earl Grey lemon sweet rolls can be stored in a closed container at room temperature for 48 hours, in the fridge for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- I recommend storing between sheets of parchment paper so they do not stick together!
- These rolls CANNOT be made gluten-free or with a GF flour substitute
Leave a Reply