Bakery-Style Lemon Croissant Rolls
Original Recipe, adapted by JojoM
Flaky croissant lemon rolls filled with silky lemon cream, fresh zest, and mascarpone—bright, buttery, and bakery-perfect with caramelised sugared edges.
Bright, Buttery & Flaky 🍋
These bakery-style lemon croissant rolls bring together everything we love about French viennoiserie: crisp laminated layers, a soft buttery crumb, and a vibrant lemon-mascarpone cream that melts into every swirl. The contrast of zesty citrus, rich dough, and caramelised sugared edges creates a pastry that feels both indulgent and refreshing.
What Makes These Lemon Croissant Rolls Special ✨
The heart of this pastry is the silky lemon cream—a luxurious blend of lemon juice, zest, egg yolks, custard powder, cocoa butter, butter, and mascarpone. The result is a bright, velvety filling with depth and richness, perfect against the flaky croissant dough. Freezing the cream into tubes ensures every bite holds a smooth citrus core without losing structure during baking.
Using true laminated croissant dough elevates this from a simple roll to a bakery-worthy treat. The combination of cake flour, starter, honey, and 84% dry butter creates tender, well-defined layers with a clean, crisp snap when baked.
The Flavour Profile 🍋🧈
These rolls strike a beautiful balance:
- Citrusy & fresh from generous lemon juice and zest
- Creamy & rich thanks to mascarpone and butter
- Lightly sweet with a caramelised finish
- Delicate & flaky from proper lamination
They’re the kind of pastries that feel made for brunch gatherings, slow Sunday mornings, or gifting to someone who appreciates a true artisan bake.
How the Lemon Cream Comes Together 🎛️
The lemon cream cooks like a classic pastry crème—but brighter, silkier, and enriched with cocoa butter for stability. Once set, it’s rolled into chilled cylinders that bake beautifully inside the dough. This method keeps the filling centred and prevents leaks, giving you perfect spirals with minimal effort.
Shaping & Baking for Perfect Layers 🌀
Rolling the dough to 3.5 mm and cutting into 20 × 8 cm rectangles ensures each pastry bakes evenly. Nestling them into sugared pastry rings keeps the shape compact and encourages that gorgeous caramelised crust around the edges. A moderate bake at 175°C allows the layers to rise without over-browning.
Serving Ideas & Variations 💡
- Dust with extra superfine sugar for a sparkling finish
- Add a hint of vanilla bean to the lemon cream for a floral twist
- Drizzle with a light lemon glaze for added shine
- Serve warm with a spoonful of mascarpone for a bakery-café presentation
These rolls are best enjoyed the day they’re baked, but the lemon cream stays beautifully smooth and bright throughout the day.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe ❤️
If you adore pastries that combine craftsmanship with bold, refreshing flavour, these lemon croissant rolls are the perfect project. They’re impressive without being overly sweet, and the interplay of flaky texture and creamy citrus filling makes them unforgettable. For lovers of French viennoiserie and anything lemony, this is a standout bake you’ll return to again and again.
Bakery-Style Lemon Croissant Rolls
Original Recipe, adapted by JojoMFlaky croissant lemon rolls filled with silky lemon cream, fresh zest, and mascarpone—bright, buttery, and bakery-perfect with caramelised sugared edges.
Chef's Tips
Chill the lemon cream thoroughly to keep shaping easy.
Freeze the cream slightly longer if it softens too quickly during assembly.
Use a very sharp knife when cutting the chilled cream cylinders.
Tools Used
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Ingredients
Croissant Dough
Lemon Cream
Assembly
Instructions
Lemon Cream
- 1
Soak the gelatin in cold water.
- 2
Heat lemon juice and zest in a saucepan.
- 3
Whisk egg yolks with sugar, custard powder, flour, and potato starch.
- 4
Pour the egg mixture into the hot lemon juice and cook for 2 minutes.
- 5
Add cocoa butter and stir to melt.
- 6
Add drained gelatin, then whisk in butter followed by mascarpone.
- 7
Spread onto parchment, roll into a 2 cm cylinder, and freeze for 1 hour.
Croissant Dough
- 1
Prepare a croissant dough using the listed ingredients and 420 g of water.
- 2
Chill and laminate with the 400 g dry butter as per standard croissant technique.
Assembly & Baking
- 1
Roll dough to 3.5 mm thickness and cut into 20 × 8 cm rectangles.
- 2
Cut lemon cream into 5 cm frozen tubes.
- 3
Place a lemon cream tube on each dough rectangle and roll tightly.
- 4
Place each roll into a greased and sugared 6 cm ring.
- 5
Proof for 2 hours.
- 6
Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 25 minutes.
- 7
Roll warm pastries in superfine sugar.
Comments & Reviews
Lina
5/3/2025
A bit advanced but so rewarding. The sugared finish is amazing!
Marco
4/19/2025
Made these for brunch and everyone loved the citrus flavor. Perfect texture.
Sarah B.
4/2/2025
The lemon cream is incredible—bright and silky! Worth the lamination time.
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Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 roll
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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