Soft & fluffy sweet roll dough filled with juicy raspberries and drizzled with glaze.
To begin, warm up some milk. I did so on low heat over the stovetop until the milk was lukewarm – be careful not to scald the milk. I didn’t use a thermometer, but if you choose to do so, aim for roughly 95F degrees. Pour the milk into a bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment. Add your yeast and 2/3 cup of sugar. Stir it a little bit, cover, and walk away. You are testing your yeast for “proof” that it is alive and active with this first step. I checked the bowl about 10 minutes later after I finished gathering the other ingredients for the rolls. If the yeast/sugar/milk solution has become frothy or bubbly, you have your “proof” that the yeast is alive. If not, the yeast is a dud. Toss it out and start over again with a new batch of active dry yeast. Our yeast was ready and good to go.
With the mixer running, add your softened butter – be sure it is not melted or too hard. Crack 2 large eggs, add them one at a time, then a touch of salt. Let the mixer run for a bit, which slowly breaks down the butter. Next, slowly add the flour, little by little. Mix for up to 10 minutes on medium high speed until a soft dough forms. I thought my mixer was going to break down as it jostled about for 10 minutes!
For the amount of flour: I used 4 and 1/2 cups because the dough was much too sticky with anything less. To test the dough’s readiness, poke the dough with your finger and if it springs back, it is good to go. After mixing for 10 minutes and then kneading by hand on a floured surface, the dough was ready to rise. Form the dough into a ball, and place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a dish towel and set in a warm place, until it doubles in size. We had the stove on earlier from warming up the milk, so we placed the bowl on the flat electric stove-top and went to decorate the tree as we waited. If you make these in the summertime, be sure it is not an overly humid day as the air’s moisture will have a negative effect on the dough’s rising. The dough took about 1.5 hours to practically double in size.
Get your roll on. Break out your rolling pin (and your ruler!) and roll that glorious ball of dough into a 12×18 inch rectangle on a generously floured surface. Trust me, it will roll out into a rectangle this large. Make sure the dough is completely uniform in thickness. Mix frozen raspberries with a touch of cornstarch and sugar. Frozen – yes, frozen. Fresh raspberries will be much too juicy and delicate for the filling, which is perfect since they are not in their prime this time of year. Frozen berries are the way to go – try blueberries or cherries instead. Pour the cold sugared raspberries over the large dough rectangle and tightly roll up.
Using your sharpest knife, cut into 12 rolls. This means the rolls were precisely 1.5 inches in thickness. Stuff the rolls into your baking pan, leaving space between each one so they have room to expand. Cover your baking pan and store in a warm place once again.
Baking with Yeast Guide
Reference this Baking with Yeast Guide whenever you work with baker’s yeast. I include practical answers to all of your common yeast questions!
More waiting time – about 2 hours. That’s ok, there really isn’t much “work time” with this recipe – just more “wait time.” Alternatively, you could let the rolls rise overnight. See notes in the written recipe below. In this 2nd rise, be prepared for the berries to release their juices. The bottom of your pan will be FULL of a glorious sweet red raspberry juice, only to be absorbed in the baking process. It turns into an incredible sticky raspberry glaze over the bottom of the rolls.
The rolls only take about 25 minutes in the oven. Be sure to cover your rolls with foil– this is crucial to prevent the tops of your rolls from getting too brown.
Cool your rolls, in the pan, on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. I cooled mine overnight at room temperature so they’d be ready for their glaze shower first thing in the morning. Make your glaze. A simple combination of heavy cream and powdered sugar. Nothing else. Feel free to use half-and-half or milk. With either half-and-half or milk, keep in mind it you may need more sugar than I used to get the glaze to be as thick and creamy.
Serve the rolls warm. I froze a few of mine (without glaze) to warm up and enjoy on Christmas morning. My mom was so excited to see a picture when I sent one to her of the finished rolls. She cannot wait to taste one!
These are incredible. The wait time, about 4 hours total, is a bit tedious but not too bad if you have other things to do around the house or let the rolls rise overnight to bake in the morning. Yeast, an ingredient requiring a ton of patience, is so worth it. There is quite simply nothing like a from-scratch, sweet, doughy roll first thing in the morning. The rolls are tender and fluffy, so soft and springy with each bite. And so darn puffy! Simply put, imagine the softest dinner roll you’ve ever tasted. Make them a little sweeter, add some sticky raspberries and creamy glaze and you can imagine what I’m trying to describe here.
I cannot even WAIT to make these into orange rolls, or use this recipe and make a caramel pecan filling. Or a simple cinnamon/sugar/butter filling. I just cleared the store shelves from yeast over the weekend so I can get crackin’ on all my sweet roll plans.
More Cinnamon Roll Varieties:
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Blueberry Sweet Rolls with Lemon Glaze
- Orange Sweet Rolls
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
- Maple Pecan Sticky Buns
- Lemon Sweet Rolls
Raspberry Swirl Sweet Rolls
- Prep Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours (or overnight)
- Yield: 12 rolls
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Fluffy, sticky, & sweet raspberry rolls. Follow my easy directions and become a master at sweet roll making!
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup (240ml) milk
- 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast (2 standard size packets)
- 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into 4 pieces
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 and 1/2 cups (563g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled), plus more for dusting/rolling
Filling
- one 10-oz. package frozen raspberries (NOT thawed)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons (80g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Glaze
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) heavy cream (or half-and-half or milk)
Instructions
- Make the dough: In a small saucepan, warm the milk over low heat until lukewarm (no need to use a thermometer, but to be precise: about 95°F (35°C)). Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a stand electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment (OR you can use a handheld mixer OR no mixer, but a stand mixer is ideal). With a spoon, manually stir in the sugar and yeast. Cover with a towel and let sit until the yeast is foamy, about 5-10 minutes. On low speed, beat in the softened butter until it is slightly broken up. Next add the eggs, one at a time, and then the salt. The butter won’t really be mixing into the mixture, so don’t be alarmed if it stays in pieces. On low speed, gradually add the flour. Once it is all added, beat on medium speed until a soft dough forms. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until the dough is soft and supple, about 8-10 minutes longer. *If you do not have a stand-mixer with a hook attachment, knead the dough by hand in this step.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it with your hands for about 2 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly greased bowl. Cover the dough and let sit in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours. Here’s what I do: Rising at room temperature is usually fine, but on a particularly cold day, heat your oven to 150°F (66°C). Turn the oven off, place the dough inside, and keep the door slightly ajar. This will be a warm environment for your dough to rise. After about 30 minutes, close the oven door to trap the air inside with the rising dough. When it’s doubled in size, remove from the oven.
- Butter/grease/spray with nonstick spray the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish, then line with parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using a rolling pin, roll into a 12×18 inch rectangle. I used a ruler for accuracy. Make sure the dough is smooth and evenly thick, even at the corners.
- Make the filling: In a medium bowl, toss the frozen raspberries with the sugar and cornstarch. Spread the cold sugared raspberries evenly over the dough. Tightly roll up the dough to form an 18-inch-long log. Cut into 12 even rolls (about 1.5 inches in width each). Arrange them in the prepared baking pan, cut sides up. Cover the rolls and let them rise in a warm place until they are puffy, about 2 hours OR overnight (see note). The berries will release their juice at the bottom of the pan – this is OK.
- After the rolls have risen, preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Cover the rolls with aluminum foil and bake for about 25 minutes, until they are golden and the berries are bubbling. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for about 15 minutes.
- Make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk the confectioner’s sugar and heavy cream until smooth. Add more sugar or cream, depending how thick you want the glaze. Pour glaze over the rolls and serve warm. Cover rolls and store at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. Baked rolls can be frozen up to 2 months and warmed up to enjoy at a later date. Glaze them right before serving.
Notes
- Overnight Instructions: During the second rise, cover the sliced rolls and let sit overnight in the refrigerator before baking. In the morning, remove from the refrigerator and allow to rise in a warm environment for 1 hour (use your oven as noted in step 2 of the recipe).
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Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
- Adapted from Food & Wine.
Keywords: raspberry sweet rolls
About the 20 minute mark I peeled the foil off. It had stuck on a few rolls. I also cut these a bit thinner and got 16 rolls. Going to serve with tea and coffee this morning. I made them and did 2nd rise overnight. 2hrs with oven light to wake them up. Had to bake about 30mins. Nice golden brown and the house smells like raspberries! Delicious
I have been baking for over 50 years and have made countless sweet rolls of all types. This dough was by far the best because it stayed soft for 3 days – most unusual. I will be making some of our favorites using this dough or maybe I’ll try some of your other doughs. I used frozen cherries that I quickly chopped in the food processor and they came out SO good – not too sweet, just delicious.
★★★★★
Loved the recipe…wondered if I can substitute some sort of cinnamon filling for the raspberry now that raspberries are long gone? I loved the way the dough turned out, in fact it was the best I’ve ever made.
★★★★★
Hi Becky, absolutely. You could use the filling from these cinnamon rolls (or follow that recipe in it’s entirety). So glad you loved them!
Hello from Toronto Canada!
Would I be able to bake these as a twisted raspberry loaf in a loaf pan instead of rolls?
Also, how do you think the lemon filling from the lemon sweet rolls would hold up with this dough? Would the filling hold up through the second two hour rise or would it melt before getting in the oven?
My thoughts were to make a full batch of this dough, once rolled into the sheet cut it in half lengthwise and make one lemon loaf and one raspberry loaf.
Hi Roni, how delicious! It sounds a lot like this raspberry twist bread which I usually bake in a springform pan. The doughs are different, though. For this raspberry sweet rolls dough, I recommend 2 loaf pans as you mentioned. You could also use the dough recipe (and twisting instructions) for this Nutella babka. The lemon filling would be a great and would absolutely hold up for 2 rises.
Would cherries work. I have frozen cherries that i plan on chopping and using if that would work.
Hi Katy! We haven’t tested cherries – they won’t break down the same way raspberries do but would likely be delicious. Let us know if you give it a try!
Can I throw these in the oven asap ? Or do I have to wait I want them now haha
Made these for the first time they were delicious was wondering can you freeze them once you put the glaze on
Hi, Sally,
I love the blog! I’m very, very new to baking, but I’ve tried your homemade pizza crust recipe (which we all loved), and can’t wait to try this recipe. Perhaps you wrote this and I just missed it, but if I want to reheat the rolls after sitting at room temp overnight, how can I do that?
I want to make the rolls tonight for a brunch tomorrow and would love to be able to serve them warm.
Thank you!
Hi Shannon, They reheat well in a 300 degree oven for 10-12 minutes without glaze. For leftovers with glaze you can microwave for only a few seconds to slightly warm it up.
Hi Sally,
I’ve just been gifted a whole lot of fresh raspberries! Came across this recipe and it looks fabulous, but, can I use fresh instead of frozen? Thank you,
Hi Irene, Unfortunately fresh raspberries will be much too juicy and delicate for the filling. But here are all of the other recipes that use raspberries.
Can I put a cream cheese mixture in the rolls to make them a raspberry cream cheese filling?
I can’t see why not!
Hi Sally, I love all things raspberry so this recipe was so delicious. I just have one question about the dough. The first time I made these they turned out perfect, the second time I let the rise overnight for the 2nd round of rising and they became very cake-y and lost their fluff after baking. Do you know how I can avoid this?
★★★★
Hi Gina, I wonder if– the second time– they over-proofed at all during the overnight process. If dough over-proofs, it will likely deflate in the oven. How long were they refrigerated and how long did they rise after refrigeration?
I have a large amount of frozen mixed triple berry. I believe it’s raspberries, blueberries and blackberries. Would that work in this recipe?
Yes, definitely!
Hello Sally I hope your well? I’m about to make these rolls tomorrow (Tuesday) for the first time and wanted to know if I make a double batch of the dough could I freeze it? I want to make this flavour plus the lemon recipe too but only cook one flavour.
Hi Lisa, For the best texture of the dough I recommend making it twice instead of doubling it. To freeze the rolls see my recipe for Easy Cinnamon Rolls and the freezing directions in the recipe notes.
I am looking to baking some of your sweet rolls for Valentines Day. I see that this recipe uses frozen raspberries tossed with sugar and cornstarch, while your strawberry sweet rolls cook the berries with the sugar and cornstarch. What are the differences in the final baked filling and which does your family prefer (cooked or frozen & tossed)?
Hi Laurel, Great question! Raspberries are a softer berry with a higher water content and will break down when baked in the rolls – so there is no need to precook them here. Which one you make simply depends on your family’s tastes and what produce is available to you this time of year. I love these rolls and the strawberry rolls equally!
One of the very best things I’ve ever made. I had to be different and put cream cheese frosting on top. This dough is absolutely stunning, a dream to work with.
★★★★★
HI! I am wanting to make these for breakfast on Sunday. I have frozen strawberries that I have been trying to use, would that work. I feel like it would but I don’t want to presume.
Hi Robin! Yes, you can use frozen chopped strawberries instead.
Hi Sally,
I just wanted you to know that these are AMAZING!!!! Seriously one of my favourite recipes ever. I’ve made them a few times for my co-workers and they are in love with them. Thank you for creating such a fantastic recipe!
Hi! I want to make these for Christmas… 2 questions… one, what kind of milk should be used in the dough? Whole, 2%, skim? Second, I want to do the overnight rise… can I make the dough and do the first rise in the afternoon? Or do I have to wait until later in the day? Thanks so much!
Hi Michelle! You can begin the rolls in the afternoon for the overnight option. And use any milk– I prefer a higher fat milk for a richer tasting dough like 2% or whole milk.
These look delicious! I plan on making them next weekend. If I’m using a glass baking dish, do I need to change the cooking temperature and/or time at all? Thanks in advance!
I don’t find that necessary– I’ve baked them in both glass and metal without changing a thing. Enjoy!
Hey Sally, I was just wondering, whenever I make sweet rolls i alwyas have the problem of the rolls in the middle being slightly under cooked and the rolls on the outside of the pan being slightly over cooked, and they become stale quicker. Do you have any ideas of how I can prevent this? Thank you!
Sometimes you can’t really prevent it– that’s why middle rolls are usually the yummy ooey gooey ones! To help, though, you can lower the oven temperature and lightly cover the rolls with aluminum foil during bake time.
Is there any reason I can’t use your slow cooker cinnamon roll recipe, but instead use this raspberry filling? Will the slow cooker affect the bubbly raspberry filling at all? Thanks!
Hi Carley! I fear the raspberry would burn in the slow cooker– I don’t recommend it.
Do you know if this can be done with cranberries and oranges? I’m thinking it might be special for Christmas.
Oh absolutely! Would be delicious.
Hi just wondering. .can I half the recipe? I dont need to make so much. So is it ok if i use half the measure of all given ingredients?
Yes, you may easily halve this recipe.
My husband bought me a Kitchenaid Mixer for Christmas. He loves Raspberry Sweet Rolls, so as a “thank you” I wanted to make some. I made these today as a test batch and everything turned out great! I used a little more raspberry, but everything else I kept the same. I can’t wait to bake these again for my husband when he returns from his trip!
By the way, my husband also loves Golden Oreo cake batter brownies from this website. I can’t wait to try other recipes!
Hi Sally,
I have raspberry pie filling, was wondering if I could use that instead.
Thanks!
I’m sure that would be fine.
Holy moly. Sally, these are AMAZING! My family really enjoyed the cake batter cinnamon rolls last month, and though I was contemplating making your new crumb coffee cake recipe for Mother’s Day, I ultimately went with these since I’ve been drooling over the pictures for weeks. They are every bit as wonderful as I’d hoped! And the aroma as I opened the oven…. ahhhhh! I made them the day before and let them rise overnight, which made for a fantastic breakfast with no work for me on Mother’s Day! 😉 Thanks so much for all of your outstanding recipes – I only found your blog last month but I am completely hooked.
WOW…. these were amazing! Love the tart raspberries with the sweet dough. Thanks for sharing the recipe! These will go into our favorite recipes file for sure!
These are great! I made them with blackberries, instead of raspberries because I had none and they are awesome! The tart berries, the sweet dough, my goodness!
I made these today and the dough was perfect. I started by adding 4 c of flour to my mixer and used almost 1/4 c more. The rolls came out too toasty on top and started burning on the bottom. Next time I make them I’ll bake them at 375 or 350 and bake them longer. Also I’ll add just a little more salt. Thanks for sharing
SO glad Ellie! Did you cover the rolls as you baked them? That prevented my tops from getting too brown. I’m happy you loved them as much as we did!
Just made these and have them covered to put in the oven in the morning! So excited to see how they turn out!