Raspberry sweet rolls are fluffy, soft and filled with just the right amount of raspberries. Topped with cream cheese frosting, these rolls are the perfect addition to your morning.
Is there anything better on a Sunday morning than the smell of freshly baked sweet rolls?
When I was younger, and honestly still to this day, my dad would always make a big hearty Sunday breakfast.
Almost always, that breakfast included cinnamon rolls. Or at least some sort of sweet treat. As I got older, and became known as the baker in the family, I was typically tasked with making the sweet treat.
I’ve come to love making bread from scratch. Especially after getting a stand mixer {game changer in the bread-making front}.
There’s something about watching the dough rise, rolling it out, watching it rise again, and then baking it to perfection.
While making sweet rolls from scratch isn’t a difficult process, it is time consuming. So if you have a Saturday afternoon at home, this is the perfect recipe for you!
How to Make Raspberry Sweet Rolls
1. Yeast and the First Rise
Like I said, this isn’t a difficult process, it’s just going to be a little time consuming.
These rolls start out with warm milk and water, active dry yeast and some sugar.
Yeast feeds off the sugar, which helps to activate it and become nice and frothy.
I love using milk in this recipe because I feel like it gives the bread an even softer texture. Starting with warm milk, but not scalding hot, also helps to bring the yeast to life.
It takes about five minutes for the yeast to become nice and foamy. Then start adding the flour to your stand mixer or food processor.
Using a mix of bread flour and all purpose flour is going to also make for a much softer bread. Do not replace the bread flour with another type of flour. I’ve tried this, and the results are not nearly as pleasant.
Just before things really start coming together in the stand mixer, dump the dough out onto a floured surface and knead the dough for about 2-3 minutes to bring it all together.
Place in a large oiled bowl. A large bowl is necessary because this is where your first rise comes in. An oiled bowl will help you to turn the dough out during step two.
Your first rise will take place in a warm area. Like your oven with the light turned on. The oven doesn’t actually have to be on, the heat from the light will provide just enough warmth to get the dough to rise.
Wait one hour.
2. Raspberries and the Second Rise
I think what I love the most about making bread from scratch is watching the rising process.
After that first rise, your dough should have doubled in size. Hence the large bowl we talked about earlier.
On a lightly floured surface, turn the dough out and roll into a large rectangle. This is going to become the basis of your sweet rolls.
Spread a generous amount of raspberry jam over the dough. Make sure to leave about a quarter inch around the edges. As you roll your rolls, the jam is going to spread, and we don’t want it oozing all over the place. {This happened during my first round of sweet roll baking, and I don’t want it to happen to you.}
Drop fresh raspberries on top of the jam for a little burst of fresh added sweetness.
Then begin to rollie, rollie, rollie.
Try to roll as tight as you can from one long end to the other. There’s also something about rolling dough you’ve made yourself that makes you feel so dang successful.
Cut the raspberry sweet roll log into even slices and place in a greased 9″ x 13″ pan. This prepares you for the second rise.
3. Rise Three and Cream Cheese Frosting
Now that your sweet rolls have doubled in size, yet again, it’s time to bake. I like to call that the third rise.
Bake until they’re lightly golden brown.
Pulling soft, fluffy, homemade raspberry sweet rolls out of the oven is quite possibly one of the most exhilarating experiences. Or at least it is for me.
While they’re still warm, spread with a homemade cream cheese frosting. As it melts and dribbles down the sides of the raspberry sweet rolls, you’ll wonder if there’s anything better in life at that moment.
The best part is that these rolls are just as good straight out of the oven as they are cooled. My brother even ate three of them all right in a row. I would say that’s a total sweet roll success!
Enjoy these raspberry sweet rolls for your next Sunday breakfast, especially if you have someone special to impress. Or, you’re like me and just really enjoy a good homemade sweet roll from time to time.
Looking for more Sunday breakfast ideas? Check these out:
- ½ cup warm water {about 110°F}
- ¾ cup warm milk {about 110°F}
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 packet {2 tsp.} active dry yeast
- 3 cups bread flour
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 cup raspberry jelly
- 6 oz fresh raspberries
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
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Pour the warm water and milk into the bowl of a stand mixer {fitted with a dough hook} or food processor {fitted with a ‘S’ blade}. Add sugar and yeast and let sit for 5-10 minutes, until the yeast starts to foam.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours and salt.
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Turn the stand mixer on to medium-low speed {1 or 2 on your food processor} and start adding the flour, about a ½ cup at a time until all flour has been added.
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Turn the mixer up to medium and kneed for about 2-3 minutes, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is no longer sticky to the touch.*
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Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead in any remaining flour from the bowl.
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Coat a large bowl with olive oil and place the dough in. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean towel and place in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour. *
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On a lightly floured surface, remove the dough and roll it into a 19” x 12” rectangle.
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Spread the raspberry jam on the dough, leaving about a ¼” border on all sides. Sprinkle with fresh raspberries.
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Tightly roll, from one long end to the other, creating a cylinder.
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Cut the roll in half, and then in half again. Cut each half into 2 pieces, for a total of 8 rolls.
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Grease a 9” x 13” pan with baking spray and place the rolls, cut side up, in the prepared pan.
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Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel, and place in a warm spot* for 1 hour.
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Once ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and bake rolls** for 25-28 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
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Meanwhile, make frosting in a medium-size bowl by beating cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar, and beat until combined.
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Add in vanilla and beat until smooth.
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Spread over warm rolls and enjoy!
*Note: I like to place mine in the oven with the light on.
**Note: remove kitchen towel before baking.
