Raspberry Sweet Rolls Recipe (with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting)

Introducing raspberry sweet rolls!

These raspberry rolls are made with pillowy buttery dough, filled with a cream cheese raspberry filling and juicy raspberries and then topped with raspberry cream cheese frosting. 

This sweet roll recipe is not overly sweet. The raspberries add just the right amount of tartness. 

It's a delicious recipe and such a fun twist on regular cinnamon rolls. 
 

RASPBERRY SWEET ROLLS RECIPE (WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING)

My family loves homemade cinnamon rolls and we like to try different varieties.

Recently my husband came home with a raspberry breakfast roll that he had purchased at a local gas station. Apparently, they only sell them on Tuesday and they always sell out. 

It was so good that I had to try and recreate it. I am so happy with how they turned out. We will be making these ALL the time!

If you're wanting a sweet treat to satisfy your cravings, then definitely try it out. 

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INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR RASPBERRY ROLLS  

The sweet roll dough ingredients are very similar to traditional cinnamon rolls. 

The filling is where we change things up. Instead of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. We add cream cheese and raspberries. 

We also add raspberries to the cream cheese icing to really up the wow factor.

• active dry yeast
• water
• sugar
• milk
• eggs
• salted butter
• all purpose flour (bread flour works too)
• salt
• cream cheese
• raspberry jam
• fresh raspberries
• heavy cream
• powdered sugar
  
• vanilla extract

RASPBERRIES

I use fresh raspberries. You can substitute frozen raspberries.

For the rolls, you can add them directly from the freezer.

When making the frosting, thaw the berries and let them drain before adding to the frosting.

HELPFUL KITCHEN TOOLS

• KitchenAid
• Silicone Rolling Mat
• Rolling Pin

HOW TO MAKE RASPBERRY SWEET ROLLS

 

MAKING THE DOUGH FOR THE RASPBERRY ROLLS

Let's get started with the dough. I'll walk you through the whole process so you can be successful making them.
 

Begin with 1/4 cup of warm water. Add 1 Tbsp EACH of yeast and sugar. Stir and then let sit for 5 minutes. 

The yeast will begin to feed on the sugar and will expand and foam. 

 

While the yeast is proofing, add 3/4 cup milk, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 tsp salt to the bowl of your stand mixer.

The milk should be warm and the butter should be at least partially melted. You can warm the milk and butter together in the microwave until the butter starts to melt. Add the warm milk mixture to the bowl.

Then add the yeast mixture.

Tip: Warm ingredients help the dough rise. 

 

Next add 4 cups of flour.

Mix ingredients together with a dough hook. Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes on low speed, adding an additional 1/2 cup flour if needed.

The dough will be tacky. It will stick to the sides of the bowl. This is OK! Don't add more flour or your rolls will be dry.

 

Turn your oven to the lowest setting. Allow to heat up for a couple minutes. Then turn it OFF. 

Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and place it in the warm oven for 30 minutes for the first rise.

MAKING THE RASPBERRY FILLING 

While the dough is rising, make the filling. The filling is made up of two parts. Raspberry cream cheese spread and fresh raspberries. 
 

Begin with 6 ounces of cream cheese in a small bowl. The cream cheese should be a room temperature so that it is soft and spreadable.

Add 1/3 cup of raspberry jam and 3 Tbsp of sugar (not pictured) and mix together until smooth.

 

Wash 2 cups of fresh raspberries. Add 2 tsp of cornstarch and stir until evenly distributed.

ASSEMBLING THE SWEET ROLLS

 Now it's time to assemble the rolls. 

 

Begin by rolling out the dough so that it is twice as wide as it is tall. (Approx 24" X 12")

I love this silicone mat for rolling out dough. It's super handy and makes cleanup a breeze. I sprinkle with a just a little bit of flour and the dough doesn't stick.

Flour and dough stuck to the counter is not fun to clean up. With this mat, cleanup is easy! I just throw it in the sink. Any residue rinses off easily with no scrubbing. I've even tossed it in the top rack of the dishwasher!

If you don't have a silicone mat, just roll the dough out on some parchment paper or on a clean lightly floured surface.

 

Spread the cream cheese/raspberry jam mixture evenly over the dough, leaving about 1/4 inch on all the edges.

Sprinkle the raspberries evenly over the cream cheese mixture.

Beginning on the long side, roll up the dough. 

Cut into slices with a sharp serrated knife. I generally cut about 1 to 1 1/2 inch slices. This made 17 rolls. The ends are always smaller, so plan on 12-13 larger rolls and 4-5 smaller rolls.



 

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Place the rolls in the pan, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes for the second rise.

This baking pan was inherited from my husband's grandma. It is 10X15. If you don't have this size of pan, you can use two pans. (like a 9 X 13 and a 8 X 8)

Another alternative is to use a cookie sheet. This is what I use when I make my grandma's classic cinnamon rolls.

Whatever pan you use, the rolls should have room to rise. So although they can touch slightly, make sure to leave room for them to expand. 

 

Above are the risen rolls. You can see the rolls have expanded so that all the sides are touching. But there are still gaps. Don't allow too long of a rise time or they will be airy. 

BAKING THE RASPBERRY ROLLS

Once the rolls have risen it's time for the secret ingredient! You will not believe what a difference this makes! I have heard about this trick for awhile, and I finally decided to try it. I am a believer! I will ALWAYS do this.

What am I talking about? Adding cream to the rolls before baking. It sounds weird, right? But I promise, it gives the rolls the PERFECT texture! The cream soaks into the dough and it is just divine.

Here's what you do. Drizzle room-temperature cream over the rolls. With a pastry brush, spread the around to cover the rolls. Then bake.
 

 Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Or until the tops just barely begin to turn golden brown. 

 

Let the rolls cool before frosting.

MAKING THE RASPBERRY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Make the frosting while the raspberry buns are cooling. 

In a medium bowl, add 4 oz of softened cream cheese and 2 Tbsp of softened butter.  

Softened ingredients are necessary for the best frosting. Otherwise, it will be lumpy. I get the cream cheese and butter out when I begin making the rolls, so it has time to soften to room temperature. 

You can also microwave to soften, but be careful because you don't want melted butter.

 
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Mix together the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.  Add 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp milk, and 1/2 tsp vanilla. 

Mix until fully incorporated on medium speed.

 

At this point, you can use the frosting if you like. However, I like to add some raspberries to make these sweet rolls extra special. 

Add 3/4 cup of raspberries. I chop them into smaller pieces before adding. The best way to add the berries is to fold them in gently.

Spread the frosting over raspberry rolls.

Note: You can make the frosting ahead of time, but I suggest adding the raspberries right before using to avoid the juices from the berries to alter the consistency of the frosting.
 

Store leftovers at room temperature for 5-7 days in an airtight container. (Plastic wrap over the pan works great!)

MORE RASPBERRY RECIPES

I had forgotten how many raspberry recipes I've shared over the years. Some of them are from my very first year of blogging over 13 years ago! Forgive the poorly lit pictures - someday I'll get them updated.

• Fresh Raspberry Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
• Raspberry Cheesecake Cookie Cups
• Raspberry Jello Salad
• Raspberry Fruit Rollups
• Homemade Raspberry Jam
• Raspberry Syrup

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