Find A Store

How to Make Raspberry Swirl Sweet Rolls

You’re looking at tender, buttery dough spirals around a juicy, sweet-tart raspberry filling made with frozen raspberries. Top with cream cheese icing or vanilla glaze for an indulgent treat that’s well worth the wait. Just wait until you smell these baking!

This is one of my richest homemade doughs, so you’re already promised a soft, springy, and fluffy texture. Like most of my cinnamon and sweet roll recipes, I recommend using a strong and dependable yeast. Platinum Yeast from Red Star is a premium instant yeast, which cuts down on rise time. Its careful formula contains natural dough strengtheners and makes working with yeast simple. And simple is always good, right?

After the dough comes together, it will be a little soft and sticky—that’s normal. Knead the dough on a floured counter or keep it in the mixer for kneading—whichever method you use, it should be about 5 minutes of kneading.

Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap, foil, or a clean kitchen towel, and set it in a warm, draft-free area to rise until about doubled in size. After that, punch it down to release the air and begin rolling it out.

My #1 success tip? You need FROZEN raspberries for the filling—do not thaw. Fresh raspberries are much too juicy and delicate for the filling. If all you have is fresh, freeze them first.

Toss the frozen raspberries with a little bit of cornstarch and sugar, and sprinkle it all over the rolled-out dough. So quick and easy! Now, roll it up as tightly as you can:

Use a very sharp knife to cut the roll into 12 rolls. Arrange in a greased baking pan, cover, then let the rolls rise until puffy, about 90 minutes. Some raspberry juices will leak out, and that’s completely fine.

The rolls need about half an hour in the oven to bake. During this time, you can prepare the cream cheese icing. It’s very easy, and tastes incredible with the sweet and juicy raspberries.

Raspberry Swirl Sweet Rolls Video Tutorial:

Raspberry Swirl Sweet Rolls

Buttery dough spirals around a juicy, sweet-tart raspberry filling made from frozen raspberries. You can make the sweet rolls within a few hours, or get started the night before using the overnight option. Top with cream cheese icing for an unforgettable breakfast experience.

Yield 12 rolls

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Reviews

Ingredients

Dough

1 cup (240ml) whole milk, warmed to about 100℉ (38℃)
2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar, divided
2 packages (0.25oz each) (14g) or 4 1/2 teaspoons Platinum Yeast
1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter (softened to room temperature and cut into 4 pieces)
2 large eggs at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 cups (536g) all-purpose flour or bread flour, plus more as needed (spooned and leveled)
2 teaspoons canola, vegetable, or olive oil for bowl (or use nonstick spray)

Filling

1 (10oz) package (about 2.5 cups or 300g) frozen raspberries (do not thaw)
1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Cream Cheese Icing

4 ounces (113g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup (120g) confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon (30ml) whole milk or heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Instructions

Prepare the dough: Whisk the warm milk, 2 Tablespoons sugar, and the yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cover and allow mixture to sit for about 5 minutes or until foamy on top. *If you do not own a mixer, you can do this in a large mixing bowl and in the next step, mix the dough together with a large wooden spoon/rubber spatula or dough whisk.*
On medium speed, beat in the remaining sugar (which should be ½ cup) and the softened butter until it is slightly broken up. Add the eggs and salt and beat on medium speed until combined. The butter won't really be mixing into the mixture, so don't be alarmed if it stays in pieces. Switch the mixer down to low speed and with it running, add 1 cup of flour at a time, making sure it's fully incorporated before adding the next. After 4 cups have been added, add the last ½ cup and beat until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 3 minutes. Dough will be soft.
Knead the dough: Switch to the dough hook attachment. Knead dough on low speed for about an additional 5 minutes (or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for about 5-7 minutes; use additional flour as needed if dough is too sticky but be careful not to add too much). Knead dough until it is smooth and elastic. Poke the dough with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading.
1st Rise: Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or use nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment (on the counter is fine) until double in size, about 2 hours.
Grease the bottom and sides of a metal or glass 9×13-inch baking dish or line with parchment paper.
Roll out the dough: Punch down the dough to release the air. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 12×18-inch rectangle. Make sure the dough is smooth and evenly thick. If the dough keeps shrinking as you roll it out, stop what you're doing, cover it lightly, and let it rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten. When you return to the dough, it should stretch out much easier.
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 1½ inches in width each). Arrange them in the prepared baking pan, cut sides up.
2nd Rise: Cover the rolls tightly and allow to rise until puffy, about 90 minutes. (Or use the overnight option in the Notes below.) The berries will release their juice at the bottom of the pan – this is OK.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
Bake: Bake rolls for about 28–32 minutes or until they are lightly browned on top. About halfway through baking time, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the pan to prevent the tops from browning too quickly. Remove pan from the oven and place pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes as you make the icing.
Make the icing: In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the confectioners' sugar, cream/milk, and vanilla. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 1 minute. Spread the icing over the warm rolls and serve immediately.
Cover leftover frosted or unfrosted rolls tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions – Overnight: To prepare the night before serving, prepare the rolls through step 7. Cover the rolls tightly and refrigerate for 8–12 hours. (16 hours max. 8–12 hours is best, but 16 hours is OK if absolutely needed. Do not exceed 16 hours.) The next morning, remove from the refrigerator and allow to rise on the counter for 1–2 hours before continuing with step 9.
Make Ahead Instructions – Freezing: Baked rolls can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up before enjoying. You can also freeze the unbaked rolls and here’s how: bake the rolls in step 9 for only about 10 minutes. Cool completely, then cover tightly and freeze. To serve, take the rolls out of the freezer and place in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Once thawed, finish baking them for about 15–20 minutes.
Milk: I recommend using whole milk for the best, richest-tasting dough. You could also use buttermilk. Reduced-fat, low-fat, or nondairy milk works in a pinch. Do not use nonfat milk.
Vanilla: I love using vanilla bean paste in this recipe because it combines both extract AND vanilla bean seeds, and tastes phenomenal in the dough AND icing. You can, of course, use pure vanilla extract instead.
Raspberries: You need FROZEN raspberries for the filling—do not thaw. Fresh raspberries are much too juicy and delicate for the filling. If all you have is fresh, freeze them first.

Recipe by Sally’s Baking Addiction.

Sally McKenney is a professional food photographer, cookbook author, and baker. She has written, photographed, and published more than 1,000 from-scratch recipes and written three cookbooks. Her thorough step-by-step tutorials give millions of followers the knowledge and confidence to bake from scratch.