Raspberry Sweet Rolls transform classic sweet rolls into a bright, fruity treat. Soft yeast dough is rolled around fresh or frozen raspberries, baked until golden, and finished with a simple sweet glaze. They make a delightful breakfast, brunch, or afternoon treat.
Use fresh raspberries in season for the best flavor, or frozen raspberries when fresh aren’t available.
Raspberry cinnamon rolls
These raspberry sweet rolls are an excellent way to showcase ripe raspberries. The berries break down slightly during baking, giving a jammy filling that pairs perfectly with the buttery yeast dough and a light icing. You can follow the same dough and method used for other fruit-filled sweet rolls—it’s versatile and forgiving.
If you don’t have fresh raspberries, frozen berries work well too; keep them frozen until ready to use so they don’t make the filling overly wet. The result is a tender, slightly sweet roll with bright raspberry flavor that complements coffee or tea.
Key ingredients
This overview highlights the main ingredients and useful substitutions. For exact quantities and step-by-step instructions, see the recipe section below.
- Raspberries – fresh or frozen; toss with a little flour before adding to the dough
- Flour – all-purpose flour
- Butter – salted butter works fine; keep some melted for brushing
- Sugar – for the dough and filling
- Eggs – add richness and structure
- Milk – whole milk or 2% warmed slightly for activating the yeast
- Yeast – active dry yeast (one packet) for a reliable rise
Step by step directions
Below is a concise, practical overview of the preparation and baking process. Exact times, temperatures, and measurements are included in the recipe card further down.
- Warm the milk slightly and stir in sugar and active dry yeast. Let sit 3–5 minutes until bubbly.
- Whisk in eggs, melted butter, and salt. Add one cup of flour at a time until a soft dough forms.
- Knead for about 10 minutes by hand (or 5 minutes with a stand mixer) until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size (about 1 to 1½ hours depending on room temperature).
- Roll the dough into a rectangle roughly 12 x 18 inches. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.
- Toss raspberries gently with a little flour and distribute them evenly over the dough.
- Roll the dough jelly-roll style, pinch the seam, slice into 1-inch rounds, and arrange the rolls in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Let the rolls rise for 30 minutes, brush the tops with remaining butter, and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20–25 minutes until golden.
- Allow the rolls to cool briefly, then drizzle with glaze if desired.
Recipe tips
- Rising time varies with kitchen temperature; warmer environments speed rising, cooler slow it down.
- Start with the listed amount of flour but add more only as needed—the dough should be slightly tacky, not sticky.
- Toss berries with flour immediately before adding to the rolled dough so they don’t release too much juice while assembling.
- If using frozen raspberries, do not thaw them first; add frozen to the dough and increase baking time by about 5 minutes.
- Glaze is optional. If you skip it, you can sprinkle the tops of the unbaked rolls with a little sugar for a crunchy finish.
Recipe Faqs
Store rolls covered at room temperature for 1–2 days, or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat briefly before serving.
Can the sweet rolls be frozen?
Yes. After baking, cool completely and freeze in the baking dish or wrapped tightly. Thaw in the dish and add glaze just before serving.
More delicious raspberry recipes
- Raspberry lemon muffins
- Baked raspberry donuts
- Raspberry brownies
- Raspberry turnovers
- Raspberry oat bars
- Raspberry fruit roll-ups
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment and share a photo on Instagram — tag @beyondthechickencoop so I can see your results.
Raspberry Sweet Rolls — Recipe
Yields: 15 rolls | Prep: about 2 hrs | Bake: 20–25 mins
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup milk (warmed)
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 whole eggs
- ½ cup butter, melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 cups all-purpose flour (add as needed)
Filling
- ¼ cup butter, melted and cooled (for brushing)
- ½ cup sugar (for the filling layer)
- 2 cups raspberries
- 2 tablespoons flour (to toss with the raspberries)
Glaze (optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons cream (or milk) to thin
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine warmed milk, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 3–5 minutes until bubbly.
- Stir in eggs, melted butter, and salt. Add one cup of flour at a time, mixing until a soft dough forms.
- Knead the dough by hand for about 10 minutes (or 5 minutes with a stand mixer) until smooth. Add more flour if needed so the dough is slightly tacky but not sticky.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1–1½ hours depending on temperature.
- Punch down the dough and form into a ball. Roll out to a 12″ x 18″ rectangle.
- Brush with ¼ cup melted butter (reserve 2 tablespoons for topping). Sprinkle evenly with ½ cup sugar.
- Toss raspberries with 2 tablespoons flour and scatter over the sugared dough.
- Roll up tightly and pinch the seam closed. Slice into 1″ rounds and arrange in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Cover and let rise 30 minutes. Brush tops with remaining butter.
- Bake in a preheated 375°F (190°C) oven for 20–25 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool slightly before removing from pan.
- For glaze, whisk powdered sugar and cream until smooth and drizzle over warm rolls.
Notes
- Rising times depend on room temperature; allow extra time in cool kitchens.
- You may not need all the flour listed—add gradually until the dough feels right.
- Use frozen raspberries straight from the freezer if fresh aren’t available; do not thaw first and add a few extra minutes of bake time.
Nutrition (approximate per roll)
Calories: 338 kcal | Carbohydrates: 53 g | Protein: 6 g | Fat: 12 g