These jammy raspberry-filled rolls are worth waking up for! Luckily, you don’t have to wake up TOO early because you can make the dough the night before. Best enjoyed with a strong cup of coffee.
I’ve had the idea to swap out cinnamon roll filing with jam and fruit for what feels like ages. When I finally got around to experimenting, it was one of those, “where-have-you-been-all-my-life” moments. I tinkered with the ratio of jam and fruit, and ended up with these soft, jam-filled buns.
These rolls are a fruit-filled twist on my favorite Bakery Style Cinnamon Rolls. I’ve used the same dough from those rolls but cut them into nine portions instead of eight to make a slightly smaller—but just as indulgent—treat.
Like Cinnamon Rolls, But With a Jammy Filling!
Instead of the usual buttery, cinnamon sugar filling, these are spread with sweet raspberry jam and bright pops of raspberry. When berries are in season, you can use fresh, but frozen are totally fine, too.
I toss the fresh berries with a bit of cornstarch, sugar, and a bit of lemon zest so they mimic that jammy consistency while maintaining a fresh berry flavor.
Top with Frosting
After baking, these pillowy rolls are slathered with a lemony cream cheese icing, making for a totally irresistible spin on the classic.
Start these rolls the night before
Just like with my classic cinnamon rolls, I suggest starting this dough the night before. Let the dough go through a first, slow rise overnight in the refrigerator. This way, you aren’t literally waiting hours for the dough to rise before you get to enjoy them. It also gives the dough time to develop more flavor.
One more bonus—chilled dough is a dream to roll out, fill, and cut! This type of dough, because it’s enriched with butter, is especially easy to handle.
Best the day they’re made
I think these rolls are best the day they are made when they are still slightly warm and gooey in the center.
They’ll start to dry out the longer they keep, but you can still enjoy them. I like to reheat them quickly in the microwave for about 20 seconds, just until the icing begins to melt.
MORE BEST RECIPES FOR SWEET MORNINGS
Raspberry Jam Sweet Rolls Recipe
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 30 minutes
- Rise time: Overnight rise, plus 1 hour in the morning
- Yield: 9 rolls
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3/4 cup warm milk
- 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 4 cups (480 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) room temperature unsalted butter
For the filling:
- 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup raspberry jam
- 6 ounces (about 1 heaping cup) fresh or frozen raspberries
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
For the icing:
- 4 ounces softened cream cheese
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (227 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Pinch of kosher salt
Method
1 Dissolve the yeast: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the yeast, warm milk, and sugar. Let the mixture stand until foamy, about five minutes.
2 Make the dough: Add the eggs, flour, and salt to the bowl and mix on medium speed until a shaggy dough is formed. Beat in the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, waiting until the butter is incorporated before adding the next batch.
3 Knead the dough and let it rise: Once all the butter is incorporated, knead the dough on medium speed or by hand for 10 minutes until smooth. Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.
Let the dough rise in the refrigerator overnight, at least 8 hours, where it should slowly double in size.
4 Roll out the dough: In the morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out into a rectangle approximately 12×16 inches in size.
Spread the dough with butter, leaving a 1-inch border on one of the longer (16-inch) edges. Spread the raspberry jam over the butter, maintaining the border along the edge.
Toss the fresh berries with the cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. Scatter the berries over the jam layer.
5 Roll up the dough: Starting with the long (16-inch) edge of the dough, roll up the dough toward the unbuttered edge. Roll it into a tight spiral and pinch the unbuttered edge closed to create a tight seam.
Cut the roll into thirds with a sharp, serrated knife. Cut each third into three rolls to create nine individual rolls.
6 Let the rolls rise: Fit the rolls into a lightly buttered 9×13-inch baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour in a warm room.
7 Bake the rolls: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the plastic wrap from the rolls and bake in the center of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the rolls are puffy and golden on top.
Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 5 minutes before icing.
8 Make the icing and frost the rolls: Beat the cream cheese in a mixing bowl until smooth. Beat in the butter until combined and gradually beat in the powdered sugar. Beat in the milk, followed by the lemon zest and salt. Spread the icing over the rolls while they are still warm.
9 Serve! These are best eaten the day they are made. Be sure to eat them while they are warm for the best texture.
You can store any leftover rolls by wrapping them individually in plastic wrap.
