Raspberry Sweet Rolls

A Raspberry sweet roll with cream cheese frosting on a white plate.

Raspberry Sweet Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting are sweet, soft and filled with a tart raspberry filling and topped with a delicious homemade frosting.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Total Rising Time and Baking Time 2 30

Servings Sweet rolls

Calories 387kcal

Author Beth, The Butcher’s Wife

Ingredients

Sweet Roll Dough

1 cup milk *warm it in the microwave for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on high- it should be warm enough but not too hot if you were to drink it
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp instant or rapid rise (bread machine) yeast
4 tbsp butter, partially melted * 1/2 stick of butter, not fully melted- salted or unsalted, either works
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups all purpose flour *add more or less as needed-see notes

Raspberry Filling

1 21 oz. Can Raspberry Pie Filling *see photo above to see the kind I use

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened - room temperature *1 stick, salted or unsalted, either works
8 oz. cream cheese, softened-room temperature *one block
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 to 3 cups powdered sugar *add more or less to your liking to get it as sweet and as thick as you like

Instructions

Sweet Roll Dough

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease a 9x13 baking dish.
Use whichever pan you prefer…see notes below.
In a stand mixer, using the dough hook, add your sugar and warm milk. Then add your yeast. Give it a little mix with a spoon and then let it sit for a few minute to “proof”. The yeast mixture should get foamy and bubbly. This means the yeast is alive and will work!
Next, add your partially melted butter and mix the ingredients together on low speed just so they are mixed a bit. Next add your slightly beaten egg and mix it again on low.
Add your salt, mix it on low for a few seconds. Then add2 cups of the flour. Start mixing it on low speed then increase the speed as the flour mixes in.
Add the last cup of flour a little at a time until the dough is pulling away from the sides of the mixing bowl and the dough is soft and slightly sticky. Add more or less flour as needed. Once you get the right amount of flour in the dough, let it mix and knead itself on medium-high speed until the dough is soft and smooth.
TIP: You will know you have added enough flour when your hands stick to the dough but do end up covered in sticky dough. You shoud be able to pull your fingers away and not have too much dough stick to them. See the photo above in the blog post.
Leave the dough in the bowl and cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to one hour.

Rolling out the Sweet Rolls

Once the dough has doubled in size, roll out the dough into a large rectangle (About 12x18 inches roughly). Spread the raspberry filling on the dough leaving just a little bit of an edge around the dough (see photos above).
Roll the dough up from the long end (lengthwise) so you have a long roll. Some of the filling may squish out-it’s ok! Place the long roll seam side down to cut the rolls. Then cut the long roll into 12 equal pieces. Use a sharp knife or dental floss to cut the sweet rolls into pieces.
Place each roll on the parchment paper lined baking sheet evenly spaced, or in the greased 9x13 baking pan.
Use whichever pan your prefer…see notes below
Cover the sweet rolls with a clean kitchen towel and let them raise again until doubled in size, or about 45 minutes to one hour.
Make sure to preheat your oven to 350F. You can place your pan of rolls next to the oven so they will raise faster.
Once the rolls are doubled in size, let them bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes. Check them at the 15 minute mark. You will know they are done when the tops of the rolls are golden brown.
*Every oven cooks different. Cooking times are just an estimate.
*If using a 9x13 pan the baking time may need to be a bit longer so the rolls in the center of the pan can get baked completely. If the rolls are getting too brown on top lay a piece of foil on the top of them and let them bake until done in the very center.
** Poking the center of the cinnamon roll that is in the middle of the pan will help you know if they are done. You will feel that the dough is still sticky and not easy to poke if they are still raw or need cooked more. It should go in pretty easy when poked and feel “done”.

Cream Cheese Frosting - make while the rolls bake

In a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), add all of the frosting ingredients and mix them together until smooth and creamy. Add more or less powdered sugar to your liking.
*if the cream cheese and butter are not super soft the frosting may be lumpy
Frost the sweet rolls after they have baked when they are warm so the frosting melts on them. If you prefer to have the rolls cool before frosting them that is fine too!
Enjoy!
The sweet rolls can be covered with foil in the pan and enjoyed the next day. Pop the sweet roll in the microwave for a few seconds and they will taste just as good as they did when they were fresh!
*I don’t ever refrigerate leftovers, even with the frosting being made with cream cheese, and no one has even been sick from them. But refrigerate them if that makes your nervous.

Notes

Use a half baking sheet or 9x13 pan. Use whichever you prefer…

*If using a 9x12 baking pan the rolls will raise and squish together resulting a more squishy soft sweet roll that almost seems undercooked. They will cook completely but will be super soft rolls.

*A baking sheet gives the cinnamon rolls more room to bake so the edges get more done.

For leftovers I never store them in the fridge and we have never got sick (knock on wood!). If you feel like you want to store them in the fridge because of the cream cheese frosting that is great. Just warm your raspbery roll in the microwave for a few seconds before enjoying.

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