Weekend baking just got better with these soft and fluffy raspberry rolls! They’re everything you want in a homemade sweet roll—pillowy dough, a swirl of juicy raspberry filling, and a rich lemon cream cheese icing to tie it all together. The best part? You can make them year-round with frozen raspberries, so there’s no waiting for berry season to enjoy a batch.
If you love baking with raspberries, try this Raspberry Galette Recipe, Raspberry Swirl Loaf, and Raspberry Almond Shortbread Bites.
A Closer Look
These raspberry rolls start with a soft, buttery dough that bakes up light and fluffy. Made with milk, eggs, and plenty of butter, the dough is rich and tender, giving each bite that perfect melt-in-your-mouth texture. It’s the kind of dough that makes homemade sweet rolls worth the effort!
Each roll is packed with a juicy, swirled raspberry filling that brings just the right balance of sweetness and tartness. Using frozen raspberries means you can enjoy these rolls any time of year..
This recipe is slightly time-consuming, which is why I love making it as a weekend bake when there’s time to let the dough rise properly and enjoy the process. But don’t worry—I’ve included step-by-step instructions to guide you through, so your rolls turn out perfectly the first time and every time!
Ingredients
- Milk- Whole milk is a favorite for richness in this recipe.
- Active dry yeast
- Eggs- they add moisture and richness to the dough.
- Granulated sugar- This is used in 3 places in this recipe- the dough, sprinkling on the risen dough in shaping, and to sweeten the raspberries.
- All- purpose flour
- Salt- Kosher salt is my preferred for all my baking.
- Butter- This will be used to make the dough, spread over the dough for filling,and in the icing.
- Lemon- We will be using lemon zest and lemon juice for this recipe.
- Cream cheese- for the lemon cream cheese icing.
- Powdered sugar- For the cream cheese icing.
- Frozen raspberries- you can use fresh as well if they are in season.
How to Make Raspberry Sweet Rolls
Active the yeast- Add the milk, yeast, and sugar to your mixing bowl. Mix and let this sit for 5-7 minutes until the yeast is frothy.
Mix the dough-To this add the eggs, salt, butter, and flour. After this, mix for 1 minute on medium speed with the dough hook. Check the texture. It should be just slightly tacky (sticky), but not too sticky. If needed, add a little more flour or milk to get it to the right hydration. You want it to pull away from the edges of the mixing bowl, but not be too dry. Mix it on medium speed for 6-8 minutes until the dough is smooth.
TOP TIP: I have a proof setting on my oven that keeps the temp about 100 degrees. If you don't have this setting, place the bowl of dough in an unheated oven with a pan of boiling water.
First rise- Cover and let it rise for 45 minutes or longer to double the dough. When the dough is ready, mix the frozen raspberries, sugar, and lemon zest in a bowl. Place in the freezer while you prepare the dough.
Shape- Roll it to a 18x24 inch rectangle. Brush it with the melted butter and sprinkle it with the sugar. Add the frozen berries over the top of this. Then roll the roll up tightly. It will be a long roll, pinch the ends to seal. Cut rolls into 1-inch pieces. Place them in a 9x13 pan greased pan.
TOP TIP: This empty space is to allow you to pinch the roll closed. I usually like to roll from the top down, so I leave my uncovered section at the bottom.
Second rise- Cover and let them rise for 30 minutes. At the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes. Once they are baked, remove them from the oven. Let them cool slightly (about 15 minutes) and prepare the icing.
Lemon Cream cheese icing- Mix the softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a bowl. Once it is creamy, spread it over the slightly cooled rolls. They are ready to serve and be enjoyed!
BAKE TIME TIPS: The actual time will depend on how close together your rolls are and how thick you cut them. So be prepared to check them and adjust accordingly
Top tips
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients
Make sure your eggs, milk, and butter are at room temperature before mixing. This helps them blend smoothly into the dough, creating a consistent texture and ensuring a better rise. - Let the Dough Rise Properly
Don’t rush the rising process. Allow the dough to rest until it doubles in size—this step is key for getting those soft, fluffy rolls. If the room is cool, place the dough in a warm, draft-free area to help it rise evenly. - Be Careful with the Raspberry Mixture
When spreading the frozen raspberries mixed with sugar on the dough, make sure to spread a thin, even layer. Too much filling could cause it to spill out as the rolls bake, leaving you with uneven swirls. A light touch will give you the perfect filling-to-dough ratio! - Roll Gently and Evenly
When rolling up the dough, be gentle to preserve the fluffy texture. Roll it tightly but not too tight—this helps your rolls bake evenly without being too dense. - Top with Icing While Warm
For the best results, drizzle the lemon cream cheese icing over the rolls while they’re still warm. This allows the icing to slightly melt into the rolls, creating a wonderfully creamy, tangy finish to each bite.
Difference between active dry yeast and instant yeast
- Active dry yeast needs to be dissolved in warm water or milk (about 100–110°F or 37–43°C) before being added to your dough. This step helps activate the yeast and get it working.
- Instant yeast doesn’t need to be dissolved in water first. It can be added directly to the dry ingredients, making it a quicker option.
- Instant yeast has finer granules, allowing it to dissolve and activate more quickly than active dry yeast.
- Active dry yeast has larger granules, which is why it requires activation in warm water before use.
- Instant yeast generally acts faster, so you may notice that dough rises quicker than with active dry yeast.
- Active dry yeast takes slightly longer to rise, as it needs more time for the granules to activate
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Soft and Fluffy Raspberry Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 cups warm milk
- 6 tablespoons softened butter make sure it is very soft
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 8-10 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 eggs
Spread
- ⅓ cup melted butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Filling
- 3 cups frozen raspberries
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Lemon icing
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 4 ounces softened cream cheese
- 4 ounces softened butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Mix the dough-To this add the eggs, salt, butter, and 8 cups of flour. Mix for 1 minute on medium speed with the dough hook. Check the texture. It should be just slightly tacky (sticky), but not too sticky. If needed, add a little more flour or milk to get it to the right hydration. You want it to pull away from the edges of the mixing bowl, but not be too dry. Mix it on medium speed for 6-8 minutes until the dough is smooth.
- First rise- Cover and let it rise for 45 minutes or longer to double the dough. When the dough is ready, mix the frozen raspberries, sugar, and lemon zest in a bowl. Place in the freezer while you prepare the dough.
- Shape- Roll it to a 18x24 inch rectangle. Brush it with the melted butter and sprinkle it with the sugar. Add the frozen berries over the top of this. Then roll the roll up tightly. It will be a long roll, pinch the ends to seal. Cut rolls into 1-inch pieces. Place them in a 9x13 pan greased pan.
- Second rise- Cover and let them rise for 30 minutes. At the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes. Once they are baked, remove them from the oven.Let them cool slightly (about 15 minutes) and prepare the icing.
- Lemon Cream cheese icing- Mix the softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a bowl. Once it is creamy, spread it over the slightly cooled rolls. They are ready to serve and be enjoyed!
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!