Soft Raspberry Rolls with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

To make the dough, combine 1 cup warm milk, 2 2/3 cups bread flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons instant yeast, and 4 tablespoons unsalted, room-temperature butter in a large bowl. Mix everything together by hand or with a stand mixer using a dough hook, or with a bread machine set to the raw dough cycle. Knead the dough by hand for 15 minutes, with a stand mixer on medium-low speed for 10–12 minutes, or in a bread machine until the dough cycle completes.

Lightly grease a bowl with vegetable oil, place the dough inside, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1½ hours.

The dough should be puffy and almost doubled in size.

Lightly dust your work surface with flour to prevent sticking, then place the risen dough onto it. Using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough into a rectangle measuring about 10 by 12 inches, keeping the thickness around half an inch.

Spread 1/2 cup of raspberry jam evenly over the rolled‑out dough, going all the way to the edges but leaving a small border so it doesn’t spill out as you roll.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup of freeze‑dried raspberries evenly over the jam, breaking some into smaller pieces so they tuck into the filling and add little bursts of flavor.

Begin rolling the dough up tightly from the long edge, keeping the spiral as even as possible. Finish with the seam side down so the roll stays closed while you slice.

Using a piece of unflavored dental floss, gently slide it underneath the rolled dough until you reach the center. Cross the ends of the floss over the top and pull them in opposite directions to slice cleanly through the dough. This method prevents the spiral from being squashed, giving you neat, even cuts without compressing the layers. After cutting the log in half, continue using the floss to divide each section into smaller rolls of equal size, ensuring uniform baking and beautiful swirls in every piece. You should end up with 8 rolls.

Spray a 9×9 square or round baking pan with nonstick spray, then place all 8 raspberry rolls inside, leaving just a little space between each one so they can expand. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise in a warm spot for 30–60 minutes.

About 20 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 375°F. Once the raspberry rolls look puffy and are lightly touching, bake them for 15–18 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden.

Allow the raspberry rolls to cool for 12–15 minutes before frosting them.

While the raspberry rolls cool, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of softened butter, 1 ounce of softened cream cheese, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Mix with an electric mixer until the frosting is smooth, creamy, and spreadable.

Frost your raspberry rolls while warm.

Enjoy!

Check out our other breakfast rolls, like Soft Cinnamon Rolls, Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns, and Cherry Almond Rolls.