Raspberry Jam Sweet Rolls

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.

By
Cindy Rahe
Cindy Rahe
Cindy Rahe
Cindy has over 10 years experience as a recipe blogger and was a contributor at BettyCrocker.com. Cindy began contributing to Simply Recipes in 2017.
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Updated June 13, 2022
Cindy Rahe
Raspberry Jam Breakfast Rolls
Cindy Rahe

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.

Sweet Rolls with Jam
Cindy Rahe

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.

Sweet Rolls with Jam
Cindy Rahe

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.

Sweet Rolls with Jam
Cindy Rahe

More Best Recipes for Sweet Mornings

Raspberry Jam Sweet Rolls

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Rise 9 hrs
Total Time 9 hrs 50 mins
Servings 9 servings
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 (480g) all-purpose flour

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) room temperature unsalted butter

For the filling:

  • 2 ounces (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 kosher salt

Special Equipment

  • Stand mixer

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.

    Raspberry Jam Breakfast Rolls combine yeast, milk and sugar
    Cindy Rahe
  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.

    Sweet Rolls with Jam
    Cindy Rahe
    Raspberry Jam Breakfast Rolls add the butter
    Cindy Rahe
  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.

    Breakfast Rolls with Jam knead the dough
    Cindy Rahe
    Raspberry Jam Breakfast Rolls let the dough double
    Cindy Rahe
  4. Roll out the dough:

    In the morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out into a rectangle approximately 12x16 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.

    Raspberry Jam Breakfast Rolls spread the jam
    Cindy Rahe
    Breakfast Rolls with Jam add the berries, sugar, and zest
    Cindy Rahe
  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.

    Raspberry Jam Breakfast Rolls roll up the dough
    Cindy Rahe
    Sweet Rolls with Jam slice into nine pieces
    Cindy Rahe
  6. Let the rolls rise:

    Fit the rolls into a lightly buttered 9x13-inch baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour in a warm room.

    Breakfast Rolls with Jam let the rolls rise
    Cindy Rahe
  7. Preheat the oven:

    A half hour before baking, preheat the oven to 350°F.

  8. Bake the rolls:

    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.

    Raspberry Jam Breakfast Rolls bake the rolls
    Cindy Rahe
  9. 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.

    Sweet Rolls with Jam assemble the icing
    Cindy Rahe
    Breakfast Rolls with Jam beat the icing ingredients together
    Cindy Rahe
  10. 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.

    Raspberry Jam Breakfast Rolls
    Cindy Rahe
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
627 Calories
25g Fat
93g Carbs
10g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 9
Amount per serving
Calories 627
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25g 31%
Saturated Fat 14g 72%
Cholesterol 103mg 34%
Sodium 295mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 93g 34%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 44g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 8mg 39%
Calcium 69mg 5%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 184mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.