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    Home » Recipes » Breads and Donuts

    Easy Raspberry Cinnamon Buns with Almond Cream Cheese Frosting

    Published: Feb 9, 2022 · Modified: Aug 13, 2022 by Liz Mincin · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This small batch raspberry cinnamon roll recipe is perfect to make a few heart-shaped buns for an extra special brunch treat! Cinnamon dough with an almond raspberry filling and topped with a quick and easy almond cream cheese frosting.

    Heart shaped raspberry cinnamon rolls with almond cream cheese frosting.

    Ingredients for Fresh Raspberry Cinnamon Buns

    This recipe is split into three parts:

    1. Cinnamon dough
    2. Fresh raspberry filling
    3. Almond cream cheese frosting

    For the Dough

    You'll need:

    • Flour - for this cinnamon dough, you'll want strong white bread flour.
    • Sugar - a couple tablespoons of light brown (muscovado) sugar for the dough recipe. You'll also need just a bit of granulated sugar, to help activate the yeast.
    • Milk - use either full fat or whole milk. This needs to be warmed to a comfortably lukewarm temperature (about 113°F is ideal for yeast). If you heat in the microwave or on the stovetop, be sure that you allow it to cool a bit before adding the yeast.
    • Dry active yeast
    • Ground cinnamon
    • Salt
    • Egg - one large egg.
    • Butter - unsalted butter, softened to room temperature.
    Ingredients for cinnamon dough for soft sticky buns.

    Raspberry Filling

    • Raspberries - fresh raspberries, smashed with a fork to release their juices.
    • Cornstarch - or cornflour in the UK. This helps to thicken the juices of the raspberries to prevent these buns becoming soupy.
    • Ground cinnamon
    • Almond extract
    • Butter - unsalted butter, soft enough to spread over the dough.
    Ingredients for fresh raspberry filling.

    Using Raspberries in Baking

    So you may notice that many recipes will call for frozen raspberries. These may be more convenient to use depending on your location and the season.

    I would normally recommend fresh raspberries for the best flavour, but you can certainly substitute with frozen raspberries in this recipe.

    To use frozen raspberries, allow them to defrost first. Frozen fruits are often softer and will break down more easily, so these are likely not to require as much smashing as the fresh.

    Almond Cream Cheese Frosting

    This is an incredibly simple three ingredient spread:

    • Spreadable cream cheese - the soft spreadable variety is the only option in the UK and in fact the best option for a quick soft and tangy frosting.
    • Powdered sugar - also known as icing sugar or confectioners sugar. My recipe will provide measurements, but these can be adjusted to taste.
    • Almond extract - just a little almond extract goes a long way! And makes for a delicious tasting icing on these raspberry cinnamon rolls.

    How to Make These Easy Raspberry Rolls

    Making the Dough

    Start with the dough for these buns. You'll need to activate the yeast first, by sprinkling this over top the warmed milk along with the granulated sugar. Stir this together and let it sit until frothy.

    Place the dry ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Then add the foamy activated yeast, immediately followed by the egg and the butter. Begin kneading at a low setting until the dough comes together. Knead for about 15 minutes until the dough is pulling itself off the side of the bowl.

    Transfer this cinnamon dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit in a warm place at room temperature for between 90 minutes and two hours until doubled in size.

    Filling and Shaping Cinnamon Buns

    While the dough is proofing, you can make your raspberry filling. Simply smash the raspberries with a fork, add the cornstarch, cinnamon and almond and stir together.

    You can make this a day in advance of filling the buns (just keep in the refrigerator until needed).

    After the first proof, turn the dough out onto a clean work surface, knock back and roll to a roughly 11" square.

    Spread with softened butter to within about an inch of the edges and then spread the raspberry filling over about three quarters of the buttered section of dough starting from the left side, leaving about a quarter without filling on the right hand side. Then roll from the left to right.

    The gap in filling on the right is because the raspberry filling will be pressed out while you roll up the dough. Leaving some uncoated will help keep the filling inside the buns.

    Cinnamon dough rolled out into a square.
    Adding fresh raspberry cinnamon filling over cinnamon bun dough, leaving a gap on the right hand side for the filling to spread when rolling.
    Rolled log of filled cinnamon bun dough.

    Heart Shaped Cinnamon Buns

    Once rolled, slice about 1.5" off each end to remove unfilled and uneven dough. Then cut into 9 equal pieces with a dough cutter. These will be nine mini cinnamon buns, which can then be fitted into heart shaped pans to create 3 large heart shaped buns.

    After placing in the heart-shaped pans, cover with a clean tea towel and allow to proof for a second time for about 90 minutes.

    When ready, bake at 350°F for 20 minutes until risen and golden.

    Using a dough cutter to slice cinnamon bun roll into small pieces to fit heart shaped mini cake tins.
    Mini raspberry cinnamon buns in 4" heart-shaped cake tins for their second proof.
    Raspberry filled buns in heart shaped mini cake tins after second proof.
    Heart-shaped cinnamon buns removed from their baking moulds.

    Alternative Shaping for these Buns

    This recipe is scaled specifically to provide three large heart shaped buns. This is roughly half a batch of conventional sized cinnamon buns.

    But, if you don't have heart shaped cake tins, never fear! You can easily make these raspberry cinnamon buns in a variety of alternate baking trays. Using the same recipe, you can use a 7" round cake pan or another similar sized baking dish.

    By doubling the recipe, you can make nine larger individual buns following the basic process outlined in my Apple Pie Buns recipe.

    Frosting

    When it comes to frosting raspberry rolls, you have many options! For this recipe, I recommend my easy spreadable cream cheese and almond icing. Simply stir the ingredients together and spread or pipe over the buns.

    Alternatively a simple vanilla glaze of powdered sugar, milk and vanilla would go well. Or, you could amp up the raspberry by using a bit of raspberry juice or puree with icing sugar for a quick and easy raspberry icing.

    FAQs

    How long do these raspberry rolls keep?

    Well, when dealing with a brunch classic, you can't really beat eating them fresh! Leftovers can keep for a couple of days, though I'm not going to lie, they won't be as good as on the day they're baked.

    If you frost with the cream cheese frosting, you should also store in the refrigerator if leaving overnight, which can contribute to the buns drying out more quickly.

    How do I make these homemade buns so they are ready for breakfast or brunch?

    Given the proofing required and the desire to eat them fresh, you might be wondering: how do I make cinnamon buns for breakfast without waking up insanely early?

    Well, you're in luck! These buns can be slow proofed for the second proof - this means, you can complete all the steps, fill and fashion the buns the day before. Cover lightly with cling film and place in the refrigerator overnight.

    The following morning, take out of the fridge and allow to come to room temperature for about an hour before baking. Saves you loads of time and 4am alarm clocks!

    Can I make this recipe nut free?

    Of course! If you're needing this to be nut free or just not an almond fan, simply leave out the almond extract. You can replace this with vanilla for a nut free version, or even add a bit of lemon extract to give a zest.

    If you like this recipe, try out some other brunch bakes:

    • Apple Pie Filled Cinnamon Rolls
    • Nectarine Bread
    • Mini Brioche Buns
    • Cardamom Pistachio Challah Buns
    • Easy Zucchini Bread
    Heart shaped raspberry cinnamon rolls with almond cream cheese frosting.

    Raspberry Cinnamon Buns

    Liz Mincin
    Easy small batch raspberry cinnamon buns with almond cream cheese frosting. Individual mini raspberry filled cinnamon buns make for sweet large heart-shaped buns - the perfect brunch for someone special.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Proofing 3 hrs
    Course Breakfast, Brunch
    Cuisine American
    Servings 3 heart-shaped buns

    Equipment

    • 3 heart-shaped springform tins
    • electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment

    Ingredients
      

    Ingredients for Cinnamon Dough

    • ⅓ cup full fat (whole) milk heated to about 113°F (45C)
    • 1¼ teaspoon dry active yeast
    • ½ teaspoon superfine granulated sugar or caster sugar
    • 1½ cups strong bread flour
    • 2 tablespoon light brown sugar (muscovado) firmly packed
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 egg
    • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter softened at room temperature

    Ingredients for Fresh Raspberry Filling

    • ½ cup fresh raspberries mashed with a fork
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch or cornflour in the UK
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon almond extract
    • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter softened at room temperature

    Ingredients for Almond Cream Cheese Frosting

    • ½ cup spreadable cream cheese
    • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar or icing sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon almond extract

    Instructions
     

    • Begin by activating the yeast. Sprinkle the yeast and the granulated sugar over the warm milk, stir and set aside for 10 minutes until foamy.
    • Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, stir together the dry ingredients - the flour, salt, cinnamon and brown sugar.
    • Once the yeast is foamy, add this to the flour mixture, followed immediately by the egg and butter. Knead on a low setting until combined into a dough and then continue kneading for 15 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
    • Transfer the dough to a buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place for about 90 minutes until doubled in size.
    • While the dough proofs, mix together the smashed raspberries, cornstarch, cinnamon and almond. Allow to sit for at least half an hour.
    • When the dough is ready, turn out onto a clean work surface. Stretch and roll the dough to a roughly 11" square.
    • Butter the dough with 2 tablespoons of softened butter to within 1" of the edges.
    • Then spread the raspberry filling over about ¾ of the buttered section, leaving a ¼ gap on the right side.
    • Roll the dough tightly from the left side to the right. The gap in filling will help the filling to not leak too much out of the roll as you go.
    • Use a sharp knife of dough slicer to cut about 1½" off each end of the dough log, then slice the log into 9 equal pieces.
    • Place three of these in each of the three heart-shaped baking tins. (see note)
    • Cover the tins with a clean tea towel and proof for a second time for about 90 minutes, until doubled in size.
    • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175C/155C Fan).
    • When the buns are ready, bake in the centre of the preheated oven for about 20 minutes until risen and browned on top.
    • While the buns bake, mix together your spreadable cream cheese, almond extract and powdered sugar until you reach a smooth consistency. If you want a sweeter frosting, you can add a bit more icing sugar. Adding milk will help make the frosting looser if you want a thinner consistency.
    • Once removed from the oven, allow to cool for about 10 minutes before spreading or drizzling with cream cheese icing.
    • Serve warm for the freshest raspberry cinnamon rolls!

    Notes

    This recipe can be made in other size pans. See the blog post above for suggestions. In general, you are looking for any baking tin that allows the buns to sit together with a bit of room to grow. They go through a second proof and then will rise further in the oven, so you do not want them super tightly packed at the stage of adding to the pan.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @waitingforblancmange or tag #waitingforblancmange!

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    Image of Liz Mincin blogger and recipe developer behind Waiting for Blancmange.

    Hi, I'm Liz! I'm an American expat in the UK, with over 20 years experience baking and creating desserts. Taught tricks and tips by my mother and grandmothers, I'm sharing recipes and baking tips from my Italian American and Southern roots, along with a few British staples picked up from my time living across various regions in the UK.

    More about me →

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