Blackberry Sweet Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Think of these as cinnamon rolls with a fruity twist. Sweet dough is swirled with blackberry filling, baked and topped with cream cheese frosting. Though blackberries are technically in season during late summer they can be found in stores the majority of the year.

Blackberry Sweet Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

• Blackberries – Because blackberries aren’t as sweet as many other fruits, I love how the slight tartness offsets the sweetness of the cream cheese frosting. I use both jam and chopped fresh blackberries in this recipe. These rolls can be enjoyed for either breakfast or dessert!
• Cream cheese – Softened cream cheese is blended with butter and confectioners sugar to create a tangy, creamy topping for the sweet rolls.
• Confectioners sugar – Confectioners sugar is also known as powdered sugar or confectionary sugar. It’s great for icing or frosting because it is so light and fine it melts into the mixture quickly and easily.

How to Make Blackberry Sweet Rolls

For the dough:

1. Bloom the yeast. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the milk and heat so it’s warm but not simmering (110ºF). Add the yeast and 2 tablespoons of the sugar, whisking to combine. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Mix the dough. Add the flour, remaining sugar, baking powder and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add the milk mixture and the egg and mix on low until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the melted butter and continue to mix on low speed until a dough ball forms.
3. Knead the dough. Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. If the dough is still sticky, sprinkle it lightly with additional flour.
4. Let the dough rise. Lightly grease a large bowl with the vegetable spray and add the dough to the bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in a warm place. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, about 1½ to 2 hours. Punch down the dough then use or refrigerate overnight (this works best if you want them for breakfast).
5. Roll out the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out into a 16-inch x10-inch rectangle that is about ¼-inch thick.

For the filling and assembly:

1. Spread the jam over the dough. Brush the surface of the dough with half of the butter and spread the blackberry jam in an even layer and adding the blackberries over the top, patting the berries down to ensure they stick. Drizzle with the remaining butter.
2. Roll the dough. Starting with the end closest to you of the long side of the dough, roll the dough up into a tight coil. Cut the log into 12 even slices, about 1-inch thick. Lightly spray a 9-inch by 12-inch baking dish with vegetable spray and arrange the dough coils in the pan.
3. Cover or refrigerate. At this point the rolls can be covered and refrigerated overnight.
4. Let rise. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and place in a warm place until the dough has risen again, about 1 hour (it may take longer if the dough was refrigerated overnight).
5. Bake the rolls. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Bake until the rolls are golden brown and fluffy, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.

To make the cream cheese frosting:

1. Make the cream cheese frosting. In a mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla on medium speed until all ingredients are thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Turn the mixer down to low and slowly begin to add the confectioner’s sugar, little by little so that you don’t end up in a cloud of powdered sugar. Once it is all combined beat on medium for another minute then set aside.
2. Spread over the rolls and serve. Use a baker’s knife to evenly spread the icing over the top of the rolls. Serve warmed or at room temperature.

Tips and Tricks for This Recipe

• If you want your rolls first thing in the morning it’s best to prep them the night before. Either make just the dough ahead of time, or prepare the entire rolls and let them rise, then bake them fresh in the morning.
• While I love using the blackberry filling year-round, the best part about these rolls is that any fruit combination can be subbed for the blackberries. Just swap in equal parts jam and chopped fruit.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

• Orange Pecan Sticky Buns
• Sweet and Savory Prosciutto, Egg & Gruyere Breakfast Biscuits
• Strawberry Balsamic Shortcake

Blackberry Sweet Rolls with Cream Cheese

Print Pin

Prep Time 3 hrs 30 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Serves 12

US Customary – Metric

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 2½ teaspoons active dry yeast
• ¼ cup granulated sugar, divided
• 3½ cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• Vegetable spray, as needed

For the filling:

• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup blackberry jam
• 1 cup roughly chopped blackberries

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 4- ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioner’s sugar

Instructions:

For the dough:

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the milk and heat so it’s warm but not simmering (110ºF/ 43ºC). Add the yeast and 2 tablespoons of the sugar, whisking to combine. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Add the flour, remaining sugar, baking powder and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add the milk mixture and the egg and mix on low until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the melted butter and continue to mix on low speed until a dough ball forms.
• Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. If the dough is still sticky, sprinkle it lightly with additional flour.
• Lightly grease a large bowl with the vegetable spray and add the dough to the bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in a warm place. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, about 1½ to 2 hours. Punch down the dough then use or refrigerate overnight (this works best if you want them for breakfast).
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out into a 16-inch x10-inch rectangle that is about ¼-inch thick.

For the filling:

• Brush the surface of the dough with half of the butter and spread the blackberry jam in an even layer and adding the blackberries over the top, patting the berries down to ensure they stick. Drizzle with the remaining butter.
• Starting with the end closest to you of the long side of the dough, roll the dough up into a tight coil. Cut the log into 12 even slices, about 1-inch thick. Lightly spray a 9-inch by 12-inch baking dish with vegetable spray and arrange the dough coils in the pan. At this point the rolls can be covered and refrigerated overnight.
• Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and place in a warm place until the dough has risen again, about 1 hour (it may take longer if the dough was refrigerated overnight).
• Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Bake until the rolls are golden brown and fluffy, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.

For the cream cheese frosting:

• In a mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla on medium speed until all ingredients are thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Turn the mixer down to low and slowly begin to add the confectioner’s sugar, little by little so that you don’t end up in a cloud of powdered sugar. Once it is all combined beat on medium for another minute then set aside.
• Use a baker’s knife to evenly spread the icing over the top of the rolls.

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