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These Raspberry Lemon Brioche Rolls with Whipped Ricotta Cream are the perfect summery sweet roll. Buttery brioche dough, swirled with sweet summer raspberries and lemon sugar. Then generously topped with creamy vanilla whipped ricotta cheese. There’s nothing not to love about these raspberry swirl rolls, every bite is melt in your mouth delicious. These rolls are a great make-ahead breakfast or a special summertime afternoon snack. Just be sure to enjoy them warm, right out of the oven.

overhead photo of Raspberry Lemon Brioche Rolls with Whipped Ricotta Cream in baking pan

Happy Tuesday guys! This is one of those recipes that I’m overly excited to share. Normally I would save a recipe like this for a Friday, so that you’d have them just before the weekend. But then I thought about it, and well, I’m very much into the idea of these rolls as a Tuesday treat. I mean c’mon, we all need a Tuesday treat every once in a while!

That and, as I mentioned, I’m really excited about this recipe and didn’t want to wait any longer to share. Plus, these are easy enough to bake up on a weekday. And while they might be a “breakfast” food, these raspberry swirled rolls make for an extra special afternoon snack too.

Trust me, there’s really nothing better than a random sweet roll on a summer afternoon day. No special occasion needed.

overhead photo of Raspberry Lemon Brioche Rolls in baking pan before baking

The story.

Honestly, I’m not really sure what the story behind the rolls originally was, but I’ve never created any other recipe like them. Which is one of the many reasons I’m so excited to share them. Sure, we have a lot of cinnamon roll recipes here on HBH. And we definitely have some fruity layered cakes, but never have I made a sweet roll where the main flavor is fruit.

Typically, I’m all about cinnamon when it comes to my swirled rolls, but I tend to reserve those for the holidays. These are my summer swirl roll! When the concept first came to mind, I knew I had to jump at it…they just sounded so delicious. I meant to share the recipe before Father’s Day, but I didn’t want to break tradition. So instead, I shared my last-minute recipe for buckeye CRUNCH bars (which so many of you have already made and loved).

So here we are today! A random June Tuesday, with the best raspberry lemon brioche rolls.

overhead photo of Raspberry Lemon Brioche Rolls before adding cream

Here are the details.

First, these are not your typical sweet rolls. I wanted them to be extra soft and hinted with lemon.

To make the dough, simply mix flour with a bit of instant yeast, a touch of cardamom, and a pinch of salt. Add warm milk, a touch of honey, eggs, salted butter, and some lemon zest. Then mix until smooth, let the dough rise until doubled in size, usually about an hour.

While the rolls rise, mix up the filling. It’s simply granulated sugar and lemon…yes, lemon sugar!

Once the dough has doubled in size, roll the dough out, spread with butter, then top with some of the lemon sugar. Add lots of fresh raspberries, then roll the dough up into a log, cut into rolls, and place them into a baking dish. Now you can either let the rolls rest, get puffy, and then bake. Or you can keep the rolls in the fridge overnight to rise and bake in the morning. Either option works, it just depends when you’d like to enjoy your rolls.

overhead photo of Raspberry Lemon Brioche Rolls with Whipped Ricotta Cream

While the rolls bake…

Whip the ricotta into cream. This is very simple. Take ricotta cheese and whip it in the food processor until creamy, then add powdered sugar and a splash of vanilla.

Simple, simple…and so very creamy.

Note: If you don’t have a food processor, I would recommend topping with whipped cream or whipped cream cheese. Either would also be good!

overhead photo of Raspberry Lemon Brioche Rolls with Whipped Ricotta Cream on plates

And now you wait for the rolls. As the rolls bake, the kitchen will fill with the sweet smells of summer…buttery raspberries and lemon wafting throughout your kitchen.

Next, pull the rolls out of the oven and take in their beauty. I almost didn’t frost these because I love the raspberry swirl so much. But in the end, the ricotta cream was too good not to use.

Just before topping with cream, toss those remaining raspberries in with the leftover lemon sugar. Now spread the cream over the rolls and top with the lemon berries.

overhead close up photo of Raspberry Lemon Brioche Rolls with Whipped Ricotta Cream in baking dish

YUM.

And you see? Just like that Tuesday went from boring to fun…and so delicious. So what do you guys think? Can we do some baking this afternoon? Sounds like the perfect plan to me.

side angle close up photo of Raspberry Lemon Brioche Roll on plate with Whipped Ricotta Cream

Looking for other summer brunch  recipes? Here are some favorites:

Buttery Raspberry Crumble Bars

Berry and Cream Cheese Croissant French Toast Bake

Blackberry Lavender White Chocolate Scones

Baked Blackberry Ricotta French Toast

Lastly, if you make these raspberry lemon brioche rolls with whipped ricotta cream, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Raspberry Lemon Brioche Rolls with Whipped Ricotta Cream

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Rising time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories Per Serving: 380 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Ingredients

Ricotta Cream

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • 1. To make the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 3 ½ cups flour, cardamom, cinnamon, salt, and yeast. Add the milk, honey, eggs, butter, and 1 tablespoon lemon zest. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. If the dough seems sticky, add the remaining ½ cup of flour. It's better to have a stickier dough rather than a dry dough, so add flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
    2. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
    3. To make the filling. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and remaining 1-2 tablespoons lemon zest. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with parchment. 
    4. Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Turn out the dough, punch it down, and roll it into a rectangle about 10 x 16 inches. Spread 6 tablespoons softened butter evenly over the dough. Sprinkle the 1/2 cup of the lemon sugar evenly over the butter and lightly push into the butter. Sprinkle over 2 1/2 cups raspberries. Starting with the long edge closest to you, carefully roll the dough into a log, keeping it fairly tight as you go. When you reach the edge, pinch along the edge to seal. Using a sharp knife, cut into 12-15 rolls. Place the rolls in the prepared baking dish. Cover and let rise 20-30 minutes or transfer to the fridge to rise overnight (see notes).
    5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
    6. Meanwhile, make the cream. Whip the ricotta in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, pulse to combine. The cream can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. 
    7. Toss the remaining 1/2 cup raspberries with the remaining 1/4 cup lemon sugar. Spread the cream over the warm rolls. Sprinkle with berries. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Overnight Rising: Cover the rolls and transfer to the fridge to rise overnight. In the morning, remove the rolls from the fridge and let come to room temp while the oven preheats. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
To Use Active Dry Yeast: Mix 1 tablespoon active dry yeast with the warm milk and honey. Let sit 5-10 minutes, until bubbly and foamy on top. Add the flour and follow the directions as listed for the remainder of the recipe. 
To Make Gluten Free: Use an equal amount of your favorite gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. I recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour. 
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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Incredible. So easy to make, beautiful dish, and absolutely delicious. Will make again and again and again – it was even insisted that “this has to become a tradition”. Used raspberries and strawberries together, maybe next time I’ll try it with blueberries! Thanks, Tieghan!

    Reply

    1. Hey Kelsey,
      Fantastic! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Lakyn,
      Thanks so much for making this recipe, it makes me so happy that it was enjoyed. Happy Friday! xTieghan

      Reply

  4. 5 stars
    This might be my favorite HBH recipe so far…and that is saying a lot! So easy, so delicious and looks beautiful too!

    Reply

  5. 5 stars
    I would love to make this! If I want to bake it for a lunch, can I still make it the evening before, or will the overnight rise be too long then?

    Reply

    1. Hey Julia,
      Totally fine to make these the day before, cover and keep in the fridge. Bring back to room temp before baking. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  6. 3 stars
    Made this today and my suspicions were as expected. Baking the raspberries made so much juice, my baking dish was full and the rolls were soggy half way up from the bottom. Also, make sure you’re using good yeast. Mine was apparently old because after 2hrs I still hadn’t hit double size. I may attempt this again another time, but right now I’m a little deflated and sulky.

    …any suggestions?

    Reply

    1. Hey Sandor,
      So sorry to hear this, I am thinking your yeast caused your issues. You want to be sure to use good yeast so your dough can correctly rise and then I don’t think you would have had as many issues with the raspberries. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan

      Reply

  7. Hi, these look amazing! I was just wondering, if I don’t have a food processor, would a regular hand mixer work to make the ricotta cream?

    Reply

    1. Hey Carly,
      Yes, that will work. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Joy,
      I have not tested this, but you can certainly give it a try with your favorite vegan substitutes. I hope you love the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan

      Reply

  9. Delicious for my afternoon snack today. I made a cream cheese frosting and it very much complemented the lemon raspberry flavors! Sharing with neighbors because I don’t think they will be as good on the second day as the raspberries will probably make the rolls soggy. But great eaten fresh!

    Reply

  10. Hey Tieghan!
    I was thinking of trying this out with the Every Day Bread Dough recipe instead, would that work if I used the baking directions for the cinnamon roll bread? Also if that does work, I was curious if I would just add the cinnamon, cardamom, and lemon zest to the bread dough and proceed that way?

    Reply

    1. Hey Sonia! Yes, I think the everyday bread dough would work great! You can add those seasonings right to the dough. That will be wonderful! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan

      Reply

  11. Hello, this recipe looks wonderful. Could I use blueberries? If I do, would cardamom still taste good or should I substitute it with another spice?

    Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hey Camila,
      Yes blueberries would work, I would keep the recipe as is. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  12. Hey!
    Would there be a way to use lemon juice or lemon extract instead of zest? I’d love to get the lemony flavor but don’t have any lemons. Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hey Kate,
      Sure either of those options would work! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  13. Tieghan! These were amazing! I made them at home, froze them right before they would have gone in the oven, drove them to the beach for family vacation and baked them for our first breakfast… the whole fam was stunned into silence by the deliciousness! I forgot ricotta but had cream cheese on hand for the icing. They were still heaven but I’m excited to try with ricotta next time! 11/10 Thank you’

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much Kristin! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes! xTieghan

      Reply

  14. 5 stars
    These rolls were delicious. They were the summeriest of summer breakfast treats! I especially loved the hint of lemon in the dough. I am pretty sure I ate most of them myself, but my family loved them as well. Thank you!

    Reply

  15. Hello! These look beautiful! Is it possible to substitute the butter for either shortening or lard or a combination of the two? Or even an oil? We can’t use butter in this house!

    Reply

    1. Hi Ally, I think an either amount of either should work well. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan

      Reply