These raspberry heart cinnamon rolls are the perfect way to start someone’s day with some love. Topped with glaze and filled with a raspberry cinnamon sugar filling, these cinnamon rolls are the sweetest of hearts.
Cinnamon rolls are already pretty perfect, but if you’re a raspberry lover….. then these raspberry cinnamon rolls were made for you! And with Valentine’s Day right around the corner, they’re shaped like adorable hearts and topped with a gorgeous pink glaze.
If you’re not in the heart-shaped mood, you can simply roll these up like any old cinnamon roll. But if you’re looking for a cute twist, we’ll use a simple shaping trick to make these rolls heart-shaped.
Tips for perfect fluffy cinnamon rolls
If you’re new to bread baking, I recommend reading my bread baking guide which goes through the entire process, end to end. I’m including some tips for this recipe as well.
- Be careful with the temperature of your milk and water. Lukewarm milk and water is the perfect temperature for yeast – anything that feels hot will kill your yeast and you will get no rise.
- Air temperature affects rise time, which can be especially frustrating during the winter and if your kitchen is very cold. If you want to speed up your rise time, you can check out my guide to proofing bread faster.
- The dough is a bit sticky but manageable with either a stand mixer or by hand. If you’re struggling with kneading, let the dough rest for 20 – 30 minutes to absorb liquid in the dough, and then return to kneading.
- For the filling, make sure the butter is softened to room temperature so it can incorporate smoothly with the rest of ingredients and spread easily over the dough
How to create heart-shaped cinnamon rolls
Creating the heart shape is a simple twist on the traditional roll. A classic cinnamon roll has you roll from one end until you have a coil. In this version, we first roll from one but stop at the middle. We then roll from the other end until the middle so that we have two coils facing each other. These help create a heart shape.
After slicing the cinnamon rolls, you can gently form the point of the heart with your hands.
Other romantic recipes to try:
If you make this recipe, please let me know! I would love to see your beautiful raspberry rolls. You can comment below or tag me on Instagram @halicopteraway.
Raspberry heart cinnamon rolls
Equipment
- medium mixing bowl
- Small mixing bowl
- Rolling Pin
- 9 x 13 inch baking dish
Ingredients
Dough
- 1/2 cup (120g) milk, warm
- 1/4 cup (60g) water, warm
- 3 tbsp (45g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp instant or active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
- 2 3/4 cup (345g) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg
Filling
- 3 tbsp (45g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup (50g) brown sugar
- 3 tbsp raspberry jam
Icing
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 – 3 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp raspberry jam
Instructions
- In medium mixing bowl, add warm milk, water, and melted butter. The mixture should be warm to the touch but not hot, otherwise it may kill your yeast. Mix in sugar and yeast. Let sit for 5 – 10 minutes until frothy. If you don't see any activity, your yeast could be dead. Throw out and try again with fresh yeast.
- Add flour, salt, and egg to the liquid ingredients. Use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook to knead on medium-low speed for 10 – 15 minutes. Periodically check and see if the dough is smooth and passes the window pane test, indicating that gluten has developed enough. You can also knead by hand if preferred.
- Cover the dough and let rise for 60 – 90 minutes until doubled in size.
- To make the filling, mix together the butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and raspberry jam with a fork until a smooth paste forms. Set aside until the dough finishes rising.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead a few times to release air bubbles. Roll into out into a 14 x 10 inch rectangle. Spread the surface evenly with the filling. Take one end of the dough and roll, stopping when you reach the middle of the dough. Then, take the other end of the dough and roll until the middle so the two coils are touching. Cut into 11 – 12 rolls.
- Take each roll and pinch the bottom to form a pointed heart shape. Arrange in the baking dish.
- Let rise for 20 minutes. While the rolls rise, preheat the oven to 375°F
- Bake the rolls for 25 – 30 minutes until they're golden brown and make a hollow noise when tapped.
- Make the frosting – in a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, and jam. If it's too thick, add a little more milk. Drizzle or spread over the freshly baked rolls.