These delicious cinnamon raisin rolls are made with soaked raisins kneaded into the dough to keep these irresistible buns soft and chewy. And softened butter in the simple cinnamon + brown sugar filling creates a caramelized swirl in each bite.
Glazed Cinnamon Rolls with Juicy Raisins
These delicious raisin cinnamon rolls are inspired by Rosinenschnecken, which are the German version that translates to "raisin snails", since the spiral design looks (kind of) like a snail shell.
The yeast dough is suuuper soft and fluffy, and a filling of cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter adds the perfect amount of caramelized sweetness + spice. And make sure you use softened butter rather than melted butter, which I've found helps it stay inside the bun, rather than leak out everywhere as it bakes. Finally, raisins add a fruity pop of flavor in every single bite, since they're kneaded directly into the dough, rather than just spread out on the the filling.
Cinnamon Buns from Scratch are Totally Worth It
Now I totally get it - there's no denying that making cinnamon roll dough from scratch takes more time and effort than popping open a can of premade dough. But I promise, the flavor and texture of homemade cinnamon raisin rolls just can't be beat! Plus you can alter the flavors of the filling to your heart's content, like my hazelnut cinnamon rolls with chopped nuts and my chocolate cinnamon rolls with an espresso glaze!
The Secret to Baking with Raisins
Growing up in Germany, my sister and I ate sooo many baked goods for breakfast on the weekends. In fact, my Dad is the master of cinnamon rolls. He began practicing and perfecting his recipe when he was in 8th grade!
His secret to the best cinnamon rolls is to soak the raisins before adding them to the dough. This plumps them up, so you get juicy pops of flavor, rather than shriveled, dry raisins in your bread. This also helps your baked buns stay moist, and the raisins will burst in your mouth with their fruity-juicy-goodness.
Essential Notes on Ingredients
- Raisins - I usually use regular (dark purple) raisins, but you could also use golden raisins or other dried fruit like cranberries or chopped dates.
- Milk - Hydrates the dough and makes the cinnamon rolls softer compared to using water.
- All purpose flour
- Active dry yeast - After several recipe tests, I prefer using active dry yeast in the dough. By taking 10 minutes to activate the yeast, you can ensure your yeast is healthy and alive. I've tested this recipe with instant yeast before, and unfortunately you don't get to check if that type of yeast is active enough to make your dough rise until after. So using active dry yeast saves a potential headache and disaster of having to throw out a whole batch of dough!
- Granulated sugar
- Salt - I recommend using non-iodized table salt or fine sea salt rather than kosher salt in my baked goods.
- Eggs
- Unsalted butter
- Dark brown sugar - You can also use light brown sugar, but I like the higher molasses content in dark brown sugar, which adds more caramel flavor. Granulated sugar won't create the same gooey filling.
- Ground cinnamon
- Powdered sugar - Sift your powdered sugar for a silky smooth texture in the glaze. Granulated sugar or brown sugar would make it too grainy.
Let's Make Rosinenschnecken!
1. Mix the warm milk, active dry yeast & sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes, until it is frothy.
3. Mix in the flour. Add the raisins & mix until it forms a sticky dough.
5. Place the dough ball back in the mixing bowl, and cover. Let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in size.
7. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin. Spread out the filling in an even layer.
9. Whisk the powdered sugar and milk in a bowl until it is thick and glossy.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the milk and yeast mixture, salt, eggs, and softened butter.
4. Knead the dough until it's smooth and elastic. Shape it into a ball.
6. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, & softened butter in a bowl until it forms a thick paste. Set aside.
8. Roll the dough into a log & slice into 12 even pieces. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
10. Drizzle the glaze onto the baked cinnamon raisin rolls & enjoy!!
Turn these into Overnight Cinnamon Raisin Rolls
If you want to prepare your cinnamon rolls ahead of time, you can easily make the rolls the night prior & refrigerate them until morning. After arranging your buns in a 9x13 baking dish, store them in the fridge overnight, covered in plastic wrap. Allow them to warm up at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before baking them.
Pro Tips for My Baking Besties
- Have all your ingredients at room temperature. This will help the yeast remain active, giving a good rise to your cinnamon roll dough.
- Dough prefers to rise at a mildly warm temperature, around 75ºF to 80ºF. In the winter (when I usually bake these rolls) I let my dough rise in the oven (turned off) with the oven light on for a draft-free, warm environment.
- The dough will look pretty sticky at first, but as soon as you start kneading it, it will become more elastic and stretchy. Keep adding a sprinkle of about one teaspoon of flour as you knead the dough until it no longer sticks to the counter.
- Whenever I forget to soften my butter, I cut it into tablespoons and spread it out on a large plate, then microwave it on 10 second intervals.
Fluffy Cinnamon Raisin Rolls | Rosinenschnecken
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- ¾ cup raisins
- 1½ cups hot water or hot apple juice
- 1¼ cups milk
- 4½ cups all purpose flour
- 2¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (one packet)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
Filling
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the raisins and hot water or hot apple juice. Set aside so the raisins can soak up the liquid for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
- Warm the milk, either on the stove top, or in the microwave for about 1 minute, until it's like a warm bath when you put your finger in the milk (around 105°F to 115°F). To the milk, mix in the active dry yeast and granulated sugar. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes, until it becomes frothy on top.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the milk and yeast mixture, salt, eggs, and softened butter. Add the flour, and mix with a large spoon. Thoroughly drain the raisins and add them to the dough. Continue mixing the dough with a large spoon until it forms a sticky dough, and there's no dry flour visible.
- Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour, and knead the dough by hand for about 8 minutes (or about 5 minutes in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment) until the dough is smooth and springs back to its original shape when you indent it with your finger. Shape the dough into a ball.
- Place the dough ball back in the mixing bowl, and cover with a kitchen towel. Let it rest and rise in a warm place (like an empty oven with the light turned on) for about 2 hours, until it doubles in size.
- Prepare the filling by combining the brown sugar, cinnamon, and softened butter in a bowl until it forms a thick paste. Set aside.
- Grease a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Scrape the dough out of the mixing bowl onto the floured work surface. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a 1 cm-thick rectangle (about 30 cm by 45 cm), Use the back of a spoon or a spatula to gently spread out the filling in an even layer on the dough, all the way to the edges.
- Roll the dough into a log, starting at a long edge. Slice the dough log into 12 even pieces. Place the rolls so they are evenly spread out in the prepared baking dish and the spiral is on top.Cover the baking dish with a kitchen towel, and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until they're puffed up and golden. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool for at least 15 minutes.
- Prepare the glaze by whisking the powdered sugar and one tablespoon of milk in a bowl with a whisk or fork. Add another tablespoon of milk if the glaze is still full of dry powdered sugar. Drizzle the glaze onto the cinnamon rolls, and enjoy!!
Notes
- Baking with Raisins: If you don't soak your raisins, they could draw moisture out of the bread dough as your cinnamon rolls bake. Even soaking them for just 15 minutes will make a world of difference!
- Kneading: Knead your dough for the full 8 minutes by hand (or 5 minutes in a stand mixer) until it's smooth and elastic. Kneading the dough thoroughly creates elastic dough which ensures soft, fluffy cinnamon rolls.
- Storing: Store cooled raisin cinnamon rolls wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.
- Reheating: I usually microwave leftover cinnamon rolls for about 20 seconds to warm and soften them. Freshly baked Schnecken are always the best, but leftovers still taste great!
I'm eggcited to hear from you :)