Want a delicious way to use summer cherries? This recipe for Spiced Cherry Sweet Rolls is exactly that. Big, pillowy rolls are filled with a spiced cherry compote and topped with a satisfying sugar crust. You won’t need an excuse to make these sweet rolls, but they’re perfect for summer brunch, a sweet snack, or an unexpected dessert. It’s a summery yet warm and rich treat.
I’ve never been one to reach for cherry desserts, but the spiced cherry compote used in this recipe has fully changed my tune. Soft and flaky bread envelops summer sweet cherries infused with cinnamon and cloves, it’s a decadent and subtly complex compote. It looks and tastes like a pastry from a bakery, but homemade with minimal effort, you only need a little patience! These Spiced Cherry Sweet Rolls are best served warm, preferably with a glass of cold brew or unsweetened iced tea!
Ingredients you'll need to make Spiced Cherry Sweet Rolls:
- Active dry yeast – You can substitute for instant yeast, just skip the activation part and go straight to combining the wet ingredients.
- Unsweetened soy milk – This is my preferred milk to use when baking, others may work but soy milk has a higher protein content that is perfect for breads.
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Non-dairy butter – For this recipe I tried out Earth Balance’s unsalted butter sticks, but Miyoko’s is also a great option.
- Sweet cherries – Best when cherries are in season! Can use either fresh or frozen with a 1:1 ratio.
- Cinnamon stick
- Whole cloves
- Tapioca starch – This is to thicken the compote, you can use cornstarch instead but tapioca makes it a jelly consistency that I prefer for this recipe.
- Lemon juice
Notes:
Troubleshooting yeast:
If your yeast doesn’t look foamy after 10 minutes that means it’s dead. Either your milk was too hot or the yeast is too old! Start over with cooler milk, max 110℉. If you’re using lukewarm milk and the yeast still doesn’t activate, your yeast is bad and you’ll need to replace it.
Should fresh or frozen cherries be used for cherry compote?
You can use fresh or frozen cherries for this recipe. Amounts will stay the same but, if using frozen cherries, the cook time will increase a little bit to cook off some more of the liquid.
How do you strain the spices out of the compote?
I suggest putting the cloves in either a cheesecloth, reusable teabag, or tea strainer so it’s easier to remove them before baking. Steeping the cloves in this way gets the flavor without being a mess to take out after cooking.
Is there an easier way to spread the filling evenly?
To make the filling spread easier and for a better cherry-per-bite ratio I recommend either breaking the cherries up in the pan when cooking or cutting them in halves or quarters once cooled. Smaller pieces of cherry help the filling spread more evenly.
How can you make sure the filling doesn't spill out of the sweet rolls before baking?
Since the compote can make things messy fast, there are a couple of things you can do to make the process easier. First, you can clean the knife in between each cut and place in the baking dish after each roll is cut. Instead, you could cut the dough into 8 even-sized strips, add the compote to each strip of dough, and then roll them one by one. Otherwise, I’d recommend doing the overnight rise in the refrigerator because the chilled dough holds up better to cutting so less of the compote gets squeezed out.
How long do these Spiced Cherry Sweet Rolls keep?
These sweet rolls are best eaten the day of baking, but will keep up to three days covered. I recommend warming them up a bit if not eating the day of baking.
Spiced Cherry Sweet Rolls
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2¼ tsp active dry yeast
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- 1¼ c unsweetened soy milk lukewarm
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 c all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ c non-dairy butter softened
- granulated sugar *for sprinkling on top before baking
For the cherry compote:
- 2 c sweet cherries
- ¼ c brown sugar packed
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp whole cloves
- 1 tbsp tapioca starch
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
First, make the dough.
- Mix the yeast, 1 tbsp of brown sugar, and lukewarm milk in a stand mixer fitted with a dough attachment. Let sit until frothy, about 10 minutes.
- Add the remaining 3 tbsp of brown sugar and vanilla to the yeast mixture and mix until combined.
- One cup at a time, add in the flour. Wait until all of the flour is combined before adding the next cup. On the final cup of flour, add in the salt. Once all of the flour is incorporated, you should have a smooth and slightly wet dough.
- Slowly add the softened butter, I like to do 1 tbsp at a time, and mix until all of the butter is incorporated.
- After the butter is incorporated, gently knead the dough in the bowl until you have a uniform ball. Place the dough ball in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel or lid to let rest until the dough is doubled in size. I recommend at least 1 hour at room temperature or at most 12 hours in the refrigerator.
While the dough is rising, make the compote:
- Add the cherries, brown sugar, cinnamon stick, and whole cloves to a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until simmering (3-5 minutes), stirring frequently and breaking the cherries into smaller pieces as it cooks.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the tapioca starch and lemon juice. Once the cherry mixture is simmering, add the tapioca and lemon juice mixture to the saucepan.
- Stir the compote constantly for 1-2 minutes, or until it becomes jelly-like. Remove from the heat and transfer to a jar or container with a lid to let cool in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Next, assemble and bake.
- After the dough has doubled in size, place it on a lightly floured surface and roll into an even rectangle that's about ½-inch thick.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves from the compote then spread the compote evenly over the dough. Leave about an inch border all around to prevent the filling from spilling out when rolling.
- Slowly roll the dough lengthwise, until the dough is a long tube. Then, working fast, cut the log of dough into 8 even pieces. Place each roll cut-side down in a lightly oiled 13x9-inch baking dish. Cover and let rest another hour.
- In the final 15 minutes of rest time, turn your oven to 350℉ (180℃). Then generously sprinkle some granulated sugar over the tops of the rolls.
- Bake the rolls for 40-45 minutes, or until the tops are a deep golden brown. Remove from the oven then enjoy!