The flavor of a jelly donut, but baked. These sweet raspberry buns are incredibly fluffy and soft — essentially a simpler, oven-baked take on jelly-filled donuts. The jam is baked in an indent on top (similar to a thumbprint cookie), then finished with an easy raspberry icing and a light dusting of powdered sugar.
About these baked raspberry buns
These buns sit somewhere between dinner rolls, yeast donuts, thumbprint cookies, and Danish pastries. The dough is inspired by similar breakfast pastry doughs but without any laminating. The result is a tender, slightly sweet roll that tastes like a jelly donut without the frying or complicated filling process. Instead of piping jam inside, the tops are indented and filled before baking.
There are three main components: a simple yeast dough, a raspberry jam filling, and a quick raspberry icing. For convenience, store-bought jam works perfectly, but you can substitute homemade jam if you prefer. The icing is just powdered sugar, a bit of jam, and water — easy and naturally pink.
How to make sweet raspberry buns
1. Whisk together the wet ingredients for the dough.
2. Add dry ingredients and mix until a rough dough forms.
3. Knead until the dough is smooth, elastic, and springs back when pressed; add flour as needed to prevent sticking.
4. First rise: Cover and let the dough rise for about 45–60 minutes, until doubled.
5. Shape & second rise: Divide into 8 (or 10–12 smaller) portions, roll into balls, place on a parchment-lined sheet, cover, and let rise 30–45 minutes until puffed.
6. Create indents & fill: Press an indent into each bun with the bottom of a small jar or your thumb, leaving a small border. Fill each indent with jam (about 1 tablespoon for larger buns, or ~1 teaspoon for smaller buns).
7. Bake: Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15–20 minutes, until edges are golden and jam is bubbly. Cool slightly.
8. Make icing: Whisk powdered sugar, raspberry jam, and water until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over slightly cooled buns and dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Tips for working with yeast dough
Working with yeast is straightforward when you keep a few basics in mind:
- Freshness: Use yeast that is within its freshness window. Old or expired yeast may not rise properly and can lead to dense or off-flavored dough.
- Temperature: Liquids should be warm — like comfortable hand-wash temperature — not hot. Too-cold liquids slow the rise; too-hot liquids can kill the yeast.
- Rising times: This recipe requires two rests: one after kneading for the dough to relax and develop, and a second after shaping so the buns puff up and become tender.
Filling variations
These buns are very versatile. Use any thick jam or preserve: strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, or apricot all work well. For variety, try apple pie filling, lemon curd, or Nutella — just make sure the filling is thick enough to bake without running.
Storage
These buns are best the day they are made but will keep for about 3 days if tightly wrapped. Store at room temperature, covered, to preserve softness.
Other recipes to try
• Baked Crème Brûlée Donuts
• Raspberry Chocolate Cake
• Baked Carrot Donuts
• Cinnamon Monkey Bread
• Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and review. Tag @eatsdelightfulblog on Instagram so I can see your creations.
Sweet Raspberry Buns
- Author: Mimi
- Total Time: 2 hours 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 large buns
Description
The flavor of a jelly donut, but baked. These sweet raspberry buns are light, fluffy, and topped with a simple raspberry icing and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Ingredients
For the raspberry buns:
- 1 cup (240 mL) warm water*
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons (90 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 3 to 4 cups (360–480 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast (see notes for active dry)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup raspberry jam
For the raspberry icing:
- 1 cup (130 g) powdered sugar (plus extra for dusting)
- 2 teaspoons raspberry jam
- 1 to 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
Make the raspberry buns:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the water, egg, vanilla, and cooled melted butter.
- Add 2 cups of flour, the sugar, yeast, and salt. Stir until very sticky.
- Add another cup of flour and mix until a rough dough forms. Add more flour as needed until it begins to come together.
- Knead on a lightly floured surface or in the bowl until smooth and elastic. The dough should spring back when poked.
- Shape into a ball, place in the bowl, and brush the top with 1 tablespoon of oil to prevent a skin from forming.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45–60 minutes, until about doubled.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Punch the dough down, divide into 8 equal portions (or 12 smaller), and roll into smooth balls. Place at least 3 inches apart on the sheet.
- Cover and let rise again for 30–45 minutes until puffed.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Use the bottom of a small jar or your thumb to press an indent in each bun, about halfway down, leaving a border so the filling stays in place.
- Fill each indent with jam (about 1 tablespoon for large buns, or 1 teaspoon for smaller ones).
- Bake for 15–20 minutes until edges are golden and jam is bubbly. Allow to cool slightly.
Make the raspberry icing:
- Whisk powdered sugar, jam, and 1 tablespoon water until smooth and pourable. Thin with more water if needed, or thicken with more powdered sugar.
- Drizzle icing over warm buns and dust with powdered sugar if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
* Use warm water (about 110°F / comfortably warm to the touch). Too-hot water can kill the yeast; too-cold will slow the rise.
** To use active dry yeast instead of instant, dissolve it in the warm water with 1 tablespoon sugar and let sit 5–10 minutes until bubbly before continuing. Rise times may be slightly longer with active dry yeast.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Bake Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Donuts
Enjoy!