Cherry Almond Sweet Rolls

Oh my goodness! Do you want some of the best sweet rolls for breakfast ever??? Cherry Almond Sweet Rolls. Yep, these rolls will have you drooling before you even take a bite. No kidding. They are rich, decadent and flavored two ways with almonds/flavoring. On top of that, you can use just about any kind of cherries: fresh, dried, maraschino or candied cherries (which is what I used). The only thing you can’t use is canned cherries because they’re sour.

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We went to visit my grandkids in Pennsylvania before Christmas. My daughter-in-law and her mother have perfected a really easy no-knead bread dough that’s kneaded in the breadmaker. Then you can turn it into regular dinner rolls or sweet rolls. She made dinner rolls for us twice and cinnamon rolls for us once. We were salivating constantly and couldn’t stay out of them!

I’ve made so many batches of stuff since I collected this fantastic recipe in early December. Truly, I could make dinner rolls or sweet rolls twice a week and never get tired of them. Especially this time of year when we eat a lot of soup or chili.

I recommend making a batch of these luscious Cherry Almond Sweet Rolls for Valentine’s Day. They’re also great for holiday or weekend breakfasts. Truly, after you do it once, you’ll find it so much easier each time you make them. You’ll also find these rolls are great to give to neighbors and friends. Everyone just raves over them. Enjoy!

I’ve made these sweet rolls several different times so here are a few tips especially for those who aren’t used to working with yeast or making dough in the breadmaker.

TIPS FOR MAKING SWEET ROLLS:

1. Use any kind of Fleischmann’s yeast. I’ve used bread machine yeast or the rapid rise stuff that comes in packets. Any kind will work. I don’t use Red Star or any other kind of yeast in the breadmaker. For whatever reason, I’ve had too many bombs using other brands.
2. Use salted butter. This is new for me since I’ve used unsalted butter for decades. Salted butter adds just enough additional flavor to make these rolls perfect. Don’t cheap out and try to substitute margarine or shortening for this recipe.
3. Leave the butter out the night before, if you need to, to ensure it’s soft for this recipe (while it doesn’t matter for the actual dough part, it needs to be soft for the filling and the icing–not melted).
4. Use real Bread flour. This is a personal preference issue. Bread flour has more gluten than regular all-purpose flour. I always have excellent results using it in bread recipes. (And it’s how my mother taught me to bake homemade bread or sweet rolls). However, my daughter-in-law uses regular flour for this recipe and she has equally good results.
5. Use half-and-half or whole milk for the dough and the icing. Don’t try to skimp out using 2% milk or less to save calories. You won’t achieve the desired results that way.
6. The milk needs to be warmed before adding to the bread canister. I microwave it about 1 minute 15 seconds on 50% power. You may have to add a little more time but don’t overheat or scald the milk!
7. When rolling out the dough, don’t use flour. Roll the dough right on top of a clean countertop. Excess flour on the bottom of the dough will stick to the baking dish.
8. When spreading the filling over the dough, DON’T melt the butter. I’ve tried it both ways. Melting the butter ends up making the filling ooze out of the rolls while baking so that it sticks to the baking dish more easily. 🙁 I know, yikes! I found the best success with using really softened butter. Leave it out over night if you have to. Then sprinkle the brown sugar over top. I use the palms of my hands to then spread the brown sugar over the butter so it fills in all the crevices.
9. Use a deep dish 9×13″ baking dish–not one of those glass pyrex dishes that are only about 1 1/2-inches in height. The dough will come way over the top in those dishes.
10. Grease the bottom and sides of the baking dish very generously with butter, before adding the pinwheels to the dish.
11. Don’t try to fit more than 12 sweet rolls into the 9×13″ deep dish baking dish. The rolls need to expand and raise before baking.
12. Don’t overbake the sweet rolls! While you don’t want them undercooked and gooey, you don’t want to overcook the rolls either. They stick to the pan that way making the rolls hard to dig out of the pan.
13. To raise the dough, I follow this practice: After placing the rolls in a baking dish, put the oven on for exactly one minute. Turn off oven and put uncovered sweet rolls into the oven. After 20 minutes, heat the oven again for one minute. Repeat another 20 minutes later. Repeat one more time until the dough comes up to the top of the baking dish. Then bake the sweet rolls.
14. I made the icing for this recipe the way my daughter-in-law likes it–which is very thick. In subsequent batches, I found that by adding an additional tablespoon or two of half-and-half, the icing spread over the rolls a little better.
15. Watch your time! It takes 5 minutes to put the dough ingredients in the breadmaker. It takes 1 3/4 hours for the bread to be kneaded in the breadmaker. It takes about 10 minutes to roll out the dough and add the filling. It takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes to raise the dough sufficiently. It takes about 20 minutes to bake the rolls, but if you leave them in the oven while preheating, they take about 25 minutes. It takes about 5 minutes to glaze the rolls with icing. It takes about 3 3/4 hours from start to finish before the sweet rolls are done.

Cherry Almond Sweet Rolls are so delectable. We had a hard time staying out of these jewels.

These sweet rolls are terrific for Valentine’s Day and other holidays.

The thickness of the icing is amazing. Have a little icing with your sweet rolls! Yes, I will, thank you very much. 🙂

Here’s what I did.

I used these ingredients for the dough.

If your butter is straight from the refrigerator, I recommend cutting it up into small chunks. My daughter-in-law’s butter is usually soft, so she tosses it into the breadmaker canister in one piece.

Add warmed whole milk or half-and-half.

Add bread flour or all-purpose flour and sugar.

Add salt and yeast.

Select “dough” setting on the breadmaker. Mine takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Roll dough out on top of a clean countertop. (It doesn’t have to be a perfect shape.)

Spread softened butter over top of dough. Try to spread out to the edges.

Sprinkle brown sugar over top of butter. Then with the palm of your hand, gently spread the brown sugar over the dough filling in any empty crevices. Try to spread out to the edges.

Sprinkle chopped cherries as evenly over the dough as possible. I used candied cherries because they’re so plentiful during the holiday season. This is a picture with melted butter and brown sugar mixed together. But I found it worked better not melting the butter.

Sprinkle sliced almonds evenly over top.

Roll up the dough as tightly as possible.

Here the dough is rolled up into a roll. You’ll need a sharp knife to cut the dough into pinwheels.

Grease the bottom and sides of the 9×13″ baking dish very generously. Add the pinwheels. Don’t try to fit more than 12 rolls in a 9×13″ baking dish. Put any others in a smaller baking dish. The rolls need to expand and raise before baking.

Allow rolls to expand and raise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. (This is usually about 1 hour 15 minutes).

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until done and the centers are no longer gooey. Remove from oven and spread immediately with icing.

I used these ingredients for the icing. The butter MUST be softened. Leave out overnight if you have to, to ensure the butter is soft enough to use.

While rolls are baking, prepare icing. Place softened butter in a mixing bowl. Mix with an electric mixer. Add powdered sugar a cup at a time, mixing after each addition.

Add almond extract and mix again. Then begin adding half-and-half until you get the right texture.

Mix for a few minutes until the icing is really creamy.

Using a rubber spatula, spread icing over top of each roll.

Seriously, you’ll be drooling over every bite! Add a cup of coffee or hot tea, and you’re good to go.

The thick icing slathered over top makes these the best Cherry Almond Sweet Rolls ever!

I served these for a brunch where they were a big hit. They also freeze well. My husband froze some of the rolls in individual servings so we wouldn’t eat all of them at once!

Here’s the recipe.

CHERRY ALMOND SWEET ROLLS

(My own concoction)

Cherry Almond Sweet Rolls

Teresa Ambra

Cherry Almond Sweet Rolls are outrageously delicious! On top of that, the sweet rolls are kneaded in the breadmaker, making them so easy to toss together. These spectacular sweet rolls include cherries and almonds, plus almond flavor in the icing and pack a powerful punch! If you want a drool-worthy breakfast for Valentine's Day or other holidays, these amazing sweet rolls will do the trick.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Breads, Rolls and Muffins, Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 18

Calories 444 kcal

Equipment

• 1 9x13" glass baking dish
• 1 7x11", 8x8" or other small baking dish
• 1 breadmaker
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• 1 Rolling Pin
• 2 mixing bowls
• 1 sharp knife to chop cherries
• 1 large mixing bowl
• 1 electric mixer
• 1 spatula

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

DOUGH:

• 1/4 cup salted butter (1/2 stick)
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half or whole milk warmed (do not use any lower percentage milk)
• 4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tbsp. sea salt
• 2 tsp. Fleischmann's yeast (bread machine or regular packet yeast will both work)

CHERRY FILLING:

• 1/2 cup salted butter softened (1 stick)
• 1 cup light brown sugar packed
• 1 cup candied cherries chopped, or maraschino cherries
• 3/4 cup almonds sliced

ICING:

• 1/2 cup salted butter softened (1/2 cup)
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1 dash sea salt
• 3 tbsp. half-and-half or whole milk, or heavy whipping cream (or more if desired)
• 3 cups powdered sugar or more, if needed

Instructions

 

DOUGH:

• Layer ingredients in bread canister in order given.
• Slice butter and place in bread canister.
• Warm milk in the microwave one to two minutes until milk is warmed. (I usually microwave the milk about 1 minute 30 seconds at 50% power).
• Pour warmed milk into bread canister.
• Then add flour, granulated sugar, salt and yeast.
• Place on "dough" setting of bread maker.
• This will take about 1 hour 45 minutes.
• Remove dough from bread canister and roll out into a very large rectangle.

CHERRY FILLING:

• Soften one stick salted butter.
• Spread butter over top of rolled out dough to the edges.
• Sprinkle a cup of brown sugar over top.
• With the palm of your hand, gently spread brown sugar evenly over top of butter filling in the crevices.
• Spread brown sugar to the edges also.
• Sprinkle chopped cherries evenly over top, then sprinkle with almonds.
• Roll dough up tightly jelly-roll style.
• Cut into even one to two-inch sections with a sharp knife.
• Place cut side up in two greased rectangular baking dishes (see sizes above).
• Allow to rise in a warm place about an hour to an hour 30 minutes (see notes below).
• Bake at 350° approximately 17-20 minutes or until rolls test done and are no longer gooey in the center.
• Remove from oven and add icing immediately over top of hot rolls.
• Serve warm.

ICING:

• While rolls are baking, prepare icing.
• Place ingredients in a mixer and beat for several minutes.
• Dollop over top of hot sweet rolls.

Notes

NOTE: I warmed the half-and-half for one minute and 15 seconds on 50% power in microwave. Sometimes it takes about a minute and a half.

 

NOTE: While I always use bread flour with recipes for bread or rolls, you can also use regular flour with good results.

 

NOTE: You can use any kind of yeast including bread machine yeast or regular yeast for this recipe.

 

NOTE: Fresh, maraschino or dried cherries will also work in this recipe. I would not use canned cherries which are usually sour.

 

NOTE: I heat the oven for one minute and then turn off the heat. Allow rolls to raise about 20 minutes. Turn heat on for another minute. I repeat this measure at least twice until the dough raises sufficiently. This usually takes about 1 hour 30 minutes--sometimes up to two hours until the rolls raise sufficiently.

 

NOTE: Please see tips at the top of this blog post for additional information on making a successful batch of sweet rolls.

 

^© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 444kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 6gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 281mgPotassium: 127mgFiber: 2gSugar: 40gVitamin A: 475IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 1mg

Keyword almonds, breakfast, brunch, cherries, side dish

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

These are so easy to make since all the kneading is done for you in the breadmaker!

While I used candied cherries, I believe you can also get good results with dried cherries, maraschino cherries or fresh cherries if they’re sweet. I would not use sour cherries in this recipe.

Cherry Almond Sweet Rolls will make you deliriously happy! 🙂

You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!

Green Cherry Sweet Rolls

Cherry Strudel Cake

Cherry Pinwheel Cobbler

Cherry Almond Sweet Rolls

Teresa Ambra

Cherry Almond Sweet Rolls are outrageously delicious! On top of that, the sweet rolls are kneaded in the breadmaker, making them so easy to toss together. These spectacular sweet rolls include cherries and almonds, plus almond flavor in the icing and pack a powerful punch! If you want a drool-worthy breakfast for Valentine’s Day or other holidays, these amazing sweet rolls will do the trick.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Breads, Rolls and Muffins, Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 18

Calories 444 kcal

Equipment

• 1 9×13" glass baking dish
• 1 7×11", 8×8" or other small baking dish
• 1 breadmaker
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• 1 Rolling Pin
• 2 mixing bowls
• 1 sharp knife to chop cherries
• 1 large mixing bowl
• 1 electric mixer
• 1 spatula

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

DOUGH:

• 1/4 cup salted butter (1/2 stick)
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half or whole milk warmed (do not use any lower percentage milk)
• 4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tbsp. sea salt
• 2 tsp. Fleischmann’s yeast (bread machine or regular packet yeast will both work)

CHERRY FILLING:

• 1/2 cup salted butter softened (1 stick)
• 1 cup light brown sugar packed
• 1 cup candied cherries chopped, or maraschino cherries
• 3/4 cup almonds sliced

ICING:

• 1/2 cup salted butter softened (1/2 cup)
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1 dash sea salt
• 3 tbsp. half-and-half or whole milk, or heavy whipping cream (or more if desired)
• 3 cups powdered sugar or more, if needed

Instructions

 

DOUGH:

• Layer ingredients in bread canister in order given.
• Slice butter and place in bread canister.
• Warm milk in the microwave one to two minutes until milk is warmed. (I usually microwave the milk about 1 minute 30 seconds at 50% power).
• Pour warmed milk into bread canister.
• Then add flour, granulated sugar, salt and yeast.
• Place on “dough” setting of bread maker.
• This will take about 1 hour 45 minutes.
• Remove dough from bread canister and roll out into a very large rectangle.

CHERRY FILLING:

• Soften one stick salted butter.
• Spread butter over top of rolled out dough to the edges.
• Sprinkle a cup of brown sugar over top.
• With the palm of your hand, gently spread brown sugar evenly over top of butter filling in the crevices.
• Spread brown sugar to the edges also.
• Sprinkle chopped cherries evenly over top, then sprinkle with almonds.
• Roll dough up tightly jelly-roll style.
• Cut into even one to two-inch sections with a sharp knife.
• Place cut side up in two greased rectangular baking dishes (see sizes above).
• Allow to rise in a warm place about an hour to an hour 30 minutes (see notes below).
• Bake at 350° approximately 17-20 minutes or until rolls test done and are no longer gooey in the center.
• Remove from oven and add icing immediately over top of hot rolls.
• Serve warm.

ICING:

• While rolls are baking, prepare icing.
• Place ingredients in a mixer and beat for several minutes.
• Dollop over top of hot sweet rolls.

Notes

NOTE: I warmed the half-and-half for one minute and 15 seconds on 50% power in microwave. Sometimes it takes about a minute and a half.

 

NOTE: While I always use bread flour with recipes for bread or rolls, you can also use regular flour with good results.

 

NOTE: You can use any kind of yeast including bread machine yeast or regular yeast for this recipe.

 

NOTE: Fresh, maraschino or dried cherries will also work in this recipe. I would not use canned cherries which are usually sour.

 

NOTE: I heat the oven for one minute and then turn off the heat. Allow rolls to raise about 20 minutes. Turn heat on for another minute. I repeat this measure at least twice until the dough raises sufficiently. This usually takes about 1 hour 30 minutes–sometimes up to two hours until the rolls raise sufficiently.

 

NOTE: Please see tips at the top of this blog post for additional information on making a successful batch of sweet rolls.

 

^© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 444kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 6gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 281mgPotassium: 127mgFiber: 2gSugar: 40gVitamin A: 475IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 1mg

Keyword almonds, breakfast, brunch, cherries, side dish

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!