Blackberry Vanilla Sweet Rolls (No Yeast)

These Blackberry Vanilla Sweet Rolls are perfect for a special weekend breakfast or brunch! Tender rolls filled with a sweet blackberry vanilla filling and topped with cream cheese frosting. They’re made without yeast so you don’t have to wait for them to rise!

This recipe and photos have been updated since it was originally published on 4/3/2015

Sticky buns, cinnamon rolls, sweet rolls, call them what you will, but they are an absolute favorite of mine. I’ve even gone as far as to tell my husband that they need to be included in my last meal. 

While they aren’t difficult to make they can be time consuming and daunting if you’ve never worked with yeast before. If you’re looking for an alternative that doesn’t use yeast and doesn’t require waiting for dough to rise, then I highly recommend making these Blackberry Vanilla Sweet Rolls.

The dough for these rolls is similar to biscuit dough. You’ll still roll it out like you would a yeasted dough, but you don’t need to wait for it to rise. The hardest part about making these sweet rolls is waiting for them to bake so you can dive into a warm one fresh out of the oven!

Ingredients needed to make blackberry vanilla sweet rolls

• all purpose flour
• whole wheat pastry flour
• granulated sugar
• baking powder and baking soda
• low fat buttermilk
• unsalted butter
• vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract 
• blackberries
• lemon
• cornstarch
• cream cheese
• powdered sugar

How to make the blackberry vanilla filling

The blackberry filling is similar to making a quick jam. Add the blackberries and sugar to a small pan and cook them over medium heat until they’re soft enough to mash. Combine the lemon juice and cornstarch in a small bowl and stir together until the cornstarch dissolves. 

Pour the mixture in with the blackberries and stir until the sauce thickens. Remove the blackberry sauce from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let the sauce cool before spreading it all over the sweet roll dough.

How to make blackberry vanilla sweet rolls

The great thing about this sweet roll dough is you don’t need an electric mixer or any other special equipment. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and the wet ingredients in a smaller bowl. 

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and use a rubber spatula to combine them. The dough will look a little shaggy, similar to what biscuit dough looks like. Dump it out onto a floured surface and knead it together until it’s smooth. This shouldn’t take very long.

Roll the dough out with a rolling pin until it’s approximately a 12” x 9” rectangle. It doesn’t need to be exact. Spread the blackberry filling onto the dough, but leave about an inch border all the way around. The filling will squeeze out towards the edge as you roll it.

Roll the dough lengthwise away from you. You want to get the roll as tight as you can, it helps to do a roll tuck motion. When you get to the end pinch the seam closed. You may need a little water if it won’t stay sealed.

Cut the roll into 12 pieces and place them cut side down into a greased 12 inch cast iron skillet or 9 x 13 casserole dish. Brush the tops with a little melted butter and then put them in the oven to bake for about 20 minutes or until they’re golden brown on top. Let them cool for 10 minutes before adding the cream cheese frosting.

While the rolls are baking, make the cream cheese frosting. Use a stand mixer, hand mixer or a whisk to mix together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, pinch of salt and vanilla. Whisk or beat it until it’s smooth and spreadable.

Depending on how thick or thin your frosting is, pour or spread it over the warm rolls. The only thing left to do now is eat them! You will likely have extra blackberry filling. If so, serve it with the sweet rolls or spoon it over the tops of them after they’ve been frosted.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a different type of berry?

Yes. Blueberries, strawberries or raspberries would all be delicious. You may need to use more or less sugar depending on how sweet the berries are. Just taste and adjust as needed. The amount of cornstarch shouldn’t need to be adjusted.

How to make buttermilk

If you don’t have buttermilk you don’t need to go out and buy it. In a glass measuring cup add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Fill the measuring cup up with the remaining amount of milk needed for the recipe. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using.

What can I use instead of buttermilk?

Buttermilk can be replaced with whatever type of milk you prefer. Be aware that you won’t have the subtle tang that buttermilk provides if you replace it. Also, the higher fat content your milk has, the richer tasting the rolls will be.

More Berry Breakfast Recipes

• Blackberry Maple Tahini Muffins
• Blackberry Almond Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal
• Berry Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
• Fluffiest Blueberry Pancakes
• Baked Blackberry Ricotta French Toast