Almond Sweet Rolls
Soft and fluffy almond sweet rolls with a creamy frangipane filling and cream cheese frosting. If you love an almond croissant, these are the rolls for you. They have the same soft, almost custardy almond filling wrapped in a tender and fluffy dough.
About this recipe
These almond sweet rolls use a lightly enriched yeasted dough filled with frangipane, which is a soft, spreadable almond cream made with ground almonds, butter, eggs, and almond extract. It’s the same filling used in almond croissants and tarts like my pear galette and blueberry frangipane tart.
One small note on the filling: in French patisserie, this combination of butter, sugar, eggs, and ground almonds is technically called crème d’amande, or almond cream. True frangipane is actually crème d’amande mixed with pastry cream, which is what you’d find inside a galette des rois. I’ll keep calling it frangipane here because that’s what most of us know it as, but now you know!
The dough itself is the same one I use in my blueberry rolls and strawberry cinnamon rolls. It’s lightly enriched with butter and eggs, which makes it soft and slightly rich without being as heavy as a full brioche. It’s forgiving to work with and can be made same-day or left to rise overnight in the fridge.
Key ingredients and why
- All-purpose flour with a protein level of at least 11% gives the dough enough structure to hold up to all the butter and eggs. Bread flour also works.
- Yeast is what makes the rolls rise. Instant yeast goes straight in with no bloom time needed. Active dry yeast needs to sit in the warm milk for 5-10 minutes until foamy first, which lets you confirm it’s alive before you commit to making the dough.
- Eggs go into both the dough and the frangipane. In the dough they add richness and a tender, slightly golden crumb. In the filling they bind everything together and help it set as it bakes.
- Unsalted butter goes into the dough, the frangipane, and the frosting. In the dough it adds richness and tenderness, and goes in softened, a few cubes at a time, after the dough has started to develop so it incorporates properly.
- Almond flour (also sold as ground almonds) is the base of the frangipane. Almond meal works too, it just has the skins ground in so the filling will be slightly darker.
- Almond extract is what gives these rolls that almond croissant flavor. Don’t skip it. Without it the filling is much milder.
- Cream cheese makes the frosting tangy and rich, which balances the sweetness of the filling. Make sure it’s at room temperature before you start so it beats smoothly and you don’t get lumps.
How to make almond sweet rolls
- Warm the milk to lukewarm and sprinkle over the yeast and sugar.
- Add flour, salt, and eggs and mix until a thick dough forms. Add the softened butter a few cubes at a time.
- Keep mixing on medium speed for around 10 minutes until the soft dough is strong.
- Transfer to a greased bowl and cover.
- Let the dough rise until doubled in size.
Almond filling
- Combine sugar and butter in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until the butter and sugar are light and fluffy.
- Add the almond flour, eggs, flour, almond extract, and salt and beat together until combined.
Shaping
- Roll the dough into a large rectangle measuring around 12×16 inches (30cmx40cm).
- Spread with frangipane, and roll into a log.
- Slice into 12 rolls and place in a lined 9×13-inch pan.
- Let rise until doubled, then bake until golden. Top with cream cheese frosting and sliced almonds.
Tips
- Add the butter slowly. A few cubes at a time, waiting for each addition to disappear into the dough before adding more.
- The dough will be sticky. That’s normal. Don’t be tempted to add more flour, or the rolls will be dense. Work with lightly floured hands and a bench scraper if you need one.
- Warm place means around 75-80°F (24-27°C). Much warmer than that and the butter in the dough starts to soften too much, which can affect the texture of the finished rolls.
- Overnight option. After the first rise, punch the dough down and refrigerate for up to 16 hours. The cold dough is easier to roll and shape, and the slow rise develops better flavor. When you pull it out the next day it will be stiff and that’s fine. Let it sit for 10 minutes at room temperature before rolling.
- Softening cold frangipane. If you made the filling ahead and refrigerated it, give it a quick mix to loosen it up before spreading. Cold frangipane is too stiff to spread cleanly and can tear the dough.
- Dental floss for clean cuts. Slide a piece of unflavored dental floss under the log, cross it over the top, and pull it tight. It cuts through the dough without squashing the rolls flat the way a knife can.
Storing
Leftover rolls keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They’ll firm up a little as they sit because of the butter in the dough, but 15-20 seconds in the microwave brings them back to soft and warm.
To freeze, let the rolls cool completely before freezing in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm in the microwave before serving.
Almond Sweet Rolls
Soft and fluffy almond sweet rolls with a creamy frangipane filling and cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Dough
- 240 g milk
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast or active dry yeast
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 530 g all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 85 g butter salted or unsalted, room temperature
Frangipane filling
- 113 g butter salted or unsalted, room temperature
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 100 g almond flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp almond extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Cream cheese frosting
- 113 g cream cheese room temperature
- 30 g butter salted or unsalted, room temperature
- 180 g powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
- Pinch of salt
- Sliced almonds for topping
Instructions
- Warm the milk to around 95-104°F (35-40°C) and pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the milk. If using active dry yeast, leave it to sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy. If using instant yeast, you can move straight on. 240 g milk, 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast, 50 g granulated sugar
- Add the flour, salt, and eggs to the yeast mixture. Fit the stand mixer with a dough hook and mix on low until a thick, shaggy dough forms. 530 g all-purpose flour, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon salt
- With the mixer running on medium, add the softened butter a few cubes at a time, waiting for each addition to disappear before adding more. Once all the butter is in, continue mixing on medium for around 10-15 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls cleanly from the sides of the bowl. 85 g butter
- Mixing by hand. To mix by hand, stir the ingredients together in a large bowl until a shaggy dough forms, then tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead in the butter a few cubes at a time. Knead for around 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough will be sticky but try resist adding more flour.
- Form the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise in a warm spot, around 75-80°F (24-27°C), until doubled in size, about 1 to 1½ hours.
- The dough can also be refrigerated after the first rise for up to 16 hours for a slow overnight proof.
Almond filling
- Beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until fluffy. 113 g butter, 100 g granulated sugar
- Add the almond flour, eggs, flour, almond extract, and salt and beat until combined. The filling can be made ahead and refrigerated until needed. Give it a quick stir to loosen before spreading. 100 g almond flour, 2 large eggs, 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour, 3/4 tsp almond extract, 1/4 tsp salt
Shaping
- Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Punch down the risen dough and tip it onto a lightly floured surface.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle measuring around 12×16 inches (30x40cm).
- Spread the frangipane evenly over the dough, leaving about an inch clear along the bottom long edge.
- Roll the dough up tightly from the top long side down toward you, into a log. Cut into 12 equal pieces using unflavored dental floss or a serrated knife.
- Place the rolls cut-side up in the prepared pan. Cover and let rise in a warm spot, around 75-80°F (24-27°C), until doubled in size and looking noticeably puffed, around 40-60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.
- Bake for 26-28 minutes until golden brown. If the tops are browning too fast, cover loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
Frosting
- While the rolls bake, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. 113 g cream cheese, 30 g butter
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low to combine, then switch to high and beat until fluffy. 180 g powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or paste, Pinch of salt
- Let the rolls cool for 10 minutes, then spread the frosting over the warm rolls and scatter with sliced almonds.Sliced almonds for topping
Notes
Almond flour: the same as ground almonds. Almond meal works too, the filling will just be slightly darker in color.
Yeast: make sure your yeast is fresh. If you’re unsure about active dry yeast, bloom it in the warm milk with a pinch of sugar for 10 minutes first. If it goes foamy, it’s good to go.
Make ahead: after the first rise, punch the dough down, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 16 hours. The next day the dough will be stiff and cold. Let it sit for 10 minutes before rolling. The frangipane filling can also be made ahead and refrigerated.
Both US customary and metric measurements are provided. Use the toggle to switch between the two.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 529kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 11gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 428mgPotassium: 140mgFiber: 3gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 724IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 3mg
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