Red Velvet Sweet Rolls
Red Velvet Sweet Rolls, loaded with chocolate, hints of cinnamon, and nutmeg, and topped with a vanilla glaze are a mouthwatering treat!
Red Velvet Sweet Rolls are a decadent dish that is easy to make and one the whole family goes wild for! Grab your pantry staples, like flour, sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and milk and butter, for a scrumptious breakfast treat that will disappear before you know it!
Sweet Rolls
Red velvet plus sweet rolls, what more needs to be said? We make this Red Velvet Sweet Rolls recipe for tons of occasions, from holidays to birthdays, because it’s everyone’s favorite, and they’re easy to make! The dough is made in one bowl, and it’s even easier if you have a bread maker. I love making the sweet rolls the night before and pop them in the oven the next morning for hot, fresh red velvet rolls that melt in your mouth. With these unbelievable flavors, everyone will think it’s a super special day when you make red velvet sweet rolls!
Mamaw’s Cinnamon Rolls is a classic recipe for fluffy cinnamon rolls, but you can also pick another favorite, like fruity, sweet Cherry Glazed Cinnamon Rolls!
Other Recipes to Serve with Red Velvet Sweet Rolls
- Red Velvet Milkshakes are a creamy, sweet treat that can be whipped up in minutes. They’re perfect for when you have red velvet cravings!
- Balance out the sweet flavors with a savory and satisfying Chicken Apple Sausage & Sweet Potato Hash dish.
Ingredients
Dough Dry Ingredients: To make these sweet rolls, you will need all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, salt, chocolate chips, and yeast. If you are using a bread machine, purchase bread machine yeast. Otherwise, purchase instant yeast to make these rolls by hand.
Dough Wet Ingredients: You will also need milk, egg, butter, and red food coloring. Gel food coloring is more vibrant, but any red food coloring will work in this recipe.
Filling: You need softened butter, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg.
Glaze: Powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk are needed to make the vanilla glaze.
How to Make Red Velvet Sweet Rolls
STEP ONE: Line a pie plate or baking sheet with parchment paper and spray the paper with non-stick cooking spray. Set then pan aside for now. Attach the dough hook to your stand mixer and add all of the dough ingredients to the bowl.
STEP TWO: Turn the stand mixer to medium speed and mix for 5-6 minutes. Once the initial amount is mixed in, you can add more food coloring as needed. Once the time is up, you should have a smooth and elastic dough. Add one tablespoon of flour as needed if the dough is too sticky.
STEP THREE: Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll it into a 12-inch x 18-inch rectangle. Mix the butter, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl for the filling until it turns into a paste. Spread the paste over the dough, but leave a 1-inch border around the edge.
STEP FOUR: Roll the dough as tightly as possible into a log, starting on one of the long edges. Pinch the long seam together and then cut the log into 12 even slices. (I’ve gotten as many as 15 slices before.)
STEP FIVE: Place the rolls in the prepared pan and cut side up so you can see all of those pretty swirls. Set this aside for 40 minutes to let the dough rise.
STEP SIX: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes until they turn golden brown. Then, remove them from the oven and let them cool while making the top glaze.
STEP SEVEN: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla for the glaze until smooth. Then drizzle it all over the warm rolls. Then, all that’s left to do is dig in!
Tips for Success
- When making any kind of bread, it is always important to ensure your yeast is not expired. This is the most common problem with dough not rising correctly.
- Bread machines make making dough a snap, but don’t worry if you don’t have one! Follow the mixing instructions, and give your dough plenty of rise time.
- If you’d like, you can skip the red food coloring and make sweet chocolate rolls instead! You can keep the vanilla glaze or use a chocolate ganache for a decadent treat.
- Top the sweet rolls with your favorite cream cheese glaze recipe if you prefer!
Are sweet rolls and cinnamon rolls the same thing?
Like a family tree, sweet rolls are the tree, and cinnamon rolls are one of the many branches. Sweet rolls are sweet baked breads that can be iced or filled. Cinnamon rolls are a type of sweet roll with a cinnamon-sugar filling that sometimes contains nuts or fruits like raisins. There are also so many different cinnamon roll recipes, some of which do not contain cinnamon, like Lemon Rolls!
How do I store red velvet sweet rolls?
Once baked and glazed, you can store your sweet rolls on the counter for up to two days or in the fridge for up to a week. If you use a different glaze, specifically cream cheese, you must keep your rolls in the fridge. When making the dough ahead of time, you can store your rolls in the fridge overnight after cutting them and letting them rise for a second time. In the morning, let the rolls come to room temperature before baking. If you don’t have time to bake the rolls in the morning, you can freeze them for up to six weeks. Allow the rolls to thaw before baking.
More Gorgeous Red Velvet to Enjoy!
- Red Velvet Waffles
- Swirled Red Velvet Brownies
- Cake Mix Red Velvet Donuts
- Red Velvet Cookies
- Red Velvet Pound Cake
*This post originally posted on 03/25/2015.
Red Velvet Sweet Rolls
Equipment
- Stand Mixer (see note)
- Parchment Paper (optional)
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 ½ cups 2% milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 large egg beaten
- 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 5 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
- 3 drops red gel food coloring plus more as needed
Filling
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons 2% milk plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a pie plate or baking dish with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the milk, butter, sugar, yeast, egg, flour, cocoa powder, salt, chocolate chips, and food coloring. Attach the dough hook and mix for 5-6 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. If you want a more intense red color, add a few more drops of food coloring as the dough comes together. (If the dough is too sticky, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time.)
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Roll it out into a rectangle about 12 x 18 inches.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the softened butter, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until combined into a paste. Spread the paste over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border all the way around the edge.
- Starting on one of the long edges, roll the dough up into a log as tightly as possible. Pinch the long seam together. Cut the dough log into 12 even slices. (Sometimes, I get up to 15 rolls.)
- Place the rolls into the prepared pan with the cut sides facing up. They will be nestled close together. Let them rest for 40 minutes to allow the dough to rise.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes or until the tops just begin to brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack while you make the glaze.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the sweet rolls. Serve warm.
Notes
- If you don’t have a stand mixer, mix the dough ingredients as instructed with a hand mixer. Then, turn the dough out onto a floured worked surface and knead by hand for 4-6 minutes.
- You can top these sweet rolls with cream cheese icing if you prefer.
After trying a few different recipes and not being happy how any of them turned out, I HAD to tell you that these are THE best buns I have ever made and tasted. I don’t think that I could even go back to a regular cinnamon bun. I was feeling discouraged and actually wasn’t expecting them to turn out as good as they did. smells so amazing in here and they are sooooooo yummy! thank you!