Cherry Limeade Sweet Rolls

Homemade Cherry Limeade Sweet Rolls are the perfect combination of sweet and tart with fluffy dough, cherry filling, and lime-infused icing. What a perfect idea for brunch!

When I made these rolls for the first time, over a decade ago, I was so nervous! You see, I hadn’t ever made any sort of homemade yeast rolls They baked up perfectly and were a huge success, so if you are nervous about giving it a go, know that it’s easier than you may think!

Cherry Limeade Sweet Rolls

This recipe for Cherry Limeade Sweet Rolls is made with a yeasted sweet dough that’s allowed to rise so they turn out light and fluffy. This sweet fluffy dough is stuffed with a fresh cherry filling that has a touch of lime juice and zest to balance the sweetness of the cherries. Once these rolls come out of the oven they are iced with a tart lime glaze for the ultimate flavor combination.

Cherry Limeade Roll recipe 

Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a snack during the day with a hot cup of coffee or tea, these sweet rolls are decadent. If cherries aren’t in season and you can’t find fresh ones, you can go ahead and use frozen cherries, just make sure they are pitted. 

If you love this sweet rolls recipe,  you will love these too: Banana Pecan Rolls, Lemon Sweet Rolls,  or Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls.  Or if you’re a fan of cherry limeade, check out this copycat recipe for Sonic’s Cherry Limeade or my Cherry Limeade Baked Donuts!

Homemade Sweet Rolls

Though it can be intimidating to work with yeast if you haven’t used it before, let me tell you if I can make these sweet rolls so can you! It’s super simple, all you need is the right ingredients and some time and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Ingredients for Cherry Limeade Sweet Rolls

For complete ingredients and instructions scroll to the bottom of this post for the full printable recipe card.

To Make the Sweet Roll Dough:

• All-purpose flour – Basic all-purpose flour is used to bake these sweet rolls. 
• Sugar – Use granulated sugar to sweeten the rolls. 
• Salt – Salt helps to enhance the flavor.
• Yeast – Yeast helps these rolls rise. 
• Water – Tap water is fine.
• Milk – I used skim milk but any kind will work. 
• Coconut oil – You can use coconut oil or butter to spread over the dough.
• Egg – I used a large egg but any type of egg is good.

For the Sweet Roll Filling:

• Cherries – Washed, pitted and sliced fresh cherries are great but frozen also work. 
• Corn starch – Corn starch helps thicken up the cherry mixture.
• Sugar – Granulated sugar sweetens up the cherry mixture.
• Lime juice and zest – Fresh lime juice and lime zest enhance the cherry flavor. 

To Make the Icing:

• Powdered sugar – Also known as confectioner’s sugar this is what gives the icing its texture.
• Lime juice – Freshly squeezed lime juice from fresh limes makes for a nice tart lime glaze. 

How to make this recipe for cherry limeade sweet rolls

Here are the simple steps to making this delicious cherry limeade recipe.

Make the Dough:

• In the bowl of your stand mixer add the dry ingredients; flour, sugar, salt, and yeast, and stir to combine.
• In a microwave-safe bowl combine the water, milk, and 2 Tbs coconut oil, (I used vegetable oil) and heat for 1 minute over high power.
• Using the dough hook, gradually add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture, add the egg, and knead over low medium speed for 4-5 minutes; the dough will be sticky so scrape down the side of the bowl. 
• Place the dough on a clean surface, cover it with plastic wrap, and let sit for 10 minutes.

Make the Filling:

In a small saucepan over medium heat cook the cherries, corn starch, 1 tsp of sugar, lime zest, and juice for 5-6 minutes, until darkened and soft. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Roll the Dough:

Preheat your oven to 200º F and prepare a rectangular baking dish with cooking spray. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle (a little extra flour will keep it from sticking to your counter).

Stir the 1/3 c sugar into the cooled cherry mixture.

Spread 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil (or butter) over the dough and top with the cherry mixture. Starting with the long side roll the dough towards you and pinch the seam to seal. Slice the log in half and then slice each half into six equal pieces.

Let it rise:

Place the rolls into the baking pan, cover with aluminum foil, turn the oven off, and place the rolls inside to rise for 45 minutes – 1 hour. After the rolls have risen, remove them from the oven and set the foil aside.

Bake:

Preheat your oven to 350º F and bake for 25 minutes, until golden on top. Remove the rolls from the oven, and let them cool for 5-10 minutes.

Ice the Rolls:

In a bowl stir together the powdered sugar and lime juice to form an icing. Once the rolls have come to room temperature, spread the icing over them and serve.

Storing the Rolls:

Store leftovers in the baking pan, covered, at room temperature for 3-4 days. Or you can freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. 

Love it? Pin it!

If you love this sweet roll recipe make sure that you don’t lose it! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go!

FAQs about cherry limeade sweet rolls

• Can I use frozen cherries to make these sweet rolls? Yes, you can use frozen cherries to make these sweet rolls. Just thaw and blot dry before you make the recipe.
  
• Is it okay to use bottled lime juice? You can substitute bottled lime juice for fresh lime juice just make sure to adjust the amount if you have concentrated lime juice as the flavor will be much stronger. 
• Can I make these rolls without a stand mixer? If you don’t have a stand mixer you can still make these rolls. You may not get the exact texture but they will turn out fine.

 

Notes

So I have found that for some, these rolls don’t “fill” a 9×13. Or They find that they spread a little too much and aren’t as “high.” I have never had that problem myself, and have always made them in a 9×13. But if you find that due to elevation etc they don’t fill the 9×13 like you would like, simply bake them in a 9×9 pan.

Substitutions

Remember that when it comes to making substitutions in recipes, you don’t need to be afraid to get creative and use ingredients that suit your personal taste and dietary preferences. Make it your own!

• Use cherry pie filling if you can’t find sweet cherries. Make sure the can says no added sugar or you’ll end up with a very sweet sweet roll. 

• If you don’t have a baking pan you can make these in a muffin tray and you’ll end up with just as tasty cherry limeade cupcakes instead. 

• Substitute cherry jam or jelly for the cherry mixture. 

Tips & Tricks

• Cherries can sometimes disappoint so taste test one at the grocery store to make sure you are buying nice and sweet cherries. 

• Do not substitute marsachino cherries or canned sour cherries for the fresh or frozen cherries. 

• For even more decadent sweet rolls top with cream cheese icing or try this White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting. 

• If you have leftover cherries, here are a few cherry recipes to try. 

 

More Bread and Roll Recipes to Love Next Time

• Ice Cream Sticky Rolls

• Cinnamon Toffee Monkey Bread Muffins

• Homemade Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

• Upside Down Blueberry Sweet Rolls

• Cinnamon Streusel Banana Bread

• Brioche Cinnamon Rolls

The ultimate twist on classic cinnamon rolls, these cherry limeade sweet rolls are the perfect balance of sweet and tart reminiscent of your favorite homemade cherry limeade recipe.

This recipe was originally posted on August 10, 2014. It was adapted from It Bakes Me Happy. It has been updated to improve user experience and reshared on February 20, 2024.