Cherry Almond Buns Recipe

Filled with almonds and cherries, these sweet yeasted breakfast buns make a nice alternative to the traditional cinnamon-raisin.

Carrie Vasios Mullins

Updated February 26, 2025

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Closeup of cherry almond buns served on a white plate. — Serious Eats / Carrie Vasios Mullins

There's nothing quite like a warm, buttery, sugar-filled roll in the morning. My go-to version is a typical glazed cinnamon bun that I liberally stuff with raisins. But I like to tweak the recipe with the seasons, and I've gone through autumnal dalliances with cranberries and a Christmas when I loved currants. This summer, I wanted something a little lighter and fresher tasting, and cherries seemed like the perfect thing.

The base to these buns is a mildly sweet yeasted dough that contains just enough butter to balance flavor with a soft, pull-apart texture. The interior of the dough, a.k.a the swirl, is filled with a mixture of sugar, butter, and tart dried cherries. I like using unsweetened fruit or fruit that's only lightly sweetened with apple juice—that way the cherries add a pop of tartness and a more authentic flavor. Cherries pair so well with almonds that I included toasted, sliced almonds both in the interior swirl and on top as a garnish.

You could certainly add an easy glaze to the top of these buns, but I like to brush them with butter, sugar, and a few almonds before baking, then leave them be. These are fairly large, but take one bite of a fruity, nutty pastry while it's still warm from the oven and you'll see you could easily devour the whole tray.

Adapted from Gourmet.

August 2012

Recipe Details

Cherry Almond Buns Recipe

Prep 15 mins

Cook 30 mins

Active 35 mins

Rising Time 110 mins

Total 2 hrs 35 mins

Serves 12 servings

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Ingredients

1/4 ounce active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar plus 1/4 teaspoon, divided
2 1/2 cups (about 12 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 large egg yolks
8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature, plus 2 tablespoons melted
3/4 cup dried cherries
3/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

For Topping:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon toasted slivered almonds

Directions

Place warm water, yeast, and 1/4 teaspoon sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Let stand 5 minutes. Add flour, another 1/4 cup sugar, and salt and mix to combine. Add milk and yolks and beat to combine. Add diced butter to the bowl and beat on medium speed for 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover dough with a dish towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
In a small bowl, cover cherries with boiling water. Let stand 6 minutes, then drain, gently patting cherries dry. Dry out bowl and combine cherries, almonds, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until combined; set aside.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface to 12- by 16-inch rectangle. Brush rectangle with butter, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Sprinkle dough evenly with cherry-almond filling. Roll dough up, long side first, gently pressing together at the end to seal.
Dip a very sharp knife in flour then cut roll into 12 equal pieces. Place each bun, cut side down, on prepared baking sheet. Cover with a dish towel and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, 45 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Brush the top of each bun with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar and almonds. Bake until puffed and golden, about 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Special Equipment

Stand mixer, baking sheet, pastry brush, rolling pin

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
330	Calories
16g	Fat
42g	Carbs
7g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories	330
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g	20%
Saturated Fat 7g	37%
Cholesterol 75mg	25%
Sodium 198mg	9%
Total Carbohydrate 42g	15%
Dietary Fiber 2g	7%
Total Sugars 16g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 2mg	10%
Calcium 48mg	4%
Iron 2mg	11%
Potassium 153mg	3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.