Raspberry Breakfast Braid – a quick raspberry sauce and cream cheese filling are tucked into an easy braided loaf and finished with a simple sweet icing.
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When I worked in a bakery we made many danishes and pastries. Traditional Danish dough or puff pastry requires multiple folds of butter and frequent chilling to create flaky layers, which is time consuming. To enjoy a danish-like pastry at home without all that effort, I use a Rhodes white bread loaf as the base. It’s economical, easy to shape, and yields a soft, tender braid that bakes up beautifully.
This raspberry breakfast braid features a quick raspberry sauce and a creamy cheesecake-style filling rolled into a braided loaf. The icing drizzle adds a final touch of sweetness. It’s perfect for a special weekend breakfast, brunch, or an easy dessert for holidays like Valentine’s Day.
Raspberry Breakfast Braid
The components are straightforward: a quick raspberry sauce, a smooth cream cheese filling, and braided dough that bakes into a tender loaf. The raspberry sauce is simply raspberries (fresh or frozen), sugar, cornstarch, and a splash of lemon juice simmered until thick. A whisper of almond extract enhances the fruit flavor, but you can use canned raspberry pie filling or jam if you prefer convenience.
The cream cheese filling is just cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and half a beaten egg mixed until silky — like a hidden cheesecake layer inside the braid. To prepare the dough, place a frozen Rhodes loaf on a greased or silicone-lined baking sheet, cover loosely with sprayed plastic wrap, and allow it to thaw and rise for about 4–5 hours at room temperature or thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Making the Braid
Roll the thawed dough into a roughly 12×18-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Use a pizza cutter to slice 1½-inch strips along both long sides, leaving a 6-inch center strip intact for the fillings.
Spoon the cream cheese filling down the center, then add dollops of raspberry sauce and gently spread so the fillings are layered but not runny. Lift the cut strips over the filling, alternating sides to create a criss-cross braid. Pinch and tuck the ends to help contain the filling during baking.
Carefully transfer the braid to a parchment- or silicone-lined baking sheet. Brush the top with the remaining beaten egg for a glossy, golden finish. Bake at 350°F for 25–30 minutes, checking that the criss-cross sections are fully baked and the loaf is golden on top and bottom.
Allow the braid to cool completely. Whisk together icing from powdered sugar, heavy cream (or milk), and a touch of almond or vanilla extract until smooth. Place the icing in a small plastic bag, snip a corner, and drizzle a zig-zag over the loaf.
Slice and serve. The combination of soft bread, creamy filling, and bright raspberry sauce is a crowd-pleaser — my family finishes this loaf quickly. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Raspberry Breakfast Braid
Ingredients
Raspberry Sauce:
- 1 cup (140 g) fresh or frozen raspberries
- 1/4–1/2 cup (50–100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice (or water)
- 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
Cream Cheese Filling:
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg, whisked and divided
Braid and Icing:
- 1 loaf Rhodes White Bread (frozen dough)
- 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 Tbsp heavy cream (or milk), plus more as needed
- 1/4 tsp almond or vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the frozen Rhodes loaf on a greased or silicone-lined baking sheet, cover loosely, and thaw and rise about 4–5 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
- RASPBERRY SAUCE: In a small saucepan combine raspberries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Simmer on medium-low for 8–10 minutes until thick, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in almond extract, if using.
- CREAM CHEESE FILLING: Mix together cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and half the whisked egg. Reserve the remaining egg to brush on the dough before baking.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- BRAID: Roll the thawed dough into a 12×18-inch rectangle. Cut 1½-inch strips along both long sides, leaving about 6 inches in the center for fillings.
- Spread the cream cheese filling down the center, then add dollops of raspberry sauce and gently spread.
- Fold the cut strips over the filling, alternating sides to form a braid. Pinch and tuck the ends to keep the filling contained.
- Transfer the braid to a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush with the remaining beaten egg.
- Bake at 350°F for 25–30 minutes until golden and fully cooked. Cool completely.
- ICING: Whisk together powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp heavy cream, and almond extract. Add additional cream 1 tsp at a time to reach the desired consistency. Place icing in a small plastic bag, snip a corner, and drizzle over the cooled braid. Slice and serve.
Notes
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