Raspberry & White Chocolate Babka Buns
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These Raspberry White Chocolate Babka Buns are like a miniature and summer-ready version of classic chocolate babka. Brioche-like dough swirled with raspberry and white chocolate filling, finished with lemon simple syrup. Not only do they taste amazing, they also look impressive.
Table Of Contents
Mini Babkas
This recipe features a buttery brioche-style dough filled with a delicious Raspberry White Chocolate filling (I definitely ate a few essential spoonfuls during testing, not gonna lie). The dough is then braided and baked until golden. While the babka buns are in the oven, a lemon simple syrup is prepared and brushed on top as soon as they come out. The lemon, combined with the raspberries, balances the sweetness of the white chocolate, creating a fresh, summery symphony of flavors.
These mini babkas yield 8 small loaves and are baked in a mini loaf pan. However, you can also use a regular muffin pan to make smaller, round babka buns – just divide the dough into 12 portions instead of 8 when shaping.
In the early stages of developing this recipe, I experimented with several flavors for these mini babkas. Raspberry White Chocolate was my absolute favorite. However, the best part about making them mini is their versatility—if you wanted to, you could split the dough and try out different flavors all on the same tray.
How to make Raspberry White Chocolate Filling
The raspberry white chocolate filling is similar to a ganache, but instead of heavy cream, we use homemade raspberry sauce. We let it thicken until it’s spreadable, similar to a thick peanut butter.
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How to Shape Babka Buns
In theory, you can shape these buns however you’d like—like classic cinnamon rolls, a full-size babka loaf, or smaller, braided buns in a regular muffin pan, just to name a few. In this recipe, I’ve chosen a shaping method that makes the buns look like miniature babka loaves, which is just too cute imo.
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Raspberry White Chocolate Babka Buns
Raspberry White Chocolate Babka Buns
Equipment
- Saucepan
Ingredients
Dough
- 330 g bread flour
- 40 g granulated sugar
- 6 g instant dry yeast
- 4 g salt
- 180 g whole milk at 77℉/25℃
- 1 large egg
- 55 g unsalted butter softened at room temperature
Raspberry White Chocolate Filling
- 80 g frozen raspberries
- 10 g granulated sugar
- 10 g fresh lemon juice
- 200 g white baking chocolate callets or finely chopped
- 15 g unsalted butter
Lemon Simple Syrup
- 40 g granulated sugar
- 30 g water
- 10 g fresh lemon juice
Optional Toppings
- melted white chocolate
- raspberries fresh or freeze-dried
Instructions
Prepare the Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine all the ingredients listed for the main dough, excluding the butter.330 g bread flour, 40 g granulated sugar, 6 g instant dry yeast, 4 g salt, 180 g whole milk, 1 large egg
- Knead the dough on low to medium speed for about 10 minutes.
- Gradually add the cubed butter to the dough, one cube at a time, while continuing to knead.55 g unsalted butter
- Continue kneading for another 10-20 minutes or until the dough passes the window-pane test – it should be smooth, elastic, and able to be stretched thinly without tearing.
- Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly oiled bowl.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough proof for 45 minutes at around 77°F (25°C), until it rises to about 60% of its original size (where 100% would mean doubling in size).
- Transfer the dough to the fridge and let it rest for at least 2 hours, until it has fully doubled in size. This second rest in the fridge allows the dough to firm up slightly while continuing to rise, making it easier to shape later on. Meanwhile, make the raspberry white chocolate filling:
Prepare the Filling
- Start by heating up the frozen raspberries, lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Use a silicone spatula to mash them against the sides of the saucepan while stirring. Once the raspberries simmers, set a timer for 1 minute and let it simmer gently. Be careful not to let too much liquid evaporate.80 g frozen raspberries, 10 g granulated sugar, 10 g fresh lemon juice
- Discard the seeds and set the sauce aside at room temperature.
- Next, melt the chocolate: Add about 1 inch of water to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Place a heatproof bowl over the saucepan- use a bowl that fits well without touching the water. Add white chocolate and butter to the bowl and stir until melted.200 g white baking chocolate, 15 g unsalted butter
- Carefully remove the bowl of melted chocolate from the heat. Stir in the raspberry sauce with a whisk until fully incorporated.
- Transfer the raspberry white chocolate filling to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap that is touching the surface of the filling. Refrigerate for about 60 minutes, stirring with a spoon every 10-15 minutes. It's ready once the filling reaches a thick, spreadable consistency, similar to thick peanut butter.
- You can use the filling right away or store at room temperature until your dough has doubled in size.
Shape the Babka Buns
- Once the dough has doubled in size and the filling has thickened, you're ready to shape the babka buns.
- Take the dough out of the fridge and transfer it onto a floured surface and roll out the dough into a square, approximately 16×16 inches (40×40 cm).
- Give the filling a thorough stir to ensure it's smooth and spreadable.
- Use an off-set spatula to evenly spread the filling over the entire surface of the dough. Since the chocolate filling can be a bit sticky, work in small sections rather than placing it all in the center at once, as this can make it difficult to spread out evenly.
- Fold one side of the dough over two-thirds of the way, then fold the remaining third over the top.
- Measure and divide the folded dough into 8 equal strips.
- With a knife, cut each strip into 3 smaller strips, leaving a small section at the top uncut to keep them joined.
- Braid the three strips together, starting from the joined section.
- Tuck the ends to secure it.
- Place the braided buns into a mini loaf pan, tucking in any loose ends to maintain the shape.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and the babka buns proof for 20-30 minutes at around 77°F (25°C).
Bake and prepare Simple Syrup
- Preheat your oven to 350℉ (180℃). Optionally, brush the tops of the babka buns with egg wash.
- Bake the babka buns for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 200°F (95°C). While the babka buns are in the oven, prepare the lemon simple syrup:
- Add sugar, lemon, and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until it simmers, and continue simmering until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.40 g granulated sugar, 30 g water, 10 g fresh lemon juice
Assemble
- Once the babka buns are done baking, immediately brush the tops with the lemon simple syrup, then remove them from the pan and let them cool on a wire rack.
- Optionally, you can top the raspberry white chocolate babka buns with a drizzle of white chocolate and freeze-dried or fresh raspberries before serving. Enjoy!
Just made this for my husband’s birthday! Big hit. I found the recipe portion a little confusing in parts. The dough folding direction was missing (so I scrolled up above the recipe for it) and I couldn’t find the amount of water for the filling specified anywhere. I guessed, and my filling turned out a more sickly purplish color than vibrant. Still tastes great and will bake again. Thank you!
Hi Kristen. Thanks so much for letting me know about the missing step in shaping and the water in the filling. The recipe is now updated with the correct instructions, and there’s no water in the filling. I’m glad it still tasted great, and I appreciate your help in correcting the recipe. 😊
Made these yesterday. SO GOOD!! I was afraid that the filling would be too sweet, but it turned out so perfect😋 will definitely be making them again soon.
1 question, is it possible to make the filling 1 or 2 days ahead? Or how long will it stay good in the fridge?
Thank you so much!
Hi Kay. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! I recommend making the filling fresh because it contains a lot of chocolate, which can be sensitive to temperature changes and may turn grainy when stored. Whether this would be noticeable in the baked buns is hard to say, but unless you absolutely have to make it in advance, I suggest following the timeline described in the recipe. Happy baking!
Hi, I will be trying these mouthwatering buns for friends, is it okay if I prepare and bake them a day before?
Thank you!
Hi Jessica! Baked goods are always best the day they’re made, but you can absolutely bake them a day ahead. I recommend freezing the buns after they’ve cooled, individually wrapped in plastic wrap, and stored in a plastic bag or airtight container. A few hours before guests arrive, take the buns out to thaw at room temp. Before serving, pop them in the oven for 2-3 minutes at 200°C, then brush with the syrup and add any optional toppings. They’ll taste freshly baked!
Thank you very much