Himbeer Schnecken – German Raspberry Pastries

Himbeer Schnecken are sweet and tart swirled buns, filled with raspberries and sugar! Based on the more traditional Johannisbeer (red currant) schnecken these are perfect for breakfast or with your afternoon coffee.

What are Himbeer Schnecken?

One of my favorite treats to get in Germany has always been schnecken which means snail in German. I love them all, the poppy seed ones, the nut ones, and the red currant ones. Since red currants are difficult to come by here in the US I have recreated this recipe using raspberries to mimic the sweet and tart flavor combo!

What if I can’t find frozen raspberries?

I usually find frozen raspberries at target or whole foods but if you can’t find them, you can also just slightly mash some fresh raspberries – just enough to cover the surface of the rolled out dough.

Can you freeze himbeer schnecken?

Yes! These are of course best eaten on the same day they are baked. However, if you can’t eat them all the first day, they can be stored in an airtight container for a couple of days or wrapped individually and stored in the freezer for a month. To defrost, microwave briefly in 10 second intervals and then top with a little extra glaze.

Tips for making Raspberry Swirled Buns

1. Whenever you are making a yeasted dough make sure to knead it for a while, the dough should become one clean ball with relatively smooth sides. Keep kneading for a couple minutes after it comes together. For this recipe, I usually set my stand mixer on low with the dough hook for 10 to 15 minutes until the dough is smooth.
2. Pay close attention to the temperature the butter should be in the recipe. Sometimes it will need to be softened and other times melted.
3. Before starting, make sure to defrost the raspberries and leave them in a sieve to drain off the extra liquid.
4. These himbeer schnecken tend to get a bit messy when you are cutting them, just be patient and be ok with the mess. If any raspberry falls out, just put it back on top of the most recent schnecke that you cut.
5. This recipe will also work with fresh raspberries, you will need about 200-250 grams and simply break them apart by hand or chop them up before spreading them over the dough.
6. Be sure to glaze these right after they come out of the oven to get the thin and flaky glazed taste and texture.

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Ingredients for the Himbeer Schnecken

• All Purpose Flour: Any all purpose flour will work for these! I have not yet tried any other flours with this recipe.
• Sugar: This recipe uses granulated sugar in the dough and filling as well as powdered sugar in the glaze.
• Milk: The himbeer schnecken use milk as the liquid in the dough; however, they will also work with non-dairy milks such as almond or light coconut milk.
• Butter: The butter adds moisture to the dough as well as the filling!
• Eggs: I use standard large eggs from the store
• Yeast: In this recipe, instant yeast is used. However, if you are using active dry, simply bloom the yeast in the milk alone first and then proceed with the recipe.
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract adds flavor to the dough.
• Frozen Raspberries: I like to use frozen raspberries in this recipe because they are less expensive. But if you can’t find them, feel free to use fresh raspberries. – See Tips section for how many fresh raspberries to use
• Lemon Juice: I like lemon juice in the glaze to cut some of the sweetness.

How to make bakery style Schnecken at home?

Make the Himbeer Schnecken Dough

• In the bowl of a stand mixer whisk together the flour and sugar – make a well in the center and pour in the yeast. Then pour the lukewarm milk over the yeast into the well. Using a spoon, mix together the milk and yeast and add in about 2 or 3 tablespoons of the sugar/flour mixture from the edges of the well.
• Cover the bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.
• After the 10 minutes have passed, the contents of the well should be nice and bubbly. Give the contents of the bowl a quick stir with a rubber spatula so the yeast mixture is no longer “exposed”.
• Add in the rest of the dough ingredients and use a dough hook to knead everything together on low speed for 10-15 minutes until the dough has smooth edges and the bowl is clean.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and place somewhere warm to rise for 45 minutes. The dough should double in size.

Assembling the Schnecken

• Microwave the frozen raspberries until they are just beginning to fall apart. Pour over a sieve and leave to strain while you prep the Schnecken dough.
• Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to 30 x 60 cm. Spread the softened butter over the dough – it should cover about 2/3 of the dough in a rectangle that is about 28 cm x 40 cm. You want to leave a 1 inch border around the edges.
• Then sprinkle the sugar over the butter. Fold the dough into thirds and if necessary brush edges with a little water to help the dough stick together. Before sealing the edges, make sure the dough is laying flat on the butter and that there are no air bubbles.
• Roll the rectangle out again lengthwise to a rectangle that is 20 cm x 60 cm. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with sugar, and spread the drained raspberries over the dough. Leave 2″ at one short end of the rectangle free of raspberries.
• Start rolling up the dough from the short end with the raspberries. Roll all the way to the other end, gently and try not to squeeze out any of the raspberries.
• Place the roll in front of you, seam side down and use a ruler and a sharp skinny knife to mark out 2 cm slices. After all the slices have been marked, start slicing the himbeer schnecken. As you slice them with one hand, hold the roll together with the other hand. Don’t worry if they don’t stay perfectly circular, you will reshape them later.
• Place 5 schnecken on each baking sheet. After you have sliced all of the schnecken, tuck the ends under each slice and slightly flatten the rolls by pressing down on them.
• Let the schnecken rest for 20 minutes, then bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pans after 12 minutes to make sure they brown evenly.

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Baking and Glazing

• Let the schnecken rest for 20 minutes, then bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pans after 12 minutes to make sure they brown evenly.
• While the schnecken are baking, prepare the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice to a thin and runny glaze.
• Immediately after the schnecken are finished baking, brush or drizzle the glaze over them. Allow them to cool for at least five minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.