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Afternoon Kaffee, Breakfast, Recipes  /  April 17, 2021

Himbeer Schnecken – German Raspberry Pastries

by Red Currant Bakery
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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.

Overhead view of multiple himbeer schnecken laying on parchment paper.

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.

More Schnecken

Apfelschnecken Rezept

NuรŸschnecken Recipe - German sticky buns

Schoko Schnecken | Chocolate Pinwheels

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.

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.
Stack of 5 Himbeer Schnecken with a hand reaching to get one.

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.

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.
Baking and glazing process shots for Himbeer schnecken
Overhead view of multiple himbeer schnecken.
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Himbeer Schnecken

Himbeer Schnecken are sweet and tart swirled buns filled with raspberries and sugar! These traditional German sweets are commonly found, rolled with red currants, nuts, or poppy seeds.
Prep Time1 hr 45 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time2 hrs 5 mins
Course: Afternoon Kaffee, Breakfast
Cuisine: German
Keyword: pastries, Raspberry, schnecken, sweet buns
Servings: 10
Calories: 287kcal

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer

Ingredients

Dough

  • 350 grams ap flour
  • 15 grams instant yeast
  • 50 grams granulated sugar
  • 125 ml milk lukewarm
  • 1 egg room temp
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 100 grams butter softened

Butter Sugar Layer

  • 60 grams butter softened – should be easily spreadable
  • 35 grams granulated sugar

Swirl Filling

  • 300 grams raspberries frozen
  • 35 grams butter melted
  • 50 grams granulated sugar

Glaze

  • 3 tbsp lemon juice *might need more
  • 150 grams powdered sugar

Instructions

Prepare Raspberries

  • Defrost the frozen raspberries in the microwave until they are just warm.
  • Place in a sieve and strain the excess juice. Leave in the sieve to continue draining while you prep the dough.

Dough

  • Add the flour and sugar to a mixing bowl, whisk together, and make a well in the center. Heat the milk until it is lukewarm (do not overheat or you will kill the yeast), pour it into the well and sprinkle the yeast over the milk. With a spoon, stir together the milk, yeast, and a little of the flour/sugar mixture.
  • Cover the bowl with a towel and let it sit for 10 minutes.
  • After 10 minutes briefly mix the rest of the flour into the milk, yeast, flour mixture. Next add in the egg, butter, vanilla extract, and salt. Then knead with the dough hook attachment.
  • Knead for at least 15 minutes, the dough should fully pull away from the edges of the bowl and be quite smooth and soft.
  • Form into a ball, place back in the bowl, and cover with a towel. Place somewhere warm and let rest for 1 hour.

Assembling the Schnecken

  • Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  • After the 1 hr has passed, roll out the dough, on a lightly floured surface, into a rectangle that measures 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 28 cm x 40 cm. You want to leave a 1 inch border but the butter should take up 2/3 of the dough on one side of the rectangle. Then sprinkle the sugar over the butter.
  • Then fold the dough into thirds. 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 sugar and that there are no air bubbles.
  • Beginning gently, roll the dough out to a rectangle that is approximately 20 cm x 60 cm. Add flour to the dough and work surface as needed.
  • Spread the melted butter over the rectangle. Then sprinkle the sugar over the butter. Lastly, add the drained raspberries and spread them out leaving a 2" border at one short end.
  • Roll up the dough starting with the one short side with the raspberries. Roll as gently as possible without squeezing out the filling.
  • Usually I would slice off one end and then measure my cuts from the clean edge but because the filling is spread all the way to the edges that isn't necessary.
  • Measure out slices that are approximately 2 cm thick. Then cut at each 2 cm mark. Place the slices onto the prepared parchment, leaving at least 3 inches between each roll. There should be no more than 5 on a half size baking sheet.

Baking and finishing

  • After the schnecken have rested for 20 minutes, bake them for 20 to 25 min until golden brown. Rotate and switch the baking sheets after the first 12 min to ensure even browning.
  • While the schecken are baking, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice to create a thin glaze.
  • Once the schnecken are done baking, while still hot, brush with the glaze.
  • After you have glazed them all, they should be cool enough to gently move to cooling racks where they should be allowed to cool fully.

Notes

These will last for 3-4 days in an airtight container at room temperature!

Nutrition

Serving: 1schnecke | Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 152mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 86IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg

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5 comments

  • Elizabeth Miller
    May 5, 2021

    5 stars
    This recipe was super easy to follow and tasted so good! I brought some to my friends and kept some for my family and everyone enjoyed them. They are perfect for dessert or breakfast (or both)!

    Reply
    • Red Currant Bakery
      May 5, 2021

      Yay! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  • Jeremy W. Leonard
    March 4, 2022

    5 stars
    These are soooo good on a Sunday morning with a big cup of coffee. So hard to walk away from the table!

    Reply
  • Emily Cooke
    April 25, 2022

    5 stars
    Perfection! The pastry is amazingly fluffy and paired with raspberries makes such a fantastic breakfast or snack. Going to try with some different berries for a nice variation!

    Reply
    • Red Currant Bakery
      April 27, 2022

      Aww yay I’m so glad you liked them Emily! I can’t wait to hear what other berries you try out.

      Reply

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Audrey Leonard - Owner of Red Currant Bakery

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