Russians and Ukrainians love hot tea! If you’re not feeling a cheese pastry today, try our Crisp Cream filled Pizzelles or Sweet Filled Cream Horns for that sweet tooth craving!

sweet yeast buns filled with a cream cheese filling

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My husband is a lover for sweet yeast pastries like Poppy Seed Roulettes. So, when it comes down to bun recipes, I like it easy! Luckily those roulettes and this recipe fall into the Easy category, which means if I decide to make them last minute it’ll work out just fine! I’m all about easy recipes especially with a house full of seven souls! As of a result, no crumb toppings or complicated steps are needed just some extra rising times to ensure soft and fluffy buns!

Fillings for Sweet Buns:

Our children love these sweet filled buns with nutella so if you’re ever short on cheese, fill them with canned cherries, poppy seeds or creamy nutella! The possibilities are many, choose your craving! A Vatrushka pastry is typically made with a cheese filling like farmer’s cheese and can be braided to imagination!

 

 

 

Watch How to Make Easy Sweet Cheese Buns!

 

How to make Easy Sweet Cheese Buns:

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Sweet Cheese Buns

5 from 2 votes
Sweet Cheese Buns are like Russian Cheesecake Buns! Called Vatrushka in Russian these round pastries are made from an easy homemade yeast dough similar to a Danish Pastry!
sweet yeast buns filled with a cream cheese filling
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Rising Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 52 minutes
Servings: 16 Buns
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Ukrainian

Equipment

  • Kitchen Aid Mixer

Ingredients 

Sweet Yeast Buns:

  • 1 cup warm milk
  • 1 Tbsp yeast
  • 1/2 Tbsp sugar
  • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup oil

Cream Cheese Filling:

  • 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese , drained and rinsed
  • 16 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 Tbsp milk , (for brushing buns)

Instructions

How to make Sweet Cheese Filled Buns:

  • Whisk together the milk, yeast and 1/2 T sugar. Set aside.
  • Meanwhile, place all the remaining dough ingredients into the bowl of a kitchen aid mixer, in the order given. Stir in the yeast mixture and knead over med-hi speed for 7 minutes. Lightly oil and cover to rise 35 minutes.
  • Cut dough in half then each half into 8 pieces and form all 16 pieces into balls. Place 2-inches apart onto a lined cookie sheet and allow to rise 25 minutes.
  • Make the cheese filling by mixing all the filling ingredients until fluffly. Set aside.
  • Indent each risen ball leaving a 1-inch border. Fill with 2 heaping Tablespoons of the cheese filling and give the buns a final rise of 20 minutes.
  • Brush tops with 2 tablespoons of milk. Bake in a pre-heated 350°F oven for 22 minutes.

Notes

For Freezer Sweet Buns: Bake as directed. Once cooled place into a single layer inside a freezer bag and freeze. Defrost as needed. 
Additional Toppings: Sprinkle powdered sugar or bake with a crumb topping. 
Other Fillings: Fill with Nutella or any canned pie filling, including canned poppy seeds! 
Baking Tip: Bake on the lower half of the oven for even browning! 

Nutrition (per serving)

1bun Serving355kcal Calories44g Carbs9g Protein16g Fat7g Saturated Fat59mg Cholesterol327mg Sodium135mg Potassium1g Fiber16g Sugar485IU Vitamin A76mg Calcium2mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Sweet Cheese Buns
Serving Size
 
1 bun
Amount per Serving
Calories
355
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
16
g
25
%
Saturated Fat
 
7
g
44
%
Cholesterol
 
59
mg
20
%
Sodium
 
327
mg
14
%
Potassium
 
135
mg
4
%
Carbohydrates
 
44
g
15
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
16
g
18
%
Protein
 
9
g
18
%
Vitamin A
 
485
IU
10
%
Calcium
 
76
mg
8
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Q&A

What does Vatrushka Mean?

Vatrushka is a ring shaped sweet pastry (pirog), typically filled with a curd-like cheese (tvorog) filling. Other fillings and toppings make this Danish pastry versatile and a staple in many Eastern European families. can be added, like a streusel topping or powdered sugar.

Can I add a Crumb Topping?

Sweet Cheese Buns are plenty flavorful and sweet on their own, however if you wish to add additional toppings, that can be done with a sprinkle of powdered sugar over or a crumb topping.

What else can I fill Sweet Buns with?

Do Sweet Buns freeze well?

Yes! Yeast Breads freeze very well. I like to freeze my Bulochki Buns inside freezer bags and they defrost in the microwave quickly! After the buns have baked, cool and stack in a single layer into a freezer bag. Defrost as needed.

 

Tips:

  • Sprinkle powdered sugar for a prettier Cheese Bun!
  • Leftovers freeze well!
  • Other fillings like canned cherries can be used, when out of cheese.
  • Make a crumb topping for cheese filled buns.