These sweet and vibrant strawberry cinnamon rolls combine the fluffy comfort of cinnamon rolls with bright, juicy, and sweet fresh strawberries.
Each bite is a perfect balance of pillowy dough and tangy-sweet fruit filling.
But that’s not all! Every roll is crowned with a luscious cream cheese icing infused with even more strawberry goodness.
From the aroma while they’re cooking to the explosion of flavor in the first bite, these are almost too good to share!
Why You’ll Love These Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
Irresistible Fruity Taste: Sweet strawberries and creamy icing create a delightful and indulgent treat. They satisfy any sweet tooth with just one bite.
Visually Stunning: The vibrant red of the strawberry filling against the golden brown rolls makes them an eye-catching addition to any brunch spread.
Summer Sensation: This recipe is a fantastic way to celebrate the summer season and ripe fresh strawberries.
Ingredients
- Bread Flour: The foundation of the dough, proving structure and texture. Bread flour gives these babies more rise and stability, but you can use all-purpose if you prefer.
- Instant Yeast: The leavening agent that makes the dough rise.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the dough and helps feed the yeast. It’s also used in the strawberry filling to help it get nice and jammy.
- Salt: Enhances the flavor of the dough and balances the sweetness.
- Milk: Adds moisture and richness to the dough.
- Heavy Cream: To make the glaze smooth and rich and for brushing over the rolls before baking.
- Butter: Enriches the dough and adds flavor. It’s also used in cream cheese icing.
- Eggs and Yolk: Bind the dough together and contribute to the tender texture and golden color.
- Strawberry Filling: Fresh strawberries cooked down with sugar and thickened with cornstarch. Lemon juice and cinnamon add brightness and warmth.
- Cream Cheese Glaze: A sweet and tangy blend of cream cheese, powdered sugar, and some of the strawberry filling.
How to Make Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
Baking strawberry cinnamon rolls is a labor of love, but the result is more than worth the effort.
They’re a wonderful way to showcase the season’s best strawberries and create lasting memories around the table.
Here’s how they come together:
1. MIX: Bloom the warm milk, sugar, and yeast in a stand mixer bowl for 10 minutes until foamy.
2. KNEAD: Add the soft butter, eggs, yolk, flour, and salt and knead with a dough hook on medium for 6-8 minutes.
3. PROOF: Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for about an hour until doubled in size.
4. COOK: Warm the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan until thick. Add a cornstarch slurry and the cinnamon, then simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool, and reserve 2 tablespoons for icing.
5. ROLL: Punch and roll the dough on a floured surface into a 15×10-inch rectangle. Spread the strawberry filling on top, leaving the edges clear.
6. CUT: Roll the dough into a log, cut it into 12 rolls, and arrange in a greased 9×13-inch baking pan. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes until doubled.
7. BAKE: Brush the rolls with cream (optional), and bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes until the internal temperature is 190°F. Cool on a wire rack.
8. BEAT: Combine the cream cheese and butter until smooth, slowly blend in the powdered sugar and reserved strawberry filling, and adjust the consistency with milk as needed.
9. GLAZE: Spread the icing over cooled or slightly warm rolls. Serve and enjoy!
Tips For the Best Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
I’ve actually been experimenting with my favorite cinnamon roll recipe for a while now, and let me tell you, adding fresh strawberries was a stroke of genius.
The sweet, tangy berries pair perfectly with the warm cinnamon and fluffy dough.
And don’t even get me started on the cream cheese icing – it’s got just the right amount of strawberry flavor that takes these rolls to a whole new level of deliciousness.
Never made cinnamon rolls before? It’s not as hard as you think – especially with these tips up your sleeve!
- Warm the milk. Warm the milk to 100°F to 110°F (37°C to 43°C) to promote fermentation and gas production, which is necessary for dough rising.
- Knead well. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic. It should pull away from the side of the bowl but feel soft to the touch.
- Help it rise. Turn your oven to around 170°F (75°C) for 1-2 minutes. Then, turn it off. Place the dough (covered) in the oven on the middle rack with a dish of just-boiled water underneath. Close the door and check on it every 20 minutes.
- Cool the filling. Spread the filling into a wide, shallow dish to help it cool quicker.
- Roll tightly. When rolling up the dough, keep it tight to ensure an even amount of filling and a neat spiral.
- Quick cutting. Slide a piece of unflavored dental floss under the rolled dough. Bring the ends of the floss up and cross them over the top of the roll. Pull the ends in opposite directions to slice through the dough cleanly.
- Variations. Try adding nuts or chocolate chips to the filling for variety. You could also, try different fruits like raspberries, blueberries, peaches, or whatever is in season.
How to Store
These are definitely not your average cinnamon rolls. In fact, I’m already planning to make them again for our next family gathering.
Luckily, you can totally make them ahead!
To Make Ahead:
- Make the dough and filling and roll and cut the dough as instructed.
- Place in the baking pan, cover (without proofing) and keep them in the fridge overnight.
- Remove the dish from the fridge and let come to room temperature.
- Proof until doubled in size then bake as instructed.
As for leftovers, here’s the lowdown:
To Store: Place strawberry cinnamon rolls in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Ensure they are completely cooled before storing to maintain freshness.
To Freeze: Make and cut the cinnamon rolls, then freeze (before the final proof) in the baking dish, wrapped in plastic and foil. Let thaw in the fridge overnight, then proof and bake as instructed.
To Reheat: Warm unglazed rolls in a microwave for 20-30 seconds or in a preheated oven at 350°Fahrenheit for 5-10 minutes. Cover with foil if reheating in the oven to prevent drying out.
More Cinnamon Roll Recipes to Try
Cinnamon Roll Waffles
Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon Roll Dutch Apple Pie
Viral TikTok Cinnamon Rolls with Heavy Cream
Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
12
servings2
hours30
minutes332
kcalThese vibrant strawberry cinnamon rolls are soft, sweet, and loaded with fresh fruit. Add a dreamy cream cheese glaze, and they’re insanely good.
Ingredients
- For the Dough
3/4 cups milk, warmed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 egg + 1 yolk
3 1/4 cups bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons cream, for brushing
- For the Strawberry Filling
2 cups strawberries, chopped
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- For the Cream Cheese Icing
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoon butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoon strawberry filling
1-2 tablespoons milk or cream
Instructions
- Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Whisk, then set aside to bloom for about 10 minutes, until foamy.
- Add the soft butter, eggs, yolk, flour, and salt to the bowl. Beat with a dough hook on medium until a soft dough forms, about 6-8 minutes. It should be smooth and pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- Grease a clean bowl with cooking spray or vegetable oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and leave to proof/rise for about an hour or until doubled in size.
- Make the filling: Combine the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the fruit is slightly broken down and thick.
- Mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water until smooth, then add to the pot along with the cinnamon. Bring to a low boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until thick and shiny, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the filling for the icing.
- Form the dough: When the dough has doubled in size, punch the air out and turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it into a 15×10-inch rectangle and spread the cooled strawberry filling over the surface, not quite to the edges.
- Tightly roll the dough into a log, then cut into 12 equally-sized rolls (dental floss works great for this!). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with butter and arrange the rolls inside. Cover again and leave to proof/rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
- Bake the rolls: Preheat the oven to 375°Fahrenheit. Brush the rolls with cream (optional) and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 190°F. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the icing: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar and reserved strawberry filling, then mix in milk as needed until the desired consistency is reached.
- When the rolls are cool (or slightly warm), spread the glaze over the top. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Warm the milk to 100°F to 110°F (37°C to 43°C) to promote fermentation and gas production, which is necessary for dough rising.
- Help it rise. Turn your oven to around 170°F (75°C) for 1-2 minutes. Then, turn it off. Place the dough (covered) in the oven on the middle rack with a dish of just-boiled water underneath. Close the door and check on it every 20 minutes.
