Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls

There are few things in this world as comforting as a warm, freshly baked cinnamon roll. The aroma alone is enough to transport you to a place of pure bliss. But what if we took that classic comfort and elevated it with a vibrant, fresh fruit twist? That’s exactly what I, Sophie, set out to do with these incredible Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls. After testing this recipe more than 9 times in my own kitchen, tweaking every element from the brioche dough to the perfect strawberry filling and the tangy cream cheese glaze, I’m thrilled to share a recipe that truly delivers on its promise of an ultimate comfort bake. This isn’t just a recipe; it’s an experience waiting to happen, perfect for surprising your family or treating yourself.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These aren’t just any rolls; they are a symphony of flavors and textures designed to bring joy with every bite. From the moment you pull them from the oven, you’ll understand why these Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls have become a staple in my home.

• Irresistibly Fluffy Texture: Made with a rich brioche dough, these rolls are incredibly soft, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth delightful.
• Bursting with Fresh Strawberry Flavor: A homemade, jam-like strawberry filling provides a vibrant, natural fruit taste that’s a refreshing change from traditional cinnamon.
• Perfectly Balanced Sweet & Tangy: The luscious strawberry cream cheese glaze adds a creamy, slightly tart counterpoint, cutting through the sweetness beautifully.
• A True Crowd-Pleaser: Whether it’s for a special breakfast, a festive brunch, or a comforting dessert, these rolls are guaranteed to impress friends and family alike.
• A Rewarding Baking Experience: While they require a bit of time, the process is incredibly satisfying, and the end result is a showstopper.
• A Healthier Twist on a Classic: By using fresh fruit filling, we reduce reliance on heavily processed sugars and incorporate natural goodness.

Ingredients Overview

Crafting the perfect Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls starts with understanding each ingredient and its role. My goal is always to deliver both incredible flavor and a reliable baking experience, which means using quality ingredients and knowing how to handle them.

All-Purpose Flour

The foundation of our brioche dough, flour is crucial for structure. I recommend using a good quality all-purpose flour. The amount of flour can vary slightly depending on humidity, so it’s always best to measure by weight (grams) for accuracy. This will ensure your dough has the right consistency – not too sticky, not too stiff – for that signature fluffy texture.

Instant Dry Yeast

This is our dough’s magical leavening agent, responsible for those beautiful rises and the airy texture. Instant dry yeast can be added directly to your dry ingredients, making the process straightforward. If you only have active dry yeast, remember to rehydrate it in a portion of your warm milk with a pinch of sugar for about 10 minutes until foamy before combining with other wet ingredients.

Unsalted Butter

Butter is the secret to brioche’s luxurious richness and tenderness. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the overall salt content of the recipe. For the dough, ensure your butter is very soft – almost room temperature but not melted. This helps it incorporate smoothly into the dough during kneading, leading to a more homogenous and tender crumb. For the glaze, softened butter contributes to a wonderfully creamy, smooth consistency.

Fresh Strawberries

The star of our filling! While fresh, ripe strawberries offer the most vibrant flavor, frozen strawberries work perfectly well too. When selecting fresh berries, look for bright red, plump fruit with green caps. If using frozen, there’s no need to thaw them before cooking; just be prepared for the cooking time to be slightly longer to reduce the excess moisture. The quality of your strawberries directly impacts the deliciousness of the filling!

Cream Cheese (Philadelphia)

For the iconic tangy cream cheese glaze, a good quality, full-fat cream cheese is essential. I personally recommend Philadelphia cream cheese for its consistent texture and flavor, which ensures a smooth, stable glaze. Make sure it’s softened to room temperature for effortless blending, preventing lumps in your glaze.

Granulated Sugar & Powdered Sugar

We use both! Granulated sugar provides sweetness for both the brioche dough and the strawberry filling. Powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar) is vital for the glaze, as its fine texture dissolves easily, creating a silky-smooth finish without grittiness. Adjusting the amount of sugar allows you to tailor the sweetness to your preference, especially in the filling and glaze.

Ingredient Substitutions & Tips

I understand that sometimes you might need to make a swap or adjust for dietary needs. Having baked these Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls countless times, I’ve experimented with several variations to ensure flexibility without compromising flavor.

• Milk: If you’re looking for a dairy-free option, unsweetened almond milk or soy milk can be substituted for the warm milk in the brioche dough. The texture might be slightly less rich, but the rolls will still be wonderfully soft. I’ve found oat milk also works quite well.
• Strawberries: While strawberries are the star, you can absolutely experiment with other berries! Raspberries, blueberries, or a mixed berry blend would create equally delicious fillings. If using frozen, simply follow the same cooking instructions, knowing they may release a bit more liquid.
• Yeast: As mentioned, if you have active dry yeast instead of instant, remember to proof it first. Simply dissolve it in a portion of the warm milk (about ¼ cup) with a pinch of the recipe’s sugar for 5-10 minutes until frothy. Then proceed with the recipe, reducing the remaining milk slightly.
• Butter: For a dairy-free alternative, a high-quality vegan butter substitute can be used in both the dough and the glaze. Ensure it’s softened to the correct consistency for optimal results.
• Dietary Modifications: For a less sweet roll, you can reduce the granulated sugar in the dough by up to 2 tablespoons and in the strawberry filling by 1 tablespoon. For the glaze, adjust powdered sugar to taste. I’ve found these small adjustments don’t sacrifice flavor but offer a slightly lighter profile.
• Gluten-Free Flour: While I haven’t specifically tested this with gluten-free flour, a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend might work. However, yeast doughs can be tricky with GF flours, often requiring more liquid and resulting in a denser texture. Proceed with caution and expect a different outcome.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Making these Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls is a labor of love, but each step is straightforward and incredibly rewarding. Follow these detailed instructions, incorporating my tested tips, for a truly exceptional result.

1. Crafting the Perfect Strawberry Filling

Begin by preparing your vibrant strawberry filling. In a medium saucepan, combine your fresh or frozen strawberries, the ¼ cup granulated sugar, and the juice of half a lemon. Place this over medium heat. The goal here is to gently cook the strawberries down, allowing them to soften, release their juices, and for the sugar to dissolve and thicken the mixture. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking. After about 10 minutes, the mixture should be thick and jam-like, with most of the liquid reduced. This concentration of flavor is key to a robust strawberry taste in your finished rolls. Remove from heat and, while still warm, blend it until smooth using an immersion blender directly in the pot, or transfer it carefully to a food processor. Achieving a perfectly smooth puree is essential for a beautiful, even spread later. Once smooth, cover the surface of the puree with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until it is completely cool – a cold filling makes for easier spreading and prevents the dough from getting soggy. This cooling step, I’ve learned from my many trials, is non-negotiable for success!

2. Preparing the Irresistible Brioche Dough

Next, let’s create the foundation of our rolls: the brioche dough. In the large bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine your dry ingredients: the 4 ¼ cups of flour, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of instant dry yeast. Give these a quick mix with the dough hook to ensure they’re evenly distributed. Now, add the warm milk, the very soft ⅓ cup unsalted butter, and the room-temperature egg. Using room temperature ingredients for brioche is crucial, as it helps them emulsify properly and creates a more tender dough. Begin kneading on a medium-low speed. As the dough comes together, it might seem sticky at first, but resist the urge to add more flour. Continue kneading for 5 to 7 minutes on medium speed. The dough will transform, becoming smooth, elastic, and will start to pull away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. It should feel soft and slightly tacky, but not sticky. This extensive kneading develops the gluten, which is what gives brioche its characteristic chew and fluffiness.

3. The First Rise: Patience is Key

Once your dough is kneaded to perfection, lightly grease the mixing bowl or transfer it to a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover the dough tightly with a clean kitchen cloth or plastic wrap. Find a warm, draft-free spot in your kitchen – a slightly warmed oven (turned off!) or a sunny corner works wonders. Let the dough rise for approximately 2 hours, or until it has visibly doubled in size. From my experience, rushing this step will result in dense rolls, so give it the time it needs!

4. Rolling, Filling, and Shaping

After the first rise, gently punch down the dough to release the air. Transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough using a rolling pin to form a large rectangle, roughly 40 x 30 cm (16 x 12 inches). Aim for an even thickness across the entire rectangle. Now, retrieve your perfectly chilled strawberry filling from the refrigerator. Spread the cool filling evenly over the entire surface of the dough, leaving a small, clean border (about ½ inch) along one of the longer edges. This border will help seal the roll. Starting from the opposite long edge, carefully and firmly roll the dough into a tight log. A tight roll ensures beautiful spirals. Once rolled, use a sharp, unflavored dental floss string or a very sharp knife to cut the log into 12 even strips. A pizza cutter can also work well for this step.

5. The Second Rise and Baking

Lightly grease a large baking dish (a 9×13 inch dish is usually perfect). Arrange your cut rolls into the prepared dish, leaving a little bit of space between each roll – they will expand! Cover the dish again with a clean cloth and let the rolls rise for a second time, for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. During this second rise, the rolls should become noticeably puffy. While they’re rising, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Bake the rolls for about 20-25 minutes. They should turn a beautiful light golden brown on top and feel soft and springy to the touch. Avoid overbaking, as this can dry them out. Once baked, remove them from the oven and let them cool slightly in the dish on a wire rack.

6. Whipping Up the Strawberry Cream Cheese Glaze

While the rolls are cooling slightly, prepare your divine glaze. In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese (Philadelphia is my go-to!), the softened 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and the cold 2 tablespoons of strawberry puree (from your earlier filling batch). Using an electric mixer, beat these ingredients together for 1-2 minutes until the glaze is completely smooth, creamy, and a lovely pink hue. If you prefer a thinner glaze, add a tiny splash more milk; for a thicker one, add a touch more powdered sugar.

7. Glaze and Serve!

The moment you’ve been waiting for! Generously spread the freshly made strawberry cream cheese glaze over your slightly warm Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls. The residual warmth of the rolls will allow the glaze to melt just a little, creating a dreamy, slightly gooey topping that seeps into all the nooks and crannies. Serve them warm and prepare for rave reviews!

Baking Tips for Success

Achieving perfect Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls every time comes down to a few key principles. These are lessons I’ve learned and refined over my 9+ tests, ensuring you get that bakery-quality result at home.

• Accurate Measuring is Paramount: Especially for flour, always use a kitchen scale for the most precise measurements. Volume measurements (cups) can vary wildly, leading to too much or too little flour, which drastically impacts dough consistency. For a light brioche, accuracy is non-negotiable.
• Room Temperature Ingredients: This applies to your egg, milk, butter, and cream cheese. Ingredients at room temperature emulsify and blend much more smoothly, leading to a homogenous dough and a lump-free glaze. Cold ingredients can result in a lumpy dough or a tough crumb.
• Don’t Rush the Rise: Yeast doughs thrive on patience. While it might be tempting to shorten the rising times, allowing the dough to double in size for both rises is crucial for developing flavor and achieving that wonderfully airy, fluffy texture. A warm, draft-free spot is your dough’s best friend.
• Even Spreading of Filling: When rolling out the dough and spreading the strawberry filling, ensure it’s an even layer. This guarantees every bite of your roll has a consistent amount of delicious strawberry goodness. An uneven spread can lead to dry spots or overly wet areas.
• Don’t Overbake: This is one of the most common mistakes! Overbaked rolls become dry and tough. Pull them from the oven when they are just lightly golden brown on top, and a quick peek at the bottom shows minimal browning. They will continue to cook slightly from residual heat. Sophie’s Tip: Know your oven! If your oven runs hot or cold, adjust the temperature or baking time accordingly. An oven thermometer is a baker’s best friend!

Brioche Dough Mastering Guide

The heart of these delightful Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls is the brioche dough. Mastering brioche might sound intimidating, but it’s incredibly rewarding and sets these rolls apart. Brioche is a French bread known for its richness, thanks to a higher proportion of eggs and butter compared to standard yeast doughs. This makes it incredibly tender, flavorful, and creates that signature melt-in-your-mouth texture.

The key to a successful brioche is thorough kneading. You need to develop the gluten sufficiently to handle the richness from the butter. My 9+ tests have shown that kneading for the full 5-7 minutes (or even a minute or two longer if needed) until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl is crucial. It should feel somewhat sticky but not wet. If your dough is too sticky, resist adding more flour; let the mixer do its work.

Another vital aspect is the rising conditions. A warm, draft-free environment (around 25-28°C or 75-80°F) is ideal for the yeast to work its magic. While the recipe calls for a 2-hour rise at room temperature, my extensive experience has shown that a slower, cold ferment in the refrigerator overnight (after the initial knead) can yield an even more flavorful and easier-to-handle dough. Just be sure to bring it to room temperature for about 30-60 minutes before rolling out. The dough should feel light and airy when properly risen, almost like a puffy cloud. Don’t be afraid to gently poke it; it should spring back slowly, indicating it’s ready. This is where my personal baking journey has taught me patience truly pays off in the final texture and taste.

Decorating Ideas / Serving Suggestions

These Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls are beautiful on their own, but a few simple touches can elevate their presentation even further. Make them a centerpiece at your next gathering!

• Fresh Fruit Garnish: A sprinkle of fresh strawberry slices or a few whole berries on top of the glaze adds a burst of color and reinforces the delicious fruit flavor. A sprig of fresh mint or basil can also provide an elegant green contrast.
• Powdered Sugar Dusting: For an extra touch of sweetness and visual appeal, dust the glazed rolls lightly with a sieve full of powdered sugar.
• Nutty Topping: A sprinkle of finely chopped pistachios or toasted almonds could add a lovely textural crunch and complementary flavor.
• Brunch Centerpiece: Serve these rolls warm as part of a lavish brunch spread, alongside fresh fruit, yogurt, and your favorite coffee or tea. They make an excellent companion to any breakfast.
• Dessert Delight: Don’t limit them to breakfast! These rolls make a comforting and impressive dessert. Pair them with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream for an extra indulgent treat. For another festive treat that’s perfect for any occasion, you absolutely must try my Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies.

Storage & Make-Ahead Tips

These Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls are best enjoyed fresh and warm, but with a little planning, you can savor them over several days or even prepare them in advance.

• Room Temperature Storage: Glazed rolls can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. The glaze will set, but the rolls will remain soft.
• Refrigeration: If you have leftover glazed rolls, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. Unglazed, baked rolls will last up to 5 days in the fridge. Reheat gently before serving for the best texture.
• Freezing Baked Rolls: Unglazed, baked rolls can be frozen for up to 1-2 months. Allow them to cool completely, then wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in a low oven (150°C/300°F) for 10-15 minutes, tented with foil. Glaze after reheating.
• Freezing Unbaked Rolls: For ultimate make-ahead convenience, you can freeze the shaped, unbaked rolls. Place them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag. When ready to bake, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, then allow them to come to room temperature and complete their second rise (about 1-2 hours) before baking as directed.

FAQs

Can I use frozen strawberries for the filling?

Yes, absolutely! Frozen strawberries work wonderfully for the filling. You might find you need to cook them a little longer than fresh berries to allow any extra liquid to evaporate and achieve that perfect thick, jam-like consistency. I’ve personally used frozen berries many times with great success, especially when fresh strawberries aren’t in season or are too expensive. Just ensure the filling cools completely before spreading.

My dough isn’t rising, what went wrong?

There are a few common culprits if your dough isn’t rising. Your yeast might be old or inactive, so always check its expiration date before beginning. The milk you used could have been too hot (which kills the yeast) or too cold (which slows down its activity too much). Ensure your rising environment is warm and draft-free – around 25-28°C (75-80°F) is ideal for yeast activity. Dough can also struggle to rise if there’s too much salt or too little sugar.

Can I make these Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls ahead of time?

Absolutely! For make-ahead convenience, you have a couple of options. You can prepare the shaped rolls and refrigerate them overnight (up to 12-18 hours). In the morning, let them sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes to proof slightly before baking. Alternatively, you can make the strawberry filling and cream cheese glaze a day in advance and store them separately in the refrigerator, ready to assemble and frost when the rolls are baked.

How do I get my rolls evenly sized?

To achieve perfectly uniform rolls, first ensure your dough is rolled into a consistent rectangle with even thickness. Then, use a ruler or a sharp knife to gently score lines across the rolled dough before cutting. A piece of unflavored dental floss also works wonderfully for making clean, even slices without squishing the dough. Simply slide the floss under the log, cross the ends over the top, and pull to cut.

What’s the best way to reheat Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls?

To bring your rolls back to their warm, soft glory, a quick zap in the microwave for 20-30 seconds per roll works wonders, making them incredibly tender again. Alternatively, you can tent them loosely with foil and warm them in a 150°C (300°F) oven for about 10-15 minutes. This method helps them retain their tenderness and prevents the glaze from melting excessively, while ensuring they are heated through.

I encourage you to set aside some time this week to create these beautiful rolls. Don’t be intimidated; follow my tried-and-tested steps, embrace the process, and enjoy the incredible aromas that will fill your home. If you fall in love with these homemade treats, be sure to explore more of my recipes. You might also enjoy my Peanut Butter Nutella Cookie Recipe for another indulgent bake, or perhaps my White Chocolate Stuffed Cookies for a truly decadent experience. Happy baking from my kitchen to yours!

Print