These strawberry cinnamon rolls are soft and gooey and are made with homemade strawberry filling and topped with strawberry cream cheese icing.
This is a fun twist on classic cinnamon rolls. These strawberry rolls are made with a simple dough, filled with a homemade strawberry compote filling that is made with fresh or frozen strawberries.
This is a great way to use up fresh and ripe strawberries and is perfect if you are a strawberry and cinnamon roll lover!
Serve these strawberry sweet rolls for a fun brunch, breakfast, or dessert.
For more cinnamon rolls recipes, check out our homemade cinnamon rolls, pumpkin cinnamon rolls, and apple cinnamon rolls with apple pie filling.
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Why this recipe works
- Flavor- these strawberry cinnamon rolls are full of strawberry flavor.
- Gooey- these rolls are gooey and soft. They will simply melt in your mouth.
- Ease- these are super easy to make and are made with simple ingredients.
- Filling- the filling is made with a homemade strawberry compote that is thickened with a cornstarch slurry.
- Texture- these rolls are made with the most amazing soft dough that has melted butter inside the dough.
- Strawberry cream cheese glaze- these rolls are topped with strawberry cream cheese icing that is made with strawberry filling.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this strawberry cheesecake cinnamon rolls recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
For the dough
Flour– we used all-purpose flour for this recipe, bread flour is even better.
Yeast- we used instant yeast for this recipe. make sure that your yeast isn't expired.
Sugar- we used granulated sugar for this recipe. You can use caster sugar as well.
Eggs- you will need 2 large eggs for this recipe. Make sure that you use room-temperature eggs in this recipe.
Melted butter- we used unsalted butter for this recipe. If you want to use salted butter, skip the salt in this recipe. Melt the butter over the stovetop or in the microwave and let it cool to room temperature.
Vanilla extract- adds extra flavor.
Kosher salt- you will need 1 teaspoon of kosher salt for this recipe.
Milk- use whole milk in this recipe.
For the strawberry filling
Strawberries- we used fresh strawberries for the sauce, but you can use frozen strawberries as well! If you are using frozen strawberries, there is no need to defrost them. You will have to cook the mixture for longer.
Lemon juice- we used lemon from a fresh lemon. This balances the sweetness of the sauce.
Sugar- we used granulated sugar for the sauce, but you can use caster sugar as well.
Orange zest- the orange zest adds an aroma and a light flavor to this sauce. You can use lemon zest instead.
Cornstarch- to thicken the sauce.
For the strawberry cream cheese icing
Cream cheese– you will need to get your cream cheese to room temperature.
Butter– use room-temperature unsalted butter.
Vanilla extract- adds extra flavor. You can use regular vanilla extract or vanilla bean extract.
Powder sugar– powder sugar works best for the frosting.
Strawberry jam- you can use your favorite brand of strawberry jam or a homemade strawberry jam!
Instructions
In a bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, dry yeast, and granulated sugar. Mix with a spoon until combined. Add the salt, and mix until combined.
Add the eggs, room-temperature milk, vanilla extract, and cooled melted butter. Start mixing on low until the dough forms.
Increase the speed to medium and mix for at least 8 minutes or until the dough is smooth and silky.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours or until it’s doubled in size (or even tripled in size).
Make the strawberry filling
Cut the strawberries in half and place them in a saucepan. Add the sugar, orange zest, and lemon juice, and mix constantly over medium-high heat.
Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes mixing occasionally.
To thicken up the compote, mix the cornstarch in a small bowl with a little bit of water and pour it into the strawberry mixture mixing constantly. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
Let the strawberry sauce cool to room temperature.
Punch the dough down and transfer it to a clean floured surface. Sprinkle flour generously on the dough and roll it into a ¼-inch thick rectangle, making sure that the bottom of the dough doesn’t stick to the surface.
Spread the strawberry filling over the rolled dough using an offset spatula.
Then, sprinkle brown sugar on top of the strawberries.
Roll the dough as tightly as your can into a log and pinch the edges of the dough to keep the roll sealed tightly. Use a serrated knife or unflavored dental floss and cut the rolls into 12 even rolls.
Place the rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan, cover with a towel, and let the rolls rise until doubled in size.
Remove the towel, and bake the rolls in a 180c (350f) oven for 20-25 minutes or until the tops of the rolls are a bit browned. Don't overbake these so they won't dry out.
Make the strawberry cream cheese icing. In a medium-sized bowl, add the softened cream cheese, softened butter, strawberry compote, strawberry jam, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix with a spoon or a tiny whisk until creamy and smooth.
Top the warm rolls with the cream cheese glaze and serve!
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs and milk. This step ensures that your dough mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- Do not overfill the rolls! If you make extra strawberry filling, do not add it to the rolls since it will be hard to roll them up. If you put too much filling, it will leak out once the rolls bake.
- Cut the strawberries into thick or small pieces. If you like larger pieces of strawberries in your sauce, keep the strawberry chunks larger.
- Taste the strawberries before making the sauce. If they are sourer and less sweet, add more sugar. If they are very sweet, use less sugar.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Don't overheat your milk! Overheating your milk is one of the most common mistakes in making cinnamon rolls. If you heat your milk over 110f, it might kill your yeast and stop your dough from rising.
- Make sure that your ingredients are fresh! Make sure that your flour and yeast are fresh and not expired. This step ensures that you will have great dough to work with.
- Be patient! Let the dough rise at least until it doubles its size. The more the dough rises, the more fluffy the cinnamon rolls will be.
- Make sure that your yeast isn’t expired. You can check if your yeast is expired by mixing a teaspoon of dry yeast with ¼ cup of room temperature water, waiting 10 minutes, and if the yeast has bubbles in it and it puffed a bit, your yeast is alive and good, if there are no bubbles in your yeast mixture, your yeast is probably expired.
Faq's
After you roll and cut your rolls and place them into your baking pan, cover them with plastic wrap, and place them in the fridge.
The next day, remove them from the fridge and let them come to room temperature (for about an hour) before baking.
You can knead the dough by hand! Start by mixing the ingredients in a big mixing bowl, then transfer the dough to a clean floured surface and knead the dough for at least 10 minutes, or until the dough is super smooth and elastic.
The milk should be warm to the touch. We suggest using whole milk for this recipe.
If you warm up your milk too much, it can kill the yeast, so either use room temperature milk or measure the temperature of the milk with a thermometer, it shouldn't go past 100f.
The best flour for cinnamon rolls and yeast dough is bread flour. It contains a higher percentage of gluten which is the protein in the flour that makes the dough silky, stretchy, and smooth.
All-purpose flour works great for this recipe as well.
Yes! If you are using frozen strawberries, there is no need to defrost them. You will have to cook the mixture for longer.
Storing
It’s okay to store these cinnamon rolls at room temperature if they are not frosted.
Make sure that you store the rolls in an airtight container so they won’t dry out. The cream cheese frosting contains cream cheese which needs to be refrigerated.
Freezing
Freeze these after they cooled completely in an airtight freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months.
We suggest removing the rolls from the pan and placing them in an airtight container or wrapping them with a few layers of plastic wrap.
Thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours and reheat it in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 5-10 minutes.
Reheating
Place the cinnamon rolls on a plate and reheat them in the microwave for 20 seconds, these warm up great and taste amazing for 4 days.
Substitutions
Dairy-free- you can make this dairy-free by replacing the milk with vegan milk and the butter with vegan butter.
Variations
Add-ins- make this recipe your own and add your favorite add-ins: white chocolate chips, chopped nuts, chopped fruit, etc.
Toppings- these can be topped with cream cheese frosting, cinnamon cream cheese frosting, or maple cream cheese frosting. Use your favorite toppings that you like to make the most.
Cinnamon- add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon just like you would do in regular cinnamon rolls.
More strawberry desserts
Strawberry bundt cake- This strawberry bundt cake is made with fresh strawberries, and fresh strawberry puree and is topped with a strawberry glaze.
Mini strawberry cheesecakes- These mini strawberry cheesecakes are made with a graham cracker crust, topped with an easy and creamy cheesecake filling, and topped with homemade strawberry topping.
Strawberry shortcake cake- This strawberry shortcake cake is made with a tender vanilla cake, filled with whipped cream and fresh juicy strawberries.
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📖 Recipe
Most Amazing Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 5 cups Flour
- 1 tablespoon Dried yeast
- â…“ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 Eggs
- 55 g Butter unsalted, melted and cooled
- 1 ¼ cups Milk
Strawberry compote filling
- 1 lbs Strawberries
- â…“ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Orange zest or lemon zest
- 2 teaspoon Cornstarch for the cornstarch slurry
- 2 tablespoon Water for the cornstarch slurry
Strawberry cream cheese icing
- 115 g Cream cheese unsalted, softened
- 55 g Butter softened
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 cups Powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon Strawberry sauce from the strawberry compote filling that we made
- 1 tablespoon Strawberry jam
Instructions
- In a bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, dry yeast, and granulated sugar. Mix with a spoon until combined. Add the salt, and mix until combined.
- Add the eggs, room-temperature milk, vanilla extract, and cooled melted butter. Start mixing on low until the dough forms.
- Increase the speed to medium and mix for at least 8 minutes or until the dough is smooth and silky.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours or until it’s doubled in size (or even tripled in size).
Make the strawberry filling
- Cut the strawberries in half and place them in a saucepan. Add the sugar, orange zest, and lemon juice, and mix constantly over medium-high heat.
- Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes mixing occasionally.
- To thicken up the compote, mix the cornstarch in a small bowl with a little bit of water and pour it into the strawberry mixture mixing constantly. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
- Let the strawberry sauce cool to room temperature.
- Punch the dough down and transfer it to a clean floured surface. Sprinkle flour generously on the dough and roll it into a ¼-inch thick rectangle, making sure that the bottom of the dough doesn’t stick to the surface.
- Spread the strawberry filling over the rolled dough using an offset spatula.
- Then, sprinkle brown sugar on top of the strawberries.
- Roll the dough as tightly as your can into a log and pinch the edges of the dough to keep the roll sealed tightly. Use a serrated knife or unflavored dental floss and cut the rolls into 12 even rolls.
- Place the rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan, cover with a towel, and let the rolls rise until doubled in size.
- Remove the towel, and bake the rolls in a 180c (350f) oven for 20-25 minutes or until the tops of the rolls are a bit browned. Don't overbake these so they won't dry out.
- Make the strawberry cream cheese icing. In a medium-sized bowl, add the softened cream cheese, softened butter, strawberry compote, strawberry jam, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix with a spoon or a tiny whisk until creamy and smooth.
- Top the warm rolls with the cream cheese glaze and serve!
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs and milk. This step ensures that your dough mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- Do not overfill the rolls! If you make extra strawberry filling, do not add it to the rolls since it will be hard to roll them up. If you put too much filling, it will leak out once the rolls bake.
- Cut the strawberries into thick or small pieces. If you like larger pieces of strawberries in your sauce, keep the strawberry chunks larger.
- Taste the strawberries before making the sauce. If they are sourer and less sweet, add more sugar. If they are very sweet, use less sugar.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Don't overheat your milk! Overheating your milk is one of the most common mistakes in making cinnamon rolls. If you heat your milk over 110f, it might kill your yeast and stop your dough from rising.
- Make sure that your ingredients are fresh! Make sure that your flour and yeast are fresh and not expired. This step ensures that you will have great dough to work with.
- Be patient! Let the dough rise at least until it doubles its size. The more the dough rises, the more fluffy the cinnamon rolls will be.
- Make sure that your yeast isn’t expired. You can check if your yeast is expired by mixing a teaspoon of dry yeast with ¼ cup of room temperature water, waiting 10 minutes, and if the yeast has bubbles in it and it puffed a bit, your yeast is alive and good, if there are no bubbles in your yeast mixture, your yeast is probably expired.
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