These strawberry cinnamon rolls are made with buttery cinnamon brioche-style dough, delicious homemade strawberry filling, and topped with a sugar glaze. They are soft and fluffy, have tons of flavor, and are perfectly sweetened.
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Ingredients you will need
Strawberries – I used frozen strawberries to make my strawberry cinnamon rolls recipe, but you can use fresh strawberries if you want.
Cinnamon – I add ground cinnamon to the dough as well as in the filling.
Lemon juice – Don't skip the lemon juice in the filling, as it helps to brighten the flavor of the strawberries and balance out the sweetness.
Vanilla extract – Apart from cinnamon, I use vanilla to make my strawberry filling.
Sugar – Use white granulated sugar for the dough and the filling, then powdered sugar for the glaze. You can replace white sugar with brown sugar when you make the strawberry filling.
Cornstarch – You need cornstarch to thicken the filling so it’s not runny anymore. If you are familiar with pectin, you can use it to make strawberry jam.
Flour – I use all-purpose flour to make this strawberry cinnamon roll recipe.
Yeast – I always use instant yeast for convenience because you can add it right to the flour, but you can use other types of yeast such as active dry yeast, or fresh yeast. Looking to expand your knowledge on yeast types and their interchangeability? Don't miss our article 'Types of Yeast and How to Use Them in Baking'!
Salt – Always add some salt for a flavor balance.
Milk – Use lukewarm whole milk so the yeast will activate.
Eggs – The eggs should be at room temperature.
Butter – You will need to bring your unsalted butter to room temperature or there’s no way it will incorporate into the dough.
Cooking tips
Replace homemade strawberry filling with store-bought jam. You don’t have to make everything from scratch. You can save time by using your favorite strawberry jam instead of making your own at home.
If using frozen strawberries, make sure to thaw them completely and drain any excess liquid before preparing the filling. This will help prevent the rolls from becoming too wet and soggy. Also, you can try this Strawberry mousse if you are looking for more desserts that are made with frozen strawberries.
For a better rise, proof the rolls in a warm, draft-free area. I like to use my oven with the light on.
Let the rolls cool down after baking. Once the rolls are done baking, let them cool for a few minutes before spreading the sugar glaze on top or your glaze will become too runny and will run down your rolls.
Reheat before serving. These rolls are best to enjoy warm! So if you have leftovers, reheat them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before serving.
Step by step directions
For the strawberry filling
1. Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon.
2. Cook the strawberries with lemon juice over medium heat until the mixture is hot and bubbly.
3. Add the sugar mixture and cook for 2 minutes or until thickened and no cornstarch taste.
4. Cover with plastic wrap so it touches the mixture and leave to cool down at room temperature, or place it in the fridge to speed up the process.
Making the rolls and glaze
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, combine the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and ground cinnamon.
2. Add the milk and egg and knead on medium for 5 minutes or until the dough has formed.
3. Add the butter one tablespoon at a time.
4. Once all the butter is in, knead the dough on medium-high for 10-12 minutes or until you can stretch a small piece of it into a square, creating a film thin enough for light to pass through.
5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and leave it to proof for 1 hour in a warm place.
6. Punch the dough down and remove it onto a lightly floured surface.
7. Roll it into a rectangle and spread the strawberry filling over the surface, leaving ½ inch at one long end of the rectangle untouched.
8. Roll up lengthwise, starting with the end that is covered with the filling, so you have one big log.
9. Cut the log into 12 even slices and place them into a baking dish greased with butter and cover with a kitchen towel for 30-40 minutes to proof.
10. Bake the rolls in the preheated 375F (190C) oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top and risen. Remove from the oven and let cool down.
11. While the rolls are cooling down, place all the frosting ingredients into a bowl and whisk until homogenous in consistency.
12. Frost the warm strawberry cinnamon rolls and serve.
Possible variations
Use cream cheese frosting instead of my simple sugar glaze. The only downside is that you’ll need to store the frosted strawberry cinnamon rolls in the fridge, which will make them go stale faster. To avoid this, make the cream cheese glaze and keep it in the fridge separately. Apply it to your rolls right before serving.
Use other berries. Swap out the strawberries for other berries like blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries. You can also use a combination of different berries for a more complex flavor.
For a more indulgent treat, drizzle some Chocolate ganache over the rolls before serving.
Add some nuts. If you like a bit of crunch, sprinkle some chopped nuts like I did with my Cinnamon rolls, or seeds over the filling before rolling up the dough. Pecans, walnuts, and almonds are all great options.
Add more spices. Try adding some cardamom, nutmeg, or ginger to the filling, or mix some orange zest into the dough for a citrusy twist.
FAQ
Store them wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for 2-3 days. Frosted with cream cheese frosting, strawberry rolls should be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Yes, you can. After you’re finished kneading the dough, place it in an oiled large bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Place it in the fridge right away and keep it there overnight. The next day, deflate the dough and roll it out. Continue making the rolls as described in the recipe.
Made with cornstarch, this filling can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. After that, the cornstarch will start losing its ability to hold onto the water and the filling will become too runny to use here.
If you make your own filling with cornstarch, I would not recommend freezing the rolls. If you plan to freeze them, it’s better to either use a strawberry jam from the store or make your own using pectin.
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Recipe card
Strawberry cinnamon rolls
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale
- Rubber spatula
- Saucepan
- Stand mixer or a hand mixer with the hook attachments and a large mixing bowl
- 8" by 11" (20cm by 28cm) baking dish
- Whisk
Ingredients
Strawberry filling
- 200 g fresh strawberries or frozen (thaw and drain the excess water)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 50 g white granulated sugar more if needed
- 1 ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
The dough
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 7 g instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 100 g white granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 250 ml whole milk lukewarm
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 100 g unsalted butter at room temperature
The glaze
- 100 g powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoon water
Instructions
Filling
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon.
- In a saucepan, add the strawberries and lemon juice. Cook on medium until the mixture is hot and bubbly.
- Add the sugar mixture and cook for 2 minutes or until thickened and no cornstarch taste.
- Pour the filling into a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap so it touches the mixture. Leave it to cool down at room temperature, or place it in the fridge to speed up the process.
Rolls and glaze
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment (or use a hand mixer with hook attachments and a bowl), combine the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and ground cinnamon.
- Add the milk and egg and knead on medium for 5 minutes or until the dough has formed but is still very sticky to the touch.
- Start adding the butter one tablespoon at a time. Don’t add another portion until the previous one has been incorporated into the dough. Scrape the bottom and the sides of the bowl and remove the dough from the hook a couple of times during the process.
- Once all the butter is in, knead the dough on medium-high for 10-12 minutes or until you can stretch a small piece of it into a square, creating a film thin enough for light to pass through. The dough should not tear at all, or tear just a little bit only at the edges, while performing the so-called windowpane test.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and leave it to proof for 1 hour in a warm place (I use the oven with the light turned on). Or leave to proof at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
- When the dough has doubled in volume and is springy to the touch, punch it down and remove onto a lightly floured surface.
- Roll it into a 13" by 20" (33cm by 50cm) rectangle and spread the strawberry filling over the surface, leaving ½ inch at one long end of the rectangle untouched.
- Roll up lengthwise, starting with the end that is covered with the filling, so you have one big log. Take the end of the rectangle that is not covered with the filling and pinch it into the rest of the log to form a seam. Roll the log so the seam is on the bottom.
- Cut the log into 12 even slices using a sharp knife or dental floss. Place them into an 8" by 11" (20cm by 28cm) baking dish greased with butter and cover with a kitchen towel for 30-40 minutes to proof.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375F (190C).
- Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top and risen. A toothpick inserted in the dough should come out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool down.
- While the rolls are cooling down, place all the frosting ingredients into a bowl and whisk until homogenous in consistency.
- Frost the warm rolls and serve.
Lana says
Delicious! I made these rolls with store-bough strawberry jam.
Anna says
I sometimes make these rolls with store-bought jam too! Yum!