Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
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You’ll have these fruit-filled breakfast treats on your table in less than an hour and the kitchen is going to smell amazing while they bake!
I love these Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls because they’re like a fruity twist on the classic cinnamon rolls, and they’re so easy to whip up. The dough is a breeze with just a handful of ingredients, and the strawberry filling is a game-changer.
And if you’re in a time crunch, you can prepare the strawberry sauce ahead of time. I often make a big batch of the sauce and keep it in the fridge to use on pancakes, in muffins, or even on top of a bowl of ice cream!
The smell of these rolls baking is enough to get everyone out of bed on a lazy weekend morning. And the icing is the finishing touch that takes them to the next level.
Serve them with a cup of coffee or a glass of cold milk – it’s like a match made in heaven.
Ingredient Notes
See the printable recipe card below for all ingredients, specific measurements, and complete instructions.
- Flour: Forms the base of the dough, providing structure.
- Active Dry Yeast: Helps the dough rise, making it light and fluffy.
- Sugar: Adds sweetness to the dough.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness of the strawberry cinnamon rolls.
- Milk: Creates a moist and tender texture in the dough.
- Egg: Add richness and structure to the dough.
- Strawberries: The star of the show, creating a fruity and slightly tart filling.
- Cinnamon: Adds warmth to the strawberry filling.
- Lemon Juice: Enhances the brightness of the strawberry filling.
- The icing is made with simple ingredients including powdered sugar, vanilla, and melted butter.
How To Make Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
Start by combining flour, active dry yeast, sugar, and salt in a stand mixer bowl fit with a dough hook. Mix all the dry ingredients up well. Then, warm up some milk – not too hot, just around 110º degrees. Pour the milk into your flour mix along with an egg. Let the stand mixer do its thing until everything’s nicely combined.
Now, let the dough rise until it’s doubled in size, which usually takes about 1-2 hours.
While that’s happening, chop up your strawberries and cook them with sugar, cinnamon, and a dash of lemon juice until it thickens. Let the strawberry sauce cool for a bit and it will thicken even more.
Roll out the risen dough into a rectangle and slather that delicious strawberry sauce all over it, leaving a bit of space around the edges. Roll it up into a log and cut it into slices.
Place them in a prepared baking pan (greased or covered with parchment paper) and let them rise for 30-45 minutes.
Once they’ve puffed up, bake at 350º for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
While they cool, whip up a simple icing with powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and melted butter. Drizzle that goodness over the rolls. And there you have it – your very own batch of Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls.
Can I use frozen strawberries instead of fresh ones for the filling?
Absolutely! Just make sure to thaw and drain them first to avoid excess liquid in the filling.
Can I use a different type of milk, like almond milk or soy milk?
Yes, you can substitute it with your preferred milk. Keep in mind that it might slightly alter the flavor and texture of the dough.
Cinnamon Roll Variations
- Add a nutty crunch. Add a crunchy twist by tossing in chopped pecans or walnuts to the strawberry filling before rolling up the dough.
- Add a cream cheese filling. Smear a layer of softened cream cheese on the dough before spreading the strawberry sauce for a creamy texture.
- Toss in some chocolate chips. For a decadent touch, sprinkle some chocolate chips over the strawberry filling before rolling up the dough.
- Use different berries. Mix things up by using a combination of berries like blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries in the filling.
Make-Ahead, Storing and Freezing
Make Ahead: For a head start, make the dough and strawberry sauce the night before. Store them separately in airtight containers in the fridge. In the morning, roll out the dough, add the strawberry filling, and bake as usual.
Store: You can keep leftover cinnamon rolls covered at room temperature for a day or two. To store longer, you can keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Want to freeze some for later? Wrap individual rolls in plastic wrap, place them in a zip-top bag, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw and reheat whenever you get a craving. Deliciousness on demand!
Recipe Tips
- Make sure your milk is just warm, not scalding hot, when activating the yeast. Too hot can kill the yeast, and too cold won’t activate it properly.
- When mixing the dough, it’s okay if it’s a bit tacky. If it’s overly sticky, add a touch more flour gradually until it comes together without being too clingy.
- The rising time for the dough can vary. If your kitchen is warm, it might rise faster; if it’s cooler, give it a bit more time. The key is to wait until it doubles in size.
- If your strawberry sauce doesn’t thicken enough, remove a bit of the sauce and cool it separately, then add cornstarch (1-2 teaspoons), and stir until smooth. Add it back to the pan, combine it well and watch it thicken up. Easy fix!
- Adjust the icing consistency by adding more powdered sugar if it’s too thin or a bit more milk if it’s too thick. Find your sweet spot!
- Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole
- Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls
- Cherry Cinnamon Rolls
I love these Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls because they’re like a sweet, fruity twist on the classic cinnamon rolls. The soft rolls, bursting with strawberry goodness, are just pure comfort on a plate, and I bet you’ll find them as irresistible as I do!
Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup milk
- 1 egg
Filling Ingredients
- 1 pint strawberries
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Icing Ingredients
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon melted butter
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt, and stir to combine.
- Fit stand mixer with a spiral dough hook.
- Warm milk to about 110ºF degrees and add to flour mixture.
- Add egg and milk.
- Turn the mixer to 2 and mix until combined. (Note: my mixer’s instructions say to use the dough spiral on 2. I don’t know if it’s the same for all dough hook mixers).
- Continue mixing to knead dough for 5 minutes.
- The dough should come away from the sides of the bowl as it kneads but still be tacky. If the dough is overly sticky, add a small amount of flour to reach the desired consistency.
- When the dough is done kneading, remove the bowl from the mixing and dough hook, shape it into a ball, cover it, and let rise until doubled in size. This should take 1-2 hours, depending on your kitchen temperature.
- While the dough is rising, cap and dice strawberries. You should end up with about 1½ cups.
- Combine strawberries, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice in a saucepan.
- Bring to a simmer and simmer until the mixture thickens. This should take 6 minutes.
- Blend with an immersion blender or transfer to a blender or food processor. The mixture is hot, so be extra careful when transferring and blending.
- Strawberry sauce should be about the thickness of gravy but will thicken as it cools.
- Let the sauce cool while the dough rises.
- When the dough has risen, roll it out into a 10×10-inch rectangle.
- Spread Strawberry sauce over dough to within ½ an inch of the edges.
- Roll up the dough.
- Cut into 1-1 ¼ inch rolls.
- Arrange in a greased baking pan and allow to rice for 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and bake rolls for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let cool.
- While the rolls cool, combine the icing ingredients and spread it over the baked rolls.
