Strawberry cinnamon rolls are soft, golden yeast rolls with a swirl of strawberry jam, warm cinnamon and juicy sliced berries, finished with a sweet cinnamon glaze. They are the rolls for a spring brunch, Mother’s Day morning or a slow weekend when fresh strawberries are in the house.
How to make strawberry cinnamon rolls: Mix a quick yeast dough, knead it and rest it for 10 minutes. Roll it out, spread it with strawberry jam, sprinkle on cinnamon and cover with sliced strawberries. Roll up, cut into 12, let rise about 30 minutes and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Drizzle with a powdered sugar glaze.
Why You’ll Love It
- Two kinds of strawberry. Jam and fresh sliced berries go into every roll.
- A short rise. The dough rests for 10 minutes and the shaped rolls rise for about 30.
- A full pan. One batch makes 12 rolls in one baking dish.
- A three-ingredient glaze. Powdered sugar, cinnamon and a spoonful of milk.
Ingredient Notes
Milk and butter. Three-quarters of a cup of milk is warmed and 1/3 cup of softened butter is melted into it. Margarine is an alternative to the butter.
All-purpose flour. Three and a quarter cups, divided. Most goes in at the start and the last cup goes in at the end.
Instant yeast. Two teaspoons, mixed straight into the flour.
Sugar, salt, egg and water. A 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 egg and 1/4 cup of water round out the dough.
Strawberry jam. About 1 cup, spread over the rolled dough.
Fresh strawberries. Two cups, sliced.
Ground cinnamon. A 1/2 teaspoon in the filling and 1/4 teaspoon in the glaze.
Powdered sugar. One cup for the glaze, thinned with 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/3 cup butter, softened (margarine is an alternative)
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup water
For the filling
- 1 cup strawberry jam, approximately
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups strawberries, sliced
For the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1–2 tablespoons milk, starting with 1 tablespoon
How to Make Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
1. Warm the milk. Heat the dough milk in a small saucepan until warm. Stir in the butter until melted, then let the mixture cool to lukewarm.
2. Mix the dough. In a large bowl, combine 2 1/4 cups of the flour with the yeast, sugar and salt. Stir in the egg and water, then the lukewarm milk mixture. Stir in the remaining 1 cup flour.
3. Knead and rest. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Return it to the bowl, cover with a damp towel and rest for 10 minutes.
4. Add the filling. Roll the dough into a 15×10-inch rectangle. Spread with strawberry jam, sprinkle with the filling cinnamon and distribute the sliced strawberries evenly on top.
5. Shape and rise. Roll up the dough and pinch the seam closed. Cut into 12 equal rolls and place them cut side up in a greased 11×13-inch baking dish. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375°F.
6. Bake. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown.
7. Glaze. Mix the powdered sugar and glaze cinnamon with 1 tablespoon milk. Add up to 1 more tablespoon milk as needed to form a glaze, then drizzle over the finished rolls.
What Goes in the Filling?
Three things, in this order: strawberry jam, cinnamon, then sliced fresh strawberries. The jam goes on first and covers the dough. The cinnamon is sprinkled over the jam. The berries go on last, spread out evenly so every roll gets some.
| Layer | How much | How it goes on |
|---|---|---|
| Strawberry jam | About 1 cup | Spread over the rolled-out dough |
| Ground cinnamon | 1/2 teaspoon | Sprinkled over the jam |
| Sliced strawberries | 2 cups | Distributed evenly on top |
There is no butter-and-brown-sugar layer in this filling. The jam does that job, so the rolls taste of fruit first and cinnamon second.
The glaze carries the cinnamon through to the top. It is only powdered sugar, a little cinnamon and milk, stirred until it runs off a spoon in a ribbon.
Tips for Success
How warm should the milk mixture be?
Lukewarm. Warm the milk, melt the butter into it, then let it cool before it goes into the flour and yeast.
How do I know the rolls have risen enough?
They should double in size. That takes about 30 minutes, covered, in the baking dish. Go by the size of the rolls, with the time as a guide.
How do I keep the filling inside?
Spread the berries evenly, roll the dough up snugly and pinch the seam closed along its whole length before you cut.
Why is my glaze too thick?
It needs more milk. Start with 1 tablespoon and add up to 1 more, a little at a time, until it drizzles.
When are the rolls done?
After 30 minutes at 375°F, or when the tops are golden brown.
Do Strawberry and Cinnamon Go Together?
Yes. Cinnamon is warm and a little woody, strawberries are sweet and bright, and a soft yeast dough gives both of them something mild to sit on. This recipe keeps the cinnamon light, 1/2 teaspoon in the filling and 1/4 teaspoon in the glaze, so the fruit stays in front.
Variations
Margarine. The dough can be made with margarine in place of the butter.
Lemon cream cheese glaze. Strawberry cinnamon rolls are also made with a lemon cream cheese glaze in place of the cinnamon glaze. That is a separate glaze with its own amounts, which this recipe does not include.
Cream cheese frosting. A cream cheese frosting is another common finish for these rolls. As with the lemon glaze, it needs its own recipe.
Storage & Reheating
The glaze has milk in it, so these rolls go in the refrigerator. USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, in covered containers, and to use refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days. If you reheat them, FSIS says to reheat leftovers to 165°F.
What to Serve With It
For a brunch table, add the easy cinnamon roll coffee cake or cinnamon roll French toast rolls. If you like fruit-filled rolls, try the 5-ingredient blueberry cheesecake rolls. For dessert later in the day, there is cinnamon roll cheesecake, the slow cooker vintage strawberry cobbler and the strawberry cream cheese icebox cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the filling for strawberry cinnamon rolls?
In this recipe it is about 1 cup of strawberry jam, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 2 cups of sliced strawberries.
What size pan do I need?
A greased 11×13-inch baking dish. The recipe does not give a baking time for any other pan size.
How long do strawberry cinnamon rolls take?
About 85 minutes in all: 15 minutes of prep, a 10-minute rest, a rise of about 30 minutes and 30 minutes in the oven.
Can I leave the rolls on the counter overnight?
No. Because of the milk glaze, refrigerate them within 2 hours.
Final Notes
I slice the strawberries while the dough rests for its 10 minutes, so the filling is ready when the dough is. If you make them, leave a comment to tell me how they turned out or ask a question.
Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
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Ingredients
- 3/4 cup milk for the dough
- 1/3 cup butter softened; margarine is an alternative
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour divided
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup strawberry jam approximately; for the filling
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon for the filling
- 2 cups strawberries sliced
- 1 cup powdered sugar for the glaze
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon for the glaze
- 1–2 tablespoons milk for the glaze; start with 1 tablespoon
Instructions
- Heat the dough milk in a small saucepan until warm. Stir in the butter until melted, then let the mixture cool to lukewarm.
- In a large bowl, combine 2 1/4 cups of the flour with the yeast, sugar and salt. Stir in the egg and water, then the lukewarm milk mixture. Stir in the remaining 1 cup flour.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Return it to the bowl, cover with a damp towel and rest for 10 minutes.
- Roll the dough into a 15x10-inch rectangle. Spread with strawberry jam, sprinkle with the filling cinnamon and distribute the sliced strawberries evenly on top.
- Roll up the dough and pinch the seam closed. Cut into 12 equal rolls and place them cut side up in a greased 11x13-inch baking dish. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375°F.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown.
- Mix the powdered sugar and glaze cinnamon with 1 tablespoon milk. Add up to 1 more tablespoon milk as needed to form a glaze, then drizzle over the finished rolls.
