Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls (Printable)

Fluffy brioche rolls with strawberry filling and a tangy cream cheese glaze. Perfect for any occasion.

# Ingredient List:

→ Dough

01 - 1 cup warm milk
02 - 1 tablespoon instant dry yeast
03 - 4¼ cups all-purpose flour
04 - ⅓ cup granulated sugar
05 - 1 teaspoon salt
06 - 1 large egg, room temperature
07 - ⅓ cup unsalted butter, very soft

→ Strawberry Filling

08 - 1¾ cups fresh or frozen strawberries
09 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
10 - Juice of half a lemon

→ Cream Cheese Glaze

11 - ½ cup cream cheese, softened
12 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
13 - ½ cup powdered sugar
14 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
15 - 2 tablespoons strawberry puree, cold

# How to Make:

01 - In a saucepan, combine strawberries, lemon juice, and ¼ cup sugar. Cook over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened to jam-like consistency. Blend until smooth and chill until completely cool. Reserve 2 tablespoons puree for the glaze.
02 - In a stand mixer bowl, combine flour, ⅓ cup sugar, salt, and yeast. Mix briefly. Add warm milk, softened butter, and egg. Knead on medium speed for 5–7 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise in a warm place for approximately 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
03 - On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 16 x 12 inch rectangle. Evenly spread the cooled strawberry filling over the dough, leaving a border on one long edge. Roll up tightly from the opposite edge. Cut into 12 even rolls.
04 - Arrange rolls in a greased 9×13 inch baking dish, leaving space between each. Cover and let rise for 30–60 minutes until puffy.
05 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden and set. Let cool slightly in the dish.
06 - Beat cream cheese, softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and reserved strawberry puree until smooth and creamy.
07 - Spread the glaze generously over the slightly warm rolls. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The strawberry filling is made from scratch, so you control the tartness and sweetness instead of relying on jam that's been sitting in a jar.
  • These rolls freeze beautifully unbaked, meaning you can wake up to fresh-from-the-oven warmth on busy mornings without the early start.
  • The cream cheese glaze has that subtle strawberry tang that makes people ask for the recipe within the first bite.
02 -
  • If your dough doesn't rise properly, check that your warm spot is genuinely warm—a cold kitchen will stretch your rising time to 3 hours or more, and cold butter left in the dough makes it dense and unpleasant.
  • Cutting the rolls cleanly matters more than you'd expect; a sharp knife or even unflavored dental floss pressed through the dough creates neat edges instead of squished, uneven rolls.
  • The glaze needs to go on warm rolls but not piping hot, otherwise the cream cheese melts into a pool instead of creating that luxurious coating.
03 -
  • Invest in a stand mixer with a dough hook if you make yeast breads more than once a month—it changes everything about the experience and removes the physical strain.
  • Room temperature ingredients blend together more smoothly than cold ones, so pull your butter, egg, and milk out of the refrigerator at least an hour before starting.
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