Soft and fluffy sweet bun dough filled with strawberry and cinnamon jam, topped with a swirl of sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting
What are strawberry cinnamon rolls?
If you are looking for a tangy, fruity version of a cinnamon roll this is the one! These strawberry cinnamon rolls replace the brown sugar butter filling that is usually used, and fills it with a homemade strawberry cinnamon jam.
The result is a light and fluffy bun filled with a moist, fruity cinnamon filling. These are then topped with a silky cream cheese frosting that complements the bun to perfection.
This recipe is so versatile with so many possible variations. You can replace the strawberries with any other kind of berry or fruit. Whether that blueberries, raspberries, apples, or oranges, there are endless options.
Tips for Rolling
Cinnamon rolls are all about the swirl! As the primary characteristic of cinnamon rolls, we want the swirl to be as perfect as possible. Here are a couple of tips that will probably help.
Make sure your bread dough isn’t too warm
While we want to proof our dough in a warm environment, we don’t want it to be too warm. The warmer the dough is, the softer and harder to handle it becomes. A soft dough can lead to squished swirls. Room temperature is optimal for proofing the dough.
If you aren’t confident in rolling your buns you can chill the dough in the refrigerator overnight instead of letting it rise in a warm area. This way your dough will be perfectly proofed while being slightly firmer and much easier to work with.
Roll a tight swirl
The tighter you roll your swirl, the more round and concentric circles that will appear in your finished rolls. If it is rolled too loose the swirls will flatten as the cinnamon roll log is being sliced.
Slice the dough with toothfloss or string
One of the easiest ways to cut cinnamon roll dough is with tooth floss or sewing string. Just wrap the log with the string and cross the two ends. Then pull in opposing directions to cut.
This method preserves the swirls in the roll while giving it a clean cut.
Work quickly
The longer you work with your dough, the more time it has to warm up. Warm dough is soft and flimsy, making it difficult to work with. At warm temperatures, the yeast is also more active and will cause the dough to start expanding and softening even more.
Ingredients needed
Sweet Bun Dough
- Milk: Milk is needed to give your dough moisture. You can also use water in a pinch, but your dough will have less flavor
- Sugar: Regular white sugar is perfect, we don’t need too much as we are getting sweetness from the strawberry filling and frosting
- Instant yeast: Instant yeast is great as it doesn’t need to be activated. You can also use active dry yeast, but make sure you activate it in your lukewarm milk for 10-15 minutes before using it
- Large egg: The egg acts as a binding agent for these rolls!
- Egg yolk: Egg yolks add extra richness and fat to the rolls for a flavourful bun
- All-purpose flour: Regular all-purpose flour is perfect for these as it gives them a softer texture than if you were to use bread flour.
- Unsalted butter: Butter gives these buns flavor and a tender texture. You can use salted butter if needed, but I’d recommend leaving out the added salt
- Salt: to balance out the flavour!
Strawberry Cinnamon Filling
- Strawberries: Fresh berries are best as they result in a better strawberry flavor. If using frozen fruit make sure to give your strawberry jam extra time to thicken as they will release moisture as they thaw.
- Ground cinnamon: Cinnamon is what makes these cinnamon rolls! You can add more or less according to your taste.
- Sugar: Sugar gives the filling sweetness, if you don’t want your buns to be too sweet you can reduce the sugar to your taste
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch will help thicken the filling, making it the perfect consistency for filling your dough
Cream cheese frosting
- Cream cheese: Block cream cheese is best as it will result in a swirl-able consistency. Make sure it is at room temperature so that it whips up easier.
- Unsalted butter: Butter gives the frosting body and flavor, also make sure it is softened!
- Icing sugar: Aka powdered sugar, gives the frosting sweetness without adding the granular texture of regular sugar
- Vanilla extract: For extra flavor!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know when my rolls are done?
When your rolls are done they should look risen and golden brown.
To double check that the centre is fully baked, take them out of the oven and pull the centre swirl away a little to check the inner roll. If it is no longer doughy it is ready.
Continue to bake them, and check again every 5 minutes. If the centre looks fluffy and bread-like then it’s ready!
Is bread flour better for cinnamon rolls?
The type of flour you use depends on the final result you’re after. When it comes to cinnamon rolls they are a cross between a cake and a bread, this results in that soft, sweet dough. However, if you want your roll to have more structure and a more bread-like consistency then use bread flour!
It all comes down to personal preference, but I would use regular flour for that classic soft cinnamon roll ????
What happens if I add too much flour to my rolls?
Sometimes you will need to add more flour to your rolls as it is too sticky to handle, and in that case there shouldn’t be any large differences in the final result. However, if that isn’t the case and you’ve just gone overboard with the flour your cinnamon rolls could turn out drier and denser than normal.
Can cinnamon rolls rise for too long?
Yes definitely! If you let your cinnamon rolls rise for too long you can over-proof them. This can lead to dense rolls or rolls that collapse after baking.
How do I know when my rolls are ready to be baked?
You can check on your cinnamon rolls as they are proofing to make sure you bake them at the perfect time.
When you poke the rolls the dough should have a light bounce back while leaving an indent when your finger touched.
At this point the dough is ready to be baked!
Can I let these rise overnight?
Yes! Proofing these overnight is the easiest way to have soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls in the morning. After you have rolled the dough and placed it in the tin, cover it with cling wrap and place it in the fridge overnight. The next morning take them out and bake them for 15-20 minutes. You might find they take longer as they start baking at a cooler temperature. Just check on them and bake for longer if needed.
How do you serve cinnamon rolls?
I like to serve my cinnamon rolls a little warm as it brings out the flavor and enhances their soft texture. You can warm up room temperature or fridge-cold cinnamon rolls for 10-20 seconds in the microwave or 5-10 mins in the oven.
Keep in mind that if they are frosted, the cream cheese frosting may begin to melt. I personally don’t mind the frosting melting as it adds extra flavor and moisture to the rolls!
Can I glaze these instead of making a frosting?
Yes of course! A tangy lemon glaze would go perfectly with these. Simply mix powdered sugar with a squeeze of lemon juice and lemon zest until it is a smooth consistency, thin enough to be drizzled.
Make sure the rolls have cooled completely before drizzling otherwise the glaze will be completely absorbed by the rolls.
How long do these last?
These will last up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Make sure to leave the rolls out at room temperature, or heat them up slightly in a microwave or oven before consuming for the best texture.
Let’s Get Cooking
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Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
Soft and fluffy sweet bun dough filled with strawberry and cinnamon jam, topped with a swirl of sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 Rolls 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Easy
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Sweet Bun Dough
- 240 g Whole milk (1 cup), lightly warmed
- 100 g White sugar (1/2 cup)
- 2 1/4 tsp Instant yeast
- 1 Egg
- 1 Egg yolk
- 500 g Plain flour (3 cups)
- Pinch of salt
- 105 g Unsalted butter, softened (1/3 cup 2 tbsp)
Strawberry Cinnamon Filling
- 200g Diced strawberries (7 oz)
- 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 50g White sugar (1/4 cup)
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 140g Cream cheese (5 oz), room temperature
- 60g Unsalted butter (1/4 cup), room temperature
- 100g Icing sugar (1 cup)
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
Sweet Bun Dough
- Combine the warm milk, yeast and sugar, leave aside and allow to foam for 5 minutes
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment add the flour, salt, milk mixture, egg, and egg yolk
- Mix on low until the dough comes together into a rough ball
- Turn up to medium and continue kneading for 1 minute
- Add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time, kneading in between each addition
- Once all the butter has been added continue kneading the dough on medium speed for 5- 10 minutes; the dough should be super smooth and soft
- Roll the dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl
- Cover with cling wrap and proof in a warm place for 60 minutes, or until doubled in size
Strawberry Cinnamon Filling
- Combine the strawberries, sugar and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat
- Cook, stirring, until softened for 5-10 mins
- Add the cornstarch and mix constantly until thickened
- Remove from the heat and cool completely as the dough proofs
- Transfer the proofed dough onto a bench top and roll it out into a large rectangle, about 5 mm thick
- Using a palette knife spread the cooled filling over the dough in a thin and even layer
- With the shorter side of the rectangle facing you, roll the dough into a tight log
- Cut the log into 12 even slices and place on 2 large oven trays lined with baking paper, leaving enough space in between each of them to expand
- Cover loosely with cling wrap and place in a warm place to proof for 30-60 minutes, or until almost doubled in size
- Preheat the oven to 170°C
- Bake for 15-20 mins, or until golden brown and cooked through
- Remove from the oven and cool before spreading over the cream cheese frosting
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until smooth
- Add the icing sugar and vanilla extract
- Mix on low until combined, then increase the speed and beat until light and fluffy
- Spread over the cinnamon rolls and enjoy!
