Jump to Recipe
These strawberry rolls with cream cheese frosting are a fresh twist on classic cinnamon rolls. A rich brioche-style dough is spread with strawberry preserves and dotted with plenty of ripe, chopped strawberries. The dough is rolled into large bakery-style spirals, baked until golden, then generously topped with creamy, sweet cream cheese frosting.
Life in my kitchen this week has been full: potty training day three, 33 weeks pregnant, and long evenings at home. Baking these sticky, fruity rolls — topped with plenty of cream cheese frosting — has been my comfort. Whether you’re baking to celebrate or simply to treat yourself, these rolls are worth the effort.
How these differ from cinnamon rolls
The dough is the same brioche-style, rich dough used in my apple cinnamon rolls. It’s higher in fat, which means more butter and a softer, more tender crumb. Unlike many cinnamon roll recipes that use water, this version uses milk, which makes the dough even richer. Instead of a cinnamon-sugar filling, these rolls feature strawberry preserves and fresh strawberries, and both finishes are crowned with cream cheese frosting for a decadent result.
Proofing the yeast
Proofing yeast confirms it’s active before you mix it into the dough. Warm the milk to about 100–110°F (around body temperature). Stir 1 teaspoon of sugar into the warm milk, sprinkle the active dry yeast on top, stir, and let it sit for about 5 minutes. The mixture should become foamy — a good sign the yeast is alive. If it doesn’t foam, start over with fresh yeast and check the milk temperature.
Making the dough
After the yeast is foamy, add the eggs and vanilla, then the dry ingredients. Mix on low until combined, then increase speed to medium and mix about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth. Add very soft, room-temperature butter and continue mixing about 4 more minutes until the butter is fully incorporated. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky; if needed, add flour one tablespoon at a time but avoid adding too much.
Lightly oil or spray the inside of the mixing bowl, turn the dough to coat, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours, until roughly doubled in size.
-
Dough after mixing in all dough ingredients. -
Dough after rising for 1–1.5 hours.
Assembling the rolls
Once doubled, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a 12 x 21-inch rectangle. Spread about ¾ cup of strawberry preserves over the surface, leaving a ½–1 inch border along one long edge so the filling won’t spill out when rolled. Scatter 2 cups of chopped strawberries evenly over the preserves.
Starting at the long edge opposite the border, roll the dough into a tight log and pinch the seam to seal. Cut into 12 even slices—about 1½ inches each. For cleaner cuts, use unflavored floss by sliding it under the log, crossing the ends over the roll, and pulling to slice.
Arrange the rolls in a greased 9 x 13 pan, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for about an hour until puffy and nearly touching. Bake at 375°F for 23–25 minutes, until golden. Frost immediately while warm for a slightly melted glaze effect, or cool completely for a thicker, unmelted frosting.
Storage and make-ahead options
Leftovers keep well. Store rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate up to 6–7 days; they may dry out slightly, but microwaving for 20–30 seconds restores softness.
Freezing options:
- Bake, cool, then freeze individually wrapped or freeze the entire pan wrapped tightly. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm before serving.
- Prepare through cutting and placing in the pan, then freeze the unrisen rolls tightly wrapped. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then allow to rise in a warm place about an hour before baking. Frozen unbaked rolls keep about one month.
Overnight method
- Make the dough and let it rise until doubled, about 1–1½ hours.
- Roll, fill, cut, and place the rolls in the baking dish.
- Instead of a second rise, cover the pan and refrigerate overnight.
- The next morning, remove from the fridge and let the rolls rise about an hour until puffy.
- Bake and frost as directed.
Related recipes
- Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Babka
- Raspberry Almond Babka
- Apple French Toast Casserole
If you make these, tag me on Instagram @themarblekitchenblog and leave a rating and comment below. Enjoy!
Strawberry Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
Print
Pin
Rate
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar + 1 tsp divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pkg active dry yeast about 2 ¼ tsp
- 1 cup warm milk about 100-110 degrees
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 10 tablespoon unsalted butter very soft and cubed
Filling
- ¾ cup strawberry preserves
- 2 cups strawberries chopped into ¼ inch pieces
Frosting
- 5 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 5 tablespoon unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Strawberry Rolls
-
Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together. Warm milk to 100–110°F, add 1 teaspoon sugar, pour into the mixer bowl, sprinkle yeast on top, stir, and let sit 5 minutes until foamy.
-
Add eggs and vanilla, then the dry ingredients. Mix on low until combined, then medium speed for about 5 minutes until smooth.
-
Add butter and mix on medium about 4 minutes until incorporated and the dough is sticky but cohesive. Scrape the bowl as needed.
-
Lightly oil the dough, cover the bowl, and let rise in a warm spot 1 to 1½ hours until doubled.
-
Punch down the dough and turn it onto a lightly floured surface.
-
Roll dough to a 12 x 21-inch rectangle. Spread preserves, leaving a ½–1 inch border on one long side.
-
Scatter chopped strawberries evenly over the preserves.
-
Roll from the long edge without the border into a tight log and seal the seam. Cut into 12 slices about 1½ inches thick.
-
Place rolls in a greased 9 x 13 pan, cover, and let rise about an hour until puffy. Bake at 375°F for 23–25 minutes. Frost hot for melted frosting or cool and frost for unmelted frosting.
Frosting
-
Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until creamy and well combined.
Notes
- For overnight rolls, after placing the unrisen cut rolls in the pan, cover and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, remove from the fridge and let rise about an hour until puffy before baking.
- Store at room temperature for 2–3 days in an airtight container. Refrigerate up to 6–7 days; reheat briefly to restore softness.
- See the instructions above for freezing options.