Luscious, so soft, fluffy, and bursting with strawberry flavor—these strawberry rolls are terrific. One of the easy strawberry desserts, you can make the dough ahead—perfect for a holiday morning.
I am a big fan of cinnamon rolls. I’ve made so many variations but never used strawberries, and it made for the best sweet roll recipe. Call them what you want—strawberry cinnamon rolls or strawberry buns—and you’ll still fall in love.
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Why you'll love strawberry rolls?
Easy to make in advance for brunch, a holiday, or dessert.
A cinnamon roll with a tangy, fruity twist will have you drooling at first sight.
You don’t need an occasion to make this strawberry dessert; whip it up any time.
Ingredients & swaps
Yeast: Dry or instant, both will work in this sweet rolls recipe.
Flour: All-purpose, whole wheat, or half-and-half of both – pick whatever floats your boat.
Jam: Use any brand of strawberry jam you love. Or go with homemade or mix the two.
Sugar: Cane or raw will do if you don’t want to use regular granulated sugar.
Zest: I highly recommend including orange zest in any dessert using strawberries. The zing you get in every bite is worth a tiny extra bit of effort.
Add-ons: Finely chop any leftover red berries and scatter them over the jam spread before you roll the dough.
How to make strawberry rolls?
The tanginess from the silky cream cheese frosting and the hint of citrus from the orange zest make the easy strawberry rolls recipe a 10/10!
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Heat milk, oil, and sugar in a small saucepan. Take it off the heat before it comes to a boil.
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Cool the mixture to lukewarm, and then sprinkle over the yeast. Set aside for 5–10 minutes until the mixture is bubbly.
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Whisk in 2 cups of flour into the activated yeast. Cover the bowl and place it in a draft-free place for 1 hour, or until the dough is doubled in size.
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Add 1/4 cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.
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The dough is now ready for use. But you can choose to refrigerate it for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
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Set your oven to preheat to 200° C. Grease your baking dish and keep it handy.
- Shape the strawberry cinnamon rolls
Sprinkle flour on your work surface and roll out the strawberry sweet rolls dough into a large rectangle, roughly 12 by 17 (about 1/8" thick).
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Spread strawberry jam on it. I used a combination of homemade and store-bought.
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Grate fresh orange zest on top and then, starting from the longer side of the dough, tightly roll it into a log. As tight as you can.
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Pinch the seam together and face it down. Cut into 1.5" slices. I got about 12 pieces.
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Transfer to your greased baking dish. I used a 9” one, so could fit only 9 of the rolls. The rest went into a smaller pan.
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Cover and let the sweet rolls rise for another 15–20 minutes.
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Bake for 20–22 minutes at 200° C until they are golden brown on top.
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Glaze the warm strawberry sweet rolls.
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Serve warm and savor!
My recipe notes
- Be patient and give the strawberry roll dough time to proof and rise.
- After step 4, the dough is ready to be shaped into strawberry cinnamon rolls, but I recommend chilling it for about 30 minutes or even up to 2 days. Why? Well, because:
- It allows you to make the dough ahead.
- It’ll continue to rise and the slow, long fermentation lends the rolls a lovely flavor.
- And most importantly, it’ll make the dough joyously easy to roll and shape!
- Rolling is slightly messy as the strawberry filling in the cinnamon rolls tends to ooze and the dough is JUST so soft. But clean-up is easy, so don’t let that stop you.
- Grease your baking dish well, so the dough doesn’t stick to it.
- Leave space in between the strawberry buns when placing them on the baking dish, so there’s room to expand.
Why did my breakfast sweet rolls not rise?
There could be a couple of reasons the strawberry sweet rolls didn't rise. One, your yeast was too old. Two, your yeast didn’t activate. Three, hot milk killed the yeast.
The temperature of your milk mixture is crucial. It can’t be too hot (= dead yeast) or too cold (= not activated).
That’s why I always make the yeast mixture separately. If the milk bubbles after I sprinkle the yeast, I know it’s good to go. If it doesn’t, I start over.
Strawberry roll recipe serving ideas
Fresh frosting, chopped strawberries, and orange zest for that pop of bright color and taste – that’s how I served this dessert with strawberry jam.
Strawberry rolls with cream cheese icing
While your cinnamon rolls cool a tad, whisk together a quick icing by mixing milk, icing sugar, 2 tablespoons of cream cheese, and some orange zest till it’s smooth and has a soft, dropping consistency. Drizzle over warm strawberry rolls and let it set for 5 -10 minutes.
How to store?
These cinnamon rolls with strawberries are best when they’re still warm from the oven. In case you have leftovers (less likely than the sun rising in the west), store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 20 seconds till gooey and warm.
More strawberry desserts
Half the joy of cooking is sharing it with others. That’s why I’m always eager to hear from you. So go right ahead and drop a comment or reach out on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Facebook. I hope you love these strawberry rolls as much as we do!
📖 Recipe
The Best Strawberry Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Milk, lukewarm
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup Vegetable oil
- 1.5 tsp Dried active yeast
- 2 1/3 cup All-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp Baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Baking soda
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 cup All-purpose flour
Filling
- 1/2 cup Strawberry jam I used a mix of store-bought and homemade jam
- Zest of 1 orange
Glaze
- 2 tbsp Cream cheese
- 2-3 tbsp Milk
- 1/4 cup Icing sugar
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine milk, sugar, oil, and yeast.
- Set aside for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is bubbly.
- Whisk in the 2 and 1/3 cups of flour. Cover and place in a draft-free place for 1 hour or until the dough is doubled in size.
- Mix in the extra 1/4 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- The dough is now ready for use immediately. You can refrigerate it for 30 minutes or up to 3 days.For easier handling, I like to refrigerate the dough overnight.
- Preheat your oven to 200 C. Butter your baking pan. I used a 9" pie dish and a small baking tray.
- Sprinkle flour on your work surface and roll out the dough into a large rectangle, approximately 12"x 17".
- Spread the strawberry jam over the dough.
- Top with freshly grated orange zest.
- Starting with the long side of the rectangle, start rolling the dough tightly. Pinch the seam together and make sure the seam is facing down.
- Cut into 12 slices, place cut side down in your greased baking dish. Cover and place in a draft-free place.
- Let the rolls rise for another 15-20 minutes, until puffy.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes until they are golden brown on top.
- Let the rolls cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then pour the cream cheese glaze over the rolls. Sprinkle some chopped strawberries and orange zest.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Glaze
- Whisk together the cream cheese, milk, and icing sugar in a small bowl, until thick and smooth.
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