Luscious, soft, fluffy, and bursting with strawberry flavor—this is the best strawberry rolls recipe! One of the easiest strawberry desserts, you can make the no-knead dough ahead of time which is perfect for busy days!
I am a big fan of making (and eating!) 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 This Recipe
Easy to make, no-knead dough that keeps well for up to 2 days! Perfect for prepping in advance for busy days!
Gooey, soft, and luscious, these strawberry rolls with cream cheese frosting are irresistible!
These rolls are wonderful for potlucks, any time snacking, brunches, and dessert!
Recipe Ingredients
Yeast: Use dry active or instant yeast; just ensure it’s fresh. Always test it beforehand by mixing half a teaspoon in half a cup of warm water. If it becomes frothy and bubbly, in 5 -10 minutes, the yeast is good to go!
Flour: All-purpose, whole wheat, or half-and-half of both – pick whatever floats your boat.
Jam: Use any strawberry jam you love- homemade strawberry jam or storebought. Whatever you find easy.
Sugar: Cane or raw sugar 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.
Cream cheese: For making a thick, tangy frosting for the rolls. You can use homemade cream cheese or storebought.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Strawberry Rolls
Step 1: Heat milk, oil, and sugar in a small saucepan. Take it off the heat before it comes to a boil.
Step 2: Cool the mixture to lukewarm, and then sprinkle over the yeast. Set aside for 5–10 minutes until the mixture is bubbly.
Step 3: 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.
Step 4: Add 1/4 cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. The dough is now ready for use. But you can choose to refrigerate it for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
Step 5: Set your oven to preheat to 200° C. Grease your baking dish and keep it handy.
Step 6: Sprinkle flour on your work surface and roll out the strawberry sweet rolls dough into a large rectangle, roughly 12" by 17".
Step 7: Spread strawberry jam evenly on the dough. Sprinkle orange zest on top.
Step 8: Starting from the longer side of the dough, tightly roll it into a log.
Step 9: Cut into 12 equal-sized pieces. Transfer to your greased baking dish. I used a 9” one, that could fit only 9 of the rolls. The rest went into a smaller pan.
Step 10: Cover and let the sweet rolls rise for another 15–20 minutes.
Step 11: Bake for 20-22 minutes or until they are golden brown on top.
Step 12: Allow the rolls to cool for 15 minutes, then pour the glaze on top and serve warm!
Pro Tips
- 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.
How To Serve The Strawberry Rolls
These strawberry sweet rolls are lovely enough to serve as-is. Just sprinkle a bit of powdered sugar and you're good to go!
But boy, the cream cheese frosting makes them even more swoon-worthy! And it comes together rather quickly too. Just whisk together milk, powdered 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. Top with more fresh strawberries if you want.
Recipe FAQs
There could be a couple of reasons the strawberry sweet rolls didn't rise. Either your yeast was too old. Or, the milk was too hot or cold.
The temperature of your milk mixture is crucial. It should be just warm, about 40.5 C or 105 F.
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.
These cinnamon rolls with strawberries are best when they’re still warm from the oven. In case you have leftovers, store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, in an air-tight container. Reheat in the microwave for 20 seconds till gooey and warm.
📖 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.
Video
Notes
- Be patient and give the strawberry roll dough time to proof and rise.
- After step 4, the dough is ready to be used, but I recommend chilling it for about 30 minutes or even up to 2 days.
- 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.
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