Strawberry Rolls with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Glaze

Check out these homemade strawberry rolls – soft and fluffy bread rolls filled with homemade strawberry filling and topped with creamy cinnamon flavored cream cheese glaze for truly decadent strawberry cinnamon rolls.

When it is strawberries season and the fresh berries are in abundance, I always look forward to making sweet treats with them. These strawberry rolls are one such treat.

These soft and fluffy rolls are filled with homemade strawberry filling and topped with a cinnamon flavored cream cheese glaze for amazingly delicious strawberry cinnamon rolls.

The cinnamon roll dough recipe was adapted from my easy yeast rolls recipe. It requires kneading and two stages of proofing. I halved the recipe so that I could bake a single batch of 9 rolls. And I filled the rolls with a layer of butter and my homemade strawberry filling. I’ve made the filling in advance so assembling the rolls was pretty easy.

The cinnamon in these strawberry rolls is in the glaze. So all in all, the combination of soft and fluffy baked rolls with the sweet strawberry filling and deliciously creamy cinnamon flavored cream cheese topping is absolutely wonderful! You should try these…

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How to Make

Ingredients

Dough

• All purpose flour + salt
• Instant yeast
• Granulated sugar
• Butter
• Egg
• Milk

Filling

• Strawberry filling
• Butter

Topping

• Cream cheese
• Cinnamon powder
• Icing sugar

Mixing the dough

1. Start by mixing the yeast and milk in a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer (with a dough hook attachment). Mix on low speed to dissolve the yeast.
2. Add the egg, sugar, flour and salt and mix at a medium speed for approximately 2 minutes, until the dough comes together.
3. At this stage, it will be sticky.
4. Add the cubed butter and continue to knead with the mixer for another 7 to 8 minutes.

The first proof

1. At this stage, the dough should be elastic.
2. Scrape the sides of the bowl and turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface. It will be very soft and somewhat sticky, so dust your hands with flour if necessary, but do not add too much additional flour. Knead it for about 30 seconds to form a smooth ball. Repeat the process, each time turning the dough slightly so that you get a nicely rounded ball.
3. Place it in a large bowl and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise until at least double in size.
4. This can take any time between 45 minutes up to to 2 hours depending on your surrounding temperature.

Adding the filling

1. Once proofed, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and press it down.
2. Using a rolling pin, roll it into a large rectangle measuring approximately 25cm by 30cm in size.
3. Brush butter all over the top.
4. Top it with the strawberry filling.

Cutting the bread rolls

1. Slowly roll it into a log from the long side (the longest edge). Pinch the ends as shown.
2. Turn the dough log over so that the pinched ends are moved underneath. Cut the rolled log into 9 equal sections. For easy cutting, start by cutting the roll into 3 equal sizes.
3. Then you cut each of the 3 sections into another 3 sections. This way, it is easier to get equal pieces of consistently sized rolls. Use a sharp knife for easy cutting.
4. Carefully lift and arrange the sliced rolls into a well-greased 7 inches square baking tray or baking dish.

Second proof

1. Cover and let the rolls proof until double in size (second rise).
2. Bake the strawberry rolls in a preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes at 175 degrees Celsius until golden brown. While the rolls are baking, prepare the glaze.

The cream cheese glaze

1. To make the cream cheese frosting, add cream cheese, icing sugar (powdered sugar), and cinnamon powder into a medium-sized bowl and beat until creamy.
2. As soon as the strawberry rolls are baked and out of the oven, brush the top with butter.
3. After that, spread the cream cheese glaze all over them (generously).
4. To remove the strawberry rolls from the baking tin, flip them over onto a wire rack and use another rack to flip them back facing upwards.

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Notes

Ingredients & kneading

• These cinnamon rolls can be made using all-purpose flour or bread flour. Both will yield the same results.
• Sugar in the recipe can be replaced with brown sugar in the same quantity.
• The kneading time indicated in this recipe is for machine kneading. You can also knead by hand, but do take note that the dough is sticky and it can get a little messy for hand kneading. And if at all, you proceed with hand kneading, you can use a scraper to assist you with the kneading. In any case, try not to add too much flour while kneading. It should remain soft and somewhat slightly sticky for truly fluffy rolls.

Instant yeast

• This recipe uses instant yeast. Instant yeast does not require activation, which means you do not have to mix it in liquid and wait for it to turn frothy. In fact, as soon as the yeast is dissolved in milk, you can add the rest of the ingredients (except butter) and start kneading.
• If you are using active dry yeast, you will have to mix it with milk and wait for it to turn frothy. Both yeasts can be substituted with each other in the same quantity.
• To help with the proofing, place your dough in a warm environment or a warm area in your kitchen. This can be anywhere near the stove or next to a warm dish. The other way is to place it in your oven. Don’t switch it on, just leave the door closed, and that should help proof your dough too.

Refrigeration & freezing

• The cinnamon roll dough can be refrigerated overnight. You can either do it before the first proofing stage (ie after it is kneaded into a smooth ball) or after filling, cutting, and placing the rolls in the baking tray (before the second proofing stage).
• If refrigerating before the first proofing stage, simply place the dough in a large bowl, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate it. The next day, bring it out (it shoud have doubled in size, if not, leave it in a warm place to proof) and roll and cut the cinnamon rolls.
• If refrigerating before the second proofing, cut and arrange the rolls in a baking tray and wrap the tray in cling wrap before placing it in the refrigerator. The next day, if they have doubled in size, you can bake them straightaway, otherwise, let them proof in a warm place before baking them.
• These strawberry rolls can also be frozen. Similar to refrigeration above, freezing can also be done at 2 stages. For the first stage which is before the first proofing, wrap the dough tightly with cling wrap. Freeze until it's ready for use. Let it thaw before removing the cling wrap to allow it to proof (place it in a warm place).
• The rolls can also be frozen after filling and arranging in the baking tray. Simply wrap the tray tightly with cling wrap. Let the rolls thaw and proof until at least double in size before baking.

Strawberry filling and cinnamon cream cheese glaze

• The strawberry filling can be made on the same day (let it cool to room temperature first) or made in advance. If you do not want to make your own filling, you can use sweet strawberry jam or strawberry preserves.
• The cream cheese topping in this recipe is of spreading consistency. If you want it in pouring consistency, you would need to add some milk to it.
• For more intensely cinnamon-flavored strawberry rolls, you can mix some cinnamon powder to the strawberry filling and can even add some to the flour when kneading the dough for the rolls.

Leftovers

• These strawberry cinnamon rolls are best consumed on the same day they are made. Leftovers need to be refrigerated because of the cream cheese topping and warmed up in the oven before consuming. Keep them in an airtight container.

Like this recipe? Here are my other posts you might want to check out

• Strawberry Filling - An Easy Homemade Recipe
• Old Fashioned Homemade Yeast Doughnuts
• Brioche Donuts - Perfectly Soft and Fluffy
• Peanut Puffs - Perfect Tea Time Treats
• Homemade White Loaf Bread
• Easy Yeast Rolls for Beginners
• Cinnamon Raisin Rolls - Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
• Coconut Rolls with Coconut Glaze
• Coffee Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze
• Ube Rolls - Soft and Fluffy Twisted Bread Rolls
• Oreo Strawberry Cheesecake
• Strawberry Jam Cookies
• Strawberry Oat Bars with Nutty Crumble Topping

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Recipe (Printable)

Here is the full printable version of my strawberry rolls recipe. And while you are at it, don’t forget to check out my recipe notes above for tips on making the best cinnamon rolls!

And that's pretty much my strawberry rolls recipe.

Happy Baking 🙂