Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls

Whether Valentine’s Day dessert, a summer brunch or an excuse to use up leftover strawberry jam, our strawberry cinnamon rolls are a perfect special treat. They’re a twist on the classic cinnamon roll recipe, using strawberry preserves with the traditional cinnamon-sugar filling. This recipe makes two dozen rolls, which is perfect because everyone might be coming back for seconds—or even thirds!

Ingredients for Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls

• All-purpose flour: We use all-purpose flour for cinnamon roll recipes. Its high gluten content builds strong, structured rolls that create a gorgeous spiral shape.
• Active dry yeast: You’ll need one packet of active dry yeast for this recipe. Make sure the package indicates active dry yeast and not instant yeast.
• Butter: Forgot to bring your butter to room temp? It happens to the best of us. Here’s how to soften butter quickly. Just be careful not to melt it! We want the butter to spread on the dough, not seep into it.
• Strawberry preserves: Maybe you like to make your own strawberry jam, or maybe you like to buy it from the store. Either way, you’ll need 2/3 cup of these preserves. If you have a lot left over, dive into one of these recipes using strawberry jam.
• Cinnamon: Did you know there are different types of cinnamon? They all have their own nuanced flavor, too. Branch out and try floral Ceylon cinnamon, spicy Saigon cinnamon or extra cinnamon-y Korintje cinnamon.
• Cream cheese: A little cream cheese in the glaze makes this dessert taste like strawberry cheesecake cinnamon rolls. Who can say no to that?
• Pecans: They’re totally optional, but we love the crunch and nuttiness the pecans add to the strawberry cinnamon rolls. Toast the nuts beforehand to bring out their richness.

Directions

Step 1: Make the dough

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In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups of the flour, the yeast and the salt. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, oil and honey to 120° to 130°F. Immediately pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture, and beat just until moistened.

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Add the egg, and beat until everything is nice and smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Editor’s Tip: You may not need all of the dough in this step, so add it 1/2 cup at a time.

Step 2: Knead and let rise

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Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until it’s smooth and elastic, six to eight minutes.

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Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning the dough once over itself to grease the top. Cover the dough with a tea towel or storage wrap, and let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about one hour.

Step 3: Roll out the dough

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After the dough has doubled in size, punch it down (in other words, press some of the air out of it with your knuckles). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured worktop, and divide it in half. Grab your ruler and a rolling pin, and roll out each portion until each one measures a 15×10-inch rectangle.

Step 4: Spread with the fillings

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Using an offset spatula, butter knife or the back of a spoon, spread the softened butter over the dough rectangles to within 1/2 inch of the edges. Next, spread on the strawberry preserves to the same borders.

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In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle evenly over the preserves.

Step 5: Roll up the dough

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Roll up the dough jelly-roll style as you would a cake roll, but starting with the long side instead. Pinch the seams to seal.

Step 6: Cut and rise

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Take a very sharp knife or bench scraper, and cut each roll into 12 slices. Grease two 15x10x1-inch baking pans, and arrange the rolls, cut side down, on them. Cover the rolls with a tea towel or storage wrap, and let them rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°.

Editor’s Tip: Have you been neglecting your kitchen knives? Dull knives will squish the rolls and ruin their uniformity. To prevent this, one of our favorite tips for making cinnamon rolls. Use a piece of dental floss to loop around the dough, and cut through the cinnamon rolls.

Step 7: Bake and decorate with the glaze

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Bake the strawberry cinnamon rolls until they are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool the rolls at room temperature for 20 minutes. For the glaze, in a small bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and extract until smooth. Add enough milk to reach your desired consistency. Once the rolls have cooled slightly, drizzle the glaze over the rolls. Sprinkle with the pecans.

Recipe Variations

• Add mix-ins: Chop up fresh strawberries, and dot them in the filling with the preserves, or sprinkle in white chocolate chips to make these cinnamon rolls even more decadent.
• Top with a lemon cream cheese frosting: Strawberry and lemon are a match made in heaven. Instead of this recipe’s cream cheese glaze, whip up a thick, lemony cream cheese frosting instead. Grab the recipe from our easy lemon bars with cream cheese frosting.
• Make a strawberry frosting: Want more strawberry flavor in these strawberry cinnamon rolls? Omit the glaze and opt for a gorgeous strawberry cream cheese frosting instead. This simple swap will turn these into true strawberry cheesecake cinnamon rolls. Yum!

How to Store Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls

To store, cool the rolls to room temperature, then cover the pan with storage wrap, or place the strawberry cinnamon rolls in an airtight container. They can last in the fridge for up to three days. When you’re ready to enjoy one again, pop it in the microwave for 20 seconds. It should be as good as new.

Baked rolls can be frozen for up to three months. Simply place the rolls in an airtight container, or cover the pan with two sheets of storage wrap and a final layer of aluminum foil. Thaw the rolls overnight in the fridge, and warm them in the microwave until heated through, about 20 seconds.

Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls Tips

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Can I keep unbaked strawberry cinnamon rolls in the fridge overnight?

Yes, you can keep them in the fridge overnight. Once the rolls have been assembled and cut, place them in the baking pan, and cover the pan with storage wrap. Store in the fridge overnight, but do not exceed 16 hours. Take the baking pan out in the morning, and let the rolls come to room temperature for an hour or two. Take the storage wrap off, and bake and frost as directed.

Why did my cinnamon rolls turn out tough?

Your cinnamon rolls may have turned out tough if too much flour was added. Only stir in enough of the flour to form a soft dough, and just lightly sprinkle your countertop with flour while kneading so you don’t accidentally knead too much flour into the dough.

It’s also possible that the strawberry cinnamon rolls were overbaked, which can leave the rolls tough and dry. Bake the rolls just until they’ve reached a gorgeous golden-brown color.

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