Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls (Soft and Fluffy)

A tray of strawberry cinnamon rolls garnished with cream cheese icing and chopped strawberries.

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Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls (Soft and Fluffy)

My Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls are soft, fluffy, buttery and packed with fresh strawberry flavor and topped with a lemony cream cheese frosting. I love them for dessert, a sweet treat or even an indulgent breakfast.

Prep Time1 5

Cook Time1

Proofing Time2 30

Total Time4 35

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American, Seasonal

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: Rolls

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $20

Ingredients

For the Tangzhong

4 tbsp Bread flour - 30 grams
⅓ cup Water - 75 grams
⅓ cup Milk - 75 grams

For the Dough

7 tbsp Milk (warm) - 100 grams
2½ tsp Instant yeast
2 Large eggs (room temperature, lightly beaten)
1 tsp Vanilla extract
4¼ cups Bread flour - 510 grams
½ cup Sugar - 100 grams
1¼ tsp Kosher salt
6 tbsp Unsalted butter (softened) - 85 grams

For the Filling

2 cups Strawberries (stems removed and mashed) - 228 grams
½ cup Sugar - 100 grams
2 tsp Lemon juice
1 tbsp Cornstarch
1 tbsp Water
1 tsp Cinnamon

For the Frosting and Garnish

3 oz Cream cheese (room temperature) - 85 grams
3 tbsp Unsalted butter (room temperature) - 42 grams
1½ cup Powdered sugar (sifted) - 180 grams
2 tsp Lemon juice
½ tsp Lemon zest
½ tsp Vanilla extract
⅛ tsp Kosher salt
Additional diced strawberries & lemon zest for garnish

Instructions

Prepare the Dough

Prepare the Tangzhong. Whisk together the bread flour, milk, and water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until a thick paste forms. Transfer to a heat-proof bowl and allow it to cool completely to room temperature.
Mix the Dough. Warm the milk to about 110°F and combine it with the cooled tangzhong, yeast, eggs, vanilla, bread flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix with the dough hook attachment on low speed until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead. Knead the dough for 7 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add the softened unsalted butter one tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to fully incorporate before adding the next. Continue mixing until the dough becomes soft, smooth, and slightly tacky. This should take about 5 minutes.
Rise. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover with a towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise until nearly doubled in size, about 60 to 90 minutes.

Prepare the Filling and Rolls

While the Dough Rises, Prepare the Strawberry Filling. Use a potato masher to mash up the strawberries. Then add them to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice. Allow the strawberry mixture to simmer, while stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes. The mixture should darken in color and reduce. Cook until the mixture is thick enough that you can see a streak when you run your spatula on the bottom of the pan.
Add Cornstarch Slurry. Combine the cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Stir it into the strawberry mixture. Continue to cook while stirring constantly until it becomes a thick jam.
Add Cinnamon. Remove from heat and stir in the cinnamon. Transfer to a wide shallow dish, like a pie plate, or small baking pan to cool. Spreading it onto a wide surface will allow the filling to cool quicker.
Roll and Spread. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with about 1 tablespoon of butter or cooking spray. After the dough has risen, remove the plastic wrap and punch down the dough. Then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a rectangle measuring 12 inches by 18 inches. Spread the cooled strawberry filling over the dough using an offset spatula. Leave an edge of about ½ inch on one long edge.
Cut and Roll. Trim the edges for clean rolls if desired, then cut the dough into 12 equal strips using a sharp knife or preferably a pizza cutter, about 1.5 inches wide. Roll each strip of dough up individually to create the cinnamon rolls. Place rolls in the prepared baking dish.
Let the Rolls Rise. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again until quite puffy, at least 60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F.
Bake. Bake for 23 to 26 minutes, or until golden brown and the centers reach an internal temperature of 185 to 190°F. Allow the rolls to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Prepare the Cream Cheese Icing and Garnish

Make Cream Cheese Frosting. Combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add in the vanilla extract, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt and mix again until combined. Finally, add the powdered sugar and stir on the lowest speed until it is creamy and all dry ingredients have been incorporated.
Spread Frosting. Spread the cream cheese frosting over the warm rolls.
Garnish. Garnish with fresh diced strawberries and lemon zest before serving.

Notes

Refer to the post above for step-by-step recipe photos.

Key Ingredient Notes:

Fresh Strawberries: When strawberry season rolls around, it’s time to take advantage. You can also use frozen strawberries but they need to be thawed and drained well. But do try to use fresh berries if you can.
Bread Flour: Bread flour creates the chewy yet incredibly soft texture that makes these rolls so fluffy. All-purpose flour can work, though the rolls will be slightly less fluffy.
Milk: You will need to use milk in both the tangzhong and the final dough. I recommend using whole milk, but 2% also works.
Cream Cheese: I love cream cheese icing and I think it goes perfectly with these fluffy strawberry cinnamon rolls. Use full-fat cream cheese if you can, but if you prefer the low-fat option, the recipe will work just as well.
Sugar: You will need both regular white sugar as well as powdered or confectioners’ sugar (for the icing).

Tips for Success:

Let the tangzhong cool completely before mixing your dough so it doesn't affect the yeast activity.
Don't add too much extra flour. This dough should feel soft and slightly sticky, which helps produce incredibly fluffy rolls.
Cook the strawberry filling until it becomes thick and spreadable. If it's too loose, it may leak out during baking.
Always cool the filling before spreading it onto the dough. Warm filling can soften the dough and make rolling difficult.
Allow both rises to finish naturally. Under-proofed rolls won't have the same light texture.

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