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These delicious strawberry cinnamon rolls are made with pie filling and a quick and easy dough. Once you drizzle them with a delicious lemon glaze, you won’t be able to resist coming back for seconds!
If you love strawberry recipes, then you’ve got to try a few more of my favorites! Start with these delicious Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies, this yummy Strawberry Crunch Cake or this classic Fresh Strawberry Pie.
Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Can you imagine a cinnamon roll with a strawberry glaze and juicy strawberries inside when you take a bite? Life just doesn’t get much better than that. Oh wait, it does. These are frosted with a lemon cream cheese glaze. It took these already amazing cinnamon rolls to the next level! They’re sweet, a little bit zesty, and sure to make your mouth water.
Cinnamon rolls can be intimidating, especially if you haven’t made them from scratch before. Don’t you worry. This recipe is perfect for those that want it quick and easy. I’m impatient when it comes to dough anyway- I don’t want to wait for hours for them to rise. I want to be able to throw everything in the oven within an hour and enjoy the deliciousness ASAP! Once you use this dough recipe, it will become your favorite! And once you taste the amazing strawberry flavor in these cinnamon rolls, you will want to make them for your family again and again!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Don’t let the long list of ingredients fool you, these strawberry cinnamon rolls use a lot of pantry staples! As long as you have a can of strawberry pie filing and some cream cheese, you’ll likely have everything else needed to whip up these bad boys. All measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- All-Purpose Flour: Gives the strawberry cinnamon rolls structure.
- Instant Yeast: Makes the dough rise and puff up. Be sure you’re using instant yeast and not active dry yeast.
- White Sugar: Adds sweetness and also helps the dough grow.
- Salt: Makes everything taste better and the dough stronger.
- Large Egg: To help hold everything together.
- Water: Keeps the dough from being too dry.
- Milk: Adds moisture and nice flavor. Whole milk is best for soft, tender cinnamon rolls.
- Butter: Makes things rich and tasty. You can’t go wrong with butter!
For the Filling:
- Strawberry Pie Filling: This is the delightful strawberry jam that you’ll spread inside the dough. If you’re having trouble finding it, check out my tips section below on how to make it from scratch!
- Cinnamon: Just a sprinkle of it gives the rolls that lovely spiced touch.
- Sugar: A tiny bit of sugar goes a long way in enhancing the filling for the strawberry cinnamon rolls.
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Cream Cheese: Cream cheese is the magic ingredient that makes the glaze creamy and velvety. When it’s softened, it’s easy to mix and gives the glaze a rich and tangy flavor.
- Unsalted Butter: Softened butter blends beautifully with the cream cheese to create a smooth, rich texture.
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the glaze and helps it become thick and delightful.
- Half and Half: This is a mix of milk and cream that adds a bit of creaminess to the glaze. It helps thin it out just enough to make it easy to drizzle.
- Lemon Juice and Zest: Gives the glaze a bright flavor that contrasts wonderfully with the sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds warmth and depth to the glaze, making it even more delicious.
How to Make Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
Even though this recipe uses homemade dough, these strawberry cinnamon rolls are super easy to make. The hardest part is waiting for them to come out of the oven! Be sure to have one while they’re warm, you’ll be obsessed after the first bite.
- Butter Mixture: In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the milk and butter. Stir until the butter has melted and remove from heat. Let stand until lukewarm temperature.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl whisk together 2 1/4 cups flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add to the stand mixer with dough hook attached. (You can also make this by hand, just knead until smooth once all of the ingredients are added.) Add the egg and water and mix until just starting to combine. Slowly add in the milk mixture and 1 cup of flour until the dough starts to form and become smooth. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Shape, Add Filling: On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large 9×15 rectangle. About 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Spread strawberry pie filling evenly on top of the dough. In a small bowl combine the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle on top of the strawberry filling. Roll up the 15 inch side into a log and pinch the seams. Cut into 9-12 slices depending on how thick you want your cinnamon rolls. Place in a greased 9×13 inch pan and cover with a damp cloth and let rise for 30 minutes.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 30 minutes or until just golden brown on the tops.
How to Make the Glaze
- Beat Cream Cheese: Beat together the cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar in a small bowl until smooth.
- Add Wet Ingredients and Lemon Zest: Add the half and half, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest until combined.
- Serve: Drizzle over the warm cinnamon rolls and then enjoy!
Tips and Variations
These are a few things to keep in mind as you make your strawberry cinnamon rolls! They’re just a few simple fixes (and fun variations) that will have them turning out perfectly.
- Homemade Strawberry Filling: Instead of canned strawberry pie filling, you can prepare your own filling. In a saucepan add 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 1/2 cup of water, and 2 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and cook until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in 2 cups of chopped fresh strawberries and 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice. Let cool completely before spreading over your cinnamon roll dough.
- Using Other Fruits: Swap out the strawberry pie filling for apple or cherry!
- Roll Tightly: These strawberry cinnamon rolls are kind of messy to roll up, but if you take your time to pull the dough tight, and even as you roll them, you will end up with a nice swirl of dough through the rolls.
- Even Slices: Use a serrated knife to gently slice through the rolls. Going slow and carefully with the sawing motion will allow the knife to cut through chunks of strawberry, making the rolls stay intact instead of smooshing them and dragging berries through the dough.
Storing Leftovers and Making Ahead
These strawberry cinnamon rolls can be prepared the night before. After placing the rolls in the pan, cover tightly with plastic wrap and set in the fridge. Remove from the fridge and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours before baking as directed!
Baked cinnamon rolls will keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.
More Tasty Strawberry Recipes
Satisfy your sweet tooth with a few more of my favorite strawberry recipes! With their amazing flavor, they’re sure to impress and have everyone coming back for more!
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Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls with Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients:
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/3 cup butter softened
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 ounce cream cheese softened
- 3 Tablespoons butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest one lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the milk and butter. Stir until the butter has melted and remove from heat. Let stand until lukewarm temperature.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together 2 1/4 cups flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add to the stand mixer with dough hook attached. (You can also make this by hand, just knead until smooth once all of the ingredients are added.) Add the egg and water and mix until just starting to combine. Slowly add in the milk mixture and 1 cup of flour until the dough starts to form and become smooth. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a large 9×15 square. About 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Spread strawberry pie filling evenly on top of the dough. In a small bowl combine the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle on top of the strawberry filling. Roll up the 15 inch side into a log and pinch the seams. Cut into 9-12 slices depending on how thick you want your cinnamon rolls. Place in a greased 9×13 inch pan and cover with a damp cloth and let rise for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 30 minutes or until just golden brown on the tops.
Glaze
- Beat together the cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar in a small bowl until smooth. Add the half and half, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest until combined. Drizzle over the warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The BEST rolls I’ve ever had, much less made. This frosting belongs on EVERYTHING. About to make another batch because I can’t stop thinking about how good they are!
Can I use puff pastry or pie crust instead?
Hi Danielle, thanks for the question. Hmm, both of those doughs are different than cinnamon roll dough, but if you want to try one, I’d say use the puff pastry. It won’t turn out the same but I think it will still taste good! Let me know how it turns out!
Does it matter if the butter is salted or unsalted ?
You can use either, just adjust the amount of added salt if you end up using salted butter. 😊
Does this recipe freeze well before you cook them?
Yes! You can freeze them after they rise. As long as you’ve covered them with plastic wrap, you can keep them in the freezer for a month or two. From there, just let them thaw and then pop them in the oven as normal!
Could these be frozen before baking to make later?
Would homemade freezer jam work as a pie filling sub?
I haven’t tried that before with this recipe. It might be a little but runny but if you try it, let me know how it goes!
I found this receipe the other day and could not get them off my mind so I decided to just go for it. This is my first attempt at cinnamon rolls from scratch or even a dough from scratch. They were messy to cut but the turned out beautifully.
Is it 2 1/4 or 3 1/4 cups of flour? You listed 2 different measurements on your ingredients and make instructions.
Thank you.
Hi! If you read all of step 2, you will see that you start by adding 2 1/4 cups of flour and then you add in the additional 1 cup after the egg and water. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Any chance you could share the weight of the ingredients in grams? Followed the recipe with what Google says is a “cup” (120g) and the dough came out way to liquid 🙁
What if you don’t like cream cheese can you replace it with something else
You could try using Greek yogurt or mascarpone instead!
Could I use homemade strawberry Pie filling?🥧
Sure! That sounds delicious!
Can I premake these and put them in the fridge to bake in the AM?
That works!
My pie filling fell out when I cut them. What was I doing incorrect?
I would just spread it a little thinner. It should bake up into the cinnamon rolls just fine!
These are so delicious! I make these for Easter every year and they never disappoint. I also use the same recipe to make caramel apple cinnamon rolls. I use apple pie filling instead of strawberry and drizzle with caramel syrup after. They are so delicious! I am currently making these for a bake sale. Thank you!
Hello! Question for you. How should these be stored? I am making these to sell. Thanks! These sound delicious!
Just store them in an airtight container at room temperature! They should last 3-4 days.
Made these 2 times now and both times didn’t rise and was way to sticky.
Bummer! Bad yeast?