Strawberry cinnamon rolls are made from a pillowy soft sweet dough filled with a homemade strawberry jam and finished with a bright strawberry-lemon buttercream frosting.
These rolls capture summer in every bite: sweet strawberries balanced with a touch of tart lemon. They’re soft, flavorful, and ideal for making ahead when needed.
Why You Will Love These
Moist & Soft: The dough is tender and practically melts in your mouth.
Full of Flavor: Fresh strawberry jam and lemon zest give these rolls a light, summery taste.
Make Ahead Friendly: There are overnight instructions so you can prepare in advance and bake when ready.
Ingredient Notes
- Strawberries: Use fresh or frozen (thaw and mash frozen berries before cooking).
- Cornstarch: Mix with water first to prevent clumping; it thickens the jam.
- Milk: 2% works well; water can be used in a pinch for a slightly less rich dough.
- Yeast: Active dry yeast is recommended.
- Eggs: Use room-temperature eggs for best texture.
- Butter: Use softened butter for easier mixing into the dough and frosting.
- Flour: Bread flour gives great structure, but all-purpose works fine. Wheat or gluten-free flours were not tested.
Step By Step Instructions
Start with the Strawberry Jam
Step 1: Add mashed strawberries to a medium saucepan with brown sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until very thick—about 15 minutes.
Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch into water to make a slurry. Stir it into the thick jam and continue cooking a few minutes until the mixture resembles a paste. Remove from heat, cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container. This yields about 2/3 cup of thick jam.
Make the Dough
Step 1: In a large bowl combine warm milk (about 105–110°F), granulated sugar, and yeast. Stir and let sit 10–15 minutes until bubbly. Add softened butter and eggs, mixing to combine. Add salt and 2 cups of flour, then stir while adding more flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the bowl.
Step 2: Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead 3–5 minutes until soft and slightly tacky but not sticky, adding flour as needed.
Step 3: Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1½ hours.
Step 4: Punch the dough down and roll it out on a floured surface to a rectangle approximately 14 x 18 inches.
Step 5: Remove the jam from the fridge and set aside 1 tablespoon for the frosting. Spread the remaining jam evenly over the rolled dough, leaving about a 1-inch strip uncovered along the long edge.
Step 6: Starting from the long side, roll the dough tightly into a log. Press the ends gently to compact the roll. Trim or even the log and slice into 12 even rolls—marking first helps keep them the same size.
Step 7: Place rolls in a greased 9×13 pan (or two 9″ round pans with six rolls each). It’s fine if they touch. For the overnight option, cover and refrigerate (see notes).
Step 8: Cover and let the rolls rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 45–60 minutes. An oven with the light on can help create consistent warmth—remove rolls before preheating.
Step 9: Preheat oven to 375°F and bake 14–18 minutes until the tops are lightly golden. While they cool, prepare the frosting.
Make the Frosting
Combine softened butter, the reserved 1 tablespoon of strawberry jam, vanilla, powdered sugar, lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and 1–2 tablespoons of cream or milk as needed. Adjust powdered sugar or lemon to reach your preferred consistency and taste. Allow the rolls to cool slightly before frosting so the icing won’t melt.
Overnight Option
After cutting the rolls and arranging them in the pan, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, let them sit covered at room temperature for about 45 minutes before baking. They may not double fully while cold, but they bake up nicely and make for fresh morning rolls.
FAQ
Yes. Use about 2/3 cup and consider adding lemon zest and a little juice to brighten the flavor. Chill the jam first so it’s firmer and easier to spread.
Gently press the dough with a finger: if the indentation springs back slowly, the dough is ready.
Most often this happens when the yeast wasn’t activated. Make sure the yeast is fresh and that it became bubbly when proofed.
Storing and Freezing
Store rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days for the best texture. Refrigeration tends to dry them out faster. To refresh, microwave a roll about 10 seconds.
Freezing
Bake and cool completely, then freeze individual rolls wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or rewarm in a low oven. You can also freeze the entire pan—allow it to come to room temperature before serving.
Other Popular Fruity Recipes To Try
Almond Raspberry Cake
Lemon Blueberry Cookies
Key Lime Cookies
If you make these rolls, please leave a star review and share your experience in the comments.
Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Strawberry Jam
- 2 cups strawberries, mashed (fresh or thawed frozen)
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- zest of 1 large lemon
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla
- pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 1/2 cup warm milk (105–110°F)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 6 tbsp butter, softened
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 1/2–3 cups bread flour (or all-purpose)
Strawberry Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- 4 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 tbsp reserved strawberry jam
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1–2 tbsp cream or milk as needed
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Strawberry Jam
- Combine mashed strawberries, brown sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until very thick, about 15 minutes.
- Whisk cornstarch and water, stir into jam, and cook a few more minutes until paste-like. Cool and refrigerate until ready to use.
Cinnamon Rolls
- Proof yeast in warm milk with sugar until bubbly (10–15 minutes). Stir in butter and eggs.
- Add salt and 2 cups flour, then continue adding flour until dough forms a ball and pulls away from the bowl.
- Knead on a floured surface 3–5 minutes until soft and slightly tacky. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled (about 1½ hours).
- Punch down, roll dough to a 14×18″ rectangle, and spread jam over the surface, reserving 1 tbsp for frosting.
- Roll tightly from the long edge into a log, compress slightly, and cut into 12 even rolls.
- Arrange in a greased 9×13 pan, cover, and let rise until doubled (45–60 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 375°F and bake 14–18 minutes until lightly golden. Cool slightly before frosting.
Frosting
- Beat butter, reserved jam, vanilla, powdered sugar, lemon juice, pinch of salt, and cream/milk until smooth. Adjust consistency with more powdered sugar or liquid if needed.
- Let rolls cool a bit, then spread frosting over the warm rolls.
Notes
You can use store-bought jam (about 2/3 cup) and add lemon zest/juice to brighten it. For overnight: after slicing and placing rolls in the pan, cover and refrigerate; the next morning let rest at room temperature 45 minutes before baking. To reheat leftover rolls, warm at 275°F for 8–10 minutes or microwave briefly.