strawberry cinnamon rolls

soft and pillowy strawberry cinnamon rolls made with a rich, enriched dough, a sweet strawberry and cinnamon brown sugar filling, and topped with a whipped mascarpone cream, fresh whole strawberries and a generous dusting of powdered sugar.

this strawberry cinnamon rolls recipe features a soft, enriched dough made with no eggs – just heavy cream and milk for an incredibly tender, pillowy crumb – wrapped around a filling of fresh strawberry sauce and cinnamon brown sugar, baked until gooey and golden, and finished with a whipped mascarpone cream that’s lighter and more luxurious than any cream cheese frosting. topped with fresh whole strawberries and a dusting of powdered sugar, these are the most beautiful strawberry topped cinnamon rolls you’ll make at home.

this recipe is eggless, made with instant yeast, and comes together in one stand mixer bowl. the dough is adapted from the ‘fluffy cinnamon rolls’ by the woks of life. it has been adapted to make it a smaller batch, and to make it an egg free dough. i think it’s one of the best soft roll doughs out there, and it’s the same base we use for all the sweet rolls on this blog.

why you will love this strawberry cinnamon buns recipe

• the whipped mascarpone cream topping – this is what sets these apart from every other strawberry cinnamon roll recipe. instead of a heavy cream cheese frosting, we’re whipping mascarpone with heavy cream, icing sugar and vanilla into something lighter, silkier and more delicate, and it melts into the warm rolls in the most beautiful way.

• homemade strawberry filling – these strawberry jam filled cinnamon rolls are made with fresh strawberries cooked down with sugar and water into a thick, jammy filling that tastes intensely of real strawberries. not jam from a jar, but a proper fresh strawberry filling.

• small batch – this homemade strawberry cinnamon rolls recipe makes 6 generous and delicious strawberry cinnamon rolls – the perfect amount for a smaller household, a weekend breakfast treat, or a valentines day bake with no leftovers!

what makes these different from strawberry cheesecake rolls?

if you’ve seen the strawberry cheesecake cinnamon rolls recipe on this blog, this is kind of a sister recipe. it has the same enriched dough and the same strawberry filling, but there are two key differences. first, cinnamon is mixed into the brown sugar filling here, so every layer has that warm spiced note that makes these unmistakably cinnamon rolls. second, the topping swaps the cream cheese frosting for a whipped mascarpone cream that’s a bit more delicate and light. the result gives you more of a polished, beautiful strawberry cinnamon roll dessert rather than a simple breakfast bun, especially when finished with the fresh whole strawberries and powdered sugar rather than the biscuit crumbs in the strawberry cheesecake rolls.

learn how to make strawberry cinnamon rolls from scratch

to make these easy homemade strawberry cinnamon rolls from scratch, we’re going to start off by making the dough. in a stand mixer, we’ll add room temperature heavy cream, room temperature milk, sugar, flour, instant yeast and then salt. then we’ll just let this mix on the lowest setting for about 15 minutes, until a soft dough forms. cover the bowl, and let it rest in a warm place for 1-2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size.

to make the sweet strawberry filling, we’re going to cook fresh strawberries in a pot over medium heat along with sugar, water and cornstarch until the strawberries soften and the mixture begins to thicken up. once the mixture has thickened up, remove it from the pot and place in another bowl to cool.

once the dough is ready, punch the air out, or place it back in the stand mixer and mix for about 5 minutes to get rid of any air bubbles.

next, we’ll assemble our strawberry cinnamon buns – roll out the dough into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle. spread softened butter over the dough. add a mixture of light brown sugar and ground cinnamon on top and gently press it into the dough until it’s covered in the mixture. then do the same with the cooled strawberry sauce. spread the sauce all over the dough, then slice the dough into six equal sized strips and roll these up tightly.

place the strawberry and cinnamon rolls into a greased baking dish, putting some space between them to allow them to expand. cover these, and let them rest in a warm place for around 45 minutes to an hour.

once your eggless strawberry cinnamon rolls have expanded, pour some extra heavy cream over the top of each one, then place in a preheated oven and bake for a total of around 30-35 minutes.

remove the rolls from the oven, and start making the mascarpone cream while the strawberry cinnamon rolls cool slightly. whip together mascarpone, heavy cream, icing sugar and vanilla into a light, silky cream. top the strawberry cinnamon rolls with dollops of the whipped mascarpone cream, then finish with fresh whole strawberries and a dusting of powdered sugar.

strawberry cinnamon rolls ingredients

• heavy cream or double cream – i make these strawberry cinnamon rolls with heavy cream in the dough as well as some extra to pour on top of the rolls before baking – this will make our strawberry cinnamon rolls extra soft and rich. make sure the heavy cream is at room temperature before you add it to the dough. i also like to use heavy cream in the strawberry cinnamon rolls icing recipe for the frosting we’re going to add on top.

• milk – we’ll be using full fat milk in the strawberry cinnamon roll dough – make sure this is at room temperature.

• granulated sugar – we’re going to be using granulated sugar to sweeten the strawberry cinnamon roll dough. we’ll also be using it to sweeten the strawberry filling.

• flour – i’m just using all purpose flour or plain flour for this strawberry cinnamon rolls recipe.

• instant yeast – i’m just using instant yeast for this strawberry cinnamon rolls recipe – there is no need to activate the yeast first, you can just add it straight into the mixture.

• salt – we’ll just be adding around 1/2 tsp of salt to the strawberry cinnamon roll dough.

• strawberries – for the strawberry cinnamon roll filling recipe, i’m using fresh strawberries. you’ll want to chop them up into relatively small pieces so that they’re easier to mash and you get a smoother filling. however, you can use either fresh or frozen strawberries. you’ll also need fresh whole strawberries to add on top of the strawberry cinnamon rolls at the end.

• water – i’m just using a little bit of water when making the strawberry cinnamon rolls filling just to get the right consistency.

• cornstarch – a small amount of cornstarch will help thicken up the strawberry cinnamon rolls filling so that it’s not too runny.

• butter – once the strawberry cinnamon roll dough is done, we’re going to roll it out and spread softened butter over it. i’m using salted butter in this recipe, but you’re also welcome to use unsalted.

• brown sugar – i’m also using light brown sugar for the filling in these strawberry cinnamon rolls for a nice, caramel-like flavour.

• ground cinnamon – the cinnamon is mixed directly into the brown sugar before pressing it onto the dough. this is what makes these strawberry cinnamon rolls rather than just strawberry rolls. you can adjust the amount depending on your preference.

• mascarpone – this is the base of the strawberry cinnamon roll frosting. the mascarpone adds a really nice richness to the frosting, but you can also use cream cheese if you don’t have mascarpone on hand.

• icing sugar or powdered sugar – we’ll be using this to sweeten the strawberry cinnamon rolls icing and to ensure that the frosting is smooth and lump-free. we’re also going to be dusting powdered sugar over the finished strawberry cinnamon rolls for a beautiful, simple finish.

• vanilla extract – a splash of vanilla will add a nice, subtle vanilla flavour to your mascarpone whipped cream.

tools:

• stand mixer with dough hook attachment – this will make it a lot easier to make the strawberry cinnamon roll dough (if you don’t have a mixer, you can knead by hand but this will take a lot longer)

• something to cover the bowl with when you leave the strawberry cinnamon roll dough to rise

• a small pot – to make the strawberry filling

• small bowl – for the strawberry filling so that it can cool

• rolling pin – to roll out the dough

• sharp knife – to slice up the dough into individual strips that we can roll up

• baking dish – any size baking dish works, just make sure that there’s enough room between each strawberry cinnamon roll to allow them to expand

• medium sized bowl – for the strawberry cinnamon rolls frosting

• hand mixer or stand mixer – to whip the mascarpone cream easily and quickly. you can also use a whisk to do this, just bear in mind that it might take a little longer.

• fine sieve – for dusting powdered sugar over the finished strawberry cinnamon rolls.

step by step instructions

for full measurements, keep scrolling down to the recipe below.

step one: in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add heavy cream, milk, sugar, flour, instant yeast and salt. make sure that all the ingredients are at room temperature and that you add them in the order that is stated here.

step two: turn on the mixer to the lowest setting, and let it mix the ingredients together for around 15 minutes. once the 15 minutes are over, the dough will have come together. it might be sticking to the bottom of the bowl slightly, but it shouldn’t be sticking to the sides of the bowl at this point.

step three: cover the bowl, and let the dough rest in a warm place for 1-2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.

step four: make the strawberry filling. in a small pot or pan, add fresh chopped strawberries, sugar, water and lemon juice. mix all of these together and cook over medium heat. stir and cook, mashing the strawberries regularly, until the mixture bubbles and begins to thicken up.

step five: mix cornstarch with a small amount of water until smooth, then stir into the strawberry mixture. cook for another 2 minutes, stirring, until the filling is thick and jammy.

step six: transfer the strawberry filling to a bowl and set aside to cool completely before using. it will thicken up further as it cools.

step seven: once the dough has doubled in size, punch the air out and mix again in the stand mixer on the lowest setting for 5 minutes to remove any remaining air bubbles.

step eight: on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a 9×16 inch rectangle, about ¼ inch thick.

step nine: spread softened butter evenly over the entire surface of the dough.

step ten: mix the ground cinnamon into the light brown sugar until combined, then press the cinnamon brown sugar mixture evenly over the butter until the whole surface is covered.

step eleven: spread the cooled strawberry filling in a thin, even layer over the cinnamon sugar.

step twelve: using a sharp knife, slice the rectangle into six equal strips. roll each strip up tightly into a cinnamon roll shape.

step thirteen: grease a baking dish with butter and place the rolls inside, leaving a small amount of space between each one. cover the dish and leave in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour for the second rise.

step fourteen: preheat oven about 15 minutes before the strawberry cinnamon rolls are ready to bake.

step fifteen: once the rolls have expanded, gently pour heavy cream over each roll.

step sixteen: let the strawberry cinnamon rolls bake for 15-18 minutes on the bottom rack, then transfer to the middle rack for a further 15-18 minutes. baking times will vary depending on your oven. alternatively, cover with foil for the first 15-18 minutes, then remove the foil and bake on the middle rack for the remaining 15-18 minutes. the strawberry cinnamon rolls are done when the tops are golden brown and the centre roll is fully cooked through.

step seventeen: remove the strawberry cinnamon rolls from the oven and leave to cool in the dish.

step eighteen: make the whipped mascarpone cream. add mascarpone, cold heavy cream, icing sugar or powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a bowl. beat with a hand mixer or whisk until the mixture is light, silky and holds soft peaks. don’t over whip, as you want it spreadable and cloud-like, not stiff.

step nineteen: once the strawberry cinnamon rolls have cooled slightly, top each roll generously with the whipped mascarpone cream.

step twenty: place fresh whole strawberries on top and dust generously with powdered sugar or icing sugar through a fine sieve.

step twenty-one: serve immediately and enjoy.

step twenty one: remove your strawberry cheesecake rolls from the oven, and top each roll with a generous amount of frosting while the strawberry rolls are still warm.

step twenty two: top each strawberry cheesecake roll with fresh strawberries and graham cracker or biscuit crumbs.

step twenty three: let’s eat!

tips and notes

• make sure your ingredients for the strawberry cinnamon roll dough are at room temperature to ensure that they incorporate nicely with the rest of the ingredients. leave out the heavy cream and milk on the counter around 30 minutes before using them.

• if you forgot to remove these ingredients from the fridge, you can warm them in the microwave in 10 second intervals until they reach room temperature.

• make sure you add all of the ingredients to the bowl in the order that is stated in this recipe.

• make sure you check the expiration date on your yeast – old yeast might not activate properly, which might lead to dough that doesn’t rise.

• once the strawberry cinnamon roll dough has been mixed for a total of 15 minutes at low speed, it should be soft, only slightly sticky and very easy to handle. there should be no need to add any extra flour to the dough. however, if you are in a humid climate and find that the dough is too sticky, you can add an extra tablespoon of flour at a time until the dough comes together.

• to keep these strawberry cinnamon rolls easy and quick, i’m using a stand mixer to make the dough. however, it is definitely possible to make these strawberry cinnamon rolls without a stand mixer if you don’t have access to one. you can knead the dough by hand, just bear in mind that kneading the dough by hand will take longer. it’ll take about 20-25 minutes for the dough to come together if kneading by hand instead of the 15 minutes written in the recipe.

• you’ll know the strawberry cinnamon roll dough is ready when it feels soft and smooth, and springs back slightly when you press it gently.

• if you live in a cooler environment and don’t have a warm place to place your dough so that it can rise, there are a few things that you can do:

  – turn your oven on, on its lowest setting for just 1-2 minutes, then turn the oven off. then just place your covered dough inside and let it rise – the heat from the oven will create a perfectly warm environment for your strawberry cinnamon rolls to rise.

  – place a mug of hot water in the microwave for around 2 mins to create a warm environment inside. then, after those 2 minutes, place the covered dough inside the microwave next to the mug of hot water. do not turn the microwave on, just place the dough inside the warm microwave and let it rise.

• don’t rush the rising process. the dough should roughly double in size during the first rise, and the strawberry cinnamon rolls should also increase in size slightly during the second rise.

• when making the strawberry filling, we want to make sure that the filling is not too runny and not too thick. it should be almost like a strawberry jam and should be easy to spread. if it looks too runny, cook it a little longer before adding the cornstarch.

• cut the rolled out rectangle of dough into strips with a sharp knife, and then roll each of the strips up tightly into individual rolls. alternatively, you can roll up the rectangle of dough first and then use unflavoured dental floss or a sharp knife to slice the dough into individual strawberry cinnamon rolls if this method is easier for you.

• pouring extra cream over the rolls before baking is optional, but it will help make the strawberry cinnamon rolls extra soft and give you that gooey, caramelised base.

• i would recommend using a baking dish that’s on the smaller side over one that is overly big, as even though you need some room between each strawberry cinnamon roll so that they’re able to expand, having less space between them means they will be able to expand upwards – this makes for a nicer looking roll. you want a balance between too much space and not enough space.

• if you don’t want to be switching racks in the oven, i would recommend covering the strawberry cinnamon rolls with foil and baking for the first 15-18 minutes, and then removing the foil and baking for the other 15-18 minutes. this will ensure that the strawberry cinnamon rolls are cooked through and don’t have tops that are overly brown.

• you’ll know that your strawberry cinnamon rolls are done when the tops look golden brown and the center roll is fully cooked.

• adjust baking time as needed. every oven is different, so i recommend keeping an eye on your strawberry cinnamon rolls as they bake.

• once your strawberry cinnamon rolls are out of the oven, let them cool in the baking dish slightly. they will still be warm at this point but not overly hot, so the mascarpone whipped won’t completely melt into them.

• use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. while i add both metric and cup measurements for this recipe, i always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out your ingredients for most accurate results.

• if you do decide to use cups, bear in mind that this recipe uses higher than typical flour measurements, as it takes into account the fact that most people tend to scoop their flour.

• dust the powdered sugar over the frosted strawberry cinnamon rolls just before serving for the freshest, most beautiful finish.

• store any leftover strawberry cinnamon rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.

frequently asked questions

1. are strawberry cinnamon rolls good ?

   – yes!! the combination of warm, spiced cinnamon brown sugar, jammy fresh strawberry filling, soft dough (almost like milk bread dough) and whipped mascarpone cream is hard to beat. and the fresh strawberries on top and dusting of powdered sugar make them look as good as they taste.

2. what is the best yeast to use when making these strawberry cinnamon rolls ?

   – this strawberry cinnamon rolls recipe uses instant yeast – also called fast-action or quick yeast. the big advantage of instant yeast is that you don’t need to activate it first! it goes straight into the mixer with the other ingredients. if you want to make these strawberry cinnamon rolls with active dry yeast, you’ll need to activate it first in warm milk with a pinch of sugar for about 5-10 minutes until foamy before adding it to the dough.

3. can i make these strawberry cinnamon rolls without yeast ?

   – making these strawberry cinnamon rolls with no yeast would use a different dough entirely, and the texture would be quite different from this recipe. i don’t have a recipe for this at the moment, but you can search for no-yeast cinnamon rolls as your base dough if you want to go that route.

4. can i make this strawberry cinnamon roll recipe without a stand mixer ?

   – in order to be able to make this strawberry cinnamon rolls recipe easy and quick, i opted for using a stand mixer instead of kneading the dough by hand. however, if you don’t have a stand mixer, you can absolutely make these strawberry cinnamon rolls without one. you can knead the dough by hand, just be aware that it will take a bit longer. when using a stand mixer, it took about 15 minutes for the dough to come together, so when kneading by hand, it will likely take a good 20-25 minutes to get a soft, smooth dough.

5. can i make these strawberry cinnamon rolls with a milk bread dough instead of using this dough recipe ?

   – yes, you can use your favourite dough recipe and follow the rest of the steps as stated.

6. can i make these strawberry cinnamon rolls without cinnamon in the filling ?

   – yes, you can! you can make these strawberry cinnamon rolls with no cinnamon by simply leaving the cinnamon out of the brown sugar filling and making a plain strawberry roll without the spice. all the other components stay the same.

7. can i use milk instead of heavy cream for the dough in this strawberry cinnamon rolls recipe ?

   – i use a mix of milk and heavy cream in this strawberry cinnamon rolls recipe – this is what helps make these strawberry cinnamon rolls soft and fluffy and gives them their richness, especially since their is no egg in this recipe. you can use extra milk instead of the heavy cream, but bear in mind that the strawberry rolls won’t be as rich and soft.

8. can i make these strawberry cinnamon rolls with freeze dried strawberries ?

   – yes, you can make these strawberry cinnamon rolls using freeze dried strawberries by crushing freeze dried strawberries and folding them into the cinnamon brown sugar mixture for an intensely flavoured, non-soggy filling. you can also use them alongside fresh strawberries on top for decoration.

9. do i have to pour heavy cream over the strawberry cinnamon rolls before baking them ?

   – no, you don’t, but i would highly recommend doing this. pouring heavy cream over these strawberry cinnamon rolls before baking them not only makes them extra soft and rich, it also gives you that gooey, caramelised bottom that brings these strawberry rolls to another level.

10. how do i know when the strawberry cinnamon roll dough has risen enough ?

    – you’ll know when the dough has roughly doubled in size. it should take about an hour or two for this to happen.

11. can i prepare these strawberry cinnamon rolls in advance – e.g. prepare them the night before and bake them in the morning ?

    – yes, you can. once you’ve assembled the strawberry cinnamon rolls and placed them in a greased baking dish, just cover the dish and place it in the fridge overnight. in the morning, let them come to room temperature, then just pour heavy cream over the strawberry rolls and bake them. follow the rest of the recipe as stated.

12. why is my dough not rising ?

    – this could be because of a number of different reasons. check your yeast’s expiration date as yeast that is out of date might not activate properly. another thing you need to make sure of is that all of the liquid ingredients such as the milk and heavy cream that you add to the dough are at room temperature and are not too hot, as this can kill the yeast. lastly, you need to make sure that you cover your dough and let it sit in a warm place so that it’s able to rise properly.

13. how long do these strawberry cinnamon rolls stay fresh ?

    – these strawberry cinnamon rolls are best eaten on the day that they’re made, but will stay fresh for 2-3 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

14. my strawberry cinnamon rolls are touching after rising – is this okay ?

    – yes, that’s absolutely fine! if your strawberry cinnamon rolls are touching before you bake them, it just means that they will rise upwards instead of outwards – this is going to give you taller and fluffier rolls.

15. what do i do if the tops of my strawberry cinnamon rolls are browning too quickly in the oven ?

    – if you notice that the tops are browning too quickly, loosely cover the pan with some foil. this will protect your strawberry cinnamon rolls from direct heat while allowing them to finish baking.

16. can i make these strawberry cinnamon rolls with canned cinnamon rolls instead of making the dough from scratch ?

    – yes! if you’re in a hurry, you can use a can of ready-made cinnamon roll dough as the base, unroll and re-fill with the homemade strawberry filling and cinnamon sugar, re-roll and bake. top with the mascarpone cream and fresh strawberries.

17. can i make these strawberry cinnamon rolls with jam instead of making a strawberry filling from scratch ?

    – if you don’t have fresh or frozen strawberries for the filling, a good quality strawberry jam will work just fine as a shortcut. just spread it directly over the cinnamon sugar layer and follow the rest of the recipe as stated.

18. can i make these strawberry cinnamon rolls with cake mix ?

    – i personally have not tried this myself, so i can’t say for sure.

19. how can i use this recipe to make strawberry valentines cinnamon rolls ?

    – this recipe would honestly be perfect as it is for valentines day. the fresh whole strawberries and powdered sugar finish makes them look stunning, and the small batch of 6 is the perfect amount!

20. can i make this strawberry cinnamon rolls recipe with cream cheese frosting instead of the mascarpone whipped cream ?

    – you can absolutely make these strawberry cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing instead of the mascarpone cream! if you’re looking for an easy strawberry cream cheese cinnamon rolls recipe, you can follow the icing method in this strawberry cheesecake rolls recipe.

21. can i make these strawberry cinnamon rolls with lemon glaze ?

    – yes! you can skip the mascarpone cream and make a simple lemon glaze with icing sugar, milk and fresh lemon juice instead. this would be bright, sharp and beautiful against the sweet strawberry filling. this would be a great option if you want to make strawberry lemon cinnamon rolls as well. you could also make these strawberry cinnamon rolls with a lemon cream cheese glaze for something a bit more indulgent!

22. do i have to make a strawberry cinnamon roll glaze or can i just have them on their own ?

    – i love having these strawberry cinnamon rolls with some kind of glaze or icing, but you can definitely just have them on their own if that’s what you’d prefer. they’re still rich, fluffy and delicious!

23. can i make these strawberry cinnamon rolls with frozen strawberries instead of fresh ones ?

    – you can definitely make the strawberry filling for the rolls with frozen strawberries instead of fresh strawberries! it just might take a little longer, but you can follow the same steps stated in the recipe for frozen strawberries as well. make sure to use fresh whole strawberries at the end for decoration.

24. do strawberry cinnamon rolls need to be refrigerated ?

    – yes, the strawberry cinnamon rolls with need to be refrigerated because of the mascarpone cream topping and fresh strawberries, these rolls should be stored covered in the fridge. they will keep for 2-3 days but are best eaten on the day they’re made.

25. can i make mini strawberry cinnamon rolls instead of 6 big ones ?

    – yes, you can cut the dough into smaller strips for mini strawberry rolls. i would recommend reducing the baking time and keeping an eye on your strawberry cinnamon rolls in the oven if you plan to make mini rolls.

26. can i make strawberry cinnamon roll bites instead of rolls ?

    – yes, you can cut each rolled strip into pieces before the second rise for smaller, bite-sized portions. this would be great for sharing!

27. what other flavours could i combine with this strawberry cinnamon rolls recipe ?

    – there are a number of different flavours that would work really well together, such as:

    • strawberry matcha cinnamon rolls

    • red velvet strawberry cinnamon rolls

    • strawberry earl grey cinnamon rolls

    • strawberry oreo cinnamon rolls

    • strawberry orange cinnamon rolls

    • strawberry cheesecake cinnamon rolls

    • strawberry lemon cinnamon rolls

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