These strawberry sweet rolls are incredibly soft, loaded with fresh strawberry flavor, and topped with a decadent strawberry cream cheese frosting. The most delicious way to eat strawberries for breakfast!
If you’re looking for a decadent, drool-worthy, summery breakfast bake, you can go ahead and stop your search. You’ve come to the right place, my friends! I have for you the most delicious recipe for Strawberry Sweet Rolls, and they are nothing short of breakfast bliss.
Incredibly soft, super moist sweet rolls filled with a fresh strawberry filling and covered in a luscious layer of strawberry cream cheese frosting. It’s a summer-take on the classic cinnamon roll, and I’m just so excited to share it with y’all!
This all started with Brian Hart Hoffman’s recipe for his Best-Ever Cinnamon Rolls over at Bake From Scratch. I very slightly adapted Brian’s recipe for the dough in these strawberry sweet rolls, and I’m not sure I’ll ever need another. Y’all, this dough is just so good. It’s very forgiving and leaves you with sweet rolls that have a soft, gooey texture. Each roll is tender, moist, and perfectly sweet. No edges that are tough or dried out, just a pan full of center rolls. Brian also brushes warm heavy cream over his unbaked sweet rolls, so naturally I needed to include this decadent step. Let me tell you, brushing your sweet rolls with warm heavy cream before popping them in the oven is an absolute GAME CHANGER. It makes them that much richer, gooier, soft, moist. You get it.
The strawberry filling and strawberry cream cheese frosting really send these over the top, making these sweet rolls the perfect breakfast bake for summer. I use strawberry preserves and a reduced strawberry puree in both the filling and cream cheese frosting, which provides you with loads of strawberry flavor. Not to mention it makes these sweet rolls pink and super cute.
One more thing! Working with yeasted doughs and making delicious sweet rolls isn’t difficult, but it helps to know what you’re doing. Be sure to read through my notes for some helpful tips on what to look for when making your dough. I also recommend reading through the recipe in its entirety before starting- this simply helps to keep you informed and organized and makes preparing these strawberry sweet rolls simple and fun!
What you’ll need to make these sweet rolls:
Whole milk: The fat content of whole milk creates a richer, softer roll, while the sugar in the milk helps tenderize the dough and activates the yeast.
Active dry yeast: Yeast is the key player in fermentation. The yeast feeds on the sugars in the dough and produces carbon dioxide, which gives the dough it’s rise. The yeast also helps strengthen the dough and give it flavor.
Sugar: Sugar of course adds sweetness, but also helps tenderize the dough and activates the yeast.
Butter: Using melted butter in the dough adds richness, moisture, and flavor to the sweet rolls.
Sour cream: Sour cream makes these rolls extra soft, adds moisture, and helps create a tender texture.
Egg: For structure and binding.
Flour: For structure. Gluten strands in the flour must be strengthened by kneading. To test for proper gluten development in your dough, be sure to use the windowpane test (see my recipe notes).
Kosher salt: For balance.
Heavy cream: Brushing warm heavy cream over the top of the unbaked rolls is my new favorite trick, courtesy of Brian Hart Hoffman! It makes each rolls incredibly soft and moist. No hard edges, just a pan full of center rolls.
Strawberries for the reduced strawberry puree.
Butter, strawberry preserves, reduced strawberry puree, and sugar for the strawberry filling.
Cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and reduced strawberry puree for the strawberry cream cheese frosting.
FAQs:
Why is this recipe primarily listed in grams? I develop my recipes in grams because weighing your ingredients is the best, most accurate way to bake. Baking is a science and precision is key to success! Measuring cups are not standardized, and what’s more, the way each baker uses them varies drastically, which ultimately gives you inconsistent (and sometimes negative) results. For instance, did you know that scooping flour out of a cannister can give you 50% more flour than what’s called for in the recipe? By weighing your ingredients rather than using measuring cups, you can confidently know that you are using the correct amount of each ingredient, giving you greater success & delicious results. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale, like this one when you bake. Plus, it makes clean up a lot easier!
What’s the best pan to use for strawberry sweet rolls? I recommend using a metal 9×13” baking pan. Metal is a better conductor of heat than glass. You can bake these in a glass dish, but you might need to increase your bake time a bit. The rolls are done when golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads 190°F to 200°F.
Why do you roll up the sweet rolls individually? For this recipe, I like to use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into strips before rolling them into spirals. I found that this was a simpler way to cut down on the mess and create cleaner lines. But you can certainly use the traditional jellyroll method if that’s what you prefer! See my recipe notes.
Can I make these ahead of time? See my recipe notes for a make ahead option!
A few notes before you bake:
Read this helpful information before you make your dough!
When it comes to yeasted dough, there are a lot of variables at play that can affect how much additional flour to add, kneading time, and proofing time. Variables can include where you live, the temperature of your kitchen, humidity levels, and a host of other things. The best thing I can tell you to do is watch your dough and pay attention to the cues given in the recipe. Sometimes I add all the extra flour and sometimes I only need a tablespoon or so. Sometimes I knead my dough longer than the recipe calls for. Sometimes my proofing time is less. You get the point. Just watch for cues.
- When to add extra flour to the dough. If it’s too slack or too sticky, you need to add more flour. You want the dough to be pulling away and “cleaning” the sides of the mixing bowl.
- How to add extra flour to your dough. Be sure to add flour 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix for 30 seconds after each addition. Stop adding flour once the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
- How long to knead the dough. The dough has been adequately kneaded when it is smooth, elastic, and passes the windowpane test (see my recipe notes).
Strawberry Sweet Rolls
- Prep Time: 1 hour (plus proofing time)
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 1/2 hours
- Yield: 12 rolls 1x
- Category: Breakfast & Brunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Breakfast, Brunch
Description
These strawberry sweet rolls are incredibly soft, loaded with fresh strawberry flavor, and topped with a decadent strawberry cream cheese frosting. The most delicious way to eat strawberries for breakfast!
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 300 gm (1 ¼ cups) warm whole milk (110-115°F), divided
- 7 gm (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 67 gm (1/3 cup) + 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
- 84 gm (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and warm (110-115°F)
- 60 gm (1/4 cup) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten and at room temperature
- 500 to 563 gm (4 to 4 ½ cups, spoon & leveled) all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 120 gm (1/2 cup) warm heavy cream, for brushing
For the reduced strawberry puree:
- 170 gm (1 cup) hulled strawberries, pureed until smooth
For the strawberry filling:
- 70 gm (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 60 gm (3 tablespoons) strawberry preserves
- 15 gm (1 tablespoon) reduced strawberry puree
- 25 gm (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
For the strawberry cream cheese frosting:
- 113 gm (4 oz) cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 180 gm (1 ½ cups) powdered sugar
- 30 gm (2 tablespoons) reduced strawberry puree
Instructions
To make the dough:
- In a small bowl, combine 240 gm (1 cup) warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 67 gm (1/3 cup) sugar, melted butter, sour cream, egg, and remaining 60 gm (1/4 cup) warm milk at low speed until combined.
- In a large bowl, combine 500 gm (4 cups) flour and the kosher salt. Add half of the flour mixture into the sugar mixture and mix until just combined. Next, add in the foamy yeast mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Then mix in the remaining flour mixture until a shaggy dough forms.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and switch to the dough hook attachment. Beat on medium speed for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add up to remaining 63 gm (1/2 cup) flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed, until the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl (TIP: Beat for 30 seconds after adding each additional tablespoon of flour to avoid adding too much). Continue to beat on medium speed until the dough is smooth, elastic, and passes the windowpane test* (see notes).
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a smooth ball. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning to grease the top of the dough. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes.
To make the reduced strawberry puree:
- Place the pureed strawberries and 2 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan set over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until reduced and thickened, about 6-8 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl. Set aside to cool.
To make the strawberry filling + Assembly and baking:
- Make the strawberry filling. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the strawberry preserves and mix until combined. Set aside while you roll out your dough.
- Punch down the dough and let stand for 5 minutes. In the meantime, spray a 9×13” baking pan with baking spray.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 18×12” rectangle. Spread an even layer of the strawberry filling over the surface of the dough. Next, drizzle 15 gm (1 tablespoon) of the strawberry puree over the filling and gently spread to evenly distribute. Lastly, sprinkle 25 gm (2 tablespoons) sugar evenly over the dough.
- Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough horizontally into 12 even strips (**NOTE: you can also use the traditional jellyroll method here if you prefer). Roll each strip into a spiral and place in the prepared pan, being sure to space evenly to ensure that each roll has room to rise.
- Lightly cover with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise again in a warm, draft-free place until puffy and crowding each other in the pan, about 30-45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°
- Using a pastry brush, gently brush the warm heavy cream over each roll. Pour any remaining cream around the edges of the pan.
- Bake until golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads 190°F to 200°F, about 30-35 minutes. Let the rolls cool in the pan for 10 minutes before topping with strawberry cream cheese frosting.
To make the strawberry cream cheese frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until combined and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and 30 gm (2 tablespoons) of the strawberry puree. Mix on low speed until the ingredients come together, then increase the mixer to medium-high speed and continue to beat until combined and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Spread the strawberry cream cheese frosting over warm rolls.
Notes
Recipe and instructions for the dough slightly adapted from Brian Hart Hoffman’s Best-Ever Cinnamon Rolls at Bake from Scratch
*Windowpane test: Use the windowpane test to check for proper gluten development. Gently pinch off a ball of dough. Slowly pull the dough out from the center. If the dough is ready, you will be able to stretch it until it is translucent like a windowpane. If the dough tears, it’s not ready; beat for another minute and check again.
**Traditional jellyroll method: Roll the dough into a tight jellyroll log. Using dental floss or a sharp serrated knife, trim the ends and cut the dough into 12 equal rolls.
Make ahead option: Prepare the dough as directed through step 5. Punch the dough down, tightly cover, and refrigerate overnight. Continue recipe instructions, allowing extra time as needed.
Storage: Store leftover rolls covered in the refrigerator.
