Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls

There's something irresistible about the smell of freshly baked homemade strawberry cinnamon rolls wafting through the house. These sweet treats combine the classic taste of traditional cinnamon rolls with the lovely British twist of strawberry jam. Each roll gives you fluffy dough, warm cinnamon spice, and fruity strawberry goodness that's simply divine.

This twist on classic cinnamon rolls make a wonderful weekend breakfast. They're also a lovely addition to afternoon tea or Easter brunch. 

Ingredients

• Strong white bread flour 
• Fast-action dried yeast (active dry yeast/instant yeast)
• Caster sugar 
• Salt 
• Warm whole milk 
• Unsalted butter 
• Egg 
• Strawberry jam 
• Light brown sugar 
• Ground cinnamon 
• Icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• Vanilla extract

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

1. Make the dough: In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the warm milk, melted butter, and egg, then mix until a dough forms. Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 8–10 minutes (or 5 minutes in the bowl of a stand mixer) until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1–1.5 hours in a warm place until doubled in size.

2. Prepare the filling:  Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll out the dough into a 35x25cm rectangle. Spread the softened butter over the dough, then sprinkle with half the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Evenly distribute the melted jam over the top and finish with the rest of the cinnamon sugar mix on top.

3. Roll & Cut: Roll the dough tightly from the long side into a log. Cut into 12 equal rolls using a sharp knife or floss. Place in a greased or lined 23cm x 33cm baking tin. Cover and do the second rise for 30–45 minutes.

4. Bake: Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C) / Gas Mark 4. Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Glaze & Serve: Mix icing sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth. Drizzle over the warm rolls before serving.

Substitutions

• If you don't have strawberry jam on hand, raspberry or mixed berry jam works well. For a different flavour altogether, you could try apricot or peach jam.
• You can substitute the milk for plant-based milk and the butter for vegan butter to make these dairy-free. Oat milk works particularly well, as it has a natural sweetness that works well with cinnamon and strawberry.
• For a slightly more filling roll, you can replace up to half of the strong white bread flour with wholemeal bread flour.

Variations

Add 50g of chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips over the jam before rolling up the dough for a decadent chocolate-strawberry combination.

Add the zest of one lemon to the dough and a squeeze of lemon juice to the glaze for a bright, citrusy taste that pairs wonderfully with the strawberry.

Sprinkle 50g of chopped toasted almonds or pecans over the filling before rolling for added texture and flavour.

Top with cream cheese frosting instead of icing.

Equipment

A large mixing bowl is essential for this recipe, along with a 23cm x 33cm baking tin for the final bake. You can knead the dough by hand, but a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment can also be used and speeds up the process.

A rolling pin is needed to roll out the dough, and a pastry brush is helpful for spreading the jam, though the back of a spoon works in a pinch. For cutting the rolls, a sharp knife is needed.

Storage

These strawberry cinnamon rolls are best enjoyed fresh from the oven, but they will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. To enjoy them later, warm them in the microwave for about 20 seconds or in a low oven (150°C) for 5 minutes.

The rolls also freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Freeze them either before or after baking:

For baked rolls: freeze after cooling completely, then thaw at room temperature and warm in the oven before glazing.

For unbaked rolls: Freeze after cutting and arranging in the tin, then thaw overnight in the fridge before allowing them to rise and bake as normal.

FAQ

Pairing

These are my favourite accompaniments to serve with strawberry cinnamon rolls:

• A pot of English Breakfast tea
• Fresh berries on the side
• Whipped mascarpone or clotted cream for an indulgent touch
• A glass of chilled Prosecco for a special brunch
• Homemade strawberry jam for those who want extra fruity flavour

Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

📖 Recipe

Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls

There's something irresistible about the smell of freshly baked strawberry cinnamon rolls wafting through the house. These sweet treats combine the classic taste of traditional cinnamon rolls with the lovely British twist of strawberry jam.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep TimePrep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook TimeCook Time 25 minutes minutes

Rising time 2 hours hours

Total TimeTotal Time 2 hours hours 55 minutes minutes

ServingsServings 12 rolls

Ingredients  

For the Dough:

• 500 g strong white bread flour
• 7 g fast-action dried yeast
• 50 g caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 250 ml warm milk
• 50 g unsalted butter melted
• 1 large egg

For the Filling:

• 100 g strawberry jam melted
• 100 g light brown sugar
• 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 40 g unsalted butter softened

For the Glaze (Optional):

• 100 g icing sugar
• 1 –2 tablespoon milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions 

• Step 1: Begin by making the dough. In a large bowl, combine the strong white bread flour, fast-action dried yeast, caster sugar, and salt, mixing well to distribute the ingredients evenly. Make a well in the center and pour in the warm milk (it should feel just warm to the touch, not hot), melted butter, and the egg. Mix everything together with a wooden spoon until it forms a shaggy dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
• Step 2: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes. This develops the gluten and gives the rolls their lovely soft, fluffy texture. The dough is ready when it feels smooth and elastic - if you gently press a finger into it, the indentation should slowly spring back. If you're using a stand mixer with a dough hook, this step will take about 5 minutes on a medium speed.
• Step 3: Place the kneaded dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover it with cling film or a damp tea towel. Leave it in a warm spot to rise for about 1-1.5 hours, or until it has doubled in size. The rising time may vary depending on the temperature of your kitchen - on a warm day, it might take just an hour, while on cooler days it could take up to 2 hours.
• Step 4: While the dough is rising, prepare your filling by mixing the light brown sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. If your strawberry jam is thick, warm it slightly in the microwave or in a small saucepan until it's easier to spread. Once the dough has doubled in size, gently punch it down to release the air bubbles and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
• Step 5: Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 35x25cm. The more even you can get this, the more uniform your rolls will be. Spread the softened butter over the entire surface of the dough, leaving about a 1cm border along the long edge furthest from you. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the butter, then carefully spread the melted strawberry jam over the top. Finish by sprinkling the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the jam.
• Step 6: Starting from the long edge nearest to you, tightly roll the dough into a log shape, trying to keep it as even as possible. When you reach the far edge, pinch it against the roll to seal it. With a sharp knife or a piece of unflavoured dental floss, cut the log into 12 equal slices. To use floss, slide it under the log, cross it over the top, and pull – this gives a clean cut without squashing the rolls.
• Step 7: Arrange the cut rolls in a greased or lined 23cm x 33cm baking tin, placing them cut-side up with a small gap between each roll to allow for their second rise. Cover the tin with cling film or a tea towel and leave the rolls to rise again for 30-45 minutes, until they've puffed up and are touching each other.
• Step 8: Towards the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 180°C (fan 160°C) / Gas Mark 4. Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes until golden brown on top and fully cooked through. If they start to brown too quickly, you can cover them loosely with foil for the last few minutes of baking.
• Step 9: While the rolls are still warm, prepare the glaze by mixing the icing sugar with the vanilla extract and enough milk to create a pourable consistency. Drizzle this generously over the warm rolls before serving, allowing it to seep into all the nooks and crannies.

Notes

These strawberry cinnamon rolls are best enjoyed fresh from the oven, but they will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. To refresh them, warm them in the microwave for about 20 seconds or in a low oven (150°C) for 5 minutes.

The rolls also freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Freeze them either before or after baking:

• For unbaked rolls: Freeze after cutting and arranging in the tin, then thaw overnight in the fridge before allowing them to rise and bake as normal.
• For baked rolls: Freeze after cooling completely, then thaw at room temperature and warm in the oven before glazing.

Top Tip

The key to perfect cinnamon rolls is not to rush the rising process! Both the first and second rise are crucial for developing flavour and ensuring that light, fluffy texture we all love. Also, when spreading the jam, try to leave a small border around the edges to prevent it from spilling out during rolling. If you find the dough is springing back while you're trying to roll it out, let it rest for 5 minutes to relax the gluten before trying again.