Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls combine the gooey goodness of traditional cinnamon rolls with the fruity brightness of strawberry pie filling and a tangy cream cheese frosting. With just a few simple ingredients and frozen bread dough, these rolls are easy to make and perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet treat any time of day. The addition of heavy cream before baking makes them extra moist and indulgent.
Full Recipe:
Ingredients
For the rolls:
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1 lb frozen bread dough (thawed)
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2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
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2 teaspoons granulated sugar
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21 oz can strawberry pie filling
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½ cup heavy cream (for pouring over rolls before baking)
For the frosting:
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1 ½ cups powdered sugar
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⅛ cup heavy cream
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4 oz cream cheese (softened)
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2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Directions
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Prepare the dough: Roll out the thawed bread dough onto a lightly floured surface to form a 12×18-inch rectangle.
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Add the filling: Spread the strawberry pie filling evenly over the dough using a spatula. Mix the cinnamon and sugar, then sprinkle it over the strawberry layer.
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Roll and slice: Roll the dough into a tight log and slice into 12 pieces, about 1½ inches wide.
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Arrange in pan: Place the rolls in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish, evenly spaced. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free location for 1 to 1½ hours until puffy.
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Add cream: Pour heavy cream over the rolls just before baking for extra gooeyness.
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Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
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Make frosting: While the rolls are baking, beat together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, cream cheese, and lemon juice until smooth.
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Frost and serve: Spread the frosting over the warm rolls and serve immediately. Garnish with fresh berries if desired.
Nutrients (per serving)
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Calories: 298 kcal
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Carbohydrates: 49g
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Protein: 3g
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Fat: 9g
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Saturated Fat: 5g
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Cholesterol: 24mg
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Sodium: 223mg
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Potassium: 27mg
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Fiber: 1g
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Sugar: 27g
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Vitamin A: 310 IU
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Vitamin C: 11mg
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Calcium: 33mg
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Iron: 0.3mg
The Perfect Dough for Cinnamon Rolls
The foundation of any great cinnamon roll is the dough, and using frozen bread dough makes this recipe incredibly convenient without sacrificing texture or flavor. The dough is soft and pillowy, creating the perfect base for the strawberry filling and the gooey cinnamon sugar layer. Once thawed and rolled out into a rectangle, the dough is easy to work with, allowing you to create uniform rolls that bake up perfectly golden and soft.
While using frozen dough speeds up the process significantly, the result is still wonderfully tender rolls with the same satisfying chewiness and fluffiness you’d expect from homemade dough. Plus, it helps you skip the time-consuming kneading and rising that typically comes with making dough from scratch, making this recipe an excellent option for those short on time but still craving a delicious homemade treat.
The Strawberry Filling: A Burst of Fruity Flavor
The addition of strawberry pie filling is what sets these rolls apart from traditional cinnamon rolls. The rich, sweet filling brings a fruity brightness that complements the warmth and sweetness of the cinnamon sugar perfectly. It’s the ideal balance of tart and sweet, giving each bite a refreshing pop of strawberry flavor. The pie filling is spread evenly over the dough, creating a flavorful layer that contrasts beautifully with the cinnamon sugar.
What’s even better is that the strawberry pie filling is already prepared, which means no additional work in making the filling. It’s a simple, easy way to infuse your rolls with the delicious flavor of strawberries without having to make a homemade fruit filling. If you prefer, you can even use fresh strawberries, but the canned pie filling is the most convenient option.
The Cinnamon-Sugar Layer: Warm and Aromatic
Sprinkling the cinnamon and sugar mixture over the strawberry pie filling is where the classic cinnamon roll flavors come into play. The cinnamon adds a warm, aromatic spice that perfectly complements the sweetness of the strawberry, creating a familiar and comforting flavor profile. The sugar not only enhances the sweetness but also helps create that delightful caramelization when the rolls bake in the oven.
When combined with the strawberry filling, the cinnamon-sugar mixture provides a harmonious blend of flavors, offering both warmth from the cinnamon and a slight sweetness that balances the tartness of the strawberries. It’s a classic combo that makes these rolls both indulgent and satisfying.
The Secret to Extra Gooey Rolls: Heavy Cream
To make these Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls extra indulgent, the recipe calls for pouring heavy cream over the rolls just before baking. The heavy cream soaks into the dough, creating an incredibly soft and gooey texture that makes each bite melt in your mouth. As the rolls bake, the cream helps keep the dough moist and tender, ensuring that the cinnamon rolls come out perfectly gooey and not dry or overly dense.
The addition of heavy cream also adds richness and a silky texture to the rolls, making them even more indulgent. It’s a simple step that takes the rolls to the next level, ensuring that every bite is as decadent as the last.
The Cream Cheese Frosting: Tangy and Sweet
No cinnamon roll is complete without a luscious frosting, and this cream cheese frosting adds the perfect tangy contrast to the sweetness of the rolls. Made with just a few simple ingredients—powdered sugar, cream cheese, heavy cream, and lemon juice—this frosting is smooth and velvety, with a delightful balance of sweetness and tang. The cream cheese adds a richness that complements the strawberry filling and the cinnamon sugar, while the lemon juice gives the frosting a slight acidity that helps cut through the richness of the rolls.
The frosting is spread over the warm rolls, allowing it to melt slightly and soak into the dough, creating an even more indulgent experience. The sweetness of the frosting pairs perfectly with the slightly tart strawberries and the rich cinnamon sugar, making each bite a balanced explosion of flavors.
Baking and Assembly
Once the rolls are assembled, they are allowed to rise in the baking dish for about 1 to 1½ hours until they are puffy and nearly doubled in size. This step is crucial for ensuring that the rolls are light and fluffy when baked. After the rise, the heavy cream is poured over the rolls just before baking, ensuring that they become extra gooey and moist. The rolls are baked at 350°F for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through, filling your kitchen with a mouthwatering aroma.
After baking, the rolls are topped with the tangy cream cheese frosting, which melts slightly into the warm rolls, making them even more indulgent. For an extra touch, you can garnish the rolls with fresh berries, which not only enhance the flavor but also add a pop of color and freshness to the dish.
Serving and Enjoying Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
These rolls are perfect for any occasion, from a special breakfast or brunch to a sweet afternoon snack. Their combination of warm cinnamon sugar, sweet strawberry filling, and tangy cream cheese frosting makes them the ideal treat to share with family and friends. They are best enjoyed warm, straight from the oven, with a cup of coffee or tea.
You can also make these rolls ahead of time by preparing them the night before and letting them rise in the fridge overnight. The next morning, simply bake them off for a warm, fresh breakfast with minimal effort. These rolls also freeze well, so you can store them for later enjoyment—just reheat them in the oven for a few minutes to restore their gooey goodness.
Nutritional Benefits
While Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls are undeniably a sweet indulgence, they also provide some nutritional benefits. Each roll contains 298 calories, 49 grams of carbohydrates, and 27 grams of sugar, making them a satisfying treat without being overly rich. The rolls also provide a modest amount of protein (3 grams per serving) and some fiber (1 gram), which helps make them more filling. The cream cheese frosting adds richness, with 9 grams of fat and 5 grams of saturated fat, but it’s balanced with the fruity, tart strawberry filling, making these rolls a sweet treat that’s worth the indulgence.
Conclusion: A Sweet, Fruity Indulgence
Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls are a fun, flavorful twist on a beloved classic. The combination of cinnamon sugar, strawberry pie filling, and cream cheese frosting creates a perfectly balanced treat that’s both indulgent and refreshing. Whether you’re making them for a special occasion or just craving something sweet, these rolls are sure to impress. The gooey texture, rich flavors, and fruity filling make them the ultimate breakfast or brunch treat, and the best part is, they’re easy to make using frozen dough. It’s a sweet and simple way to enjoy a decadent, homemade treat.