Supremely soft and pillowy cinnamon rolls swirled with both brown sugary cinnamon filling and fresh strawberry filling, and slathered in a luscious strawberry cream cheese frosting!
Happy Memorial Day, everyone!
It seems like Memorial Day sneaks up on me every year. It’s probably because I don’t do anything huge to celebrate. Unlike most of the country, I don’t go camping, nor do I hold a raging BBQ at my house. No, I’m more of the stay-at-home-binge-watch-Married-At-First-Sight-and-eat-tasty-treats kind of gal.
So if you’re like me and have absolutely no plans this holiday, might I make a little suggestion? Actually, it’s not really a suggestion…more of a demand.
Make these Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls!!!
Seriously, how gorgeous are these cinnamon rolls?? I just can’t get over how tall and fluffy they turned out. Not to mention, the pretty pastel pink frosting!
These Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls don’t just look stunning, but they taste beyond heavenly. (Ok Jillian, enough with the braggadocious commentary…) The dough is so soft and pillowy, it feels as though you’re picking up a warm cloud. The rolls are swirled with a double dose of sweetness since they’re brimming with both brown sugar-cinnamon filling and homemade strawberry filling. To finish things off, the rolls are generously slathered in a strawberry cream cheese frosting.
I mean, come on. How can you NOT make these cinnamon rolls after reading that description?
If you’re intimidated by the thought of making fresh cinnamon rolls, do NOT fret! They may not be as easy as popping a can of frozen cinnamon rolls open, but they’re a lot easier than you think. Plus, they’re a million baJillian times more heavenly. Also, I’ve found that the more I make cinnamon rolls, the easier it gets. So the “secret” is to just make more cinnamon rolls!
What are the key ingredients in the dough?
Active Dry Yeast – Yeast is the heart and soul of cinnamon rolls. Without yeast, the rolls wouldn’t bake up into those impossibly light and fluffy rolls of heaven! There are two types of yeast–active dry yeast and rapid-rise/instant yeast. I prefer active dry yeast since it requires proofing before it’s added to the dough. Proofing is when you dissolve the yeast in warm water (usually 110ºF-115ºF) with a little sugar, and wait to see if it reacts or foams up. It’s a great safeguard to make sure that your yeast isn’t dead or hasn’t expired. Rapid-rise is simply thrown in with the rest of the ingredients, so you’re not sure if you’re working with dead yeast or not.
Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix – I rarely every use pudding mix to make pudding, but I ALWAYS have it in my pantry. It’s great at keeping desserts soft and moist, whether I’m making cookies, cakes, or in this case, cinnamon rolls. Not only does it add a nice tenderness to the cinnamon rolls, but it also adds sweetness. That’s why you don’t need to add any sugar to the dough. Make sure to get INSTANT vanilla pudding mix–not the cook and serve. I would also stick with vanilla pudding mix, but white chocolate flavored pudding mix would be delicious as well!
Milk and Greek Yogurt – Cinnamon rolls require a little acidity to interact with the proteins in the flour. This creates a softer gluten structure, yielding a lighter, fluffier bread with a pleasantly chewy crumb. Although buttermilk is the acid of choice (that sounds weird) in most cinnamon roll recipes, I prefer to use a mixture of milk and Greek yogurt since I always have those ingredient in my refrigerator. You can also substitute sour cream for the Greek yogurt.
Can I use canned strawberry filling?
Well, you could…HOWEVER, it won’t be as exquisite as making your own strawberry filling. Ever since I discovered how easy it is to make your own berry/fruit filling at home, I’ve ditched the store-bought berry pie fillings for good. For one thing, the canned fillings contain about 10% actual fruit. And another thing, they cost an arm and a leg! Trust me on this one, guys, homemade is where it’s at!
How do I make strawberry filling?
Make sure that you start with good strawberries. There’s nothing worse than cutting into a beautiful ruby red strawberry, only to find out that it’s mostly white on the inside. (Womp, womp…) Luckily, we’re in prime strawberry season, so you shouldn’t have any problems finding sweet berries.
Since the strawberry filling is rolled up into the dough, you’ll want to cut the strawberries into smaller pieces. I ended up slicing the berries normally, then cutting each slice three more times. They don’t need to be tiny. You just don’t want any huge hunks of strawberries since it’ll make it harder to rough the dough up.
The chopped strawberries go in a medium saucepan over medium heat for a few minutes. Once they begin to soften, combine some granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a bowl. Pour this mixture into the berries, and stir everything together. Continue cooking the mixture until it thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Take the strawberry filling off the stove and pour it into a shallow bowl to allow for quicker cooling. Chill it in the refrigerator until it’s cooled to at least room temperature.
How do I assemble the cinnamon rolls?
Start by rolling the dough out in a rectangle that’s roughly 18×12 inches. Make sure that you’re working on a well-floured surface, and don’t be afraid to sprinkle a little extra flour on top of the dough if it starts feeling sticky. Once you’ve reached the correct dimensions, spread the brown sugar filling over the entire surface. Next, drop spoonfuls of the strawberry filling over the brown sugar filling, then use a butterknife or offset spatula to spread it out evenly. Try to leave about an inch of space along the edges since the filling tends to squish out of the sides as you’re rolling the dough up.
Now it’s time for the messy part…rolling the dough into a log. I found that the best technique is to LIFT and roll the dough on top of itself instead of using a pushing action. This will keep the berry filling from smushing out.
When it comes time to cut the cinnamon rolls, your best bet is a string of unwaxed dental floss. Not even the sharpest knife in the world will get you those clean, effortless cuts that a cheap box of floss can achieve. Simply tear off a long strand of floss, slide it underneath the log of dough, bring both ends up, twist them around each other and pull tightly. Make sure to cut the log up into 12 even rolls.
Since the strawberry filling makes things a tad bit messier, I recommend sliding a thin metal spatula under each roll and lifting them into the baking dish.
How do I make the BEST strawberry cream cheese frosting?
The key is to start with soft butter AND cream cheese. This ensures that you don’t end up with lumpy frosting. I usually let the butter and cream cheese sit out for at least an hour before beating them together. The other key to “lumpless” frosting is slowly incorporating the powdered sugar into the frosting. I like to turn the mixer on for 30-45 seconds after every half cup that’s added.
Although it’s not a common ingredient in cream cheese frosting, I like to add a little corn syrup. Just one tablespoon prevents any crystallization from occurring and gives the frosting a smoother finish. If you don’t have any, don’t worry. It’s definitely not mandatory!
To give the frosting a “kiss” of strawberry sweetness, a little bit of that wonderful strawberry filling as added. You’ll need 2 tablespoons of filling for the frosting, and 2 tablespoons for the very end. After the rolls are frosted, take those last 2 tablespoons of strawberry filling, dab a little onto each roll, and use an offset spatula or a butter knife to gently swirl it into the frosting.
Needless to say, these Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls were a hit in my house. In fact, I’m pretty sure my boyfriend fell in love with me all over again after he sunk his teeth into one. But honestly, who wouldn’t have hearts in their eyes after biting into one of these fluffy clouds of STRAWBERRYlicious heaven?
Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Strawberry Filling:
- 3 ½ cup chopped fresh strawberries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon of salt
Dough:
- ¼ cup warm water*
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (one 1/4-ounce packet)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼ cup instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 cup milk (warmed in microwave for 30-40 seconds)
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 Tablespoon Greek yogurt
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3-3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Filling:
- 5 Tablespoons salted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 5 ounces cream cheese
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 Tablespoon corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup strawberry filling (reserved from filling)
Instructions
Make the Strawberry Filling:
- In a medium saucepan, heat the strawberries over medium heat until they soften and their juices start to release, about 3-4 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add mixture to the strawberries and continue cooking until it begins to thicken, about 4-5 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat and pour berry filling into a shallow bowl. Transfer 1/4 cup of the filling to a small bowl to use for the frosting. Chill in the refrigerator to cool completely.
Make the Dough:
- In a glass measuring cup, combine the water, yeast, and sugar; set aside to foam for about 5-10 minutes.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the pudding mix and milk together until combined and thickened. Add the butter, Greek yogurt, egg, and salt, beating until fully combined.
- Switch to the dough hook, and add the yeast mixture and 3 cups of the flour. Mix the dough on low and allow it to knead for about 6-7 minutes. If dough is still too sticky, add more flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until dough just cleans the bowl, but is very soft. It should still stick to the bottom of the bowl.
- Coat a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray and place dough in bowl. Seal tightly with plastic wrap. Place bowl in a warm place and allow dough to rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours. In the meantime, spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- After dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Turn dough out onto a floured Silpat or floured countertop. With a rolling pin, roll it out to an 18-by-12-inch rectangle. Sprinkle extra flour onto the dough if it begins to stick to the rolling pin.
- Make the cinnamon brown sugar filling by combining the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Spread the filling evenly over the entire surface of the dough. Pour the strawberry filling on top of the brown sugar filling and spread evenly. Roll dough tightly into a log, ending with the seam side down.**
- Using plain, unwaxed dental floss (or a bench scraper), slice the rolls into 12 evenly-sized rolls. Arrange the rolls cut side down in the prepared baking dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap.
*If Baking Immediately
- Allow the rolls to rise again in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
*Or...If You Want to Bake the Rolls the Next Day
- Place covered rolls in the refrigerator for up to 20 hours. Before baking, let the rolls sit at room temperature until they have nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.***
Baking:
- For either version, bake at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown. While the rolls bake, prepare the cream cheese frosting.
Make the Frosting:
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add the corn syrup, vanilla, and salt, and beat until combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar, a half cup at a time, beating until well incorporated. Scrape down sides of the bowl, if necessary. Stir in 2 Tablespoons of the reserved strawberry filling.
- Once the rolls have baked, remove from the oven. Allow to rest/cool for 20 minutes.
- Spread the cream cheese frosting over the cinnamon rolls. Take the remaining 2 Tablespoons of strawberry filling, dab the tops of each cinnamon roll, then use a knife or spatula to swirl it into the frosting. Serve immediately.
- Rolls are best eaten fresh, but will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat leftover rolls for 10-15 seconds in the microwave before serving.