Strawberry Rolls

These soft, gooey strawberry rolls are made with fresh strawberries and topped with a sweet berry glaze. Easy to make from scratch, and simple to make vegan!

If you love ooey gooey cinnamon rolls, then let me introduce this strawberry version. Strawberry sweet dough rolled with a homemade strawberry jam, then covered in a sweet strawberry cream cheese glaze.

They are the perfect brunch recipe for Mother’s Day or any spring celebration where you want to bring something a little more fun and special than your average sweet roll. These strawberry rolls are also perfect to make if you’ve got little hands around; my daughter helped roll the dough, make the jam filling and top them!

See below for step-by-step photos, troubleshooting and tips for success, or head to the full recipe below.

What I love about this recipe

These strawberry rolls are everything I want in a weekend baking project. They’re soft, pillowy, and have plenty of real strawberry flavor in every bite. The freeze-dried strawberry powder is fun to cook with and gives the strawberry rolls the most gorgeous natural pink hue, so they look as beautiful as they taste. No artificial food coloring required!

They feel special enough for a brunch with friends, Mother’s Day, Easter, or Valentine’s Day, but simple enough to make on a slow Sunday morning just because.

These strawberry rolls are also so easy to make completely vegan. Use applesauce or dairy-free yogurt/butter/milk to make them. The homemade jam is yummy, but you can use store-bought jam if you’re short on time.

Ingredient Notes

• Active yeast: Make sure your yeast is fresh and not expired, otherwise your rolls won’t rise properly. If you aren’t sure whether your yeast is fresh, sprinkle it over the warm milk with a pinch of sugar and wait 5–10 minutes. It should look foamy and smell yeasty. If nothing happens, start over with new yeast.
• Warmed milk: Aim for 105–110°F, it should feel warm to the touch, like a baby’s bath. If your milk is too hot, then you’ll kill the yeast and too cold and it won’t activate. If you don’t have a thermometer, it should feel warm on your wrist but not hot. Whole milk gives the richest results, but any milk works, including non-dairy options like oat or almond.
• All-purpose vs. bread flour: Either works, but they give slightly different results. Bread flour has more protein, which creates more gluten and gives you taller, chewier rolls with better structure. All-purpose makes a softer, more tender roll. I usually use all-purpose as it’s more forgiving but both are good!
• Lemon zest and juice: I know there is a lot of lemon undertones in these strawberry rolls, and that’s on purpose. Lemon adds bright citrus flavor and pairs beautifully with strawberry. The zest is key here too, lots of concentrated flavor in the zest, so don’t skip it. Always zest before juicing (much easier), and use a microplane if you have one. Avoid the white pith underneath, which is bitter.
• Yogurt or applesauce: These add moisture and a slight tang that keeps the rolls tender. Yogurt (full-fat plain works best) gives a richer flavor, while applesauce keeps things dairy-free and adds a subtle sweetness. I’ve also tested these with dairy-free yogurt and it works!
• Freeze-dried strawberry powder: This is the secret to vibrant pink color and concentrated strawberry flavor without adding moisture using fresh strawberries, which would make for a wet and soggy dough. You can find freeze-dried strawberries at Trader Joe’s, Target, or most grocery stores. Blend them in a food processor or blender until you get a fine powder.
• Cream cheese (for glaze): This adds tang and richness that balances the sweetness of the powdered sugar. Make sure it’s fully softened so your glaze is smooth and lump-free. If you want a thinner, more traditional glaze, just leave it out.

How to Make these Strawberry Rolls (Step-by-Step Photos)

Step 1: Make the Strawberry Powder

To make the strawberry powder, grab a bag of freeze dried strawberries, place them in your food processor and process until a fine powder forms! This does two things– colors the frosting and the dough to be light pink and gives more concentrated strawberry flavor throughout.

Step 2: Mix the Ingredients

Bloom the yeast in warm milk right into the stand mixer. I do this so I don’t have to dirty another bowl! Make sure your milk is somewhat warm, there is a “goldilocks” temperature range of 105-110 degrees F activate the yeast, but if you don’t have a thermometer, then it should be warm to the touch but not hot. You’ll know the yeast is active as it should start foaming after a few minutes.

Then, add the rest of the ingredients right into the mixer.

Step 3: Mix the Dough

Using a dough hook, mix the dough for 7-10 minutes until the dough is elastic, cohesive but still somewhat sticky. You can do this by hand, kneading the dough, but it’s much easier to use a stand mixer if you have one! Let the dough rest for 30 minutes or so, as this allows the gluten to relax. Trying to roll the dough right after mixing will lead to a tough dough.

Step 4: Make the Jam

Mix together the strawberries, fresh or frozen, along with the maple syrup (or agave, or honey) and simmer until most of the water is absorbed, about 30 minutes or so, over low heat. Stir in the room temperature butter and cinnamon to help thicken the jam, then set aside to cool.

Step 5: Roll the Dough

Once the dough has relaxed, roll the dough out to a rectangle, about 9 x 15 inches. I don’t measure, but I want the dough to be a wide enough rectangle that I can get 6 rolls out of it and long enough that I can roll them up like cinnamon rolls.

Spread the cooled jam on top.

Step 6: Roll Up

Using a pizza cutter (I think this is easiest!) cut the dough into 6 equal strips. Roll the dough away from you to make a tight pinwheel, then place in either a greased or parchment lined baking dish. I use a 9-inch square dish and a 9 by 13 inch pan also works. Let proof for roughly one hour, or until double in size.

Bake for roughly 30 minutes, or until internal temp is 190. I’ve started using a thermometer to test baked goods rather than visual clues!

If you’ve got a hot oven, like I do, then I like to tent the pan with a little foil to prevent browning, then I remove that foil the last 10-15 minutes of baking.

Step 7: Make the Glaze

While the rolls are baking, make the glaze. I like adding the cream cheese as I think it makes for a richer glaze, but it’s optional. You of course can use a dairy-free cream cheese if you want to keep these strawberry rolls vegan.

Top the warm rolls with the glaze and enjoy!

Variations

One of my favorite things about these strawberry rolls is how easily they are to adapt. Here are some ways to switch things up:

Berry swaps: Try raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, or a mixed berry blend in place of the strawberries. Just like with the strawberry blend, use freeze-dried versions of whichever berry you choose for the powder to keep that vibrant color and flavor.

Lemon-blueberry rolls: Keep the lemon zest and juice but swap in fresh or frozen blueberries for the filling and freeze-dried blueberry powder for the dough.

White chocolate strawberry: Sprinkle white chocolate chips over the filling before rolling for little more indulgence.

Almond strawberry: Add 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract to the dough and sprinkle sliced almonds on top after glazing.

Mini rolls: Cut the rolled log into smaller pieces (about 1 inch thick) for bite-sized rolls. I like making cinnamon rolls like this when I’m serving kids!

Vegan version: Use plant-based milk, vegan butter, applesauce instead of yogurt, and dairy-free cream cheese in the glaze.

• Check your yeast first. Before you start mixing anything, bloom your yeast in the warm milk with a pinch of sugar. If it doesn’t get foamy after 10 minutes, your rolls won’t rise. I know it’s a pain, but if you aren’t sure it’s better to know now than after you’ve mixed them!
• Don’t rush the rise. Find a warm, draft-free spot (inside an off oven with the light on works great) and let it double in size. If your kitchen is cold, this could take longer than the recipe states.
• Measure your flour correctly. Too much flour is the most common reason rolls turn out dense or dry. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife rather than scooping directly from the bag, which packs it down. Better yet, use a kitchen scale if you have one.
• Roll the dough evenly. When you roll out the dough into a rectangle, try to keep the thickness consistent so your rolls bake evenly.
• Don’t overbake. These strawberry rolls are best when just barely golden on top. Overbaking will dry them out and make them tough.
• Glaze while warm, not hot. Let the rolls cool for about 10 minutes before glazing. Too hot and the glaze will completely melt and run off; too cold and it won’t spread nicely. You want that perfect in-between where it slightly melts into the swirls.

How to Freeze and Reheat

These strawberry rolls can be made and frozen if you have any leftovers. To freeze baked rolls, let them cool completely, then wrap each roll individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing them unglazed and adding fresh glaze after reheating for the best texture.

If you want to freeze unbaked rolls, shape the rolls and placing them in your baking dish, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. When ready to bake, transfer to the fridge overnight to thaw, then let them come to room temperature and rise for 1–2 hours before baking as directed.

If you want to reheat the next day, warm a single strawberry roll in the microwave for 20–30 seconds. For the oven, place rolls on a baking sheet, cover loosely with foil, and warm at 300°F for 10–15 minutes. If your rolls are frozen, let the roll thaw at room temperature first or add an extra minute or two to the warming time.

Make-Ahead Instructions

These rolls are perfect for making ahead, which is especially helpful for holiday mornings or brunch with overnight guests.

If you want to make these the night before, prepare the rolls through the shaping step, then place them in your greased baking dish, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight (up to 16 hours). In the morning, remove from the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for 1–1.5 hours, or until puffy and nearly doubled. Then bake as directed.

You can also make the dough in the morning and let it slow-rise in the fridge for up to 6 hours before shaping.

The cream cheese glaze can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature and give it a quick stir before using. If it’s too thick, add a splash of lemon juice or milk to loosen it up.

More Strawberry Recipes

• Strawberry Lemonade Vegan Scones
• The Best Homemade Low Sugar Strawberry Jam
• Creamy Strawberry Overnight Oats
• Macerated Strawberries
• Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
• Strawberry Poppyseed Salad
• Fresh Berry Trifle

If you make these strawberry rolls, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating. Your feedback helps other readers and seeing you make my recipes makes my day!