Fresh Strawberry Sweet Rolls with a Lemony Cream Cheese Glaze

A soft, tender roll enveloping a sweet and tangy fresh strawberry swirl, peeking out from beneath a cream cheese glaze with a hint of lemony citrus. Fresh Strawberry Sweet Rolls with a Lemony Cream Cheese Glaze make a delightful breakfast.

this recipe!

I love cinnamon rolls, and these Fresh Strawberry Sweet Rolls with a Lemony Cream Cheese Glaze are a delicious twist! Juicy sweet strawberries, a smooth and flavorful cream cheese glaze, and just a hint of lemon make a bright and delectable combination.

These Fresh Strawberry Sweet Rolls with a Lemony Cream Cheese Glaze are a perfect make-ahead breakfast. Assemble them the day before and let them rise in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, just let them finish rising on the counter for about an hour then pop them into the oven.

The fresh strawberry swirl is made from strawberries that have been chopped, sprinkled with sugar, left to macerate, then thickened with cornstarch. The bright and fresh strawberry flavor really shines through!

As you can see, these Strawberry Sweet Rolls are quite overflowing with strawberry filling. Rolling and slicing them can get messy, but don't worry, the juicy burst of strawberry flavor is worth it. When rolling up the dough, use a light, lifting motion and try to keep the strawberry filling in place. If you try to roll too tightly, all of the filling will squish out. A sharp, serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion when slicing will also help retain the filling in its place. After slicing, scoop up the roll gently using the flat side of the knife to help hold the filling in place when transferring the roll to the pan. Any bits that ooze out can be tucked back into the swirls.

Recipe

Fresh Strawberry Sweet Rolls with a Lemony Cream Cheese Glaze

Kelly

Soft, tender rolls with a sweet and tangy fresh strawberry swirl and a cream cheese glaze.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

5 hours hrs

Total Time 5 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 12 servings

Calories 454 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the dough:

• 1 cup whole milk 8.7oz, 246g
• 2 envelopes active dry yeast 2 ¼ teaspoons, 14g
• ½ cup granulated sugar 3.5oz, 99g
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened (3oz, 85g)
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 - 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour 20-21.25oz, 567-602g

For the Strawberry Filling:

• 3 ½ cups chopped strawberries 15.6oz, 443g
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar 4.7oz, 133g
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch .75oz, 21g

For the Cream Cheese Glaze:

• 8 oz cream cheese softened but still cool (227g)
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar 2.6oz, 74g
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• pinch of salt
• ¼ cup heavy cream 3oz, 85g, or more depending on desired consistency

Instructions

 

For the Strawberry Filling:

• Sprinkle the sugar over the strawberries and let rest for 20-30 minutes to draw out the juices.
• Strain off some of the juice and collect in a small bowl. Thoroughly blend in the cornstarch until no lumps remain.
• Heat the strawberries and their juice over medium heat until bubbling. Add the strawberry juice/cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.
• Let cool and refrigerate until well chilled. **see note

For the dough:

• Heat the milk to about 110 degrees F. Add the yeast and 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Mix to combine and let rest 5-10 minutes until bubbly and active.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk, yeast, rest of the sugar, softened butter, eggs and yolks, salt, and 2 cups flour.
• Using the paddle attachment, mix to combine, then mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes to start developing the dough.
• Change to the dough hook, add 2 more cups of flour, and knead at medium speed (adding the remaining ¼ cup of flour, little by little as needed) until the dough is smooth and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. There may still be some sticking to the bottom of the bowl.
• Form the dough into a ball and place in a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours. *see note

Roll and fill the dough:

• Prepare a 13 by 9 inch baking dish. Lightly butter the dish, cut a piece of parchment to fit the bottom of the pan, place it in the pan, and butter the parchment paper.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and gently press and roll it out into a 19 by 14 inch rectangle.
• With the long side facing you, spread the Strawberry Filling over the dough, leaving a 1 ½ inch border at the far side.
• Roll the dough, beginning with the long edge closest to you. Roll with a gentle lifting motion to lift the roll over the filling, trying to keep it in its place. If you roll to tightly the filling will squish out. As you get to the far end of the roll, pull up the border that does not have any filling on it and pinch it to the rest of the roll to seal the roll and hold in the filling.
• Cut the roll into 12 equal pieces and put into prepared baking dish. A sharp, serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion when slicing will help retain the filling in its place. After slicing, scoop up the roll gently using the flat side of the knife to help hold the filling in place when transferring the roll to the pan. Any bits that ooze out can be tucked back into the swirls.

If you are rising and baking immediately:

• Cover the rolls with a piece of plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours.
• When risen, bake on a rack placed in the lower third of a preheated 375 degree F oven until golden brown. This is about 25-30 minutes in my oven. If you check the internal temperature in the center of one of the rolls, it should register about 188 degrees F.

To rise overnight and bake in the morning:

• Cover the rolls tightly with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator overnight. They will begin to rise. In the morning, remove the rolls from the refrigerator and set in a warm place to finish rising until they are doubled in size, about 1 - ½ hours.
• When risen, bake on a rack placed in the lower third of a preheated 375 degree F oven until golden brown. This is about 25-30 minutes in my oven. If you check the internal temperature in the center of one of the rolls, it should register about 188 degrees F.

Notes

• I like to let the dough rise in a slightly warmed oven. Just turn on the oven to gently warm it for a few seconds. When it feels like a very warm summer day inside, turn off the heat and place the bowl of dough inside.
• The Strawberry Filling needs to be well chilled before spreading on the dough. This helps it stay in place instead of squishing out when rolling.
• A clear glass baking dish allows you to see when the bottom and sides of the rolls have turned golden brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 454kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 9gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 273mgPotassium: 198mgFiber: 2gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 603IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 3mg

Keyword strawberry sweet rolls, sweet rolls

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