How to make Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls

You know that one recipe that just feels like a hug in food form? Yeah… these Strawberry Cinnamon Buns are exactly that. 💕 They’re soft, fluffy, bakery-style rolls filled with homemade strawberry jam (spiced with a cozy hit of cinnamon), and topped with a dreamy strawberry milk glaze that makes them impossible to resist.

They’ve got the nostalgic vibe of cinnamon rolls but with a fruity, fresh twist — basically if a cinnamon roll and a strawberry Pop-Tart had a bougie little baby.

This recipe makes 9 large buns in a square pan, or 12 medium ones if you’re baking for a crowd. They’re perfect for weekend baking, brunch flexes, or just when you need a serotonin boost via carbs.

📋 Yield + Time Breakdown

• YIELD:
  9 large buns (9×9″ pan)
  or 12 medium buns (9×13″ pan)
• TOTAL TIME:
  ~3.5 to 4 hours (includes both rises)

🍓 Strawberry Jam Filling

Okay let’s talk about the real star here: the jam. Yes, we’re making it from scratch. Yes, it’s easy. And yes, it tastes 1000x better than anything store-bought.

You’ll Need:

• 1½ cups chopped strawberries (fresh or frozen)
• ⅓ cup sugar (adjust to taste)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water (slurry)

How to Make It:

1. Combine strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until bubbly and soft (5–7 mins).
2. Lightly mash with a spoon or spatula.
3. Stir in the cornstarch slurry.
4. Cook for another 2–3 mins until thickened. Let it cool before using — it’ll thicken more as it rests.

💡 Pro Tip: This jam can be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge. Leftovers? Use it on toast or swirl it into yogurt!

🥣 Dough Ingredients

• 3½ cups (440g) all-purpose or bread flour
• ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 2¼ tsp instant yeast (1 packet)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup almond milk + ¼ cup heavy cream (warmed to ~100°F)
• 1/4 tsp strawberry extract (optional)

🍓 Strawberry-Cinnamon Filling

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup strawberry jam (homemade or store-bought)
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp cornstarch (keeps it from leaking everywhere)

🍓 Strawberry Glaze

This glaze is sweet, simple, and a little playful — just how we like it.

What You Need:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp strawberry jam
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp strawberry extract (optional)

🧁 Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Make the Dough

In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add the egg and warm almond milk + cream, strawberry extract mixing until a shaggy dough forms. Continue kneading (by hand or stand mixer) for about 10–15 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot for about 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.

2. Roll & Fill

Once risen, roll your dough out into a 12×16 inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface.

Mix jam, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch together in a bowl. Spread the jam evenly across the dough. Don’t go all the way to the edges — leave a ½” border to help the dough seal.

Starting from the long side, roll tightly into a log. Use unflavored dental floss or a sharp knife to slice into 9 or 12 pieces, depending on your pan.

3. Second Rise

Place the buns in a greased baking pan, leaving a little space between each one. Cover and let them rise again for 45 minutes, or until nice and puffy.

4. Bake the Buns

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake buns for 22–28 minutes, or until golden brown and the centers bounce back when touched.

✨ The smell at this point? Unreal.

5. Glaze & Serve

While the buns are still a little warm, drizzle them with your strawberry milk glaze.

Let the glaze melt in for that sticky, gooey bakery finish — or wait until the buns cool fully if you want a drizzle that sets pretty. Either way, chef’s kiss.

Top with freeze-dried strawberry crumbles or sesame seeds if you’re feeling ✨aesthetic✨.

🧊 Storage Tips

• Room temp: Cover and store for 1–2 days (they’re best fresh though!).
• Fridge: Up to 4 days — reheat briefly in the microwave (10–15 sec) to bring back the softness.
• Freezing: Freeze the buns unglazed. Reheat + glaze when ready to serve.

🔧 Troubleshooting Tips

Dough won’t rise?
Make sure your almond milk + cream is warm, not hot. Hot liquid can kill the yeast.

Jam leaking during baking?
Totally normal — just means it’s gooey and real. If you want cleaner spirals, go lighter on the filling and chill the rolled log before slicing.

Buns too brown?
Tent with foil for the last 5–10 minutes of baking.

✨ Why You’ll Love These Strawberry Cinnamon Buns

These buns are: ✔️ Soft and fluffy with a rich, slightly sweet dough
✔️ Filled with cozy cinnamon-spiced strawberry jam
✔️ Topped with a nostalgic strawberry milk glaze
✔️ Low on dairy but high on bakery-style flavor
✔️ A crowd-pleaser — brunch, birthdays, pop-ups, you name it

If you’re looking for a fun twist on a classic cinnamon roll recipe — this is the one. The fresh strawberry jam swirl, the almond milk dough, and that pretty pink glaze just hit every note.

Have fun baking, and tag me @jenhdao if you make them — I’d love to see your rolls! 🍓💖

How to make Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe by Jen H. DaoCourse: dessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

9

servings

Prep time

3

minutes

Cooking time

28

minutes

Ingredients

• Strawberry Jam

• 1½ cups chopped strawberries (fresh or frozen)

• ⅓ cup sugar (adjust to taste)

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water (slurry)

• Dough Ingredients

• 3½ cups (440g) all-purpose or bread flour

• ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar

• 2¼ tsp instant yeast (1 packet)

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 large egg

• ½ cup almond milk + ¼ cup heavy cream (warmed to ~100°F)

• 1/4 tsp strawberry extract (optional)

• ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, softened

• Strawberry-Cinnamon Filling

• ¾ cup strawberry jam (homemade or store-bought)

• ¼ cup brown sugar

• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon

• 1 tbsp cornstarch (keeps it from leaking everywhere)

• Strawberry Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 2 tbsp strawberry jam

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 tsp strawberry extract (optional)

Directions

• Make Jam
  Combine strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until bubbly and soft (5–7 mins). Lightly mash with a spoon or spatula.
  
  Stir in the cornstarch slurry.
  
  Cook for another 2–3 mins until thickened. Let it cool before using — it’ll thicken more as it rests.
• Make the Dough
  In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add the egg and warm almond milk + cream, strawberry extract mixing until a shaggy dough forms. Continue kneading (by hand or stand mixer) for about 10–15 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
  
  Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot for about 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
• Roll & Fill
  Once risen, roll your dough out into a 12×16 inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
  
  Mix jam, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch together in a bowl. Spread the jam evenly across the dough. Don’t go all the way to the edges — leave a ½” border to help the dough seal.
  
  Starting from the long side, roll tightly into a log. Use unflavored dental floss or a sharp knife to slice into 9 or 12 pieces, depending on your pan.
• Second Rise
  Place the buns in a greased baking pan, leaving a little space between each one. Cover and let them rise again for 45 minutes, or until nice and puffy.
• Bake the Buns
  Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake buns for 22–28 minutes, or until golden brown and the centers bounce back when touched.
  
• Glaze & Serve
  While the buns are still a little warm, drizzle them with your strawberry glaze.
  
  Let the glaze melt in for that sticky, gooey bakery finish — or wait until the buns cool fully if you want a drizzle that sets pretty.

Recipe Video