These strawberry cream cheese rolls are fluffy, buttery, and very gooey. They are filled with a homemade strawberry pie filling, fresh strawberries, and topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting. The no knead dough is soft and buttery, and so easy to make! The strawberry filling helps to steam the dough in the oven, keeping them ultra soft and gooey.
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Why you will LOVE this recipe:
- Easy: The no knead dough is so easy to make and turns out soft and fluffy every time.
- Gooey: The filling is ultra gooey. These rolls will never dry out and will stay soft for days.
- Cream cheese frosting: They're topped with an easy strawberry flavoured cream cheese frosting.
- Strawberries: They're packed with strawberry flavour. They have an easy cooked strawberry filling and chopped fresh strawberries rolled into them.
Jump to:
Strawberries
These are packed with strawberry flavour. If you have a whole lot of strawberries lying around, this recipe is perfect for that. You can use frozen strawberries for the gooey filling but I would definitely recommend using fresh for sprinkling on top before rolling them up.
The dough
The dough in this recipe is my tried and true no knead buttery soft dough. It works perfectly in everything ranging from chocolate tahini babka and blueberry cinnamon rolls.
To make it, you just stir everything together and let it rise. That’s it! You end up with the softest, fluffiest and rich dough. No one will ever know that you didn’t knead it.
Strawberry cream cheese frosting
They're topped with an easy strawberry cream cheese frosting. It has 3 ingredients and is more like a glaze, in a way. Some reserved strawberry filling gives it a beautiful pink colour and loads of flavour.
Make ahead - overnight option
Prepare the rolls the night before and stop before letting the assembled rolls rise (second rise). Wrap baking tray tightly to cover and immediately place in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. I wouldn't refrigerate them for any longer because they will over-proof.
Once you are ready to bake them, let them come to room temperature for 10-20 minutes and rise to fill out any gaps in the pan (if there are any). Bake as per instructions.
Key Ingredients
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below. But read through these for all the tips you will need for success!
Strawberries: I use fresh chopped strawberries for the filling. Some of it gets cooked into the filling and some gets sprinkled on top before rolling up. That way you get all kinds of texture in the rolls. You can use frozen strawberries, just skip the freshly chopped strawberries on top right before you roll.
Cornstarch: The cornstarch thickens the filling and gives it structure. You can substitute with all purpose flour but it won't be clear.
Lemon: Zest and juice are added to brighten up the filling. If you don't like lemon flavour, skip the zest (don't skip the juice).
Butter: Good quality, real butter will give best results. Alternatively, use plant based butter (don't use margarine, it's too soft).
Yeast: I always use active dry yeast in this dough recipe. You can also successfully use dry instant yeast, mix it right into the dough (you don't have to dissolve it).
All purpose flour: The best way to measure flour is to weigh the flour with a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, measure properly with measuring cups. Fluff the bag of flour by mixing with a spoon. Spoon into a measuring cup and scrape off the excess with the flat edge of a knife without packing it in.
Cream cheese: Use a full fat cream cheese for the best flavour and texture.
Filling
You can make the filling for the strawberry cream cheese rolls the day before to save on some time. Just let it warm to room temperature as you make the dough.
Step 1: Combine de-stemmed strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and grated zest in a medium saucepan. Heat on medium heat, stirring to release the juices. Let come to a simmer. Stir frequently.
Step 2: Once the strawberries become soft (5 minutes of simmering), take it off the heat. Use a blender to blend (or a potato masher to break up the strawberry pieces. Add cornstarch and whisk to combine.
Step 3: Heat until the filling thickens, stirring well. Transfer to a heat safe non-metal bowl and add butter. Stir until butter melts and let cool to room temperature (or chill).
Dough
Step 1: Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let sit for 10 minutes until it gets foamy. If it doesn't foam, try a different batch of yeast. Work on the rest of the filling while it foams.
Step 2: In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, salt, and stir. Make a well in the middle and add the butter, eggs, vanilla, milk, and yeast mixture.
Step 3: Mix until a cohesive dough forms. Cover the bowl with a dish cloth and place in a warm place (see notes) to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Butter a 9”x12” baking pan while it rises.
Step 4: Punch down the dough, and flatten and fold the dough a few times to make sure everything is mixed well. transfer onto a floured surface. Roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 18” by 24”.
Step 5: Set aside a quarter cup of the filling for the frosting. Spread the strawberry filling on top of the dough, leaving a 1” border on all the edges. Sprinkle the reserved chopped strawberries on top.
Step 6: Roll into a log, starting at the long edge. Mark the roll into 12 equal pieces. I do this by marking it in half, each half in half again, and each of the remaining pieces into thirds.
Step 7: Using a piece of string or unflavoured floss, wrap the string around the log and pull to cut. Using a string to cut instead of a knife prevents the roll from getting squished - they hold their shape better.
Step 8: Scoop up the roll with your hands and place on the prepared baking pan. Scoop up any filling that escapes back on top of the roll. Let rise until doubled in size in a warm place, about 30 minutes.
Step 9: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Bake the strawberry cream cheese rolls for 25-30 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown on top. Let cool inside the pan - make the frosting while it cools.
Cream cheese frosting
Step 1: Combine softened cream cheese, reserved strawberry filling, and powdered sugar in a medium bowl or stand mixer.
Step 2: Whisk or beat until smooth. Add more powdered sugar for a thicker frosting. Top the rolls while they're still warm and cool. This makes extra strawberry cream cheese glaze so you can top your rolls with as much as you like.
FAQ
The most important step to getting buttery, light, and fluffy cinnamon rolls is making sure the flour is properly measured. I use a scale to weigh the flour for the most accurate results. A cheap kitchen scale works wonders.
If you don’t have a scale on hand, you can measure the flour properly using dry measuring cups. Mix up your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level off the top with the flat edge of a knife without packing in the flour. It isn’t as accurate as using a scale but is the next best option!
My favourite tip however, is to handle the dough as little as possible. The less effort I put into the roll dough, the fluffier they turn out – every time!
The dough is going to be sticky as soon as you mix all of the ingredients together. It will look more like a dough after it rests and rises as the flour absorbs more liquid.
If it looks too sticky and runny (like a pancake batter and not like a dough), then add a little more flour to make it resemble a dough.
The first step of blooming the yeast is mostly to just check if the yeast is active. If it doesn’t foam up after being dissolved in warm water and sugar within 10 minutes, then the yeast might not be active anymore. You might need to try a different packet or batch in yeast.
I like to let my dough rise in an oven heating to the lowest setting for 30 seconds, then immediately turned off. If it isn’t warm enough, the dough will not rise. Do not let the oven get too hot (over 55°C) because the yeast cells will start to die off. This dough never rises on my counter because it is never warm enough for such an enriched dough to rise.
My favourite way to cut rolls is to use a piece of sewing string or unflavoured dental floss. You wrap it all the way around the roll where you want the cut to be. Pull on the string to tighten and it will cut through to the middle of the roll.
This way you don’t squish the roll as if you cut through it with a knife. The roll and swirl remain perfectly round with the string method.
To cut 12 even pieces, I have an easy trick. Mark the roll in half, and mark each half. Then mark each piece into three pieces. Once it’s all marked, use a string to wrap and pull - cutting them in even pieces.
You can use frozen strawberries for inside the cooked filling. Since it is getting cooked into a gooey pie-like filling anyways, there isn’t that much of a difference. I would recommend sprinkling fresh strawberry pieces into the roll before rolling it up. If you can’t find fresh at all, you can skip the fresh strawberry pieces or add frozen strawberry slices. Don’t defrost them before adding to the strawberry cream cheese rolls.
Check out my other no knead recipes:
Happy baking!
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📖 Recipe
Gooey Strawberry Cream Cheese Rolls - No Knead
Equipment
- 9 by 13 inch baking pan 9 by 12 will also work
Ingredients
Filling
- 3 cups strawberries chopped, 18oz
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 lemon juiced and zested
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ cup butter cold
- 1 ½ cups strawberries chopped and reserved, 9oz
Dough
- ½ cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast 7g or 1 packet
- 5 cups all purpose flour 600g
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup butter very soft
- 2 eggs beaten lightly with a fork
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup warm milk
Frosting
- ¼ cup strawberry filling reserved from filling the rolls
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
Instructions
Filling
- Combine strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, zest, and salt in medium saucepan. Heat on medium heat, stirring so they release their juices. Simmer until the strawberries are soft, about 5 minutes.3 cups strawberries, 1 cup granulated sugar, ⅛ teaspoon sea salt, 1 lemon
- Remove from heat and mash with potato masher or blend in a blender. Add cornstarch and whisk (or blend). Place back on heat and simmer until thickened.3 tablespoons cornstarch
- Transfer to a heat-safe container and add cold butter. Stir until melted. Let cool to room temperature (or chill).½ cup butter
Dough
- Combine warm water, 1 teaspoon sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Stir until yeast dissolves. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes so that a foam forms on top. If a foam doesn’t form in 10 minutes, discard and try again with another packet of yeast.½ cup warm water, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, salt, and stir. Make a well in the middle and add the butter, eggs, vanilla, milk, and yeast mixture.5 cups all purpose flour, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, ⅛ teaspoon sea salt, ¾ cup butter, 2 eggs, ¾ cup warm milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Mix until a cohesive dough forms. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and place in a warm place (see notes) to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Butter a 9”x12” baking pan while it rises.
- Punch down the dough and transfer onto a floured surface. Flatten and fold the dough a few times to smoothen it out. Roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 18” by 24”.
- Reserve ¼ cup of strawberry filling for the frosting. Spread the remaining strawberry filling on top of the dough, leaving a 1” border on all the edges. Sprinkle the reserved chopped strawberries on top.1 ½ cups strawberries
- Roll into a log, starting at the long edge. Mark the roll into 12 equal pieces.
- Using a piece of string or unflavoured floss, wrap the string around the log and pull to cut. Scoop up the roll with your hands and place on the prepared baking pan. Scoop up any filling that escapes back on top of the roll. Repeat with the rest of the pieces.
- Let rise until doubled in size in a warm place, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown on top. Let cool inside the pan - make the frosting while it cools.
Frosting
- Combine reserved strawberry filling, softened cream cheese, and powdered sugar in a medium bowl or stand mixer. Whisk until smooth.¼ cup strawberry filling, 2 cups powdered sugar, 4 oz cream cheese
- Top the warm rolls with the cream cheese frosting and serve.
Jane
My family loved it! Turned out great and I appreciated the detailed instructions. Will recommend to friends .
Blake
For a vegan substitute for the egg in the recipe would it work with flax-egg or some kind of egg replacement?
Mary
Hi, yes it should work! I've used store bought egg replacer with this dough and it worked in the past. Not sure if flax egg will work as well but it should!
Christina
Ooo boy oh boy, yet another stellar recipe! These are the summer sister of cinnamon buns - An easy score of 12/10
I made a lemon curd and added it to the center of the rolls before adding the strawberry filling and it worked out so well. I brought them to a picnic and everyone raved about them! The buns are soft and pillowy, the strawberry filling is bright & addicting and the frosting adds that perfect decadence.
Mary
so happy you liked them, thank you!