Pink Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls [Recipe]
Nothing compares to the aroma of freshly made cinnamon rolls. Hearty, airy, and spongy dough, plus some sugar crunch in between is a perfect match. Cinnamon is undoubtedly a messenger of autumn with its warm, spicy, and melancholic scent. This is a classic, but by adding a few unusual ingredients, it takes a whole new dimension.
A pinch of strawberry and pink color makes it a real Valentine’s treat. This is a yummy twist to the rolls we are all used to. The fruity taste of strawberries complements the warm relish of these pink cinnamon rolls flawlessly.
What Makes These Pink Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls Special?
If you want a new intake of your favorite traditional treat, this is it! Cinnamon rolls are excellent the way they are, but why not make them even better? Surprisingly, strawberries go along with cinnamon finely, and a pinch of food coloring makes them look so unique.
Yes, you can always use store-bought dough or cinnamon rolls, but they will never be as tasty as those made from scratch. The recipe is simple, just follow the steps below. There are many variations, but I’ve written my go-to, so be free to find yours, as well.
How to Make Pink Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls?
For making pink strawberry cinnamon rolls you won’t need much more than the regular ingredients. Strawberry extract and strawberries are everything they call for a superb flavor! Let’s dig in!
- Flour – Use all-purpose flour for the best results.
- Yeast – You can use dry, fresh, or even sourdough, just adapt the quantity.
- Milk – It helps the dough to rise and provides fluffiness.
- Sugar – Granulated and brown sugar are both superb options.
- Butter – It is the base for aromatic homemade pastries.
- Egg – Egg adds up to a melt-in-mouth texture.
- Strawberry extract – For an eye-catching shade of pink and gentle strawberry flavor, add some extract to the dough.
- Cinnamon – Cinnamon will give the woody, rich base note.
- Vanilla – There is no better aroma than sweet vanilla.
- Heavy cream – For the extremely moist cinnamon rolls, bake them washed with heavy cream.
- Cream cheese – Cream cheese will add some missing tang to smash the taste.
- Strawberries – Fruity note of strawberries blends amazingly with traditional cinnamon rolls.
- Cornstarch: To achieve the thickness of your preference, cornstarch is a first-class ingredient.
After you prepared all the ingredients needed, let’s do some baking!
Step 1: Making the dough
Activate the yeast by mixing it with some granulated sugar and lukewarm water (110 °F) till smooth. Then, leave it for 10 to 15 minutes to raise and the bubbles appear. This is the main indicator that the yeast is good to use, so if you don’t see them, start over with the fresh one.
In the meantime, bring milk to a lukewarm temperature and combine it with strawberry extract. Start with a few drops, and add more till the shade of pink you fancy the most, I went for bubblegum. I like to add sugar to the milk, as well, so it melts nicely.
In the large mixing bowl, combine flour, a pinch of salt, egg, activated yeast, melted butter, and milk. Use a mixer with dough attachments and mix for about 4 minutes till a smooth and sticky texture.
Cover it with plastic foil and leave it at room temperature for about an hour and a half, or until it doubles its size. That depends solely on how warm your kitchen is.
Step 2: Making the cinnamon filling
While the dough rests, melt the butter and add a few drops of vanilla to it. After that, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl. You can also add some crushed dried strawberries for a more prominent flavor, I didn’t because I like it subtle.
Step 3: Spreading and filling
Dust the surface with some flour to prevent it from sticking. Spread it with a rolling pin till the desired thickness, ½ inch approximately works best for me.
Smear it with melted butter and dust generously with the cinnamon-sugar blend.
Roll it thickly if you want more layers, or loosely for less.
Step 4: Cutting and arranging
Cut the roll into 3-inch-sized (or more) parts and arrange them into the baking dish covered with parchment paper, leaving at least an inch of space in between. They need the space for growing again.
Let them rest for at least half an hour, till they are double-sized.
Step 5: Baking
Preheat an oven to 380 °F (200 °C).
Pour heavy cream over the rolls, and leave them for 5 minutes. You can skip this step as they will be fluffy even without it, but they are moister like this.
Bake them for 20 minutes, until golden brown. You can also turn the oven off after 15 minutes and let them bake for 5 more minutes on the residual heat. They will be unbelievably soft!
Step 6: Making the frosting and sauce
To make the frosting combine cream cheese, some milk, and sugar, and blend till a silky texture. I added a pinch of red food coloring because I wanted it pink, but it’s not a must as it won’t change the flavor at all.
Cook some strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch to a jam-like texture. I like to leave chunks of strawberries to bite in, but you can blend them or use jam and syrup instead.
Spread the cheese frosting first, then the strawberry sauce on warm cinnamon rolls. And enjoy!
How to Store Pink Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls?
Cinnamon rolls will be good for two days at room temperature, and about a week in the fridge. Don’t forget to wrap it in aluminum foil to prevent it from drying out. Keep in mind to cool them down before storing them, though.
Pink Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 1 Mixer
- 1 Cake pan
Ingredients
Dough
- 3¾ cup all-purpose flour (450 grams)
- ⅓ oz dry yeast (9 grams) That's one small package.
- 4 tbsp granulated sugar (50 grams) + 1 tsp
- 3½ tbsp softened butter (50 grams)
- 1 egg
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅚ cup warm milk (200 mililiters)
- 5 tbsp water
- 3 tsp strawberry extract
Filling
- 4 tbsp softened butter
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2½ tbsp cinnamon
Pink Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup cream cheese (200 grams)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 2 tbsp milk
- a pinch of red food coloring
Strawberry Sauce
- 2 cup strawberries (400 grams)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
Additional
- 1 cup heavy cream (200 mililiters)
Instructions
Pink Strawberry Dough
- Activate the yeast with lukewarm water and 1 teaspoon of sugar.
- Add strawberry extract (as much as you want) and sugar to lukewarm milk.
- Combine flour, salt, egg, yeast, milk, and softened butter.
- Mix it for about 4 minutes with the dough attachments. It will be sticky, but don’t add more flour.
- Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let it rest till it doubles its size.
Cinnamon Filling
- Melt the butter and add some vanilla to it.
- In a separate bowl, blend cinnamon and granulated sugar.
Putting Everything Together
- Dust some flour on the kitchen surface and a rolling pin to avoid sticking the dough and roll it out to half of an inch thickness.
- Smear the butter over and sprinkle it with a sugar and cinnamon blend.
- Roll the dough into a roulade, as thickly as you want it.
- Slice it into 3-inch thick rolls, and arrange them in a baking pan with at least an inch of space between them. Cover the pan with parchment paper.
- Let them rest till their size doubles (about 30 minutes).
- Preheat an oven to 380° F.
- Pour the heavy cream over the rolls, and let them sit for 5 minutes before tossing them into the oven.
- Bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes, until they are brownish on top.
Making the Frosting and Sauce
- Combine strawberries and sugar and bring them to a boil. You can add some water so they don’t stick to the pot.
- Melt the cornstarch in the water, remove it from the stove, and pour it into the pot. Bring them to a boil again while stirring. Keep in mind they will stiffen after cooling, so be free to add some water.
- Mix cream cheese and sugar till a silky smooth texture. Add a few tablespoons of milk to reach the desired thickness. Optionally, add a touch of red food coloring.
- Spread the cheese frosting and pour the strawberry sauce over still-warm rolls. You can serve it immediately.
Nutrition
Before diving into the nutritional details, please review our Nutritional Disclaimer page for important context and clarifications.
