These strawberry cheesecake cinnamon rolls are a seasonal twist on cinnamon rolls, with the flavor of strawberry cheesecake. They have a homemade strawberry jam interior (though you can use store bought to save a step!) and they have cream cheese in the dough AND in the frosting. Extra points for crumbling crushed graham crackers on top, too. Now, while these are called “cinnamon rolls,” they don’t actually have any cinnamon in them. They’re named this more because it helps convey the idea of the roll itself, because “strawberry cream cheese spiraled sweet buns” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. 😂
Cinnamon rolls were the first thing I ever learned to bake with my Italian-immigrant grandmother. These sweet rolls were inspired by my time baking with my grandma and my strawberry jam recipe, which serve as the strawberry filling inside these rolls. I recommend making your jam a bit on the chunky side, because it’s really nice to get big globs of roasty-toasty berries in each bite.
👀 the secret sauce…
✨ the flavor: This recipe hits The Feels and The Intrigue Flavor Factors, with a nod to The Wow, Mom! Flavor Factor, too. They are cozy, comforting, and indulgent, all while showcasing familiar flavors in a whole new way!
🎯 the method: The process is involved, but it’s not too difficult. You’ve got to make the dough, let it rise, make the jam, then roll and cut the buns. Once they rise again, you bake them and make the frosting. Then you’re ready to frost + serve!
🏆 the win: Ooey, gooey, sweet, and sticky strawberry buns that’re stuffed with jam and smothered in cream cheese frosting. DO YOU NEED TO KNOW MORE?!?!
what are The Flavor Factors?
The Flavor Factor Framework is my lil set of “flavor guideposts” for cooking with confidence! Less following recipes to a tee, more trusting your instincts, getting creative in the kitchen, and becoming a more intuitive cook! 👩🏻🍳
🛒 ingredients needed for strawberry cheesecake rolls
See the recipe card for the exact quantities.
🍳 how to make strawberry cheesecake rolls
Cream together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. Then, add in the egg and the lemon zest.
Once mixed, add the flour and buttermilk, and mix the dough in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment until the dough forms a smooth ball. The dough will be slightly sticky, but not tacky. It will spring back when you push it.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place in your kitchen for 60 – 90 minutes, or until it is doubled in size. If you’re baking during a colder time of year, it could take longer than 90 minutes for your dough to rise.
Prepare your working surface by sprinkling some all-purpose flour on the countertop, then gently plop your dough on the work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll your dough out into a large rectangle. Aim for roughly 15 inches by 18 inches. If you need help eyeballing the size of the dough rectangle, use your 9 x 13-inch pan to help gauge the size!
Spread a layer of jam over the dough. Make sure to leave about an inch on one long side of the dough to use as a seam.
Using unwaxed dental floss, mark your dough to be cut by putting an indent in it. Aim to get 10-12 rolls, depending on how thickly you want to slice your rolls.
Arrange the rolls in your baking pan lined with parchment paper. Allow the rolls to rise for 45-60 minutes, or until doubled in size. Bake in the oven at 350º Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes, until the tops of the rolls are lightly browned.
Allow the rolls to cool fully before topping with the cream cheese frosting. You can either spread the frosting on each roll before serving, or pipe the frosting on each roll at the same time. Top the rolls with diced strawberries and crushed graham crackers before serving.
Hint: When you are spreading the jam over the dough, leave about an inch on one long end so you can join the seams without the jam squeezing out. It’s easy to add too much filling, if this happens, you can spoon whatever squeezes out back on top of the rolls!
💡tips & tricks for getting it right
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- oozing jam – if the jam is seeping out fast when you slice the rolls, don’t worry. You can spoon it back on top of the rolls in the pan as they rise. You can also pop the roll of dough into the fridge (or freezer!) for 30 minutes before slicing. This will help keep the jam from oozing out.
- leave a free edge – leave about 1-2 inches of dough without jam on it so you can pinch the rolls closed. If you add jam all the way to both edges, the rolls will pop open when rising.
- hollow rolls – if the jam seeps out of the rolls while baking, you will be left with some hollow space between the layers. Don’t worry! These make excellent frosting holes. 😌
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🍽️ serving ideas
- breakfast or brunch – these strawberry cream cheese buns are perfect for a sweet brunch or breakfast treat, especially during the height of strawberry season in the spring or summer!
- pair with coffee – serve your strawberry buns with a homemade latte (strawberry iced lattes, anyone?!) or simple classic cold brew.
♻️ customize your strawberry rolls
- swap the jam– jam – no strawberry jam? no problem! use whatever jam you have on hand in this recipe. Raspberry jam would work wonderfully, as would blueberry jam or even holiday cranberry jam!
- add spices – add warming spices to amp up the coziness level! I have tested these with cinnamon and apple pie spices too!
- milk of choice – if you don’t have buttermilk, you can either make your own or use regular milk. I’ve also tested this recipe using buttermilk powder and water, and it turns out great each time!
🧰 equipment needed & storage tips
🫙 how to store strawberry cheesecake rolls
Store the baked rolls for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. You can freeze the rolls for longer storage, up to one month. You can store the rolls either frosted or unfrosted. It’s up to you!
💬 q+a
If you make this recipe, please leave a review in the comments and a star rating!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Strawberry Cheesecake Cinnamon Rolls
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Equipment
- 1 stand mixer
- 1 9 x 13-inch pan metal
- 1 sheet of parchment paper
- 1 spool of unwaxed dental floss
Ingredients
- 44 grams butter, unsalted 3 TBSP
- 60 grams cream cheese 2 ounces
- 55 grams granulated sugar
- 49 g egg 1 large egg
- 2 g lemon zest 1 tsp, from one medium lemon
- 243 grams buttermilk 1 cup
- 440 grams all-purpose flour 3-1/ cups
- 4 grams yeast instant, 1 teaspoon
- 4 grams salt kosher, 1 teaspoon
Filling
- 12 ounces strawberry jam store bought or homemade
Frosting
- 180 grams cream cheese 6 ounces
- 180 grams powdered sugar 1 1/2 cups
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt, kosher
Instructions
- Cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar.44 grams butter, unsalted, 60 grams cream cheese, 55 grams granulated sugar
- Add egg and lemon zest. Mix in 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest until incorporated.49 g egg, 2 g lemon zest
- Add the rest of dough ingredients + knead. Switch to the dough hook, and add buttermilk, all-purpose flour), yeast, and kosher salt. Mix until everything comes together to form a ball. The mixture should be soft but not sticky. It should bounce back when you push gently on it.243 grams buttermilk, 440 grams all-purpose flour, 4 grams yeast, 4 grams salt
- Allow to rise. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Place it in a warm location for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Prep baking pan. Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with a sheet of parchment paper, leaving at least 1.5 inches of overhang to lift the rolls out of the pan.
- Roll out dough. When the dough has risen, lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough out into a rectangle roughly 15 x 18-inches in size. If you need help eyeballing the size, use your baking pan!
- Add jam. Spread 12 ounces of strawberry jam over the dough, making sure to get it from edge to edge, while leaving a 1 – 2 inch boarder on a long end to use as a seam.12 ounces strawberry jam
- Roll. Roll the dough up into a spiral, making sure to roll towards the long edge you left jam-less.
- Measure + mark for cutting. Using a piece of unwaxed dental floss (or a serrated knife), mark your dough by placing a gentle indent to serve as a cutting guide. Aim to get 10 – 12 rolls from the dough.
- Slice. To cut the rolls, wiggle the floss underneath the dough and bring the ends of the floss together as if you're tying a knot. Place the rolls in your prepared pan, leaving at least 2 inches between the rolls to allow them to rise.
- Proof. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and place them back in a warm location. Allow them to rise for 45-60 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven. About 30 minutes before the rolls have risen, preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Bake. Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes, or until they are golden brown on the tops.
- Cool. Allow the rolls to cool completely before icing with the cream cheese frosting. Top with diced strawberries and crushed graham cracker crumbs before serving.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Whip cream cheese to fluff. Place room temperature cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip the cream cheese for 1 – 2 minutes until light and fluffy.180 grams cream cheese
- Combine the rest of the ingredients. Add powdered sugar, lemon juice, and kosher salt to the cream cheese. Whip until combined.180 grams powdered sugar, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp salt, kosher
- Frost + store. Frost the cooled strawberry cheesecake rolls before serving. Refrigerate any unused frosting for up to one week.
