Description
Okay, so remember those cinnamon rolls that made your house smell like heaven? Well, I took that concept and went completely off the rails with it. These are basically cinnamon rolls that got a makeover at a fancy dessert spa. We’re talking soft, fluffy dough rolled up with cheesecake filling, fresh strawberries, and that classic shortcake vibe. Then we drown them in a strawberry glaze that’ll make you question why regular cinnamon rolls even exist. It’s like if strawberry shortcake and cinnamon rolls had a baby, and that baby was absolutely perfect.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough:
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (don’t pack it down)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup whole milk, warmed (not hot – think baby bottle temp)
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cheesecake Filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened (seriously, take it out early – cold cream cheese is the enemy)
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
For the Strawberry Magic:
- 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, diced small (frozen works if thawed and drained)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (brightens everything up)
For the Cinnamon Sugar Layer:
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
For the Strawberry Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3–4 tablespoons strawberry puree (from leftover strawberries)
- 2–3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pink food coloring (optional, but it makes them so pretty!)