If it’s breakfast or dessert you’re looking for, these Strawberry and Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls are delicious any time of day! The soft, enriched dough is filled with strawberry, chocolate, and cinnamon sugar to make 4 cinnamon rolls. Topping off the rolls is a creamy strawberry cream cheese frosting.
Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls
Sometimes you just want a cinnamon roll, and sometimes you don’t want 24 of them sitting around. Or, maybe you do. But no judgment here. 🙂 What we may agree on is that homemade cinnamon rolls are the best. Especially when they are slathered in a creamy frosting.
And this small batch of cinnamon rolls is no exception to that. This recipe yields 4 soft cinnamon rolls. The dough for cinnamon rolls is enriched. Which means it contains dairy, fat, and sugar.
Each cinnamon roll has a generous cinnamon-brown sugar filling, with the bonus of freeze-dried strawberries. Freeze-dried strawberries, you say? One of my favorite baking staples. More on that below …
Strawberry and Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon rolls are a great canvas for different flavors. I mean, an enriched dough begs for creative flavors! Though, strawberry and chocolate are not revolutionary, but the way we get the strawberry flavor into the cinnamon rolls may be.
We use freeze-dried strawberries. This is great for baking because most times we don’t want to impart any more moisture than necessary in a recipe. The freeze-dried strawberries are ground into a powder and then mixed with the cinnamon-brown sugar blend.
The result is a filling that melts when baked. The center of the cinnamon rolls are gooey, and the strawberry powder mixed with the cinnamon-brown sugar makes a jam-like filling. Yum.
Key Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Yeast
- Milk
- Granulated sugar
- Butter
- Egg yolk
- Freeze-dried strawberries
- Ground Cinnamon
- Chocolate chips
- Butter
Tips For Making A Small Batch Of Cinnamon Rolls
- The cinnamon rolls can be made ahead of time – Follow the recipe up to the point of the second proof. Once you have rolled them up, place them in the pan, cover, and refrigerate. In the morning, take them out of the fridge for their second proof. I recommend at least 60 minutes for their second proof, since they will be cold.
- The recipe can be doubled – The bake time will need to be extended – likely about 5-8 minutes.
- Try different filling flavors – Freeze-dried fruit comes in a variety of flavors – raspberry, mango, peaches, apple, and blueberry.
- Enjoy the day they are baked – As with most baked goods, these cinnamon rolls taste the best the day they are baked.
- Great breakfast for Valentine’s Day – Naturally, the strawberry and chocolate make these cinnamon rolls the perfect Valentine’s Day breakfast!
More Small Batch Breakfast Recipes
- Caramel Apple Sweet Rolls
- Apple Pumpkin Muffins with Crumb Topping
- Easy Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Homemade Flaky Croissants
- Mini Cherry Coffee Cake
- Homemade Bagels
Strawberry and Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 1/4 cup milk, warm (2% or whole milk)
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 cup + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature and beaten
Strawberry and Chocolate Filling
- 1/3 cup freeze dried strawberries, ground to powder
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons dark chocolate chips, rough chopped (more or less to taste)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup freeze dried strawberries, ground to powder (ground to powder)
Instructions
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, add the milk and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside for 5-10 minutes until the yeast 'proofs' and gets foamy.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the yeast mixture, beaten egg yolk, and melted butter and stir with a wooden spoon. Stir the dough until all ingredients are combined and the dough starts to come together and pull away from the sides of the bowl. The dough will be sticky, but if it is too sticky, you can sprinkle in more flour, a teaspoon at a time.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough and your hands with flour. The dough will be sticky and we want to knead it past the sticky stage until it becomes smooth and elastic – about 5 minutes. You will know the dough has been kneaded enough when you poke it with you finger and it bounces back. Shape into a ball and place in a bowl that has been lightly greased with cooking spray. I use a large Tupperware bowl so I can see the dough through the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place for the dough to rise for 60-90 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.
Strawberry and Chocolate Filling
- While the dough is proofing, make the filling – In a blender or food processor, add the freeze dried strawberries and the 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Pulse until the strawberries are ground to a powder.
- In a small bowl, add the ground strawberries, brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped chocolate chips. Stir to combine and set aside.
Shaping the Rolls
- Spray the cake pan with cooking spray.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough into approximately a 5×8-inch rectangle – with the long side facing you. Spread the room temperature butter over the dough. Sprinkle the strawberry chocolate mix on top – leaving a small border on the top of the dough.
- With the long side of the dough closest to you, roll the cinnamon roll as tightly as possible, without stretching it, and gently pinch the seam end closed. Using a serrated knife, cut the dough into 4 equal rolls and place the rolls in the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle any filling that fell out on top of the cinnamon rolls.
- Cover the cinnamon rolls with a dry kitchen towel and let rise again in a warm place, for 30 minutes.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- While the rolls are proofing, make the cream cheese frosting – In a small mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and ground strawberries. Use a hand held mixer to beat the frosting until smooth and creamy. Note – If you find the frosting too thick, add a splash of milk or heavy cream.
- Preheat the oven to 400F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position.
- Bake for 15 – 17 minutes, or until the tops are golden and the center of the rolls no longer look doughy. Cool the rolls in the pan set on a wire cooking rack and allow to cool slightly before frosting and serving. Enjoy!
RECIPE NOTES
- The cinnamon rolls can be made ahead of time – Follow the recipe up to the point of the second proof. Once you have rolled them up, place them in the pan, cover, and refrigerate. In the morning, take them out of the fridge for their second proof. I recommend at least 60 minutes for their second proof, since they will be cold.
- The recipe can be doubled – The bake time will need to be extended – likely about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Try different filling flavors – Freeze-dried fruit comes in a variety of flavors – raspberry, mango, peaches, apple, and blueberry.
- Enjoy the day they are baked – As with most baked goods, these cinnamon rolls taste the best the day they are baked.
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about the author ...
I'm Erin and I'm all about desserts - and a little bit of butter!
I've tested, written, and photographed hundreds of recipes on my website. Here you'll find the tastiest small batch desserts - all homemade, all simple, and all for you! Click here to learn more about me!