Overnight Strawberry Cream Cheese Sweet Rolls
These glorious overnight strawberry cream cheese sweet rolls are amazing because they can be made ahead of time and baked fresh when you want them!
Reason #153 I Love You Guys: these overnight strawberry cream cheese sweet rolls. Believe me when I say, this incredible version may not have come into existence if not for one of you.
Remember the cinnamon and sugar sweet rolls I posted a few months ago? I hope you’ve made them. They are divine. So light and flaky and amazing.
They are perfect for holiday mornings or when company is in town or just for a delicious Saturday morning breakfast.
The huge advantage of these rolls is that the dough is made the day before, so come morning, all you have to do is shape them and bake them (and I’ve even included notes in the recipe how to adapt the process so baking is all that stands between you and warm sweet rolls in the morning).
I make the cinnamon and sugar version all the time.
And even though I feel like I’m kind of creative in the kitchen sometimes, it never really crossed my mind to change the rolls up at all until Jessica, who obviously believes sharing is caring, emailed me to tell me about her cream cheese version that she made and served for company – apparently they were ridiculously amazing, and I believe it.
I kind of sat there after reading her email, jaw hanging open, thinking (you know what’s coming): how on earth did I not think of this?
Thanks to Jessica’s inspiration, the very next day I started experimenting with a strawberry cream cheese version (like the cream cheese danishes you can get at Costco, or similar places, but a million times better), and wow, I tell you what, these strawberry cream cheese sweet rolls are out of this world.
That flaky, tender, lightly sweet dough stuffed with a creamy filling and tart, sweet strawberry jam might be my favorite sweet roll combination ever.
And now, I feel like a whole world has been opened to me. Was I truly alive before now? I’m not sure. What variation shall I try next? That is the burning question.
Magnificent, these sweet rolls are truly magnificent (not to mention gloriously pretty). They will make the perfect Easter morning breakfast.
One Year Ago: Homemade Flatbread {Greek Pocketless Pitas with a Simple Tutorial}
Two Years Ago: Carrot Cake Cheesecake
Three Years Ago: Strawberries and Cream Scones
Overnight Strawberry Cream Cheese Sweet Rolls
Ingredients
Dough:
- 4 ½ cups (639 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons instant yeast
- ⅓ cup (71 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cup hot water
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) salted butter, melted
Filling:
- 8 ounces (227 g) cream cheese, softened
- ¾ cup (86 g) powdered sugar
- Zest of a lemon, about a teaspoon
- 1 to 2 cups strawberry jam, depending on how jammy you want them
Glaze:
- 1 cup (114 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 2 tablespoons milk, plus more if needed
- Splash of vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl (to allow for about 7-8 cups of dough to double in bulk), whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
- In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together the eggs and pour them into the well. Use the same measuring cup for the hot water. Pour it around the edges of the well (not directly on the eggs) and then add the melted butter to the bowl. Use a large spoon to mix the ingredients together until a soft, rather wet dough is formed. It won’t look like traditional cinnamon roll dough; it will be much softer and it’s ok if it looks a bit lumpy. Magic happens overnight, I promise.
- Cover the bowl with greased plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for 8-10 hours.
- When ready to roll out the rolls, prepare the filling: in a blender or with an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon zest together until smooth and creamy.
- Using about 1/4 – 1/3 cup flour (more or less), dust a clean countertop. Lightly punch down the chilled dough and roll it out on the floured counter to a long, skinny rectangle (about 24-inches long and 7 or 8-inches wide).
- Spread the cream cheese mixture on the rectangle, spreading evenly with an offset spatula or knife. Dollop spoonfuls of jam across the top and spread into a somewhat even layer – the exact amount of jam you use will depend on how luscious and jammy you want the filling. The more jam you use, the messier the rolls will be to twist but it can be done.
- Fold one long edge of the rectangle up to meet the other long edge so the dough is folded in half – it may want to slip and slide around because of the jam, just do your best. Use a pizza cutter or knife and cut the dough into 1-inch strips. With each strip, hold an end in each hand and twist it up several times and roll it around the center into a circle (see pictures and video in this post for a visual). Place the rolls on a large, rimmed baking sheet (11X17-inch) lined with parchment paper (about 12 per tray). The filling might be a little messy and want to squeeze out as you twist – don’t stress about it; if it oozes out, just pat it back in or on top of the rolls after they are shaped.
- Cover the trays with greased, plastic wrap and let the rolls rise until puffy and doubled, an hour or so.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 12-14 minutes until just barely golden on top (don’t overbake or they’ll be dry).
- For the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla. Add more milk as needed until the glaze is thick but pourable. Let the rolls cool for 5 or so minutes before drizzling with glaze.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (variation on this favorite Overnight Cinnamon and Sugar Sweet Roll recipe after Jessica B., a reader, emailed and told me about her cream cheese version)
171 Comments on “Overnight Strawberry Cream Cheese Sweet Rolls”
Is 2 tbsp of yeast the correct amount? I make overnight rolls often and never use that much. Thinking maybe since the recipe adds it in directly instead of proofing first may be the reason. Your comment would be much appreciated. I plan to make sweet rolls for Easter and like the combination of cream cheese and strawberries.
Hi Carolyn, yes the 2 tablespoons yeast is correct.
Do you think possible to use the Gluten Free Hawaiian “Sweet Roll” dough for this Strawberry Cheese Cake “Sweet Roll” recipe? I might just try and see…
Worth a try!
Each month we host a breakfast for Sunday school teachers at our church. I pre-tested these little beauties last night and oh my stars! Delicious!!!
They will be perfect! Thank you for having my back!
These were a big hit. Thanks
My grown son and his wife are always telling me how much they love your website and your recipes. He made us the lemon cheesecake bars and it was a big hit with the family. Today I made these rolls for a ladies’ luncheon and they turned out so amazing! The flavors went really well together. I’m thinking about playing around with raspberry jam and Nutella, or subbing peanut butter for the cream cheese just for fun. So many wonderful recipes to try. If you ever compile them into a recipe book PLEASE let me know – I would order several! It would be so handy to have them all together. Just a thought… Thanks again!
Thanks, Christy! I’m so happy you and your son and his wife are enjoying the recipes. I don’t have plans for a cookbook yet but maybe someday!
I LOVE this recipe! So easy and SO impressive looking!! Not to mention, crazy delicious… first time I used cream cheese and strawberry jam. This time I made apple pie filling with some apples that were past their prime and made little apple pie sweet rolls- SO GOOD. Can’t wait to see what other delicious fillings I can use! Thanks, Mel!!
Had the same experience as Sofia, made the dough exactly as written in the instructions and noticed that it was not “rather wet” as described. Left it in the fridge to rise and no magic happened overnight. The dough was a hard rock and did not rise whatsoever. I should have tested this recipe prior to making it for Easter morning breakfast…a lot of disappointed and hungry people!
Tried making these but the dough was full of holes and quite sticky- any ideas on what went wrong?
Adding a little extra flour so the dough isn’t so sticky might help.
Hi Mel!
Could I use real strawberries instead pureed?
Thanks
I think you would need to cook them down or else the filling would be too watery.
Oh my gosh! These are amazing. More than one taster had sweet memories evoked by them — memories of France, even. My sister, who usually just shrugs when she likes a food, has had 3 and is openly expressing delight about their creation. In my mother’s words upon hearing the source of the recipe, “Go Mel!”. Thank you so much for this recipe! It’s been great for our Christmas morale. They’re not even gone and I’m already thinking about making them again.
As for other variants, I made half of the batch with leftover babka filling in lieu of cream cheese and jam, and it was delicious.
Reading this was the best, Amelia! Thank you!
Would a strawberry freezer jam be okay here, or does it need to be a bottled jam?
Definitely worth a try – sometimes freezer jam can be a bit soupier than shelf stable jarred jam – if so, it may be better to use a thicker jam.
Made these for Valentine’s breakfast, and added some pink food coloring to the frosting to add a little more festivity. They are SO yummy! Thanks
Holy cow, Mel these were amazing!!!! You are a food genius. I made these for dinner tonight (We started a breakfast for dinner on Sundays tradition) and we couldn’t wait and had to have one as an afternoon snack! Drew loves all things fruit (I blame Tiffany and Randy for that) and he LOVED them. They were so moist and flavorful and the lemon zest really brings out the fruit flavor so well!
Oh yay! I’m so happy you loved these (and so fun to see a comment pop up from someone I actually know in real life – haha!)
when i saw this recipe i was extremely excited to make it and it looked so delicious but i was extremely disappointed. i got as far as making tje dough and letting it sit overnight. DO NOT put it in the fridge because it does nothing but harden it like a rock. i took it out today and let it sit to try to reverse it and let it rise. it ended up rising a little bit but not much and i ended up having to throw it out. if you’re going to make this recipe ignore the fridge part if you dont want to end up frustrated and disappointed. i am definitely not retrying this recipe and, im finding a better one.
These were HEAVENLY!!! My eyes rolled back into my head as I ate them 😉
The other day I was telling my mom that I tried a recipe that didn’t turn out well. She asked where I got it from, and I said Mel’s, and my sister stormed out, chiding, “THEN YOU MADE IT WRONG!!!!” ;’D (Which is, by the way, entirely possible. Entirely probable, I should say). I told her, “I’ve tried like 30 recipes from her, and they were all amazing! That’s still a success rate of 99%!” And she was honestly annoyed with me for like 3 days. She is like your biggest fan, and feels that if Mel says it, it is GOSPEL. Other times when I try a new recipe from youtube or something and it turns out less-than-stellar, she’ll say, “Well, did you try looking up a version of this on Mel’s? Cause it would have worked.” (Which is definitely true, but kind of annoying. 😉 ).
Anyway, I found out the other day that she’s never commented on your website???!?!?! She says she feels guilty wasting your time (???). So I thought I would tell you that you have a huge fan in Texas. I feel like, with all the work you put into these recipes, you should know when you have a devoted follower. Thanks for everything! <3
Haha, Jenn, I laughed out loud at this!! Seriously, so, so funny. First of all, I appreciate your sister’s ultimate loyalty. She’s clearly very smart. Haha. (Just kidding) It actually makes me feel a lot of pressure, though! I mean, I DO make mistakes and not everything I say should be taken as gospel, but you better believe I’m showing my kids this comment and letting them know they definitely need to listen to what I say more intently SINCE THERE ARE PEOPLE IN TEXAS THAT ACTUALLY DO. 🙂 Tell your sister, it is NEVER wasting my time to comment. I read each and everyone and honestly, the comments keep me blogging. Without them, I would have given up years ago!
i made this recipe just as written and it is perfect the texture is just right and i had to let them sit for 11-12 hours because i was busy but if you watch the video and read through it slowly you will be able to make these
Easter morning success! Thank you!
could you leave them in the fridge longer?
Yes
Because I’m a recipe rebel apparently, I can’t ever seem to make one exactly as written. So what I’m wondering is, after reading your orange roll recipe this week, if I could make this overnight one into a type of orange roll? Add zest to the dough and filling maybe? And then use your orange glaze recipe for the top? I love orange rolls, but would love the convenience of this recipe:)
Oh yes, I’m loving this idea, Mary! I say go for it!
Can you please please pretty pretty please… make an adjustment from your side so that when I hit PRINT of one of your lovely recipes…that it prints WITH the photo? It makes me so sad that none of your recipes print with a photo.
Hi Cindy – it has to be either/or right now and whenever I make the change to print with photo, I get a lot of complaints so I’m trying to figure out a way to make it where a reader can select if the photo prints or not. Sorry about the wait!
Hi, I made these last night. I cut the recipe in half just to have a lower yield. However my. dough didn’t rise overnight. I used fast rising yeast which I thought was the same as instant.
Mel,
I’m looking to make these.
My question is how hot should the water be?
Most of the yeast recipes i make call for water to be between 80-90 degrees. Please advise. Thank you.
Probably right around 90-100 degrees.
OK made them before you replied. I used hot water temp 123 degrees as per directions on the packets. I must have killed the yeast because it only Rose slightly and was still a wet dough after 11 hours. Worked it anyway! Extremely messy dough, it was heavy to work with, wouldn’t fold with out ripping. Waiting to bake now. I’m not a yeast dough person. I make pizza dough in my bread maker. This sounded easy enough to do over a weekend obviously my inexperience with yeast breads shined through. I think I’m going to stick to my bread machine to create my doughs.
This may be a dumb question but I’m just learning to use yeast and making breads and rolls. In the ingredients, you call for 4 1/2 cups flour. But in the instructions you say to use a bowl large enough for 7-8 cups to double in size. Should I start with 4 1/2 cups flour and add however much I need to get a dough, up to 8 cups? That’s what is says in other recipes. I don’t see in the instructions to add the additional flour.
Once all the other ingredients are added with the flour, it’s about 7-8 cups of dough. Does that help?
Yes, that makes sense. Just finished putting on the glaze and they are great. Actually, I couldn’t wait, and as soon as one was cool enough, I tasted it. These are good even without the glaze.
Thanks!
How do modify this recipe for elevation over 3000 feet?
Have you ever used this dough and your orange roll filling?? I love the overnight dough, I just haven’t dared to mix the two recipes yet.
I haven’t but it sounds like a great idea!
I made a batch of these for the first time along with a batch of the parent cinnamon sweet rolls for a staff potluck. With your recommendation I used a high quality jam. They were gobbled up so I’ll take that as an excellent review. Note: I made them 24 hours ahead– the dough rose for more like 14 hours rather than 8-10 due to my schedule and so the dough rose A LOT and they baked up huge, and I cut them in half. Won’t do that again!
I think I packed my flour too lightly. Even after putting in the fridge for 10 hours, the dough was super sticky…and there was no way I was twisting anything…think I’ll make sure to weigh it next time.
Can you cook these on a nonstick baking sheet or do you have to bake them on the parchment paper? Also could you use wax paper? I am making these tomorrow. I’m pregnant and the pictures you have of these have been teasing me for a week now lol. Can’t wait to eat them.
I wouldn’t recommend wax paper because it has a coating on it that can burn in the oven…but you could bake them on a greased baking sheet.
I read the recipe wrong and I thought I could make them the day before they would rise overnight and then I can make them in the morning and bake them before work. And then I saw that asked for the additional hour of rest time… I won’t be back home to do anything with the dough still rising from overnight until probably 20 hours of rise. Is there any way to save my dough so it’s not ruined with that long rise? My boyfriend is home, and he can do something simpler Then doing the entire recipe.
Can you shape them and then refrigerate until you need to bake?
Can I use rasberry jam or blackberry jam for these rolls? I’m allergic to strawberries
We made these last night and used red raspberry jam. I doubled the batch because my daughter wanted some. They came out great. I added a few drops of raspberry flavoring to the glaze. Sooo good!
do you think I could add frozen fruit I have put thru a food processor on top of the jam to add more fruit flavor? how do you think it would turn out? afraid of it making the rolls too mushy with the extra moisture.
I think if the fruit hasn’t been thickened to be jam-like, it might make the rolls soggy.
I tried this receipt using active dry yeast and they turned out light and fluffy. An absolutely dreamy treat! Next time I might try rolling and slicing like cinnamon rolls rather than cutting and twisting…I lost a lot of cream cheese and jam. Thank you for sharing this recipe and video!
I’m not good with homemade dough of any kind! That said, would these work with store bought sugar cookie dough or croissant dough?
I honestly don’t know, Shannon – sorry!
Shannon– definitely try making Mel’s French bread rolls for an intro to dough. It’s an easy first yeast bread step. Before I found Mel’s site, I basically NEVER used yeast (the most daring I got was making banana bread). But I tried those rolls and the great step-by-step instructions and now, a years later, I regularly make rolls, sandwich bread, pizza crust, homemade tortillas, crusty artisan bread and French bread. Give those rolls a try, along with the artisan bread and sandwich bread, then come back and try cinnamon rolls. You can do it 🙂
Can these not be rolled like regular cinnamon rolls instead of cut and twisted?
You could definitely try that!
Not sure what I did wrong, but the dough was doughy and heavy, not light and fluffy like it should be once cooked.
Any suggestions? Also, there seemed to be little cream cheese and jam by the time they came out 🙁
My first thought is that the dough may have been overfloured (use a light hand when measuring out the flour vs packing it into the measuring cup and that might help!)
What brand of strawberry jam do you use, Mel?
I like the Smuckers “just fruit” (I think that’s what it’s called) jam if I don’t have homemade on hand.
Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant? It’s what I have on hand.
Yes, just proof it in 1/4 cup water with a pinch of sugar until it is foamy and bubbling before using in the recipe.
I tried this receipt using active dry yeast and they turned out light and fluffy. An absolutely dreamy treat! Next time I might try rolling and slicing like cinnamon rolls rather than cutting and twisting…I lost a lot of cream cheese and jam. Thank you for sharing this recipe and video!
Would love to make these, just don’t know if I will ever get time. Maybe a weekend in a couple months I will get time. They sound delicious.
These are great! I’m wondering if you have the nutritional facts for them?☺
I don’t; sorry!
Could these be frozen for a couple days?
Yes, they would probably do fine being frozen.
Great recipe, I will try it soon but I would like to ask if the dough can be frozen to bake a few days later, would that be possible?
Thanks 🙂
I haven’t tried it (I’ve only ever refrigerated it), but you could definitely experiment!
You can buy frozen bread dough.
I made these for a church gathering using strawberry jam in half, and black raspberry jam in the rest. They were sooooo good! Excellent recipe!
Making these for Father’s day tomorrow!
My dough didn’t rise 🙁 I used a gluten free baking flour due to my husband’s wheat allergy but that’s shouldn’t have kept it from rising, right?
That can definitely affect the rising for yeast doughs, I’m afraid.
Can you freeze them once they are baked?
Yes.
Thank you
You apparently need to divide the dough in half before rolling. You left that out of the instructions. My rolls are humungous.
I actually don’t divide the dough in half (If I did, I’d definitely make mention of it in the ingredients!)…but you certainly can if the rolls are too big.
In your video it looks likes you divide the dough in half before rolling. Is that not correct?
For the purposes of the video, the dough was cut in half (otherwise it would have been too much dough for the frame of the camera). You can divide in half or roll the whole thing out, whatever works best for you.
Let me start by saying that I’m a cook more than a baker. These looked so good that I decided to give them a go. They turned out wonderfully! I had no problems with the dough the next morning. I did half the dough, as shown in the video. On the second half, I twisted the strips right on the floured countertop instead of trying to hold them in my hands. It was much easier for me, and they were definitely prettier than the first 12, lol. I used raspberry jam because I love a sweet and tart combination. The whole family loved them and are already asking for their favorite jam variations. But in my opinion, the baker gets to decide, and I’m sticking with raspberry
Love the raspberry variation!
I made these rolls for the first time and they are absolutely DIVINE!!!! My entire family loved them. I am, as I type, making another batch. The only thing I did differently was use my own homemade pineapple jam., however, I’m sure it’s just as delicious with the strawberry jam. Great recipe!!!!
Hi Mel, thank you so much for posting the video showing steps to make this recipe and most importantly, how to twist the rolls. I made these rolls as per your recipe except I have left the dough to refrigerate for 2 hours only (dough has risen double) and started making them. The dough was wet and sticky. Nevertheless I continue making them and it turns out great when it was out from the oven. “Delicious” was the comment passed by my family. I’ll make sure to refrigerate the dough overnight or 8-10 hours the next time I make this.
OMG, these are fabulous! Because some have noted lumpiness in the dough and I didn’t want to chance it, I opted to mix the dough in a more traditional way: the wet/yeast/egg ingredients together then added the flour to the wet. There were no lumps. The “dough” was sticky and shaggy, but after the rest in the fridge, it wasn’t as sticky and could be patted out into the 24 x 8 inch rectangle. Followed your instructions….love the taste and the texture. Thank you! I put a few in the freezer to see how they thaw and reheat….cuz I’m always feeding my freezer.
I made them but the bottoms got burnt 🙁 they they were delicious and very messy. I was also wondering what other options do I have for the dough in regards to salty pastries.
Do you think these could be made up to the point where they are formed and laid out on the baking sheet, and then cover and refrigerate them overnight so I could simply pop them in the oven the next morning?
Sure, I think that could work – you might take them out a little bit beforehand so they have time to come to room temperature and puff a bit (unless they’ve risen adequately in the fridge overnight).
Deb made her first batch of these this morning, and I ate two. She can make these anytime — they’re delicious. Although I’ve had 2, and I’m on my way back to snag two more. Thanks!
John and Deb – loved your comments! Glad the rolls were a hit – bet they are SO yummy with that homemade strawberry jam. Yum!
These looked so good, and this weekend is Easter, and I wanted a special treat. I just made my best batch of strawberry jam EVER, and figured that this would be a good project. I made the dough in my mixer at about 3 in the afternoon, and refrigerated it until 7:30 this morning. The dough was smooth and nice to work with — it was an easy process! I used about 1 1/2 cups jam, and after the first few, they weren’t actually too sloppy, either. I did forget to twist them before putting them into circles, but that didn’t seem to matter. They turned out just as beautiful as pictured, and I don’t fancy myself great with presentation. Thanks!
I have wanted to make these rolls since you posted them last year, and I FINALLY got around to it yesterday. They were every bit as yummy as I hoped they would be! I think they may be the best sweet roll I have ever tasted! Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that, JaNae!
I’ve made these rolls before – both the cream cheese/jam version, and the cinnamon version. They are dangerous to any weight loss attempts! BUT I recently fell in love with almond croissants, and I’m going to try this dough recipe with an almond cream filling! I can’t wait!
Mel. I made these last night/this morning. They turned out great. A couple of things: I’m an experience baker and was shocked when I saw the dough this morning in the fridge. It looked horrible, very lumpy and not consistent looking, completely not what I expected. The rolls turned out fine, but some may be surprised by the look of the dough. I think maybe I should have stirred it a just little more before refrigerating. Those who find the dough too wet, might not be adjusting the liquid if they’re using regular yeast and blooming it in water. I think 2 cups of strawberry would be impossible to manage. A cup was about right. BTW – I put some lemon juice in the glaze and that was good. Thanks for the good recipes, I cook a lot from your blog.
Thanks for the comment, Kirk! I think your reviews are super helpful. Keep them coming!
Would I be able to use strawberry pie filling instead of jam? I have made strawberry cream cheese braids before and used pie filling but not sure how different they are…..I was just curious….I cannot wait to try this recipe though, looks amazing!
Yes, I think that should work great!
Hi, Mel – I made these for conference weekend – again. My favorite conference tradition! They turn out wonderful every time [except the time I forgot the yeast 🙁 Thank you for one of my very favorite recipes.
annabel
I just made these delicious rolls and they smelled amazing even during the prep process. My grandson asked all night and this morning were they ready yet. Yellow jacket swarmed my open windows because it smelled sooo good! It was the messiest thing I ever made but it was so worth it. I was afraid the center ones weren’t done so my bottoms and edges were a bit dark so I’ll adjust my cook time next time but these will become a staple for the family. I’ve never baked anything with yeast and the recipe was so perfect I felt like a pro. Everything turned out better than expected for a firs time. Thanks for sharing
Hi Mel,
I am in the process of making these and had some trouble with the dough. I followed the instructions, even bought a scale and weighed the ingredients, and yet after 10 hours in the fridge the dough was kinda soft and gloppy. I proceeded to roll it out on a floured surface, but when it came to folding it and cutting it, it didn’t work very well. Then trying to twist the strips was impossible. It was so gloppy in my hands. I somewhat rolled the strips and plopped them on a tray. Not giving up. Maybe a miracle will happen when they bake. Who cares how they look if they taste good? 🙂 But what do you think went wrong?
I also made your homemade pesto and froze it in an ice cube tray (genius!) and made Garlic Chicken Penne Pasta and both turned out great!!
I think you’re awesome and you’ve made me such a better cook. Thanks!
How did these turn out, Lori? It is a rather messy process getting them rolled up but usually they bake up light and tender!
I hope you try them with HUCKLEBERRIES! I’ll be watching for that post!
Am I the only one brave enough to post that this really did not work for me. I have used yeast before and I am an experienced orange/cinnamon roll veteran but this was a fail. The dough was extremely lumpy and from there everything went down hill fast. This was worse than the cinnamon roll sugar cookies (another fail for another day)
My inent is not to place blame – I just am not sure what I did wrong
Lumpy dough; unappealing oozing goo; and a lot of odd looking shaped structures (not really sure what to call them)
Any feedback from others who may not have had success would be great. Thanks!
Sorry these didn’t work out for you, Emilee. You may have needed to stir the dough a little more. A a few slight lumps are ok but it shouldn’t be extremely lumpy like you described.
I too had trouble working with this dough. But it was my own fault for skimping on the flour when I rolled them out. (Using a silpat to roll them out, I thought I didn’t need 1/4 flour under the dough, it seemed like way to much!) It turned into a sticky sloppy mess, more like blobs that I plopped on my tray, not a twist! BUT, the second half of my dough, I added more flour to my work surface, and that was the key! I think using enogh flour when rolling out is too important to miss! I took a picture of my two trays because it was so laughable what a night and day difference using enough flour made!
If you try again, definitely keep in mind that the dough will be lumpy and soft, but the extra flour when rolling (or patting in my case) the dough into the 8 by 24 inch rectangle is probably needed for structure. That’s my feedback, hopefully it helps!
Hi Mel! I’m dying to make these rolls but the dough would have to be in the fridge longer than 8-10 hours. Do you think it would be okay if I left them in the fridge for more like 20-22 hours? Thanks so much! They look delicious 🙂
I haven’t tried it that way but usually yeast doughs do quite well in the fridge for a while – if doing so, I’d probably cut the yeast in half (or at least down a little bit).
We had these for Easter breakfast and they were delectable! I used homemade raspberry freezer jam because that’s what I had. It was so messy to twist them, but it was worth it. We had some left over the next day and I don’t think they were quite as good. Maybe that’s just me. I love cinnamon rolls, but these were a fun and winning change up.
If I only wanted to bake a half batch, do you think it would work to freeze some if the rolls once they are formed to use on a later date? Thanks in advance!
Sounds delicious!! I would also like to know if they can be frozen before or after baking? Have you tried that?
Hi Erica – I haven’t tried freezing these but other similar sweet rolls (like cinnamon rolls) usually freeze fine. I freeze them after baking.
Hey Mel! Do these have to rise overnight? Or would 5-6 hours be sufficient? In other words I really want to make these today…and don’t want to wait until tomorrow to scarf them down.
I do think the longer time period is best but you could definitely give it a try! 🙂
Made these for our Easter breakfast — SO incredibly good! This recipe is a keeper for sure!
Hi Mel,
Thanks for the great recipe. I made these for our Easter breakfast at church this year. They were a huge hit. I did half as strawberry and half with Apricot jam. I had the dough rise for 2 days and they were still great.
Gaaah! These were almost too good to deal with! I had to pawn of the few leftovers lest I ate them for a midnight snack. I did half the batch strawberry, the other half blueberry/lemon. Couldn’t decide on a favorite, so I had to sample many, many, many times.
Darn, that should have read thank you so much for sharing!
Wow! Those are unbelievable! My husband said its like eating a cloud! Thank you some have for sharing the recipe!!!!
So I goes I am dumb but when you say fold in half are you talking about folding like a hotdog or hamburger? Little confused!
Like a hotdog. The pictures at the bottom of this post will help!
I just want to double check… It’s 2 tablespoons of yeast, not 2 teaspoons? Two tablesoons seems like an awful lot
The yeast amount is correct as written in the recipe. 🙂
These are so yummy! I mixed the dough up last night and then made them this morning for our early Easter breakfast since we have 9am church this year. I used the juice from half of my zested lemon to the glaze and that was a delicious idea!
Thanks for the yummy treat! 🙂
Hello Mel! A friend of mine posted a picture of one of your creations on Instagram recently and I have been hooked on all of your great recipes! Thank you!
I am wanting to make this recipe for tomorrow and wonder do I really just mix the dough around 9 or 10 pm and then shape them around 6 or 7 am?
Thanks again for sharing your wonderful talent! You are a rock star!
Yep, as long as it is refrigerated for 8-10 hours, it should work out great. Hope they turn out!
They turned out Mel!!! Thank yo so much!! I posted a photo on Instagram and tagged you in the comment. I will double the lime filling next time, but all in all they were delicious and many friends and family are anxious to try and learn more from you.
I also read your post this morning on your skin cancer experience. Thank you for sharing. I am a native of AZ and have been meaning to go and get an exam to check things out. I will do it. You are healing beautifully!
These look amazing. I don’t think they’ll be appropriate in my home on easter morning (we have fast Sunday and plus all the easter basket candy is sugar over load, but on any other day, wonderful.
These looks so tasty! I made these for Christmas morning and added orange zest to the cinnamon and sugar and then used fresh orange juice instead of water for the glaze. They were divine!
Thanks for all the fun and delicious recipes Mel!!
The only thing I keep thinking is, these would make GREAT orange rolls! Can’t wait to make these…going to the top of the list.
Amen! I bet these as orange rolls would be divine!
I knew you would be able to do something amazing with my idea! Glad I could provide some inspiration! Thanks for sharing all the great recipes!
Can you use freezer jam?
As long as the consistency isn’t too runny (once thawed), it should work fine.
Those look amazing! I need more time so I can make all of your rolls!
Is the dough suppose to be rising in the fridge? Because mine has not
Yes, it should get puffy and rise – but sometimes when I’ve made it, it’s risen and already kind of popped and deflated when I check on it.
I always use your recipes but never leave a comment so it’s about time I say THANK YOU! Love so many of your recipes. You are fabulous!
Thank you!
Do you think I could mix up the dough two days in advance? (Please say yes, please say yes)
Usually yeast doughs do pretty well in the refrigerator for a couple days so I’m saying yes, although I’d probably decrease the yeast a bit so it doesn’t develop a strong yeasty taste that long in the fridge.
These look amazing! Do you think I could half the recipe? I always hate to mess with amounts on recipes using yeast. Thanks for sharing this!
I think that should work fine!
These rolls look amazing! I usually make cinnamon rolls for holidays, but I think I’m totally going to go for these this weekend!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
I had just put the dough for the overnight cinnamon and sugar rolls in the fridge to rise, and then I saw this post. Now I have a hard decision about which version to try first. They both look absolutely delicious! Thanks so much for all the great recipes and inspiration in the kitchen… Have a blessed Easter!
Make half of each
Smart thinking!
That is what I did!! Both were amazing, and actually really easy to make. The strawberry ones were really messy to twist and form, but they baked up fine. Just had one of each, fresh from the oven!
These look amazing!! You are amazing… 3 posts in 3 days, I seriously don’t know how you do it?! But I’m really glad you do 🙂
These look sooo good !
Those are just beautiful and sound so yummy. My baby is nursing and allergic to dairy or I’d whip up a batch right now. Just curious what brand of jam you used. It’s so bright and beautiful.
I used some home canned strawberry jam from last year but I’ve also used Smucker’s low-sugar jam with good results for other recipes like this.
I am sure that none store-bought jam want taste as good as home made one. I also thought of using soaked and blended dry fruit (figs / dates / apricots). There is no need to add sugar as they are sweet enough and this filling should be OK without dairy. It would be thick and sticky enough. What do you think Mel?
Sounds like a great experiment!
Hi Mel!
We moved to Colorado recently and I have trouble with baking due to the altitude. Do you or anyone else have any tips for a recipe like this? Thanks so much!
Have you tried to make these rolls and had specific issues, Jamie?
I would add about 2 more cups of flour. They were so sticker I couldn’t get them off the counter even though I floured the counter really well. I ended up getting about 6 of them on the baking tray and threw the rest of the dough away. The ones I did get to bake were heavenly
Hello Peggy. Mel doesn’t have access to internet right now so I’m helping her out with comments for the next few days. Thanks for the suggestion. I will pass it on to Mel. Flour can definitely be tricky, especially because everyone measures differently. I hope they work out better if you try them again!
When we moved to Colorado, I thought we had an altitude issue, but nobody had any advice. Then my oven died, and I bought a nice oven. Turns out it was the oven – it was cheap and heated unevenly, quickly, and frequently. A heavy pizza stone in the bottom of the oven helps, but not as much as a quality oven.
I have lived in Colorado for a long time, and I never change my baking recipes due to altitude. I know on a cold day, these probably won’t rise, so I just put them in my oven on the Proof setting to rise, not on the counter. Hope that helps! 🙂
You can never ever go wrong with strawberry and cream cheese. I had something similar on my radar to make and now I am even hungrier.
Have a wonderful Easter, Mel!
Hi Mel, these look amazing, I have made many rolls from your site but these, I am most positive, will be my favourite! I can’t wait until I make these over the weekend, drooling already 🙂 I might whip up some fresh strawberry jam for them too.
Apple filling sounds heavenly to me.
These look divine! I don’t have strawberry jam on hand but have some homemade raspberry jam so I think that may be our version! Thanks so much! We have loved the cinnamon sugar variety and I’m excited to try this new version.
I like the raspberry better