Cherry Cinnamon Rolls
When the pan comes out, the tops should be golden, but the center roll is the one I check before reaching for the icing. Cherry Cinnamon Rolls have a tender,…
By Ava
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Reading time: 9 min
Tip: save now, make later.
When the pan comes out, the tops should be golden, but the center roll is the one I check before reaching for the icing. Cherry Cinnamon Rolls have a tender, enriched dough that keeps the filling tucked into soft spirals instead of turning the fruit into a topping. After a 10-minute rest, cream cheese icing spreads over the warm rolls and settles into the grooves.
The 9×13-inch dish holds 12 rolls close together, so their sides stay soft while the exposed tops bake. I like the contrast when a warm, pillowy bite meets the tang of the icing. These are proper breakfast pastries, with a generous swirl in every piece and enough cherry flavor to come through alongside the cinnamon.
Kitchen Note
I check the milk with a thermometer before adding the yeast; it should be 105–110°F, not steaming hot. That small check keeps the yeast in the right range to get foamy before the dough comes together.
Save these Cherry Cinnamon Rolls for a slow breakfast: tender spirals, a cherry-filled center, and cream cheese icing spread while they’re warm.
Why the Cherry Filling Goes on Top of the Cinnamon Sugar
The order of the filling layers helps each one stay where it belongs. Softened butter goes straight onto the dough, giving the brown sugar and cinnamon a base to cling to. The preserves spread over that layer, and the dried cherries are scattered last, where they’ll be distributed through the spirals instead of gathering in one spot.
If you put the preserves directly against bare dough, the wet filling can make the surface slippery and harder to roll neatly. Keeping the butter and cinnamon sugar underneath gives the fruit a more stable bed. Roll from a long edge so you get a log with enough length to cut into 12 pieces, and keep your movements steady rather than squeezing the filling toward the ends. That’s how each roll gets a clear swirl instead of a pocket of jam.
What Makes the Dough and Cherry Ingredients Work in These Rolls
- Active dry yeast and whole milk — Fresh yeast should foam after it sits in the warmed milk. Whole milk gives the dough a richer feel; 2% milk works in its place, though the dough will be a little less rich.
- All-purpose flour — A regular store-brand flour is fine here; there’s no need for bread flour. Measure it without packing it down, since too much flour can make the dough stiff before it has a chance to rise.
- Butter and egg — The melted butter enriches the dough, while the softened butter spreads across the rolled-out rectangle for the filling. Bring the egg to room temperature so it blends into the dough without cooling the warm milk mixture.
- Light brown sugar and cinnamon — Packed brown sugar brings a soft, molasses-like sweetness to the filling. Ground cinnamon should smell fragrant when you open the jar; a stale spice won’t have the same warm aroma.
- Cherry preserves — Choose a thick preserve rather than a loose, syrupy spread, and a store brand is perfectly fine if it’s spoonable. A thinner filling is more likely to run out as you roll and cut the dough.
- Dried cherries — These are a good place to use a standard package, as long as the fruit is still soft enough to bite through. Chop larger pieces so they spread through the filling instead of making the log difficult to slice.
- Cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar — Softened cream cheese beats into a smoother icing than cold cream cheese. Vanilla rounds out the sweetness; there’s no need for a specialty brand of sugar.
From Foamy Yeast to a Fully Baked Center Roll
Bring the Dough Together
Pour the warmed milk into a large bowl, sprinkle the active dry yeast over it, and let it stand for 5 minutes until foamy. Whisk in the granulated sugar, melted and cooled butter, egg, and salt. Stir in the flour until the dough looks shaggy rather than smooth. A few rough patches are fine at this stage; kneading will bring the dough together.
Knead Until Smooth, Then Let It Rise
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6–8 minutes, using up to 2 tablespoons of extra flour as needed. It should feel smooth and elastic, not dry or crumbly. Coat a large bowl with cooking spray, turn the dough in the bowl to coat it, then cover and leave it in a warm place for 1–1 1/2 hours. It’s ready for shaping when it has doubled in size.
Spread the Filling and Shape 12 Rolls
Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray, then roll the dough into a 12×18-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Spread on the softened butter, leaving a 1/2-inch border, then add the brown sugar mixed with cinnamon, the preserves, and the dried cherries. Roll the dough tightly from a long edge into a log and cut it into 12 even rolls. Arrange them cut side up in the prepared dish so the spirals face upward.
Proof, Bake, and Ice While Warm
Cover the shaped rolls and let them rise for 30–45 minutes, until they look puffy. Preheat the oven to 350°F during the final 20 minutes of that rise. Bake the rolls for 25–30 minutes, until the tops are golden and the center roll is baked through. Beat the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla until smooth, then let the rolls rest for 10 minutes before spreading the icing over them while they’re warm.
How to Change the Fruit or Make the Rolls Dairy-Free
Swap in Raspberry Preserves
Use the same amount of thick raspberry preserves in place of the cherry preserves and keep the dried cherries. The result has a brighter berry flavor with the same soft, spreadable filling; avoid a runny jam, which is harder to contain in the dough.
Skip the Dried Cherries for a Smoother Spiral
Leave out the dried cherries and keep the preserves and cinnamon-sugar filling. You’ll lose the chewy fruit pieces, but the cut spirals will look smoother and the filling will have a more even texture.
Make a Dairy-Free Version
Replace the whole milk with unsweetened oat milk, use dairy-free butter for both the dough and filling, and choose dairy-free cream cheese for the icing. Keep the same quantities and warm the oat milk to the same temperature; the rolls will be a little less rich, and the dough still contains egg.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store the iced rolls covered in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. The dough will firm up when chilled.
- Freezer: Freeze completely cooled, uniced rolls in an airtight container for up to 2–3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator and add icing after reheating.
- Reheating: Warm uniced rolls covered in a 300°F oven until heated through, or microwave one briefly. Add the icing after warming; reheating iced rolls can make the cream cheese topping run.
Questions That Come Up When Baking Cherry Cinnamon Rolls
Cherry Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Pour the milk, warmed to 105–110°F, into a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over it, and let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.
- Whisk in the granulated sugar, 4 tablespoons melted butter, egg, and salt.
- Stir in the 4 cups flour until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead on a lightly floured surface for 6–8 minutes, using up to 2 tablespoons additional flour as needed, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Lightly coat the bowl with cooking spray, return the dough to the bowl, and turn it to coat; cover and let rise in a warm place for 1–1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.
- Lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12x18-inch rectangle.
- Spread the 6 tablespoons softened butter over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
- Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle the mixture evenly over the butter.
- Spread the cherry preserves over the dough and scatter the dried cherries on top.
- Roll the dough tightly from a long edge into a log, cut it into 12 even rolls, and arrange them cut side up in the baking dish.
- Cover the rolls and let rise for 30–45 minutes, until puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F during the final 20 minutes of the rise.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the tops are golden and the center roll is baked through.
- Beat the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
- Let the rolls rest for 10 minutes, then spread the icing over them while warm.