Vegan Strawberry Rolls

Vegan Strawberry Roll on a plate with fresh strawberries.

No ratings yet

These vegan strawberry rolls are the sweet treat you didn’t know you needed in your life — but totally do! Tender, fluffy, and stuffed with gooey strawberry filling, then topped with a decadent dairy-free strawberry cream cheese frosting, they’re perfect for weekend baking, special occasions, or whenever you’re craving something a little extra indulgent.

Prep Time45

Cook Time30

Proofing Time3

Total Time4 15

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: rolls

Calories: 518kcal

Author: Alissa Saenz

Ingredients

For the Dough

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and rolling
½ cup organic granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 (¼ ounce/7 gram) packet instant yeast
1 cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk, heated to 110° to 120°F
½ cup vegan butter, melted and cooled until just warm
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Vegetable oil or vegan butter, for the bowl

For the Filling

2 cups finely chopped fresh strawberries
⅓ cup organic granulated sugar
1 tablespoon water, chilled
1 tablespoon lemon juice, chilled
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Frosting

⅔ cup freeze-dried strawberries
5 tablespoons vegan butter, room temperature
8 ounces vegan cream cheese (Note 3), chilled
3 cups organic powdered sugar, plus more as needed

Instructions

Make the Dough

To make the dough, first whisk the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast together in a large mixing bowl.
In a smaller, separate container, stir together the non-dairy milk, vegan butter, vanilla extract, and lemon zest.
Add the milk mixture to the bowl with the flour mixture. Stir until the ingredients are combined and a shaggy dough is formed.
Lightly flour a work surface, then turn the dough onto the surface. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Let the dough rest for a few minutes while you lightly oil the inside of a large mixing bowl. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in the bowl.
Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and place it in a warm location. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours (Note 1).

Make the Filling

Make the filling while the dough rises. Combine the strawberries and sugar in a small saucepan and place it over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries become very soft and start to break down.
While the strawberries simmer, stir the water, lemon juice, and cornstarch together in a small cup or container.
Stir the cornstarch mixture into the strawberry mixture, then let it come back up to a simmer while stirring. The mixture should thicken very quickly and become jam-like. Remove it from heat once it does. Stir in the cinnamon. Let the mixture cool completely.

Shape the Rolls

Oil the inside of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough to a 12 x 18 inch rectangle.
Spread the strawberry mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges. It will look a bit sparse.
Starting from one of the long sides of the rectangle, tightly roll the dough into a log.
Cut the log into 12 slices, then gently arrange them in the prepared baking pan. Use a spatula to lift them from the work surface. They can be a little tricky to handle, but don't worry if they deform a bit — just reshape them to the best of your ability when placing them in the baking dish.
Cover the baking dish with a damp tea towel and place it in a warm location. Let the rolls rise until they have noticeably puffed up (they won't double), about 30 to 60 minutes.

Bake

Preheat the oven to 375°F (Note 2).
Once the oven has come up to temperature, bake the rolls for about 30 minutes, until they're very puffy and golden brown on top.
Place the baking dish on a wire rack and let the rolls cool completely, or until just warm if you'd like.

Make the Frosting

Make the frosting while the rolls cool. Begin by placing the freeze-dried strawberries into a blender or mini food processor. Blend them to a powder.
Place the vegan butter and cream cheese into a large mixing bowl, then use an electric mixer to beat them together until creamy.
Beat in the powdered strawberries, then begin beating in the powdered sugar, adding about a cup at a time until the frosting reaches your desired flavor and consistency.

Frost and Serve

Spread the frosting over the cooled rolls.
Serve.

Notes

If your oven has a bread proof setting, use it. Otherwise, I recommend placing the bowl in the oven (off) with the light on.
Make sure to take the rolls out of the oven first if they're in there rising.
I recommend using Tofutti brand. Not all vegan cream cheeses behave the same in recipes, and Tofutti is what I tested the recipe with.

Nutrition