Strawberry Rhubarb Sweet Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze

Melt-in-your-mouth fluffy sweet rolls are filled with a sweet-tart rhubarb and strawberry filling for a delightful spring twist on classic sweet rolls.

It’s officially brunch week, and with Mother’s Day coming up these rhubarb strawberry sweet rolls are an ideal show-stopping pastry to serve. Fresh seasonal fruit folded into pillowy roll dough, finished with a simple vanilla glaze—perfect for an easy, elegant brunch.

These rolls combine a tender, soft dough with a juicy fruit filling. The bright, slightly tart rhubarb balances the sweetness of strawberries and jam, while a creamy vanilla glaze ties everything together and melts into every swirl.

If you’ve ever wanted a dessert you could happily live inside, these come close. Warm, gooey centers and tender edges make them impossible to resist.

These Sweet Rolls Feature…

• Soft, fluffy sweet roll dough
• Fresh strawberry and tart rhubarb filling
• A sweet vanilla glaze to finish

Making the Sweet Rolls

(Full recipe and details below)

Ingredients You Will Need

• 2% or skim milk
• Active dry yeast
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs
• Kosher salt
• All-purpose flour
• Unsalted butter
• Rhubarb
• Strawberries
• Strawberry jam
• Cornstarch
• Lemon juice
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract

Stand Mixer vs. Hand Mixing

You can mix and knead this dough in a stand mixer with a dough hook or by hand. A stand mixer saves effort and kneads quickly; hand mixing works fine but requires more time.

Stand Mixer: Use the dough hook and knead on medium speed for 5–7 minutes until the dough is stretchy and elastic.

By Hand: Mix in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead about 10 minutes until elastic and smooth.

Tips for Perfect Sweet Rolls

1. Heat milk to 110°F: Keep liquids at or below 110°F so the yeast stays active; hotter liquids will kill the yeast.
2. Measure flour correctly: Use the spoon-and-level method to avoid packing too much flour into the cup.
3. Knead to develop gluten: Proper kneading creates structure and the soft, airy crumb of the rolls.
4. Allow dough to double in size: Grease the bowl, turn dough to coat, cover, and let rise 1–1½ hours until doubled.
5. Warm rising environment: Aim for about 75–80°F for best rising results.
6. Roll dough to size: Roll to a 12×16 inch rectangle for the right dough-to-filling ratio.
7. Roll tightly: A snug roll creates a neat spiral and even layers of filling.
8. Cut into 12 pieces: This will be a little messy with fruit—if filling falls out, tuck it back into the rolls once arranged in the pan.
9. Second rise: After shaping, let rolls rise 30–45 minutes until slightly puffy.
10. Under-bake slightly: Removing rolls a touch early keeps them soft and gooey inside.
11. Cool before glazing: Let rolls cool about 20 minutes so the glaze sets without melting away.

Recipe Variations

Ideas to change up the flavors.

• Use another berry: Substitute blackberries or blueberries for the strawberries.
• Different glaze: A cream cheese glaze would pair beautifully with these rolls.

Overnight Option

You can prepare the dough and shape the rolls the night before. After cutting and arranging the rolls in the pan, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for up to 16 hours. The next morning, remove the pan 1½ hours before baking so the rolls come to room temperature and finish their rise.

A warm pan of these sweet rolls is a lovely centerpiece for Mother’s Day brunch. They’re pretty, seasonal, and irresistible fresh from the oven.

Make them your own: Try different berries, swap the glaze, or bake them the night before for an easy morning treat. If you make the recipe, save it and share your feedback or photos—these rolls tend to disappear fast!

More sweet rolls you’ll love!

• Raspberry Sweet Rolls
• Lemon Poppyseed Sweet Rolls
• Overnight Cinnamon Rolls