These homemade cherry cinnamon rolls are soft and chewy with a gooey center of cinnamon sugar and homemade cherry filling. The rolls are topped with a cream cheese icing that brings them to the next level!
These cherry cinnamon rolls are the perfect way to use fresh cherries! They have fluffy, soft dough and brown sugar cinnamon filling like a classic cinnamon roll, but with a simple macerated cherry filling inside.
And what are homemade cinnamon rolls without cream cheese glaze? I'm a cream cheese frosting fanatic, so I did not skimp on it here! It's rich, sweet, and perfectly pulls all the flavors together.
For more cherry recipes, try cherry apple crisp, Black Forest ice cream, cherry chocolate scones, dried cherry muffins, or a chocolate cherry tart!
Key Ingredients
- Milk- 2% milk is what I recommend, but I've tested this recipe with almond milk and it works great too!
- Active dry yeast- 1 packet of active dry yeast is all you need! This type of yeast has to be dissolved in liquid before it's added to the rest of the dough ingredients.
- Granulated sugar- Sweetens the cinnamon roll dough and activates the yeast.
- Eggs- 2 eggs bind the ingredients together and make the dough rich and soft.
- Butter- Make sure to use unsalted butter so the cherry rolls aren't too salty.
- Bread flour- This type of flour has a higher protein content, meaning that it will produce more gluten. More gluten makes the dough soft and chewy.
- Fresh cherries- Use sweet cherries, not sour cherries or Maraschino cherries. I used Bing cherries.
- Cream cheese- Use room temperature, full fat cream cheese that comes in a block for the best creamy consistency.
Substitutions and Variations
- Bread flour: The recipe will still work with an equal amount of all purpose flour, but I highly recommend bread flour for the fluffiest rolls!
- Cherry filling: If you don't want to make macerated cherries, you can use cherry preserves or canned cherry pie filling. The cinnamon rolls will have more gooey centers.
- Cream cheese: Instead of plain cream cheese frosting, try topping the cherry cinnamon rolls with coffee cream cheese frosting or brown butter cream cheese frosting.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: First, warm the milk in the microwave to 110ยฐF/43ยฐC. Use a kitchen thermometer if you have one. If not, stick your finger in the milk. It should feel like warm bath water.
Sprinkle yeast over the milk and let sit for 10 minutes until it foams.
Step 2: Add the milk mixture, sugar, eggs, and melted butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until well combined.
Step 3: Stir in the flour and salt with a silicone spatula until a sticky dough begins to form.
Step 4:ย Switch the paddle out for the dough hook. Knead the dough on medium speed until it forms into a slightly sticky ball.
Step 5: Place the dough in a large bowl. Cover with a dish towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 1-1.5 hours until it doubles in size.
Assembling the Rolls
Step 6: Slice the cherries in half and add to a bowl with granulated sugar and almond extract. Mix and let sit for 1 hour so the cherries release their juices.
Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a separate bowl.
Step 7: Once the dough rises, punch it down and roll it out into a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface using a rolling pin.
Step 8: Spread softened butter over the dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon brown sugar on top, then add dollops of cherry filling. Leave a little room on the edges so the cherries don't seep out.
Step 9:ย Tightly roll the dough into a log starting with the short side so there are more swirls. Cut into 1 inch sections.
Step 10: Place the rolls in a greased 9x13" baking dish. Then cover with plastic wrap or a warm towel and let rise again for 30-40 minutes while you preheat the oven.
Step 11:ย Bake the rolls until they're golden brown. They should be slightly underdone so they stay gooey in the center.
Making the Glaze
Step 12: Beat softened cream cheese, vanilla, and salt together with an electric mixer. Then mix in powdered sugar on low speed. Pour in heavy cream until the desired consistency is reached.
Step 14: Spread the glaze on top of the cinnamon rolls and serve immediately!
Expert Baking Tips
- Don't overheat the milk.ย The milk should be warmed to 100ยฐF-115ยฐF. Hotter milk will kill the yeast and your rolls won't rise.
- Don't overwork the dough. If the dough is kneaded too much, the rolls will bake up tough. Try to only roll out the dough once to prevent this.
- Flour your work surface and rolling pin so the dough doesn't stick as you roll it out.
- Cool the rolls slightly before frosting. If the cinnamon rolls are piping hot, the icing will melt everywhere. I personally prefer an icing that's more intact, so if you're like me, wait 5-10 minutes before drizzling the glaze.
How to Make Overnight Cherry Cinnamon Rolls
After kneading the dough, place in a large greased bowl. Then, cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight for up to 14 hours.
The next morning, pull out the dough and roll up the cinnamon rolls. Let rise the second time in a warm place for 1 hour instead of 30 minutes.
More Bread Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Cherry Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 1 5-quart stand mixer with the paddle and dough hook attachments
- 1 large baking dish
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Ingredients
Dough
- 235 grams milk
- 2 ยผ teaspoon active dry yeast 1 packet
- 67 grams granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 113 grams unsalted butter melted
- 480 grams bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Cherry Filling
- 320 grams fresh cherries pitted
- 50 grams granulated sugar
- ยผ teaspoon almond extract
Cinnamon Filling
- 156 grams dark brown sugar
- 1 ยฝ tablespoon cinnamon
- 113 grams unsalted butter room temperature
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 114 grams cream cheese room temperature
- ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 180 grams powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
Dough
- Microwave the milk in a small bowl for 40-45 until it reaches 110ยฐF/43ยฐC. Sprinkle yeast over the milk and let sit for 10 minutes. It will foam up if the yeast is alive.235 grams milk, 2 ยผ teaspoon active dry yeast
- Add the milk mixture, sugar, eggs, and melted butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until well combined.67 grams granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 113 grams unsalted butter
- Stir in the flour and salt with a rubber spatula until a sticky dough forms.480 grams bread flour, 1 teaspoon salt
- Switch the paddle out for the dough hook. Knead the dough on medium speed for 7-10 minutes until it forms into a slightly sticky ball that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If it sticks to the bowl, add 1 tablespoon of flour until it doesn't.
- Place dough in a large greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours until it doubles in size. As it rises, make the filling.
Cherry Filling
- Slice the pitted cherries in half. Add to a medium bowl and mix in granulated sugar and almond extract. Let sit for 1 hour.320 grams fresh cherries, 50 grams granulated sugar, ยผ teaspoon almond extract
Cinnamon Filling
- Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in another medium mixing bowl and set aside.156 grams dark brown sugar, 1 ยฝ tablespoon cinnamon, 113 grams unsalted butter
- Once the dough rises, roll it out into a large rectangle (roughly 14x9") on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin. It should be ยผ" thick.
- Spread softened butter over the dough, leaving ยผ" border. Sprinkle the cinnamon brown sugar on top, then dollop cherry filling on top.
- Tightly roll the dough into a log starting with the short side. Cut into 1 inch sections with unflavored dental floss or a serrated knife.
- Place the rolls in a greased 9x13" baking dish. Cover with a warm towel and let rise again for 30-40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF/180ยฐC.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before icing.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat softened cream cheese, vanilla, and salt together with an electric mixer on medium-high until smooth.114 grams cream cheese, ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract, ยผ teaspoon salt
- Mix in powdered sugar on low speed. Then add heavy cream 1 teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached180 grams powdered sugar, 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- Spread or drizzle glaze on top of the warm cinnamon rolls and serve immediately!
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