These Blueberry Cinnamon rolls are a mouthwatering delight made with an irresistible combination of plump blueberries and aromatic cinnamon. Each roll is made fresh to give a soft, pillowy texture and a burst of delightful flavors. This is such a fun twist on a classic cinnamon roll. Since baking them is a long process, I recommend dividing it into two days. Whether you’re starting your day or treating yourself to a dessert, these rolls are the perfect indulgence. You should bake these to experience the delectable joy of these shareable delights with your friends and family!
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:
- Warm Milk: You will need warm whole (full-fat) milk. Warm temperatures are also required to activate the yeast. Temperatures required are between 110ºF to 115ºF ideally. Anything hotter than this can kill your yeast. You will need 3/4th cup warm milk to make this recipe.
- Yeast: Once the yeast is added, you should wait for it to be activated before proceeding. In case of instant yeast, it will activate immediately and you will have a foamy & bubbly mixture. However if using active dry yeast, you will need to let the mixture rest for around 15-20 minutes before the yeast is active.
- Granulated Sugar: A small amount of sugar is added to the dough. This not only helps to add sweetness but also acts as food for the yeast which helps to activate it and become foamy & bubbly.
- Egg and Egg Yolk: Use large eggs and bring them to room temperature before mixing in. Eggs strengthen the binding of your dough and also add moisture. Having your eggs at room temperature makes it easier to incorporate them and allow them to mix thoroughly in your dough. A good way of doing this is by letting them sit in a bowl filled with room temperature water for around 10 minutes or until they come down to room temperature.
- Unsalted Butter: You will need melted butter to make the dough. You will need half cup unsalted butter for this recipe. I also prefer to use unsalted butter because salted butters have varying amounts of salt content in them and it is always a good idea to add it on your own and avoid your bakes from being too salty.
- All-purpose Flour: I highly recommend weighing all your ingredients using a kitchen scale for accurate recipe results. If you’re using cups, don’t scoop your cup into the flour. Spoon the all purpose flour into your cup and level it off with the back of a knife.
- Fresh Blueberries: Ripe and fresh blueberries are best to make a juicy, jammy filling for these rolls. You can also use a store bought jam instead.
- Granulated Sugar: You will need this to make the blueberry filling for these rolls. Along with adding sweetness, sugar helps to give the jammy texture to it.
- Lemon Juice: I always prefer using homemade lemon juice for its freshness & best natural flavour. However, you can even use store bought one instead if necessary. You will need a teaspoon of lemon juice to make these lemon blueberry cinnamon rolls.
- Ground Cinnamon: You will need ground cinnamon to make the blueberry cinnamon jam and spread it on the dough evenly.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps to thicken the strawberry jam and bring it to the desired consistency.
- Cream cheese: Having your cream cheese at room temperature helps to make a smooth glaze without and lumps. I recommend using block cream cheese to make this cream cheese icing to frost over cinnamon buns from scratch.
- Heavy Cream: You will need high-fat heavy cream or heavy whipping cream to make a smooth and silky frosting. If you’re using low-fat cream, make sure to drain out the water content from it before starting.
- Vanilla: You must use a high quality pure vanilla extract in your recipes. This helps to add a rich flavor to your baked goods especially when they contain chocolate. Pure vanilla extracts are typically dark brown in color. This enhances the flavour of all ingredients and you should never leave this out. You will need a teaspoon vanilla extract for this recipe.
- Powdered Sugar: You will need powdered sugar to add to your cream cheese frosting. It mixes in it like a breeze and leaves no grainy lumps at all. You will need one cups powdered sugar for this recipe.
FAQ
You can use either active dry or instant yeast (also known as quick-rise yeast) to make these bluberry cinnamon rolls. If you’re using instant yeast, it should get activated almost instantly once you add it in. However, if you’re using active dry yeast, you need to let it rest for 15-20 minutes before the yeast is activated.
Once the yeast is activated it will become foamy and you will notice some bubbles forming on the surface of your mixture. This process might take 15-20 minutes if you’re using active-dry yeast. You should observe it almost immediately in the case of instant or quick-rise yeast.
The first dough rise is known as bulk fermentation and the second one is known as proofing. Bulk fermenting is the process of allowing the dough to double in size in a large bowl while proofing is allowing the shaped dough to become puffy in the cinnamon roll casserole just before baking. At a minimum, both steps require an hour to two in a warm place.
You can do any one of the rising steps overnight by letting the dough chill in the refrigerator for 8-16 hours. Keeping your dough in the refrigerator slows down the rise, however exceeding 16 hours of proofing time will cause it to be over proofed. There is no time limit to bulk ferment your dough however I don’t recommend exceeding 24 hours. I don’t recommend proofing for more than 16 hours in the refrigerator. The next morning, remove the rolls from the refrigerator and allow them to rise on the counter for 1-2 hours before baking. If bulk fermenting or proofing for longer durations or overnight, I recommend doing it in the refrigerator and make sure to cover it with a plastic wrap so the dough doesn’t dry out.
If you don’t have a stand mixer or a hand mixer fitted with dough attachments, you can knead the dough by hand. Firstly start with stirring your mixture with a spatula until it is crumbly in texture and has started to come together. At this point, flour your work surface and hands. Transfer the dough on the surface. Start by bringing all the bits of the dough together until they stick and you form a ball. If it’s too sticky, now is the time to add in 1-2 tablespoons of flour more. Once your fruit cinnamon rolls dough has come together, set a timer of 10 minutes and start kneading. To knead, lift a part of the berry rolls dough and bring it to the center. Then press your palm on the center and push it outwards. Start slow till you gain some momentum. Continue this for around 10 minutes.
To check if your dough is kneaded properly, poke a finger in your dough. If the dent formed springs right out then your dough is done and you can proceed with bulk fermentation.
To freeze before baking: the dough should be frozen after the first rise (once it is rolled up with the filling). Place into a pan and cover well, then place in freezer. When you are ready to bake, let the dough thaw in the fridge — preferably overnight, then put in a warm spot for 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking to activate the second rise. Bake cinnamon rolls as directed.
To freeze after baking: allow the cinnamon rolls to come to room temperature after baking, then you can choose to either freeze the entire pan, making sure it is well wrapped or covered in an airtight container or you can choose to freeze individual cinnamon roll slices. When ready to eat, defrost the blueberry sweet rolls with lemon at room temperature, then warm in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or you can warm up a slice of in the microwave for 20-30 seconds (once defrosted).
Pro tip: If freezing these blueberry lemon cinnamon rolls, be sure to add a date so you don’t forget!
There are a few things you can substitute in this blueberry cream cheese cinnamon roll recipe:
Milk: If you’re in a pinch, you can replace this with equal quantities of buttermilk.
All-purpose flour: Swap this out with equal quantities of bread flour to give your rolls a more crisp exterior.
Rolling Pin: You can use a wine bottle alternatively to roll out the dough for this pecan cinnamon roll recipe.
Blueberries: You can use a store bought blueberry jam instead.
TROUBLESHOOTING EASY BLUEBERRY CINNAMON ROLLS RECIPE:
- My yeast is not getting activated: If your yeast is not getting activated it maybe because either it is too old or your milk is not at the right temperature. Once opened, yeast packets last in the refrigerator for upto 4 months or in the freezer for upto 6 months. If your yeast is too old or your milk is too hot it will cause your yeast to die. I recommend starting over with a fresh packet of yeast if this happens. If your milk is too cold, your yeast will still not get activated properly. Ideal temperature for yeast activation is between 105ºF-115ºF. Anything more than 120ºF starts killing your yeast.
- I forgot to add eggs in my cinnamon roll dough: If you remembered to add eggs to the bluberry breakfast rolls dough while it is bulk fermenting or after completely fermented, you’re definitely in luck. You can add in the eggs at any point before rolling the dough out. Allow it to ferment for 1-2 hours until doubled after adding in the eggs. After shaping the roll there is not much scope of adding in the eggs, you can still bake the roll if you want. It will definitely be a lot tougher.
- My dough did not double during fermentation: This is possible if either your yeast was not properly activated or if you did not knead your dough properly. Your yeast should be bubbly and foamy and your dough should bounce back when you poke a finger in it. Over kneading your dough can also cause the gluten strands to break and not rise properly.
- My cinnamon roll did not rise during proofing: A major reason of this happening is because you did not ferment or proof the dough in the correct environment. The ideal temperature to proof the dough is 85ºF – 95ºF with 70 – 75% humidity.
- My roll is already puffed before proofing: If your roll is already puffed up and tightly fitting your pan, then I suggest you immediately put it in the oven. If you still proof it at this point, it will be over proofed.
- My cinnamon roll came out to be dry: Adding too much flour or over baking your roll can cause it to turn out dry and tough. Oven temperatures also play an important role here. A high oven temperature can dry out the cinnamon roll if baked to the recommended time. A low oven temperature will require an increased baked time, which can dry out the roll.
How to make the best Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls Recipe ever:
These rolls are extremely delicious and very straightforward to make. However, if you want them to turn out absolutely perfect, here are some tips that you should keep in mind!
- Do not overheat your milk: You want to measure your milk in a heatproof bowl and put it in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. The milk should be warm to touch but not too warm. The ideal temperature for the milk is between 110ºF – 115ºF. I highly recommend using a thermometer here. Anything hotter than this can kill your yeast, resulting in it not being activated.
- Be careful while adding in flour: Too much flour and these homemade easy blueberry roll will be dry and tough. Not enough flour and the rolls won’t have enough structure to rise and will be dense and soggy. Toward the end of mixing, gradually add a tablespoon at a time and check the texture of the dough after each addition.
- Use room temperature eggs: Using cold eggs can affect the yeast in these cinnamon blueberry rolls recipe can cause the melted butter to coagulate in the mixture. Having your eggs at room temperature makes it easier to incorporate them and allow them to mix thoroughly in your dough. A good way of doing this is by letting them sit in a bowl filled with room temperature water for around 10 minutes or until they come down to room temperature.
- Set a timer to knead your dough: I highly recommend setting a timer to knead the dough for this blueberry cinnamon rolls recipe. To allow the dough to strongly develop gluten and form a smooth round ball, you must continuously knead it for a minimum 10 minutes.
- Be sure to flour your work surface and rolling pin: It is very important to have a lightly floured surface and rolling pin before rolling out the dough as it might stick to them and tear otherwise. If you’re kneading the dough with your hand, I recommend you flour them as well.
- Do not over-proof your dough: Over proofing the dough causes the air bubbles to escape and will therefore not allow your rolls to rise any further while baking. Never exceed 16 hours while proofing the dough overnight in the refrigerator and 45 minutes while proofing in warm temperature conditions.
- Be sure to trim off the edges: When you tightly roll dough into a log, the edges are usually uneven and don’t have nearly as much filling as the other parts of the log. I always trim off around half an inch from both ends of the log to get the perfect rolls every single time.
- Take time to grease your pan: There’s nothing worse than spending time and energy prepping, kneading, fermenting, proofing and baking your new favourite dessert only to find out that your topping is stuck to the bottom of the pan. Been there, done that and it’s not at all fun. The rolls almost always taste great but they’re obviously not as pretty. So for the best results, be sure to generously grease a non-stick pan with non-stick baking spray. I like to use sprays which also have flour in them to grease cake pans. If your spray doesn’t, then I’d suggest doing a second round of greasing with some amount of flour. Once thoroughly greased, divide your rolled log into smaller rolls and place them in the pan.
- Do not over bake: You want to bake this cinnamon blueberry bread for 20-25 minutes or until just slightly golden brown on the edges. You want to under bake them a little so they stay soft in the middle, that’s why we want them just slightly golden brown. Check around the 15 minute mark, if your rolls are browning too much on the top, lightly cover them with aluminium foil.
- Store cinnamon rolls in an airtight container: These sweet rolls tend to become dry and tough if not stored properly. Make sure you store them in an airtight container or individual rolls in a ziploc bag in the refrigerator. You can reheat cinnamon rolls made from scratch in a microwave.
How to get the best results from this recipe?
All of the recipes on the blog are thoroughly tested multiple times and carefully designed so that anyone can reproduce these delicious baked good in their own kitchen and enjoy them to the fullest. The only way to make this possible is when anyone can exactly replicate the measurements and temperatures.
- In order to standardise the way ingredients are measured, I highly recommend that you weigh them in grams. Volume measurements are nearly not as accurate and have a lot of scope for errors. To precisely be able to replicate the recipes, all you will need is a kitchen scale!
- Every oven heats up differently. Your oven might be over heating or under heating by around 50 degrees or more and you might not even know. In order to ensure that you are baking at the right temperatures, I highly recommend investing in an oven thermometer!
If you would still like to bake using volume measurements, I mentioned those below. However, I primarily test my recipes in grams and cannot promise the best results if you do so. Trust me, once you’ll start using these tools you’d never want to go back.
I hope you’ll enjoy a batch of my blueberry cinnamon rolls recipe this Spring and don’t forget to bookmark this recipe for the holidays. These pretty & delicious rolls would make the perfect delight for your breakfast or Sunday family brunch!
Happy Baking!
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Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 rolls 1x
Description
These blueberry cinnamon rolls are such a fun and easy twist on classic cinnamon rolls. You really don’t need an excuse to dig into these soft, gooey & delicious rolls. Since baking them is a long process, I recommend dividing it into two days.
Ingredients
CINNAMON ROLLS
- 180ml (¾ cup) warm whole milk, between 110ºF-115ºF
- 2¼ (¼ oz packet) teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
- 50g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 56g (¼ cup) unsalted butter, melted
- 375g (3 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ¾ teaspoon salt
BLUEBERRY JAM
- 400g ripe bluberries, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- pinch of salt
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 120g (½ cup or 4oz) block cream cheese, at room temperature
- 56g (¼ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 125g (1 cup) powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
CINNAMON ROLLS
- In a medium bowl, heat the milk to around 110ºF-115ºF. To this, add in the yeast and granulated sugar. If using active dry yeast, let the mixture rest for around 10-15 minutes until the mixture is foamy & bubbly. If using instant yeast, continue to the next step.
- Add in the egg and egg yolk into the mixture and beat until completely incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. If using a stand mixer, do this in the bowl of the mixer fitted with the dough hook.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add in the melted butter and knead the dough until it comes together and is crumbly in texture.
- Place dough hook on stand mixer and knead dough on medium speed for 8 minutes. The dough should form into a nice ball and be slightly sticky. If it’s too sticky add in 1-2 tablespoons more flour. If you don’t want to use an electric mixer, you can use your hands to knead the dough for 8-10 minutes on a lightly floured surface.
- Once the dough is ready, transfer it to a lightly greased bowl. Cover the dough with a plastic wrap and then a warm towel. Allow to bulk ferment in a warm environment for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size. Alternatively, you can bulk ferment the dough overnight.
- Generously grease a 8-inch round pan or a 9″x9″ square with a non-stick spray and some flour.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, take it out on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin roll the dough out by applying pressure evenly into a rectangle about 14″x9″.
BLUEBERRY JAM
- Add the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, ground cinnamon and vanilla to a small heavy bottomed saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until berries start to break down. Turn the heat down to low, and let the mixture simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Add in the cornstarch and salt and stir it continuously for about 1-2 minutes with a wooden spatula until thickened.
- Transfer to a mason jar or bowl and then place in the refrigerator until cool and ready to use.
- Spread on top of rolled dough leaving a ¼” edge. You can spread this using your hands or the back of the spoon/spatula.
ASSEMBLY
- Tightly roll the dough into a log along the long side of the rectangle. You will have a 9″ log with you at the end.
- Trim off around ½” of the dough from both ends as that will not be even and have a lot of filling. Mark 8 or 9 slits of even length on the remaining log depending on the pan you are using.
- Use a sharp knife, thread or floss cut the log into 8 or 9 equal rolls along the marked slits.
- Gently place the cut rolls in the prepared pan. Cover tightly with a plastic wrap and then a warm towel. Allow to proof in a warm environment for 30-45 minutes or until puffy.
- While the rolls are proofing, preheat your oven to 350ºF (177ºC).
- Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes or until just slightly golden brown on the edges. You want to under bake them a little so they stay soft in the middle, that’s why we want them just slightly golden brown. Check around 15 minutes, if your rolls are browning too much on the top, lightly cover them with aluminium foil.
- Allow the rolls to cool on a wire rack.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- Using a hand mixer, cream the block cream cheese and unsalted butter until completely smooth.
- Add in the vanilla, heavy cream and salt. Mix well. Add in powdered sugar and beat until combined.
- Allow roll to cool on a wire rack. Frost generously with cream cheese frosting using an offset spatula.
- Allow the rolls to cool completely or serve warm. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for upto a week. Heat them in the microwave for 30 seconds before serving.
Notes
- Be sure to read through the faqs, tips and troubleshooting guide above. If you still have questions about the recipe, feel free to drop them in the comments below. Happy Baking!
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Brunch, Cinnamon Rolls, Blueberry, Spring
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: blueberry cinnamon rolls, spring baking recipes, summer baking recipes, blueberry rolls, cinnamon roll, blueberry cream cheese rolls
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