These bright blueberry cinnamon rolls are made with an enriched sweet yeast dough and topped with whipped crème fraiche. The blueberry filling gets thickened on the stove so each roll bakes up soft and fluffy, not gummy or soggy. And with just one rise, they're easy to bake for weekend breakfast.
Lemon Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls with a Tangy Whipped Topping!
Cinnamon rolls are a beloved staple in my kitchen, and I wanted to create a version that tasted like the best parts of summer but could easily be made year-round. And unlike my other cinnamon roll recipes, I experimented with cutting the usual two-rise process down to one. After kneading, I let the dough rest for 15 minutes to relax the gluten. Then I shaped, filled, and arranged them in a deep round cake pan. After a 90-minute rise at room temp, they rose so dramatically that they reminded me of a fancy layer cake. Fewer steps, faster timeline, yet still just as fluffy!
For the blueberry filling, I cook the berries on the stove first, which releases a lot of juice that would make the dough gummy & underbaked if left raw. Then I thicken it with cornstarch so that jammy sauce stays put when you roll the dough and doesn't leak into the pan. This method also lets you use fresh or frozen blueberries, depending on the season.
Finally there's the topping. Cream cheese frosting felt too heavy and overpowered the blueberries, so I made a lighter whipped creme fraiche topping. A few spoonful's of the blueberry filling and a little brown sugar get mixed in, which sweetens it juuust enough and turns it the most beautiful lavender color. Plus keeps the rolls moist and looking like something out of a European café window (which is kinda my thing!)
If you love the idea of homemade cinnamon rolls with a fruit filling, definitely try my peach cobbler cinnamon rolls next. And if you're on a blueberry kick, my German blueberry coffee cake is the simplest bake with fresh berries folded right into the one-layer batter.
Let's Bake Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls!
For the full step-by-step directions, scroll down to the recipe card.
Testing Note
I grew up making cinnamon rolls with active dry yeast, but for this one I went with instant yeast. It skips the activation step, which means one less thing to worry about (just make sure your yeast isn't expired!)
My Tips for Blueberry Buns That Don't Fall Apart
- Knead for the full 8 minutes by hand or 5-6 minutes in a stand mixer, since enriched doughs like this one need longer to develop gluten. It should feel soft and slightly tacky, otherwise your dough could bake up dense & tough.
- In testing, I found that cutting the dough into strips then rolling each one individually helps prevent them from unraveling, and keeps more of the berry filling inside. Any berries that do fall out can just be scooped up and dolloped onto the rolls before they rise.
- Don't skip making the cornstarch slurry, since dumping cornstarch straight into the saucepan creates gross, gummy chunks.
Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
developed & tested by:
Equipment
Ingredients
CINNAMON ROLL DOUGH
- 1 cup milk
- 2¼ teaspoon instant yeast (one packet)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4¾ cups all purpose flour
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
LEMON BLUEBERRY FILLING
- 3 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- zest from one large lemon
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice (from about half a lemon)
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon cold water
BROWN SUGAR FILLING
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
WHIPPED CREME FRAICHE
- ½ cup creme fraiche
- ½ cup heavy cream, cold (or heavy whipping cream)
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons reserved blueberry filling
Instructions
Make the Blueberry Filling
- In a small saucepan, add the blueberries, brown sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Simmer on medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes, until the blueberries soften and release a lot of their juice.
- In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with one tablespoon of cold water until it's smooth.
- Bring the saucepan to a boil, add the cornstarch slurry, and boil for 1 minute. Stir constantly, until it's thickened. Set aside to cool completely to room temperature.
Mix the Dough & Let it Rise
- Warm the milk in the microwave for 60-90 seconds, until it's between 105°F and 115°F (40°C to 46°C).
- In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk, instant yeast, granulated sugar, room-temperature eggs, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Whisk until everything is well-combined.
- Add the flour and mix with a large spoon just until there are no clumps of dry flour, after a minute.
- Cut the softened butter into small squares & add it to the dough. Mix either in the mixing bowl with a large spoon or with a dough hook attachment in a stand mixer until it starts to form a sticky dough, after 1-2 minutes.
- Knead by hand on a work surface dusted with flour for 8 full minutes, or knead in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment for 5-6 minutes, until the dough springs back to its original shape when you indent it with your finger.
- Shape the dough into a ball. Place the dough ball back in a clean mixing bowl, and cover with a kitchen towel or dinner plate. Let it rest at room temperature for just 15 minutes, to let the gluten relax.
Prepare the Filling & Shape the Rolls
- Grease a 10-inch round baking pan or deep pie dish. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix brown sugar filling by combining the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a 12-in by 17.5-in rectangle (30cm by 45cm).
- Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough. Then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly on top, and gently press it down into the dough with your hands.
- Set aside two tablespoons of the cooled blueberry filling in a small bowl for the glaze later. Then spread the rest of the blueberry filling on top of the dough.
- From a short edge, cut the dough into eight 1.5-inch (4cm) long strips.
- Roll each strip of dough in a spiral. Aim for rolling it tight enough that it doesn't have any gaps, but not so tight that the center squeezes out.
- Arrange the rolls evenly spread out in your prepared baking dish. Rolling the dough can get a little messy, so scoop up any blueberry filling from the counter onto the tops of the rolls.
- Cover with plastic wrap (which retains moisture better than a towel) and let them rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes, until they double in size.
Bake the Rolls & Add the Whipped Topping
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
- Bake the rolls for 45-48 minutes, until they're puffed up and golden brown on top. A wooden skewer inserted into the bread part of the rolls should come out clean (since the filling will still be wet even after it's done baking). Let the rolls cool for 15 minutes before adding the topping.
- While the rolls cool, add the creme fraiche and heavy cream to a large mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to mix until it forms soft peaks, after 4-6 minutes. Add the brown sugar and reserved blueberry filling, then mix again until it forms stiff peaks, after about one minute. Dollop the whipped creme fraiche on top of each cinnamon roll, and add a few extra blueberries on top.
Notes
- Blueberry Filling: You can make the blueberry filling ahead of time and store it in the fridge in an airtight container for a few days.
- Equipment: Make sure the walls on your baking dish are at least 3-inches (7.5cm) tall, otherwise the cinnamon rolls could spill over as they bake.
- Summer Baking: If your kitchen is hot and your dough feels really soft and sticky, pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes to cool down & be easier to roll out without sticking.
- Shaping: To get perfectly uniform cinnamon rolls, I use a ruler to lightly score where to make each cut with a pizza cutter.
- Avoid Over-Baking: Be sure to watch your cinnamon rolls in the oven after the halfway mark and loosely cover them with a large piece of foil if they start to turn golden brown on top before the center is baked. Since they're taller than most other cinnamon rolls, the top has a tendency to finish baking first.
- Cool First: Let the cinnamon rolls cool for at least 15 minutes, otherwise the whipped creme fraiche could melt and slide off.
Nutrition
This website uses affiliate links which may earn commission for purchases made at no additional cost to you.
I'm eggcited to hear from you :)