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Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls are pillowy soft, with gooey centers and blueberry flavor in every bite! A tender & pillowy dough is filled with cinnamon roll filling and blueberry compote, then topped with luscious blueberry cream cheese frosting. These are absolutely irresistible!
Why you’ll love these Blueberry Rolls:
- Fresh Blueberry Flavor – Every bite of these rolls is full of juicy, fresh blueberry flavor.
- Gooey & Soft Cinnamon Rolls – These rolls are pillowy soft and gooey – never dry or hard in the slightest!
- Brunch or Dessert – These decadent rolls are perfect for a fancy brunch or even for dessert!
Ingredient Overview:
As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).
- Yeast – Instant yeast (also called rapid yeast or quick rise yeast) doesn’t require blooming – easy peasy.
- All-purpose flour – Spoon your flour into the measuring cup, then level it with a flat utensil for best results, or use a scale. Scooping the measuring cup directly into your flour will lead to too much flour, and a potentially dry bake. We’re using regular all-purpose flour here – no need to buy a special flour like bread flour!
- Milk – I used 2% but you could use whole milk as well. Don’t use buttermilk or skim milk.
- Eggs – Use large eggs, at room temperature.
- Butter – I always use salted butter because in my experience, it lends the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer.
- Blueberries – You can use fresh or frozen blueberries. I prefer using frozen wild blueberries in the filling – their smaller size makes them easier to work with here, but you can get away with regular, too.
- Cream Cheese – I prefer the block style cream cheese, but since this is just a frosting (vs something like a cheesecake) you could get away with using the kind in a tub.
Recipe Substitutions & Variations:
- Gluten-free/Dairy-Free – I haven’t tried a dairy-free or gluten-free version of my cinnamon roll dough yet (although I’ve been meaning to!)
- Other Fruits – Try my Peach Cobbler Cinnamon Rolls or Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls if you’re not crazy about blueberries. Or, make my No-Knead Maple Brioche Cinnamon Rolls if you’re not a fruity dessert person!
How to Make Blueberry Rolls:
Step 1: Make the Blueberry Filling. Cook together blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest for 6-8 minutes. Thicken with cornstarch and water, then stir in the vanilla. Let cool.
Step 2: Make the Cinnamon Roll Dough. In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together all the dough ingredients except flour. Add the flour, and gently mix in. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes to soak up the liquid.
Then, knead with the dough hook for 5-7 minutes. The dough will still be quite soft but will be smooth & elastic.
Step 3: Let Dough Rise. Remove dough from the bowl, lightly spray it with cooking spray, and return the dough. Let rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size. When you make an indent with your fingertip and it holds, it’s ready!
Step 4: Roll Out & Fill Dough. Once the dough has risen, roll it out on a generously floured surface. Spread on the cinnamon roll filling and then the blueberry filling, as evenly as possible.
Step 5: Slice & Roll Cinnamon Rolls. Slice the rolls into strips about 1 and 3/4 inches wide. Then, roll up each strip. I find this easier and faster than rolling the whole dough log and slicing it from there.
Step 6: Let Rolls Rise. Place the rolls in a greased 9×13 pan and cover with a kitchen towel to rise for 30-40 minutes. Use the indent test again to check for readiness!
Pour room temperature heavy cream over the rolls, and bake as directed in the recipe card below.
Step 7: Frost. Mix together cream cheese, milk, powdered sugar, vanilla, and blueberry compote. Slather over the warm rolls!
Serving + Storing:
Frost the rolls as soon as they’re out of the oven. Dig in while they’re nice and warm! Allow leftover rolls to cool to room temperature for a bit before covering and refrigerating. Rolls are best fresh but reheat nicely for 1-2 extra days.
Expert Baking Tips:
- Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
- Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.
FAQs:
I do not recommend doubling the dough as it would be such a large quantity that it could throw off the rise times, etc. You could double the other elements (blueberry filling, cinnamon filling, and frosting) and save half of each for a second batch of dough. And, yes you can halve the entire recipe if desired and bake in a smaller pan that will fit 6 rolls snugly.
I haven’t tested the dough as a make-ahead to get the exact timing, but the filling, crumble, frosting, and cinnamon filling can all be made ahead. Make each and store in their own airtight containers in the fridge for 1-2 days ahead of using. Let the crumble come back to room temperature before using so it can soften back up.
Special Tools:
- Stand Mixer – You can make these rolls by hand, but it is a bit easier to do with a stand mixer and the dough hook attachment it comes with!
- Ruler – This probably sounds a little odd but I have a ruler or mini tape measure in my baking drawer at all times! It comes in so handy for measuring dough when rolling it out, and for slicing things evenly! (I’m not going to link this because I’m assuming you already have this at home, haha!)
- Instant Read Thermometer – You absolutely must have an instant read thermometer for this recipe. This way you know your milk, etc. aren’t too warm (this can ruin the yeast), and it helps you tell when the rolls are done!
- Rolling Pin – You’ll need a rolling pin to roll out the dough.
More Blueberry Recipes to Love:
- Double Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake
- Blueberry Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
- Strawberry Blueberry Pie
- Baked Blueberry Streusel Donuts
- One-Bowl Blueberry Crisp
- Skillet Blueberry Peach Cobbler
- Blueberry Spinach Salad with Honey Balsamic
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Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Blueberry Filling
- 5 cups frozen wild blueberries, See note below! 700 grams
- 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar , 184 grams
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1-2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp + 2 tsp corn starch, 21 grams
- 2 tbsp + 2 tsp water
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Cinnamon Roll Dough:
- 1/2 cup salted butter, melted, 115℉, 113 grams
- 1 cup warm milk, 115℉, See Note below!, 240 mL
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten and at room temperature, room temp
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar , 70 grams
- 2 and 1/2 tsp instant yeast, 9 grams
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 4 cups + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed out, 528 grams
For the Cinnamon Filling:
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened, 113 grams
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed, 110 grams
- 5 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup heavy cream, for pouring over the rolls – don't mix into the filling, Gently warm this in the microwave. 80 grams
For the Frosting:
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened, 170 grams
- 1 tbsp salted butter, 14 grams
- 1 cup powdered sugar, 115 grams
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp blueberry filling, 114 grams
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Make the Blueberry Filling: Add blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest to a medium pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-9 minutes (the mixture should be simmering – if it's not, turn up the heat). The blueberries will have released lots of juices. Stir together corn starch and water in a small bowl, until corn starch is fully dissolved. Pour this into the simmering blueberries, then cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes to thicken. The sauce should hold for a second when you drag a wooden spoon through the pot, and a trail should hold when you drag your *clean* finger through the sauce on the back of the spoon. Pour mixture into a pie dish or something similar and stir in the vanilla. Taste and add a splash more lemon or sugar if desired. Pop in the fridge to cool completely. Make-Ahead Tip: This can be done up to 3 days ahead. Store in a jar in the fridge.5 cups frozen wild blueberries, 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar , 2 tsp lemon zest, 1-2 tsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp + 2 tsp corn starch, 2 tbsp + 2 tsp water, 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Make the Dough & First Rise: In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the melted butter, warm milk, beaten eggs, sugar, yeast, and salt. Whisk together (either with the whisk attachment or with a hand whisk, no need to dirty the whisk attachment if you don't want to). Then, add the paddle attachment and add the flour. Mix on low speed (setting 2-3) just until the flour disappears into the dough. It will be shaggy and wet. Let this rest for 5 minutes before proceeding. Scrape the dough off the paddle attachment and add the dough hook. Knead the dough on setting 1-2 (no higher!) for 5-7 minutes. The dough will begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl towards the 5 minute mark and will look smoother and elastic, however it will still seem a bit slack. Gently pour the dough onto a clean countertop and spray the stand mixer bowl with nonstick spray (no need to wipe it out!), then place the dough back in to rise. Let the dough rise for 1 hour. It should have doubled in size, and an indent should hold when you poke your fingertip into it.Tip: This time will be longer when it's cold out, and about 1 hour in the summer – when I did this, it was 72-73℉ in my home. Go by the look of the dough doubling & the indent holding shape rather than the time.1/2 cup salted butter, melted, 115℉, 1 cup warm milk, 115℉, 2 large eggs, lightly beaten and at room temperature, 1/3 cup granulated sugar , 2 and 1/2 tsp instant yeast, 3/4 tsp salt, 4 cups + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed out
- Make the Cinnamon Filling: Beat together all filling ingredients in a medium bowl on medium high speed until well combined. (You can use the same bowl as you used in the step above – no need to clean it!) You'll have a thick creamy mixture.1/2 cup salted butter, softened, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed, 5 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, pinch of salt, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Assemble the Rolls: After the dough has risen for about 1 hour, generously flour your counter. Make sure you have room to roll the dough to 14 inches by 22 or 24 inches. Gently dump the risen dough onto your floured counter and roll to 14×22 (or up to 15×24). Dot the cinnamon filling all over, and use an offset spatula to gently spread it as evenly as you can, getting close to the edges. Evenly dot 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (300 grams) of blueberry filling evenly over the cinnamon filling.
- Assemble Cinnamon Rolls. Slice strips from the long side of the dough that are about 1 and 3/4 inches thick.* Roll each one up into a roll, then place in the prepared pan. Use the slightly smaller pieces from each far end of the rectangle to roll into one cinnamon roll (roll one up like normal, then roll the other strip around it). Try to place any smaller rolls in the center as the center ones always take a tad longer to bake, and this will help even things out.Place the pieces in the prepared dish and cover loosely with a kitchen towel. Let rise for about 30 to 40 minutes (the warmer the room, the faster they'll rise). To check if they've risen enough, poke the side of a roll with your finger. If the indent stays and doesn't spring back, they're ready. Preheat your oven to 325℉ – NOT 350 – while the rolls rise. I place my rolls next to the oven on the counter. *Note: I find this method easier than rolling the dough into a log and slicing them that way! However, you can do that as well.
- Bake: Once the cinnamon rolls have risen, pour the room temperature heavy cream over and between them. Bake for 42 to 46 minutes. The rolls will be golden brown and appear set in the centers, and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of one of the middle rolls should read 205 to 210 ℉. Check the point of the thermometer for raw dough clinging to it as well – add a few more minutes if needed. Prepare frosting while the rolls bake.1/3 cup heavy cream, for pouring over the rolls – don't mix into the filling
- Make the Frosting: Puree the blueberry filling called for (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp). Beat together cream cheese & butter, then mix in the powdered sugar. Mix in the pureed blueberries, then the vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust as desired. If the blueberry flavor isn't strong enough, you can puree more sauce to add. Don't be afraid of a runny frosting – it will sink into the nooks & crannies of the warm rolls and make everything incredibly delicious!4 ounces cream cheese, softened, 1 tbsp salted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp blueberry filling, 1 tsp vanilla extract , pinch of salt, 1/8 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp lemon juice
- Serve + Store: Immediately frost the warm rolls, then top each with a generous spoonful of extra blueberry topping. Enjoy immediately! Store leftovers, in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, reheating gently as desired. These are best fresh from the oven, naturally, but do re-heat nicely over the next day or two!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious recipe! It was a bit of a learning curve, as you definitely have to roll them individually instead of in a log like regular cinnamon rolls (I thought I could get away with it, but the log just shoves out the filling). The blueberry filling makes enough for twice the recipe. I did an overnight rise in the fridge after cutting the rolls, and even if though I waited for them to warm up before being put in the oven, my rolls took about 60 minutes to achieve the suggested internal temperature. I’ll be making these again!
Glad you enjoyed this recipe, Mary! Thanks for your feedback!
Are there errors in the recipe? Step 2 says: “Make the crisp, apple cider sauce, and cinnamon filling while the dough rises – see next three steps.” There’s no mention of apple cider sauce in the ingredient list.
Should it say instead: “Make the blueberry and cinnamon filling” ?
Also in the step by step photos above the recipe… you’re adding peaches to the cinnamon filling?
Hi Laura! My apologies for the typo – I started with the template from my apple pie cinnamon rolls recipe so I wouldn’t have to re-type so many of the same things, and I obviously left that line in by mistake. And, I used collage in the step photos. *Sigh*. Thanks for catching that! I’ve updated those things and hope you try the recipe! 🙂
Absolutely delicious! I’m surprised this recipe isn’t being raved about. Pre-made them last night then let them come to room temp before putting them in the oven in the morning. Thank you!
Thanks so much for your kind words, Janell!
First time ever making cinnamon rolls from scratch , came out PERFECT ! Wills definitely make again
So glad to hear that, Sarah!
I must have done something wrong, because when I tried to roll up the dough, all of the blueberry filling oozed out, making a giant mess and the dough was really soft and didn’t hold its shape at all 🙁
Hi Michelle! I’ sorry to hear this. My recipe doesn’t call for you to roll up the dough into one big log – you cut individual strips and roll each one up. Did you do it that way or try to roll the whole thing into one big log? Is there a chance you didn’t thicken the blueberry sauce enough or possibly didn’t add all the flour to the dough? Happy to try and help troubleshoot further!