Blueberry cinnamon rolls—homemade cinnamon rolls with a fruity twist! They feature soft yeast dough, fresh blueberry jam filling, and the most delicious blueberry cream cheese frosting.
As a former pastry chef, I’ve officially perfected cinnamon rolls! Like my strawberry rolls and lemon rolls, they are sweet and fruity and turn out perfect every time.
They only use real blueberries, nothing artificial, so they’re packed with fresh blueberry flavor and perfect for making year-round—just like blueberry crumb cake!
Table of Contents
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Frozen wild blueberries: Wild blueberries are the perfect size to roll into the dough, so I recommend them over regular blueberries. They are also way more flavorful, giving the rolls the best blueberry flavor—like in blueberry scones or bakery blueberry muffins!
Instant yeast: You can substitute active dry yeast, but they will have a less yeasty flavor.
Whole milk: I have tested these rolls with alternative milk, and while they work, the dough is much drier after baking. Like in my peach cobbler rolls, whole milk will yield the best result!
Heavy cream: This will make the blueberry cream cheese icing super creamy and delicious. You can substitute regular milk if needed.
Recipe Instructions
Find the full ingredient measurements and instructions in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Make the tangzhong. In a small pot, whisk the all-purpose flour and water together over medium heat until thick and paste-like. Scrape into a bowl and set aside until ready to use.
Step 2: Mix the dry and wet ingredients. Mix the ingredients in a stand mixing bowl until a rough dough ball forms.
Step 3: Knead the dough. Add the softened butter and continue kneading until the dough looks smooth and feels tacky.
Step 4: Shape the dough. Remove the dough from the bowl and form it into a tight ball.
Place it in a lightly greased bowl and place it in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size.
Step 5: Make the blueberry jam. For the best results, cook the jam until thick, like with my blueberry blondies.
Step 6: Roll into a rectangle. Spread the cinnamon sugar filling over the dough, leaving a half-inch border at the top clean. Then, spread the blueberry jam on top.
Step 7: Cut into rolls. Starting with the longest side, roll the log tightly away from you. When you get to the clean edge, pinch to seal it to the rest of the dough and cut into rolls.
Step 8: Second rise. Place the cinnamon rolls into the prepared baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place again until doubled in size.
Step 9: Bake and frost. Bake the blueberry rolls in the preheated oven for 23-26 minutes or until golden brown on top. Wait 10 minutes, then spoon the blueberry glaze over the top of the rolls and enjoy!
5 Tips for the Best Rolls
- Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a scale is my #1 baking tip!
- Use fresh yeast. Double-check the expiration date. Even if it hasn’t expired, if the packet has been sitting around for a while, the yeast may be dead and won’t make your rolls rise!
- Knead until smooth. Don’t skip kneading the dough as other recipes suggest—kneading produces a fluffy texture! This process can take up to 10 minutes. Check for a gluten window to know it’s ready.
- Use a ruler. To ensure even-sized rolls, a ruler is highly recommended!
- Ice while warm. Ice the cinnamon rolls while they’re still warm, allowing the glaze or frosting to melt slightly into the rolls.
Storage and Freezing
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. They can be reheated in the microwave for 30-40 seconds or at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
Freezing: Place the cut rolls on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer them to an airtight container lined with parchment paper. They will need to be defrosted in the fridge overnight and then at room temperature until doubled in size before baking.
FAQs
Yes! It may take some elbow grease but it is possible!
You can assemble the rolls up to step nine and leave them in the fridge overnight to rise. In the morning, let them come to room temperature and bake them!
This dough is meant to be soft and tacky, not sticky. If the dough is sticking to the sides of the dough, add one tablespoon of flour to the bowl at a time and knead until the dough sticks just barely to the bottom of the bowl.
You can frost them with plain vanilla cream cheese frosting or even a lemon glaze!
This recipe makes 12 large cinnamon rolls. If you need to make more, try my cinnamon roll cake instead!
More Cinnamon Roll Recipes
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments; I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Blueberry Filling
- 2 ½ cups frozen wild blueberries
- 3 tbsp brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp cornstarch
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
For the Tangzhong
- ¾ cup water
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
For the Dough
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour , *see notes for measuring below*
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup whole milk , room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- Tangzhong , from recipe above
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
For the Frosting
- 2 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons reserved blueberry filling
- 2 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
Blueberry Jam
- Cook the blueberries, brown sugar, and lemon juice over medium-high heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the berries have started to thicken, dissolve the cornstarch in the water and stir it into the jam.2 ½ cups (300 g) frozen wild blueberries, 3 tbsp (45 g) brown sugar, 2 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 tbsp + 1 tsp cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water
- Continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Set aside 1-2 tablespoons of the jam (for the glaze), then transfer the rest to a bowl and set it aside to cool.
Tangzhong
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the water and all-purpose flour. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is a paste-like slurry. Scrape it into a bowl and set it aside until ready to use.1/4 cup (32 g) all-purpose flour, ¾ cup (155 g) water
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- In a stand mixing bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, sugar, yeast, and salt until combined.3 ½ cups (460 g) all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup (63 g) granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons instant yeast, ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Add the egg, milk, vanilla extract, and tangzhong to the bowl. Knead on low speed with the dough hook for 2 minutes until it forms a dough ball.½ cup (111 g) whole milk, 1 (50 g) large egg, Tangzhong, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- With the mixer running on low, add the softened butter ½ tablespoon at a time, letting it fully incorporate into the dough before adding more.4 tbsp (56 g) unsalted butter
- Once all the butter is added, continue kneading the dough for another 8-10 minutes or until the dough looks smooth and elastic.The dough should stick to the bottom of the bowl. If it seems too wet and is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add flour one tablespoon at a time. If the dough seems dry, add half a tablespoon of milk at a time.
- With lightly buttered hands, remove the dough from the bowl and pull the sides down into the bottom center, to create a smooth round ball.
- Place the dough seam side down into a large lightly buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot for about one hour, or until doubled in size.
- Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 20×15-inch rectangle, with the long (20-inch) side closest to you.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon until smooth.½ cup (100 g) dark brown sugar, 4 tbsp (56 g) unsalted butter, 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- Use an offset spatula to spread the cinnamon sugar filling in an even layer leaving ½ inch at the top edge clean.
- Spread the blueberry filling evenly over the cinnamon sugar.
- Roll the dough into a log. Pinch the edge to the rest of the dough to seal in the filling.
- Use a serrated knife or unscented dental floss to cut the log into 12 rolls, each one about 1 ½ inches thick.
- Transfer them to a parchment-lined 9×13 baking tray.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and set it aside to rise for another 45-60 minutes or until double in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325 F/162 C.
- Bake the rolls for 23-26 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown. Let the pan cool on a wire cooling rack while you make the glaze.
- In a medium bowl, combine the butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar until smooth. Then whisk in the milk and reserved blueberry jam. Spread over the cinnamon rolls and enjoy!4 tbsp (56 g) unsalted butter, 2 oz cream cheese, 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, 1-2 tablespoons reserved blueberry filling, 2 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
Video
Notes
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below & tag @cambreabakes on social!
Hi Cambrea,a was curious about storing,refrigerating or frezzing the blueberry ones if possible
The cinnamon sugar mixture does not spread very easy and there isn’t enough to cover the dough. I had to double it. It would be better to spread the butter first then sprinkle a sugar/cinnamon mixture.
Hi De Anna, it could have been that your butter was too cold, which is why it was harder to spread. You can definitely spread the butter first and sprinkle the sugar on top, but I found that sometimes doing it this way can cause the filling to leak out of the rolls while baking. Hope that’s helpful!
Came out great!
Omg!!!! These are the absolute best ever. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will make these over and over again.