These Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls are soft, gooey, packed with blueberry filling, and finished with brown sugar cream cheese frosting and cinnamon streusel.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1 ½ cups lukewarm milk, 2 teaspoons of the sugar, and 2 teaspoons instant yeast. Whisk together and let sit for 10 minutes, until the mixture looks foamy.
Add the remaining sugar, eggs, bread flour, butter, and salt to the bowl. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on medium speed for 6–7 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Don’t worry if it’s too sticky it will be firm up.
½ cup + 2 teaspoons granulated sugar 120g, 3 large eggs room temperature, 5 ¾ cups bread flour plus more for dusting 720g, ½ cup unsalted butter softened 113g, 2 ¼ teaspoons salt 14g
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, perform one stretch and fold (lift one side of the dough and fold it over itself, repeating on all four sides). Cover again.
Place the covered dough in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours overnight. This cold proof develops flavor and makes the dough easier to work with when rolling out. While the dough is rising, make the blueberry filling.
Make the Blueberry Compote:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, sugar, and water. Stir until the berries begin to burst and release juice.
2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen, ½ cup granulated sugar, ⅓ cup water for the blueberries
In a separate bowl, make a slurry by mixing the cornstarch with ⅓ cup water.
1 tablespoon cornstarch, ⅓ cup water for slurry
Once the compote is hot and bubbling, stir in the slurry. Cook until thickened and the color deepens (this helps cook out the starch flavor).
Remove from heat, let cool to room temperature, and cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
Filling and Shaping Instructions
Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy lifting later. Lightly spray the sides of the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, and unsalted butter on medium speed until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
1 cup packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, ¾ cup unsalted butter softened to touch
Lightly flour a clean work surface. Roll the chilled dough into a large rectangle, about 12x16 inches in size. Try to keep the edges as even as possible so the rolls bake uniformly.
Spread the filling mixture evenly over the dough, using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to get it all the way to the edges.
Then spread ¾ of the blueberry filling on top of the cinnamon sugar filling.
Starting with the long edge farthest from you, cut the dough into 12 even strips using a sharp pizza cutter. Each piece should be about 1⅓ inches wide. Take your time to keep the cuts straight so the rolls bake up evenly.
Working one at a time, roll each strip into a not too tight, spiral, starting from the bottom edge and rolling upward until you reach the top. As you roll, gently tuck in any filling that tries to escape and keep light, even pressure so each roll stays compact and uniform. Once rolled, pinch the end seam lightly so it stays closed.
Arrange the rolls cut-side up in the prepared pan. 3 across and 4 down. They should have a little space between them — they’ll puff and rise into each other during proofing and baking.
Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let the rolls rise for 60-90 minutes in a warm spot, or until puffy and nearly doubled in size. While the bread is rising, make the streusel.
Cinnamon Streusel Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup packed light brown sugar, 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Pour in the cooled melted butter and mix with a fork or spatula until clumps form. You want crumbly clusters, not dough. If it looks too sandy, squeeze some together with your hands.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
Spread evenly on the prepared pan and bake for 8–10 minutes, until golden and set.
Let cool completely, then break into large pieces.
Baking Instructions
Once the rolls have finished their second rise, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Warm the heavy whipping cream just until it loses its chill (microwave for about 15–20 seconds). Gently pour the cream evenly over the tops of the risen rolls, letting it soak down into the layers.
½ cup heavy whipping cream 120
Place the pan in the oven and bake at 375°F for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 30-35 minutes, until the rolls are deep golden brown on top. These rolls take a long time to bake because they need to absorb the cream.
If the rolls begin to brown too quickly, loosely tent the pan with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking.
Remove the pan from the oven and let the rolls cool for at least 20 minutes before frosting.
While the rolls are cooling making the cream cheese frosting.
Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine softened cream cheese, softened unsalted butter, and dark brown sugar. Beat on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. This step is important to dissolve the brown sugar and create a smooth base for the frosting.
4 oz cream cheese softened, ½ cup unsalted butter softened, ½ cup dark brown sugar
Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar and milk or cream mixing until combined.
2 cups powdered sugar, 1-2 tablespoon milk or heavy cream, Pinch of salt
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 1–2 more minutes, until the frosting is light and fluffy.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Assembly
Once the cinnamon rolls have cooled slightly, spread or pipe the brown sugar buttercream evenly over the tops of the rolls.
With a spoon, drizzle the rest of the blueberry sauce on top.
Generously sprinkle the prepared streusel crumble evenly on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.