Enjoy fluffy and buttery sweet rolls filled with juicy blueberries, cinnamon, and zesty lemon, topped with a delicious cream cheese icing.
Just by adding plump blueberries and lemon zest, these breakfast rolls take on a whole new twist compared to traditional cinnamon rolls. The combination of citrus and sweet blueberries adds a rich and slightly tart flavor, creating a vibrant taste perfect for the refreshing vibes of spring and summer.
There’s nothing better than waking up to indulge in Lemon Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls. For a quicker morning treat, prep the dough ahead of time and leave the unbaked rolls in the fridge overnight. This way, you can simply complete the final steps in the morning without the need to wake up super early.
Once baked, these rolls are generously topped with Cream Cheese Frosting. The delightful combination of soft rolls, gooey center, sweet blueberries, lemon, and rich frosting is sure to energize you and set everyone’s mood right for the day. If you’re craving even more blueberry goodness, serve them with a dollop of Fresh Blueberry Jam!
If baking feels a bit daunting, especially if you’re new to it, fear not. Crafting the dough from scratch and rolling it out may seem like a bit of effort, but by following a few simple tips below, you’ll achieve perfect fluffy breakfast rolls every time!
Tips for Lemon Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
- Warm Milk: When heating the milk mixture, be cautious not to scald it. Aim for a temperature of 110 degrees, just warm to the touch. Add the dry yeast to the warm milk to create the yeast mixture.
- Dough: When incorporating flour into the dough, cover the stand mixer with a clean towel to avoid a floury mess in the kitchen. Be mindful not to add excessive flour to the dough, as it may result in overly dense rolls.
- Shape and Fill: Roll out the dough on a floured surface or on two floured baking sheets if counter space is limited. When adding the filling, use room temperature butter instead of melted butter.
- Bake: Prepare a large baking dish with cooking spray to prevent the dough from sticking. The rolls only require 18-20 minutes in the oven. Monitor them, and take them out when the edges begin to turn golden brown.
- Frost: Allow the Blueberry Lemon Cinnamon Rolls to cool briefly while you make the cream cheese glaze. Apply the frosting to the warm rolls and serve them while they’re still soft and gooey.
Variations on Lemon Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls:
- Brown Sugar Twist: Instead of using cinnamon, create a sweet filling with brown sugar. Just sprinkle brown sugar onto the dough instead of the usual cinnamon-sugar mix.
- Lemon Glaze Delight: For a different topping, skip the cream cheese frosting and opt for a simple lemon glaze. Mix together 1 ¾ cups confectioners sugar, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, zest from 1 lemon, and 1 tsp melted unsalted butter. Adjust the consistency by adding a bit of milk if it’s too thick, or more lemon juice for an extra zesty touch. Drizzle this delightful glaze over the cinnamon rolls.
- Blueberry Pie Bliss: Elevate the blueberry flavor by topping the rolls with blueberry pie filling. You can use canned filling or make your own by combining 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, ½ cup water, ½ cup sugar, and 2 tbsps of lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then whisk together 2 tbsps water and 2 tbsps cornstarch. Stir in the cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. Pour this luscious blueberry filling over the rolls just before serving.
Serving and Storage Tips:
- Serve Room Temperature (Without Frosting): These sweet rolls can be kept at room temperature for 2-3 days without frosting. To maintain freshness, cover them with plastic wrap or tin foil.
- Refrigerate (With Frosting): If the rolls are frosted, it’s best to refrigerate them due to the cream cheese. Store them in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Store: Refrigeration: Place the rolls in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 1 week. When ready to enjoy, either reheat them in the microwave for a few seconds or savor them cold.
- Freeze: Long-Term Storage: Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. To enjoy, thaw them in the fridge overnight and then reheat in the oven on low heat for 10 minutes before serving.
Love cinnamon rolls? Be sure to check out these other delicious roll recipes!
Blueberry Lemon Cinnamon Rolls
Enjoy fluffy and buttery sweet rolls filled with juicy blueberries, cinnamon, and zesty lemon, topped with a delicious cream cheese icing.
Prep Time: 50 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 18 Servings
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 6 1/2 cups flour, divided
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 packets of instant rapid-rise yeast
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
For the Filling:
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tbsps ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 cups blueberries, halved
Cream Cheese Icing:
- 12 ounces of cream cheese, (1 ½ packages) softened
- 1/3 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
Instructions
Cinnamon Roll Dough:
- In a small saucepan, warm the milk and butter until it reaches 110 degrees (warm to the touch).
- In your stand mixer, combine yeast and milk, whisk, and let it sit for 1 minute.
- Add 6 cups of flour, sugar, salt, eggs, and lemon zest to the stand mixer.
- Tip: Cover your mixer with a clean dish towel.
- Attach the dough hook and set the mixer to speed 3-4 (low to medium).
- Mix for 5-7 minutes until the dough forms a non-sticky ball.
- If it sticks, add flour ¼ cup at a time until it no longer sticks (but not more than another cup).
- Take out the dough, grease the stand mixer bowl, and put the dough back in.
- Cover the dough with the dish towel you used earlier.
- Let it sit for 10 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare the filling.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon.
- On a large, even surface, sprinkle ½ cup of flour to coat the rolling pin and the surface.
- Roll out the dough into a large rectangle, approximately ½ inch thick. If space is limited, do this in two halves.
- Spread butter over the dough using your hands, and sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the butter.
- Sprinkle blueberries over the dough.
- Roll the dough tightly to form a long log, then use a piece of thread to slice it into pieces.
- The dough should yield 18 large cinnamon rolls.
- Place the rolls in buttered baking pans or a jelly roll pan.
- Put the rolls in a warm place for 20 minutes. If you have a second oven, heat it to warm, then turn it off and open the door for a few seconds before closing it. The residual warmth is great for these rolls.
Cream Cheese Icing:
- In your stand mixer, combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat until creamy.
- Add powdered sugar, milk, and lemon zest to the mixture. Continue beating until it becomes light and fluffy.
To Finish:
- Bake the rolls for 20 minutes, or until they turn golden brown.
- Once baked, spread the cream cheese frosting over the rolls.
- Serve the rolls either warm or at room temperature
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