Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls – No Knead
These blueberry cinnamon rolls are buttery, gooey, super fluffy, and have the softest no knead dough ever. They have a cinnamon and a homemade blueberry filling – talk about the best of both worlds! They meld together to create a mouthwatering gooey filling. And did I mention how easy it is to make the dough? Seriously – the less effort you put into it, the fluffier and softer they are. This is the perfect breakfast or brunch treat.
Fair warning though, this recipe does get pretty messy from the blueberries. But all of that messiness translates to gooeyness and the perfect moist and fluffy rolls. Oh and did I mention that they are topped with the most perfect cream cheese frosting? Drool!
This the perfect treat for when you want fresh, warm rolls as the sun rises – or for a breakfast in bed surprise for a special someone 😉
🍞 Making the dough
This is the perfect, easy, no knead cinnamon roll recipe that doesn’t require any fancy equipment (i.e. send your stand mixer on vacation) and comes together so beautifully! After checking that the yeast is active, you just combine all the dough ingredients until it resembles a very wet dough, and let it rise. After rising: punch it down, roll out, top, roll it up, cut, twist, and bake! The less you handle the dough, the softer and fluffier your rolls will be. Talk about (almost) zero fuss!
This is my go to enriched no knead bread recipe because it always turns out super light, fluffy, and very buttery but requires zero effort. Check out my other no knead recipes here:
🫐 Making the fillings
These blueberry cinnamon rolls have two separate fillings but they’re both so easy to make, especially the cinnamon filling!
Before starting on the dough, I like to get the blueberry filling done so that it has plenty of time to cool off and thicken some more. To make the filling, I like to just combine all of the ingredients and simmer until it thickens – this takes about 2 minutes after it comes to a simmer. You don’t want to simmer for too long because you still want that fresh beautiful flavour (longer will turn it into a jam).
While the dough is rising, combine the ingredients for the cinnamon filling and stir until smooth. To make this easier I like to get the butter super super soft, almost melted. You can pop the butter in the oven or microwave for a few seconds to soften it some more.
🧁 The frosting
This is my absolute favourite cream cheese frosting for cinnamon rolls. It is thick, creamy, not too sweet, and melts beautifully on warm cinnamon rolls.
To keep the frosting from going all gloopy and runny, I only soften the cream cheese slightly. The butter needs to be softened so that it gets light and fluffy. After beating the butter and sugar, I add pieces of slightly softened cream cheese gradually until smooth. I find cutting the cream cheese into cubes and leaving it out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes works perfectly. I also use whipping or heavy cream to loosen the frosting and make it even fluffier without it getting runny. If you cannot find whipping cream, use half the amount of milk instead.
Tips for success
- Measure out the flour with a kitchen scale or properly using a measuring cup. Mix up your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level off the top with the flat edge of a knife without packing in the flour. It isn’t as accurate as using a scale but is the next best option!
- Do not skip the first step of blooming the yeast: this check ensures that the yeast you are using is still active and will work.
- Use really soft butter, I like to pop it in the oven (or microwave) just until it starts to melt on the outside a bit.
- The dough is going to be very sticky. Don’t add any more flour unless it doesn’t resemble a dough at all! Once it rises it will become less sticky. Roll it out on a floured surface to prevent sticking.
- Let the dough rise in a warm place. I like to let my dough rise in an oven preheating to 180°C (350°F) for 3 minutes, then turned off. If it isn’t warm enough, the dough will not rise. Do not let the oven get too hot (over 55°C) because the yeast cells will start to die off. This dough never rises on my counter because it is never warm enough for such an enriched dough to rise.
- Do not over bake: The cinnamon rolls should be golden brown and feel hollow on the surface when tapped.
❓ Your questions answered:
The most important step to getting buttery, light, and fluffy cinnamon rolls is making sure the flour is properly measured. I use a scale to weigh the flour for the most accurate results. A cheap kitchen scale works wonders.
If you don’t have a scale on hand, you can measure the flour properly using dry measuring cups. Mix up your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level off the top with the flat edge of a knife without packing in the flour. It isn’t as accurate as using a scale but is the next best option!
My favourite tip however, is to handle the dough as little as possible. The less effort I put into the roll dough, the fluffier they turn out – every time!
The brown sugar in the cinnamon filling and the moisture in the blueberry filling keep these cinnamon rolls extra gooey. They melt together in the oven to create a bubbling liquid for the cinnamon rolls to cook in and turn into a delightful caramelized sauce on the edges. I have tested this recipe a whole bunch of times so that you can get the most gooey blueberry cinnamon rolls. Dare I say they could be as gooey as Cinnabon?
The dough is going to be very sticky and a little bit wet as soon as you mix all of the ingredients together. It will look more like a dough after it rests and rises as the flour absorbs more liquid.
If it looks too sticky and runny (like a pancake batter and not like a dough), then add a little more flour to make it resemble a dough.
The first step of blooming the yeast is mostly to just check if the yeast is active. If it does not foam up after being dissolved in warm water and sugar within 10 minutes, then the yeast might not be active anymore. You might need to try a different packet or batch in yeast.
I like to let my dough rise in an oven preheating to 180°C (350°F) for 3 minutes, then turned off. If it isn’t warm enough, the dough will not rise. Do not let the oven get too hot (over 55°C) because the yeast cells will start to die off. This dough never rises on my counter because it is never warm enough for such an enriched dough to rise.
My favourite way to cut rolls is to use a piece of sewing string or unflavoured dental floss. You wrap it all the way around the roll where you want the cut to be. Pull on the string to tighten and it will cut through to the middle of the roll.
This way you don’t squish the roll as if you cut through it with a knife. The roll and swirl remain perfectly round with the string method.
To cut 12 even pieces, I have an easy trick. Cut the roll in half, and cut each half in half to get 4 quarters. Then cut each quarter into three pieces. By cutting into halves each time, there’s a better chance that you will get even slices.
Yes you can! Just substitute the same amount of blueberries for your berry of choice and cook the filling as usual. If you are using a very seedy berry like raspberries, I would strain the filling after cooking to remove the seeds.
I used fresh blueberries in this recipe because they were in season, but frozen blueberries will work just as well. The filling gets simmered down into a sauce type filling anyways – no one will notice.
Happy Baking! x
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Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 9" by 12" baking pan
Ingredients
Blueberry Filling
- 12 oz blueberries 340g, fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice juice from half a lemon
- 1 ½ tbsp corn starch
- 3 tbsp water
Dough
- ½ cup warm water
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 package yeast 7g
- 5 cups all purpose flour 600g
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup butter softened, almost melted
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup warm milk
- ⅛ tsp sea salt
Cinnamon Filling
- ⅓ cup butter very soft
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
Frosting
- ⅛ tsp sea salt
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 4 ½ oz cream cheese softened slightly
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Blueberry filling
- Start by making the blueberry filling so that it has enough time to cool. Combine all of the blueberry filling ingredients in a small saucepan and stir until it comes to a boil and starts to thicken. Keep stirring and once thick remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.12 oz blueberries, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 ½ tbsp corn starch, 3 tbsp water
Dough
- Dissolve yeast and 1 tsp granulated sugar in the warm water. Stir until dissolved and let sit for a few minutes until a foam starts to form on top. See notes if a foam doesn’t form.½ cup warm water, 1 package yeast, 1 tsp granulated sugar
- Sift the flour into a large bowl and make a well. Add the yeast mixture and the rest of the ingredients into the well. Mix until a sticky dough forms and the flour is incorporated. The dough will be very wet and sticky. If it is too wet and doesn’t resemble a dough, add a bit more flour. It will be less sticky after rising.5 cups all purpose flour, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup butter, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ¾ cup warm milk, ⅛ tsp sea salt
- Cover with a damp cloth and place in a warm area to rise for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in size (see notes).
- While the dough is rising, mix together all of the cinnamon filling ingredients to form a paste. Set aside for later.⅓ cup butter, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp cinnamon
- Prepare baking pan by buttering with a pat of butter or greasing with cooking spray.
- Punch down the dough and fold a few times to mix. On a lightly floured surface, and roll out to a 18” by 24” rectangle. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough all the way to the edges. Spread the blueberry filling over top, leaving an inch around the edges. Carefully roll starting at the short side to make a long sausage. Careful to not let too much blueberry filling escape.
- Cut the roll into 12 even pieces using unflavoured floss or sewing string. Wrap the string all around the roll and pull to cut.
- Arrange the pieces into the pan, spooning any blueberry filling that leaks out back into the rolls. Let the rolls rise in a warm place until puffy and increase by a third of their size.
- Place the rolls into the oven and heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown on top. Let cool inside the pan until warm.
Frosting
- While the rolls cool, prepare the frosting: Beat the butter until it lightens in colour and is smooth. Add the powdered sugar and salt, and beat until fluffy and very pale.½ cup butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, ⅛ tsp sea salt
- Add the cream cheese in large chunks and beat until fully incorporated. Add the cream and vanilla extract, beat until fluffy.4 ½ oz cream cheese, 3 tbsp heavy cream, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Spread the frosting over the rolls while they are still warm if you want a perfectly melty frosting like I did. If you prefer a thicker frosting, spread the frosting over the rolls when they are at room temperature.
- Store the rolls in the fridge for up to 4 days. Heat up before eating so that they become soft and gooey again.
Notes
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