These lemon blueberry cinnamon rolls are soft, fluffy and taste AMAZING! They don't have any cinnamon in them but we still like to call them cinnamon rolls due to the fluffy and gooey texture of the rolls. These sweet rolls are filled with a gorgeous blueberry filling and lemon zest then topped with a super delicious lemon cream cheese frosting! They are incredibly delicious! Make them for breakfast and you're good to go!

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ARE YOU BAKING WITH YEAST FOR THE FIRST TIME?

I got you covered! This recipe is perfect for those beginners in baking who want to learn how to bake with yeast for the very first time. Making these sweet rolls from scratch is now very easy but you'll have to follow this recipe step by step. 

WHY YOU’ll LOVE THESE ROLLS!!

1. Super soft and Fluffy! These lemon blueberry cinnamon rolls are pillowy soft and just melt in your mouth. The blueberry filling makes these sweet rolls extra soft and fluffy.
2. Best lemon cream cheese frosting. Lemon gives a slightly tangy flavour to this frosting and balances the extra sweetness. This frosting is just perfect for these rolls and takes them to the next level.
3. Perfect for anytime or occasion! perfect for breakfast with a hot cup of coffee or tea. They are also great teatime snacks.

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INGREDIENTS FOR THIS RECIPE

FOR THE DOUGH

• Unsalted butter: Always use unsalted butter, so you can control the amount of salt according to the recipe requirement. 
• Egg: It should be at room temperature for best results.
• Milk: It adds softness and moisture to the dough. I used whole milk. Milk should be warm to the touch to activate the yeast. It should not be too hot as it will kill the yeast. If it is too cold, it won’t activate the yeast. (temperature of milk=47C/116F)
• Instant dry yeast: It is also called quick-action yeast or rapid-rise. It makes your dough rise faster.
• All-purpose flour: Basic all-purpose flour goes perfect for this recipe. Make sure to measure it correctly to get the best results. The best way to measure the flour is by using a digital scale but if you don’t have one, then spoon and level your flour carefully. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level the flour.
• Salt: It balances the sweetness.

FOR BLUEBERRY FILLING

• Blueberries: Fresh blueberries are the best but you can use frozen blueberries instead especially when blueberries are not in season. Don’t thaw, If you are using a frozen one.
• Salt:  It is used to balance the tartness and sweetness.
• Granulated sugar: It is added to sweeten the filling. I only added 4 tbsp of sugar here because I don’t want to take away the blueberry’s natural flavour, but you can add more.
• Lemon juice: It is added to enhance the flavour and offset some sweetness.
• Water: To make cornflour slurry.
• Cornflour/ Cornstarch: It is added to make compote thick.

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FOR LEMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• Cream cheese: Full fat cream cheese is used here.
• Icing sugar/powdered sugar: This sugar is great for frosting. It is light and fine, blend into the cream cheese easily and makes the frosting fluffy.
• Lemon juice: It adds flavour and tartness to the frosting and also offset some sweetness.
• Lemon zest: You’ll sprinkle lemon zest while rolling the dough. It enhances the flavour of these rolls. 
• Double cream: It is used to drizzle on rolls before baking.

EQUIPMENTS REQUIRED

• 9 x 9 inch baking pan.

LET’S MAKE LEMON BLUEBERRY CINNAMON ROLLS WITH LEMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING!

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STEP 1: BLUEBERRY FILLING

1. Wash the blueberries. You can use either, fresh or frozen blueberries. If you are using frozen, don’t thaw.

2. In a saucepan, mix the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice then cook over medium heat until the blueberries become soft.

3. Slow down the heat, bring it to a simmer then allow to simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Break up some of the blueberries as you stir.

4. whisk the 1 tsp cornflour/corn starch and 1 tbsp water together until all the cornflour has dissolved. Add into the blueberry mixture and cook for a minute or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Set aside to cool completely. The filling will thicken as it cools.

STEP 2: DOUGH

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1. In a large bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Set aside.

2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, warm the milk in a microwave (milk should be warm to touch to activate the yeast. It shouldn’t be too hot as it will kill the yeast. If it is too cold, it will not activate the yeast). Then add melted butter, stir together. Add the egg to this mixture and whisk to combine.

3. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and combine all the ingredients with the help of a spatula. If it is super sticky, add flour little by little, start with one tablespoon until it is no more super sticky and the dough is formed. I added here 3 tbsp flour. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let it sit just for 4-5 minutes.

4. After that transfer the dough to the lightly floured work surface and grease your hands with oil before kneading. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes or until you have a smooth, soft, slightly sticky, glossy and very elastic dough. Stop kneading the dough when it passes the windowpane test.

5. Now transfer the dough ball to a well-oiled large bowl with enough room for the dough to rise. Grease the dough top with little oil to prevent it from drying and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it rise (First Rise) in a warm place like oven for 1 hour-1 1/2 hours or until it doubles in size (depending upon, how warm the environment is). You can turn on your oven just for one minute at 50C/122F before keeping the dough in the oven.

6. Grease the pan (9x9”) and line with parchment paper.

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7. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch down the dough gently. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out the dough into a 12 x 16 inch rectangle. You can sprinkle little flour on the dough and the rolling pin if it is difficult to roll out the dough.

8. Spread the blueberry filling evenly over the dough rectangle leaving an inch around the edge. Sprinkle the lemon zest over the blueberry filling.

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9. Carefully roll the dough into a log, starting from the long side. Gently press the seam side on the top of the log, use little water to seal the edges.

10. Cut the dough log into 9 equal pieces using a piece of unflavoured dental floss (or a sharp knife). Place it underneath the log, wrap it all around the log in a criss-cross way and pull to cut a roll.

11. Place these rolls into the prepared baking pan, cover with plastic wrap and again let them rise for at least 40-45 minutes (Second Rise) or until puffy.

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12. Drizzle warm double cream over the rolls, using a spoon.

13. Bake them in a preheated fan oven at 160C/320F (for conventional oven, 180C/356F) for 25-27 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown on top. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes.

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WHAT IS A WINDOWPANE TEST?

Take a piece of dough, place it in between your fingers and carefully stretch it out until it doesn’t break and light passes through it. If it breaks, knead longer until the dough stretches easily without any breakage and the light passes through it.

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STEP 3: LEMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

While the rolls are baking, prepare the frosting by mixing cream cheese, icing sugar and lemon juice. Beat them together until smooth and fluffy. Spread the frosting on top of the warm rolls using a spoon or a spatula.

PRO TIPS TO GET PERFECT SOFT LEMON BLUEBERRY ROLLS!

1. Make sure, the yeast you are using is not old or expired.
2. Don’t add too much flour as dense dough will not rise properly.
3. Use full-fat milk and full-fat cream cheese for the best results.
4. Make sure to allow your dough to rise as written in the recipe to get super soft and fluffy rolls (don’t rush), otherwise, you will end up with dense rolls.
5. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes. Stop kneading when the dough passes the windowpane test.
6. Let the dough rise in a warm place for the best results. Turn on your oven just for one minute at 50C/122F before keeping the dough in the oven. Turn off the oven and let the dough rise in the oven.
7. Use unflavoured dental floss to cut the neat rolls.
8. Drizzle the double cream over the rolls just before baking to get super soft and gooey rolls.

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HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER ROLLS?

Homemade rolls are best eaten the same day they are baked and still warm when served. But you can store any leftover rolls in an airtight container for up to two days at room temperature and 3-4 days in the fridge. However the rolls will harden a little bit in the fridge so warm them in the microwave just for 15-20 seconds to soften them.

I hope that you'll try this recipe and you'll love them as much as my family and I do! If you make this recipe then be sure to tag @kaotickrunch on Instagram. We'd love to see your creations!
Happy baking and eating! 😊