I love blueberries. Fresh, frozen, baked into something indulgent, or eaten straight out of the container standing at the fridge. This recipe started the same way a lot of my ideas do. I wanted blueberry cinnamon rolls, I didn’t overthink it, and I used what I had.
That included banana extract.
These blueberry cinnamon rolls are built for balance, the same way I approach other enriched and sweet dough bakes on the blog, especially when structure matters as much as flavor. https://bakinggreatbread.blog/?s=sweet+rolls
I’m known for baking out of my cabinet, not a lab. I had banana extract on hand and added just a whisper. Not banana bread. Not tropical. Just enough to brighten the dough and round out the sweetness. About a quarter teaspoon did the trick. It worked beautifully.
Why These Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls Work
These blueberry cinnamon rolls are built for balance. Soft, rich dough. Real fruit flavor. Enough sweetness to feel indulgent, but not so much that you’re wiped out after one roll.
Using blueberry preserve instead of jelly is intentional. Preserves bring actual fruit and body, so the flavor stays present after baking. Jelly melts away and disappears into the dough. Here, the blueberry stays blueberry.
Fresh or frozen blueberries both work in these blueberry cinnamon rolls. If you’re using frozen, add them straight from the freezer. No thawing. That keeps the juice where it belongs. For fresh berries, tossing them with a little cornstarch keeps them from bleeding and sliding around as the rolls bake.
The dough itself is rich but not heavy. It rolls cleanly, holds the filling, and bakes up soft with defined layers. That structure matters when you’re loading in fruit and sugar.
And then there are the walnuts. Toasting them isn’t optional if you want depth. Heat drives off moisture and wakes up the natural oils in the nuts, turning something flat into something aromatic. It’s a small step that makes these blueberry cinnamon rolls taste finished instead of accidental.
Finished warm and topped with swirled cream cheese frosting, these are the kind of rolls that disappear fast. Breakfast, brunch, or late-night snack. No rules.
The other quiet hero here is toasted walnuts.
Raw walnuts are fine. Toasted walnuts are a different ingredient altogether. When you toast nuts, heat drives off excess moisture and triggers Maillard reactions in the natural sugars and proteins. That’s what deepens the flavor and makes them smell nutty instead of grassy. Three to four minutes in a dry pan is all it takes, but it changes the whole roll.
For the blueberries, I wanted real fruit texture. That’s why I used a high-quality blueberry preserve, not jelly. Preserves bring actual fruit pieces and body. Jelly just melts and disappears. You can use frozen blueberries in this recipe with no issues as long as they stay frozen when you add them. I used fresh, so I tossed them with a little cornstarch to keep them from sliding and bleeding all over the dough.
These rolls are rich, soft, and unapologetically indulgent. Weekend food. Shareable food. The kind of bake that makes people hover near the oven.
Here’s the full recipe.
𝗛𝗘𝗡𝗥𝗬’𝗦 𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗕𝗟𝗨𝗘𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗥𝗬 𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗢𝗡 𝗥𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗦
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Dough Hook
- Large bowls for mixing and coating
- Bench scraper
- (9×13-inch) baking pans
Ingredients
A rich, brioche-leaning dough that’s still easy to roll
Wet Ingredients
- 240 g whole milk warm (1 cup)
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 75 g granulated sugar ⅓ cup
- 113 g unsalted butter melted and cooled (½ cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon banana extract See note Use ½ to 1 teaspoon max
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 600 g bread flour about 4¾ cups
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast 1 packet
- 10 g fine sea salt 1¾ teaspoons
Blueberry Cinnamon Filling
- 150 g brown sugar packed (¾ cup)
- 16 g ground cinnamon 2½ tablespoons
- 1.5 g fine sea salt ¼ teaspoon
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 Drops Vanilla extract Pinch and distribute evenly in your cinnamon mixture
- 85 g unsalted butter very soft (6 tablespoons)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons blueberry preserve
- 300 g blueberries fresh preferred (about 2 cups)
- 6 g cornstarch 2 teaspoons
- 60 g toasted walnuts roughly chopped (½ cup)
- If using frozen blueberries do not thaw.
Swirled Cream Cheese Frosting
- 113 g cream cheese softened (4 oz)
- 60 g unsalted butter softened (4 tablespoons)
- 180 g powdered sugar sifted (1½ cups)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla or banana extract
- 2 teaspoons blueberry preserve for swirling
For Brushing
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
Step 1 · Mix the Dough
- Add flour and yeast to one side of a large bowl. Add sugar and salt to the opposite side.
- Add milk, eggs, butter, and extract. Stir until shaggy.
- Knead 8 to 10 minutes by hand or 6 minutes with a mixer until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. Perform a windowpane test.
Step 2 · Bulk Fermentation
- Place dough in a buttered bowl. Cover and rise until doubled, 60 to 90 minutes.
Step 3 · Prepare the Filling
- Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and lemon zest.
- Toss blueberries with cornstarch.
- Toast walnuts 3 to 4 minutes until fragrant. Cool and chop.
Step 4 · Roll and Fill
- Roll dough to a 16×20 inch rectangle.
- Spread butter edge to edge. Swipe with blueberry preserve.
- Sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly. Scatter blueberries and walnuts.
Step 5 · Shape
- Roll tightly from the long edge.
- Trim ends and cut into 9 rolls.
- Place larger rolls around the edges and smaller ones in the center.
Step 6 · Second Rise
- Cover and rise 45 to 75 minutes until puffy.
- Optional overnight rise in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before baking.
Step 7 · Bake
- Bake at 350°F (175°C).
- Brush tops with cream. Bake 28 to 35 minutes until golden and 190°F internal.
- Cool 10 minutes before frosting.
Step 8 · Frosting
- Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar, cream, and extract.
- Swirl in blueberry preserve gently. Do not overmix.
Step 9 · Finish
- Spread frosting over warm rolls so it melts into the layers.
Video
Notes
Tools, Resources, & More to Bake
Fermentation control (optional but helpful)
If your kitchen runs cool or inconsistent, a temperature-controlled proofer can make bulk fermentation and the second rise more predictable.
Brød & Taylor Folding Proofer
👉 http://brodandtaylor.com/henrysbreadkitchen
Baking help while you work
Need ingredient explanations, substitutions, or timing help as you bake? This tool walks you through it in plain language.
Crust & Crumb – Baking Assistant
👉 https://crust-and-crumb-tawny.vercel.app/
Want to bake another version?
If cinnamon rolls are your thing, you’ll find all of my variations here. Choose the one that fits your mood and your schedule.
👉 Browse all cinnamon roll recipes
https://bakinggreatbread.blog/?s=cinnamon+rolls
(This link shows search results so you can pick the version you want.)
Curious about sourdough or hybrid versions?
If you’d like to convert this recipe later, the Sourdough Yeast Converter helps you adjust timing and quantities without guessing. The tool is now available in English and Spanish.
👉 Sourdough Yeast Converter
https://sourdough-yeast-converter-5rtj.vercel.app/
