Lemon Blueberry Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Lemon Blueberry Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting have soft, fluffy rolls swirled with bright lemon and juicy blueberries, then topped with a cream cheese frosting. Perfect for brunch, holidays, or anytime you want something a little extra special—if you love these flavors, you’ll definitely want to try my Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls next!
If you love classic cinnamon rolls but want something with a more refreshing, fruity twist, these blueberry sweet rolls are bursting with tangy berries, bright lemon flavor, and finished with a rich cream cheese frosting. They bake up soft, fluffy, and perfectly sweet—making them just right for brunch, holidays, or a slow weekend morning.
If you’re a fan of bakery-style breakfasts, you’ll also love my Lemon Blueberry Bread or these Almond Poppy Seed Muffins for another easy, flavor-packed treat.
Quick Look: Lemon Blueberry Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 3 hours
- 👨👩👧👦 Servings: 12
- 📊 Calories: ~332 kcal per serving
- 🥣 Ingredients: Flour, sugar, milk, cream cheese, blueberries, lemon juice and zest, yeast, butter, milk, powdered sugar and salt.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy, great for potlucks and brunch.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Unique and Refreshing Flavors: The combination of fluffy dough with a sweet blueberry filling offers a brand-new take on cinnamon rolls.
Accessible Ingredients: All of the ingredients for these blueberry lemon rolls are already in your kitchen or easy to find at the grocery store.
Simple Steps: This recipe breaks down the process of creating a dough and homemade blueberry filling so even beginner bakers will make a delicious breakfast treat!
For even more breakfast options with similar flavors, try my Blueberry Crumb Cake or Lemon Blueberry Scones!
Ingredients Needed
- Whole Milk: Be sure to use whole milk and not a low-fat option to get the best results.
- Instant Rise Yeast: This is what gives your sweet roll dough that classic fluffy texture.
- Fresh Blueberries: You can use frozen--just thaw them first.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: You will need lemon zest and juice.
- Cream Cheese: Acts as the base for the rich and slightly tangy frosting.
How to Make these Lemon Blueberry Rolls
- Step 1: In a saucepan, heat whole milk to 115 to 120 degrees F over medium-low heat. It should be steaming but not boiling.
- Step 2: Pour milk into the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and add granulated sugar and yeast. Let it sit until slightly foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Step 3: Add remaining sugar, softened butter, and egg and mix at low speed until combined.
- Step 4: Stir in flour and salt until just combined, about 2-3 minutes.
- Step 5: Mix for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until you have a smooth dough that's slightly tacky but isn't sticking to the sides of the bowl.
- Step 6: Transfer dough to a lightly oiled large mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set aside to let the dough rise for 2 hours or so.
- Step 7: Meanwhile, make blueberry filling by cooking blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Carefully mash the blueberries and mix until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Step 8: Cream together softened cream cheese and butter. Add lemon juice and zest, then carefully add the powdered sugar until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.
- Step 9: Once the dough is ready, punch it down and transfer it to a lightly floured working surface. Roll out until you have a 12 by 18 rectangle.
- Step 10: Spread your blueberry mixture over the dough, leaving space on the edges.
- Step 11: Carefully roll the dough into a long tube, then use a sharp knife to slice into 12 evenly sized pieces.
- Step 12: Arrange rolls in a 9x13 baking dish. Bake!
Recipe Tips
- For even pieces, cut the entire tube of dough right in the middle, then make 5 cuts on each of the two smaller pieces.
- Be sure to use a serrated knife to prevent ripping or tearing as you slice the blueberry rolls.
- If you have leftover blueberry rolls, transfer to an airtight container for storage. They'll keep in the fridge for 3 days, or at room temperature for a day or two.
- For a shortcut, you can use blueberry jam or blueberry preserves instead of the homemade filling.
Lemon Blueberry Rolls FAQ's
I recommend fresh blueberries for the best results, but you can use frozen in a pinch. It would be best to let them thaw before using them for the blueberry filling. Or try my Individual Blueberry Tarts for an easy recipe using frozen blueberries.
If you find the sweet roll dough doesn't rise properly, you may be working with expired yeast. Too much salt or sugar can also disrupt the balance and lead to a denser dough.
Prepare the rolls through shaping (before the second rise).
Place them in the baking dish, cover tightly. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let them sit at room temp for 45–60 minutes to finish rising. Bake as directed.
If the rolls are baked and not glazed, then they can be frozen after cooling completely to room temperature, make sure to bring them to room temp before frosting them with the cream cheese frosting.
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Lemon Blueberry Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Sweet Roll Dough
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 pkg instant rise yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar divided
- ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 3 ¼ cups all purpose Flour spoon and leveled
- ½ teaspoon salt
Blueberry Filling
- 1½ cups fresh blueberries or thawed frozen
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
For The Frosting
- 2 Tablespoon butter unsalted room temperature
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest plus additional for garnish
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
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Instructions
Sweet Roll Dough
- In a small saucepan, heat the milk to 115-120 degrees F over medium low heat, about 2 minutes, until steaming but not boiling. Pour the warmed milk into the bowl of a stand mixer with the hook attachment. Add the 2 Tablespoons of the granulated sugar and the yeast package. Let the mixture sit until it starts to foam, about 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining sugar, softened butter, and egg and mix at low speed for about 1 minute. Add the flour and salt to the mixture and mix until the dough comes together for about 2-3 minutes.
- Continue to mix/knead over medium speed for another 2-3 minutes. The dough should be soft and a bit tacky but not stick to the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too sticky, add one teaspoon of flour.
- Remove the dough from the bowl onto a silicone mat, if needed shape it into a ball. Place the dough in a large bowl that has been lightly oiled (no more than 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in the bow). Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, which could take 1 ½ to 2 hours, depending on the weather.
Blueberry Filling
- While the dough is rinsing make the blueberry filling by placing the blueberries, sugar and lemon juice in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stirring frequently to smash most of the blueberries and dissolving the sugar (leave some whole for chunky texture). Cook, stirring frequently for about 10-12 minutes until it thickens. Remove from the heat and cool completely. Once cooled, stir in the lemon zest.
- Grease the bottom of a large cast iron pan or 9x13 baking dish.
- Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out until it is about ½” thick and about a 12” x 18” rectangle.
- Spread the cooled blueberry mixture, leaving a small amount of space along the long edge of the dough to start the roll.
- Roll up the dough tightly and then cut into 12 pieces.
- a. Pro tip: Cut your rolled dough in half, then cut each half section five times for one dozen cinnamon rolls. If you wish, you can trim the ends off slightly so each roll is clean-cut.
- Arrange the rolls in the greased cast iron skillet or 9x13 baking dishg dish, loosely top with plastic, and let rise for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees while the dough is rising.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until they are lightly browned on top.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- While baking, mix the icing by placing the butter and cream cheese in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer (stand or hand held) until creamy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the lemon juice and zest. Then, slowly add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until smooth and fluffy.
- Let the sweet rolls cool for 10 minutes, then spread icing over the rolls and serve warm.
Notes
- This dish can also be baked in a round cast-iron skillet of 12 inches or larger, if desired. Cast iron retains more heat so double-check the rolls halfway through the baking process to ensure they aren’t overcooked.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated up to 3 days after baking, 1-2 days at room temperature.
- If you don't have a stand mixer, stir the ingredients together with a wooden spoon and knead for 5 minutes by hand.
