The Best Gooey Blueberry Lemon Cinnamon Rolls

*Disclaimer* These are the best gooey blueberry lemon cinnamon rolls and they will change your life. This is a “help me, I can’t stop it’s so good recipe.”

Okay, maybe your life will be the same, BUT trust me you need this. If you do one thing for yourself today let it be a bit of this heavenly cinnamon roll. And oh, these are unbelievably easy cinnamon rolls.

I first thought about creating these gooey blueberry cinnamon rolls one day at my office job, it was like a lightening bolt of GLORIOUS buttery cinnamon inspiration— what if I could eat blueberry coffee cake AND a cinnamon roll? I knew I had all the ingredients in my fridge that night for the perfect next morning breakfast— or let’s be real, late-night snack. As the hours ticked on I dreamt of my perfect cinnamon roll.

Um, wow I need a moment and a bite right now.

Needless to say, these have become a celebrated decadence in our house. They are the best holiday cinnamon rolls: Easter morning, Christmas morning, Tuesday mornings in October, Bridal Showers, Baby Showers, etc.

Out of all my recipes, this is the recipe that everyone simply has to have. You know the recipe that people hunt you down to make sure that they don’t leave without it— this is THE recipe. 

4 Tips to Make the Best Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls

The Butter Massage

Okay, I believe wholeheartedly in massaging your slightly (we don’t want it to soak into the dough)  softened butter into the dough. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water. We want to work fast and the heat from our hands will start to melt the butter—which we don’t want to do. Spread the butter on the whole rolled dough— even the ends. The butter should look a bit rustic— that’s good.

Make Sure the Dough and blueberry filling is cool

Make the filling first (even before the dough and give it extra time to cool. If you are using a bread machine, sometimes the dough can feel slightly warm after proofing. Remove it from the machine roll it out on your pastry mat and let it sit at room temp for 15ish minutes until it is cool (or room temp) to the touch.

Zest is Your Friend

As I say on this blog all the time citrus is a key way to elevate a good dish to a GREAT dish. Adding a bit of zest to these rolls in the filling and the dough is what is going to make this bakery-quality with not that much extra work on your end. My rule of thumb is that if we are already adding citrus juice to a recipe, we might as well add in some zest. Oh, plus it’s pretty. This recipe calls for lemon, but really, any citrus will do. Use what you have: orange, grapefruit, lime, or even clementine are all tasty options.

Cut off the ends

Okay okay, I KNOW that I love to elevate food waste— and I do So save the ends and bake them together in a little dish. The ends will not be as big or pretty, but to perfectly bake these cinnamon rolls we need to make sure they are uniform. This also means that you get an extra little treat—SSSH I won’t tell anyone if you eat the whole little dish ( I have done this from time to time).

What if I Don’t Have a Bread Machine?

Don’t worry! You can make this recipe without one. Here are the extra steps you need:

• Use a stand mixer with a dough attachment.
• Dissolve yeast in 1 cup of the milk and a tablespoon of your sugar. Let the mixture
• sit for 10 mins.
• Add in wet (including the rest of the milk and sugar) ingredients.
• Mix dry ingredients. Slowly add into the mixer, and mix until the dough is combined.
• Place dough on a lightly floured surface or pastry mat. Knead until the dough forms a smooth ball.
• In a large greased bowl, add the dough ball and cover with plastic wrap for 1.5 hours.

Buy one! Just kidding, but seriously for the scratch-baked frugal kitchen, the bread machine will save you TIME and MONEY on preparing fresh, delicious, cleaner-ingredient doughs. I use my bread machine at least 1-2 times a week for pastry doughs (like this cinnamon roll dough), bread doughs, pizza doughs, and even flatbreads. I will be honest, I do not typically bake the bread in mine, because I like the the look and the styling I can add to doughs that I bake in the oven, but as far as dump-and-go doughs my bread machine is a life-saver.

Do I need to Use Bread Flour?

I am not one to add “extra” ingredients that sit around in your pantry, but bread flour is key here to creating the fluffy and gooey cinnamon roll texture we need the bread flour. I have tried this recipe with all-purpose flour and it is just not the same. While bread flour isn’t at my favorite store, Aldi’s, you can find bread flour at most grocery stores or bulk food store. Making homemade dough at home is a great money saver, so I do recommend adding bread flour to your pantry to make most breads.

Can I Freeze The Cinnamon Rolls?

Oh yes, your homemade cinnamon rolls will last in the freezer for a good 3 months, but I dare you to make it last that long though. Sometimes, I will put the rolls into 2 pans, bake both, and then save one for later. Typically, I attempt to save a pan of the blueberry cinnamon goodness, for later and then I eat both pans anyway. Make sure that the cinnamon rolls cool down to room temperature before placing them in the freezer, and wrap them in plastic wrap, and then in aluminum foil for best results.

Choose Your Own Adventure: Cinnamon Roll Icing Edition

Personally, I like the slightly sweet and tangy lemon cinnamon roll glaze on these rolls, but if you are a cheese cinnamon roll frosting kinda person— see you! Add your favorite topping to the cinnamon rolls— trust me you will want to eat the whole pan.

How Do I Serve the Cinnamon Rolls?

This is a debate in our house. I like my cinnamon rolls to be warm and gooey, and my husband likes them at room temperature. I would say in my opinion these are best served warm for the ultimate Cinnabon-like experience.

• Just as is
• With a dollop of fresh homemade whipped cream (or lemon whipped cream)
• With a generous scoop of vanilla bean or strawberry (for a total berry takeover) ice cream.

Fancy Frugal Fixes Kitchen Tip

Stop buying yeast packets! You can buy yeast in bulk for a fraction of the price! I buy mine in the bulk section of a nearby market, and boy, does it save me money. And it’s so easy to store, just put it in an airtight container or mason jar in your fridge and you are good to go. Mine typically lasts in the fridge for a very long time (4 months) or 6 months in the freezer. 

Check Out Other Berry Recipes

• Decadent Blueberry Cheesecake Baked Oatmeal
• Strawberry Chia Jam (Made With Frozen Fruit)
• Homemade Strawberry Chocolate Almond Granola