I had made some blueberry cinnamon rolls for my parents one weekend they came up to visit, but I put the dough in the fridge overnight, and they didn’t end up rising as much as they should’ve the morning after, resulting in tasty but more rock like cinnamon rolls. To avoid that from happening this time around, I mixed the dough together the night before and left it to do its rising overnight out of the fridge, since I often do that with bread anyway. It worked wonderfully! The dough recipe is based off of the Pioneer Woman’s, so you just know it’s going to be fantastic.
Because I had a lot of berries, I added some strawberries to the blueberry sauce as I made it, but you can just use all blueberries if that’s easier. I thought it made it a little more festive with the 4th of July coming up, although you couldn’t really see any red from the strawberries once the sauce was all prepared. It’s the thought that counts, right? 😉
My grandma is diabetic, so I made these less sweet than your standard cinnamon roll. The glaze isn’t sickly sweet, which may throw some people off (it threw Alex off and my dad later when they received some leftovers in Pittsburgh). I used a combination of stevia and maple syrup in the glaze – I couldn’t use all stevia since my sisters would surely notice and complain – and dates in the dough. The blueberry sauce I used just a tiny amount of liquid stevia, since my berries were pretty sweet. I used a little bit of vanilla sugar for tossing the blueberries for the filling. So many sweeteners! But it made for a delicious roll.
These are lightly sweet with a more subtle cinnamon flavor going on because of the bursting blueberries speckled throughout the rolls. I flavored the glaze with some extra maple extract, and that really added a great flavor boost. It paired perfectly with the blueberries and cinnamon!
These rolls, while containing yeast, are actually pretty easy to make if you prepare the dough and the blueberry sauce the night before. All you have to do is add the remaining flour, then roll it out, roll it up, and bake it! You can easily do it before your guests wake up, or you can brew up some coffee or tea and enjoy that while you visit and enjoy your company while finishing these up.
This recipe makes a decent amount of rolls (roughly 2 dozen), so you can halve it if you’re not having too many guests or just want it as a weekend treat for you. I sent some leftovers home with my sisters to pass along to my parents, and I’ve also been enjoying them all week for breakfasts (and desserts.. and snacks). Not disappointed that there were a good bit left over!
What’s your favorite sweet breakfast treat? Cinnamon rolls, doughnuts?
- 1/2 pint blueberries
- 1 heaping cup strawberries, chopped (or 1/2 pint more of blueberries)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 9 drops liquid stevia
- 1 pint blueberries
- 1 Tbsp vanilla sugar (or regular sugar)
- 4 Tbsp cinnamon
- 4 cups white whole wheat flour (I also like sprouted whole wheat)
- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup water (or 2 cups milk)
- 1/2 cup date paste (1 cup dates ground into paste or 1/2 cup honey)
- 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup cream
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1/4 tsp maple extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp liquid stevia
- 2 tsp maple syrup
In a small saucepan, combine the strawberries, 1/2 pint blueberries, lemon juice, cornstarch, and water.
Heat over medium heat until the berries begin to break down and the mixture begins to thicken.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and liquid stevia. Allow to cool completely before assembling the rolls (making the night before and chilling in the fridge is a great idea).
In a small bowl, stir the pint of blueberries, sugar, and cinnamon together. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir the 4 cups of flour and yeast together. Set aside.
Once the butter is melted, add the cream and water, stirring until combined (the mixture should be slightly warm).
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the dates. On low speed, slowly pour the cream mixture into the dates, mixing until well combined. Slowly pour the flour mixture in, mixing until just combined. Cover with a towel and let sit for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
In a small bowl, stir the 1/2 cup flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.
After the dough has sat, attach the dough hook to the mixer, and slowly stir in the rest of the flour mixture, kneading until well combined and the dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl.
In a medium bowl (or in a stand mixer), beat the cream cheese and cream together until fluffy. Add the milk, beating until smooth to thin it out. Add the extracts, stevia, and maple syrup, beating until well combined.
Lightly grease 4 pie pans.
Take the finished dough and divide it in half. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll it into a rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
Spread half of the blueberry sauce onto the dough with a spatula, coming to about 1 inch from the edges of the dough. Sprinkle half of the blueberry cinnamon mixture evenly over top of the sauce.
Carefully roll the dough lengthwise toward you, pinching the edges together to seal it. Cut into 12 pieces about 1 inch thick, and divide the rolls between 2 of the greased pans.
Repeat with the other half of the dough, filling the other 2 pans.
Cover the rolls loosely with a towel, and allow to sit for about 20-30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375ºF while they are sitting.
Once they’ve sat, bake the rolls at 375ºF for 15-18 minutes, until golden. Spread with the maple glaze while still warm. Serve immediately.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
adapted from Beantown Baker