Joanna Gaines’ Blueberry Sweet Rolls Are Summer’s Better Version of Cinnamon Rolls
Updated: Mar. 01, 2023
Bring the farm to your kitchen table with insanely gooey blueberry sweet rolls from the Queen of Shiplap herself, Joanna Gaines.
In her newest cookbook, Magnolia Table, Vol. 2, Joanna Gaines shares her recipe for Blueberry Sweet Rolls. They’re a fun, summery twist on classic cinnamon rolls and are the same ones served up at the Gaines’ Waco coffee shop, Magnolia Press. In fact, they were the very first recipe developed for the menu.
Since a trip to Waco wasn’t in the cards, we decided to put this recipe to the test and share our thoughts on what Joanna describes as, “elevated cinnamon rolls with sweet blueberries balanced by a tart lemon glaze.”
Joanna’s Recipe for Blueberry Sweet Rolls
Sweet Rolls
- 1 cup warm whole milk (95° to 110° F)
- 1 1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Baking spray
Filling
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Lemon Glaze
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1-3/4 cups powdered sugar
- Pinch of kosher salt
Initial Thoughts
If you’re a veteran to making cinnamon rolls, whipping up a batch of these blueberry sweet rolls will be a breeze. What we love about this recipe is that you only need to let the dough rise for an hour. Plus, the hour-long rise means making these rolls in the morning doesn’t require a 5 a.m. wake-up call. You can sleep in, wake up and have these rolls on the table in time for the brunch bell.
Getting Started
The recipe begins by making a classic enriched dough with warm milk, yeast, butter, eggs, flour and a bit of salt. Using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment allows for this dough to come together beautifully. Speaking of stand mixers, make sure to check out this stunning Joanna Gaines stand mixer by KitchenAid. After mixing, you’re left with a fairly loose, sticky dough that’s left to rise in a warm place for an hour. You’ll have just enough time to prepare the blueberry filling, mix up the lemon glaze and clean up any prep dishes.
Assembling the Sweet Rolls
Once the dough has doubled in size, the fun part begins: assembly. The risen dough, while still a bit sticky, is soft, elastic and easy to work with once rolled out onto a lightly floured surface. Spreading the cooled blueberry filling over the dough made my mouth water in anticipation!
The trickiest part of this recipe is rolling up the dough. You want to roll it tight enough to create that iconic sweet roll swirl, but loose enough to not let too much of the blueberry filling ooze from the dough. With that being said, it’s something even a beginner baker can master with a little patience.
The recipe suggests using a sharp knife or uncoated dental floss to slice the rolled dough log into 1-inch slices. Due to the overall softness of the dough, we highly recommend going the dental floss route. It’s much gentler on the dough so the rolls need little, if any, reshaping once cut.
From there, the 12 slices get arranged in a large oven-safe baking dish, covered and proofed for another 45 minutes. I chose to use a cast iron skillet for an alternative presentation, but a 13×9 works perfectly, too.
After the second rise, the rolls are baked in the oven until fluffy and slightly golden. The smell these beauties gave off as they baked is pure heaven, so be ready for some serious torture as you wait for them to finish baking! After removing from the oven, let them cool for several minutes and then drizzle that sweet and tart lemon glaze generously over the rolls.
Time for a Taste Test
These sweet rolls were easy and straightforward to make. They get full marks from us in terms of flavor, texture and balance. We love that there’s a nice, even ratio of bread to filling in these rolls. They’re equally bready and gooey so it’s a perfect balance. In terms of texture, the crumb of the bread is perfectly fluffy. It’s neither doughy nor dense and gives these indulgent rolls a wonderful lightness.
Finally, flavor. My oh my, do these sweet rolls have plenty of that. Joanna wasn’t kidding when she said these rolls are perfectly sweet and tart. It’s a blissful marriage of blueberry and lemon that makes your whole mouth want to dance. I wish I could say I only ate one of these rolls to conduct this taste test, but rest assured, the pan is licked clean.
You need to get your hands on this recipe ASAP. You won’t regret making these Blueberry Sweet Rolls and knowing Joanna, Magnolia Table, Vol. 2 is loaded with other delectable farm-style recipes your family will love!
If you liked this recipe, try Joanna Gaines’ biscuit recipe next!
Originally Published: June 29, 2020
