Overnight Blueberry Sweet Rolls
These sweet rolls are my new favorite breakfast! The dough is so moist and tender, and every bite is packed with juicy blueberries. These rolls don’t taste healthy at all! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. They taste wonderful cold too, but you can easily reheat them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (120mL) warm water (100-110°F)
- 1 tsp coconut oil, melted (see Notes!)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 ¼ tsp (one ¼ oz envelope) active dry yeast (see Notes!)
- ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup (room temperature)
- 2 ½ – 3 ½ cups (300-420g) white whole wheat flour
- 2 cups (280g) frozen unsweetened wild blueberries
- 1 tbsp (8g) cornstarch
- ½ tsp almond extract
- small bowl of water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the warm water, melted coconut oil, vanilla, and salt. (Note: If your maple syrup is at room temperature and NOT chilled, stir it in too.) Sprinkle the yeast on top, and let it sit for 10 minutes or until lightly frothy.
- Stir in the maple syrup. Add 2 cups of flour, and stir until completely incorporated. Continue adding flour, 2-3 tablespoons at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a clean, well-floured surface, and knead for a few minutes or until it springs back when you gently press your index fingers into it. Let the dough rest for at least 10 minutes.
- While waiting, lightly coat a 9”-round cake pan (or two 6”-round cake pans) with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Re-flour your surface if necessary, and lightly flour a rolling pin. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle (about 10”x16”, although slightly smaller or larger is fine too). Let the dough rest while preparing the filling.
- To prepare the filling, gently toss the frozen blueberries with the cornstarch and almond extract in a small bowl. Work quickly because the blueberries thaw rapidly!
- Spread the blueberries into a single layer on top of the dough rectangle, leaving a 1” border on the two longer edges. Starting at one longer edge, carefully roll up the dough into a log towards the opposite longer edge, trying not the squash the blueberries too much. Brush water onto the second longer edge and where it meets the dough log before pinching shut to seal.
- Slice the dough log into 12 equal portions using dental floss (see Notes in blog post above). Place them cut side down into the prepared pan(s). Cover the top with plastic wrap, and wrap a large rubber band around the rim to keep the plastic wrap in place. Chill overnight.
- In the morning, remove the pan(s) from the refrigerator, and let them sit on the countertop at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before preheating the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Once hot, remove the plastic wrap from the pan(s), and bake the rolls at 350°F for 22-25 minutes. Cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
IMPORTANT YEAST NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: For the yeast, I used Red Star® Quick Rise Yeast. It performs the best out of any yeast I’ve used, so I highly recommend it! It isn’t always easy to find in grocery stores, so I buy mine online here. (Both their rapid rise dry yeast and regular active dry yeast work equally well!)
The yeast will not froth very much during the proofing step (Step 1) due to the coconut oil. That’s okay! As long as you see a bit of frothing along the edges, your yeast should be fine.
COCONUT OIL ALTERNATIVES: Unsalted butter, stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one), or any neutral-tasting oil may be substituted for the coconut oil.
SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted in place of the pure maple syrup. I do not recommend substituting sugar-free maple syrup; it'll negatively impact the texture and rise.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Regular whole wheat flour (Gold Medal whole wheat flour is my favorite for yeast-based recipes because it rises higher than other brands!), whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
BLUEBERRY NOTES: I highly recommend using wild blueberries. They're much smaller than regular blueberries, which means it's easier to roll up the sweet rolls, and the dough isn't as prone to tearing. I haven't found fresh wild blueberries in stores where I live before, so that's mainly why I opted to use frozen.
CORNSTARCH NOTE: The cornstarch thickens the juice that the blueberries release while baking. Without it, the filling will be very liquidy and a bit soupy, so I don't recommend omitting it. I haven't tried substituting anything else in place of the cornstarch.
ALMOND EXTRACT ALTERNATIVE: If you don't have it or aren't a fan, substitute vanilla extract.
GLUTEN-FREE NOTE: I haven’t had good luck substituting gluten-free flours in this recipe. The cinnamon rolls don’t rise or maintain their shape the way they do with wheat-based flour due to the lack of gluten.
NON-OVERNIGHT METHOD: If you’re making the entire recipe in the morning, do not chill at the end of Step 7. Instead, place the pan(s) in a warm, draft-free place to rise for at least an hour, or until doubled in size. (It may take longer than an hour because the blueberries are so cold that they slow down the rising process.) Then skip Step 8 and bake according to Step 9.
HOW TO STORE: Store leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep for up to one week (if not longer!), and they reheat beautifully, if you'd like to serve them warm.
For more information and tips, please see my blog post above. You can also watch my step-by-step video here for a similar recipe to see how I make cinnamon rolls!
{egg-free, dairy-free, vegan, clean eating, low fat}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.