A bit of background on how this blog post came about - last month, we played Secret Santa at work. Somehow, I ended up being in charge of organizing it which was mildly amusing because I had never played the game before (surprising no?). In the beginning, I naively assumed that it would involve picking a name, buying one holiday gift, and calling it a day. How mistaken I was!
What followed was gifting guidelines with a designated WhatsApp group and weeks of multiple mini gifts, tricks, clues, stealth tactics, mysterious collaborations, in depth handwriting analysis, decoy Santas, dress code, dramatic reveals and what not! I can confidently say that I get all the nuances of the game now and I promise to be a force to reckon with the next time it rolls around 😂
My Secret Santa (who turned out to be a dear colleague who I work closely with) gifted me a handmade recipe book along with several other thoughtful goodies. Knowing my penchant for baking, she had included a collection of beautiful dessert recipes with detailed instructions, all carefully handwritten and paired with hand drawn illustrations. Needless to say, I was deeply touched by the time, effort, and sentiment that went into it 💜
One of the recipes that caught my attention immediately were these Blueberry Lavender Cinnamon Rolls. My daughters noticed it right off the bat too. If you have gone through my dessert gallery before, chances are, you would have come across my blog post on Cinnamon Rolls. You may have also correctly deduced that I am a sucker for cinnamon in general. I truly dig the stuff.
Lavender, however, was completely new territory for me. It was the only ingredient I did not already have on hand, and I was genuinely excited to try it. A browse and click on Amazon led to its arrival on my doorstep two days later.
This recipe is very easy to follow and uses ingredients that are (mostly) readily available. It does require two rounds of dough rising (proofing), which takes some time, but I promise it is worth the wait. The rolls turned out soft and pillowy. The gentle floral notes of the lavender complemented the fruitiness of the blueberries beautifully. The sweetness of the glaze was balanced by the salt in the rolls and the slight tartness of the berries. The cinnamon took a subtler role while still providing its comforting warmth.
I did not follow the recipe from the book exactly. I made a few minor adjustments based on my own preferences and intuition as I went along. For a first attempt, the taste and texture of the rolls felt just right. I made two batches, took one to work for my colleagues who all gave it the thumbs up. The second batch I kept for my family and my girls have been thrilled to see it make an appearance in their snack box at school. I did not feel the need to tweak the recipe further, so I am sharing it here just as it is for all of you to try.
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year 2026 💫
I will try my best to show up here more often (and I really mean that!).
Blueberry Lavender Cinnamon Rolls
Dough Rising time: 1.5 hours + 40 min (or overnight)
Baking time: 25-30 min
Recipe type: Dessert\Western
Recipe level: Easy
Recipe source: Unknown
3. Add flour and salt to the yeast mixture. Knead with hands or a stand mixer until the dough becomes smooth and elastic (8-10 min). This step is very important to develop the gluten structure allowing the rolls to rise well and hold their shape.
4. Cover and let it rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1.5 hours.
5. Punch down the dough and briefly knead again. Generously flour a flat surface and roll the dough into a large rectangle about 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick.
6. Spread the filling mixture evenly over the surface. Scatter the blueberries evenly.
7. Roll the dough tightly from the long edge into a log. Keep in mind that the surface has to be well-floured otherwise the dough will stick to it.
8. Using a sharp knife, slice the log into 15-20 rolls (depending on how many you want) and place the rolls an inch apart (to allow room for rising) into a greased baking dish. I divided the rolls into two glass baking dishes.
9. Cover and let rise for 30-40 mins. I left the dish in the fridge to slow rise overnight.
10. Preheat oven to 350 deg F or 175 deg C. Bake the rolls for 25-30 min until golden brown. Allow the rolls slightly cool down before you drizzle the icing.
11. For the glaze, warm the milk and steep the lavender for 5-10 mins. Strain the milk.
12. Whisk the icing sugar with the lavender-infused milk, melted butter, pinch of salt, vanilla and fresh cream. Add natural food coloring if you prefer (I didn't have so I omitted). Adjust to get a nice drizzling consistency.
Notes:
- Just warm the milk to activate the yeast. Make sure the milk is not hot otherwise it will kill the yeast
- Instead of blueberries, you could also use raspberries or blackberries in this recipe
- Two steps of proofing (dough rising) are essential for this recipe. If you are not pressed for time, I highly recommend the second rise in the fridge overnight. A cold fermentation process means the yeast releases carbon dioxide more slowly, which results in a more complex, robust flavor.
- You can use dental floss to cut the rolls instead of a knife. Keep in mind that using a blunt knife can squish your rolls
- Cinnamon rolls are an indulgence. Use whole milk and real butter for best results.
- If the rolls are too hot, the icing will ooze right off and into the bottom of the pan so cool them sufficiently
- If you like your rolls on the less sweet side, drizzle less of the glaze on them. Conversely, go big on the drizzle if you like the rolls to be sweet
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