Vegan lemon blueberry rolls – soft, sticky vegan sweet rolls filled with juicy blueberries and finished with a bright lemon glaze. Step-by-step photos included.
After a spell without baking, I wanted to make something sweet and bready. Blueberries have been calling my name lately, so these vegan lemon blueberry rolls were the result. They combine a soft, enriched dough with a sticky blueberry filling and a tart lemon glaze for a treat that’s bright, tender and indulgent without dairy or eggs.
The dough is enriched with coconut oil, almond milk and lemon zest so it stays tender and flavorful. The filling combines fresh blueberries with blueberry jam and a little cornflour and lemon juice to create a glossy, slightly thickened spread that isn’t overly sweet. A light lemon glaze over the baked rolls adds a zesty finish.
Because the recipe uses almond milk and coconut oil instead of dairy milk and butter, the rolls are completely vegan, but the texture and taste are indistinguishable from traditional enriched sweet rolls — soft, slightly sticky and irresistibly tender.
For the filling I like to use a good-quality blueberry preserve combined with fresh berries. The cornflour and lemon juice form a slurry to stabilize the jam so the filling holds together without becoming runny during baking.
These rolls are best enjoyed the day they’re baked, but they keep well in an airtight container for up to two days. Reheat briefly before serving if you prefer them warm.
How to Make Vegan Lemon Blueberry Rolls
(See the recipe card below for exact ingredient measurements and full instructions.)
*For best results follow the recipe closely and use gram measurements with a digital scale where possible. Cup measures are less accurate for baking.*
Start by warming the almond milk and coconut oil together in a saucepan just until the coconut oil melts. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool until it is lukewarm — warm enough to encourage yeast activity but not so hot that it will kill the yeast.
Meanwhile, combine the strong white bread flour, instant yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl, keeping the yeast and salt separated initially to avoid direct contact. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the cooled milk and oil mixture along with the finely grated zest of two lemons. Mix with a wooden spoon until a rough dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto an unfloured surface and knead for about 10 minutes by hand until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. It will be sticky at first but should come together as you work it; a dough scraper or a stand mixer with a dough hook can be helpful.
Shape the kneaded dough into a ball and place it in an oiled bowl. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for around two hours, or until doubled in size. Alternatively, you can refrigerate the dough to rise overnight for a slower fermentation and more developed flavor.
Punch the risen dough down to release large bubbles and knead briefly. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface to an approximate rectangle (about 12 x 18 inches). If the dough resists and springs back, let it rest 10–15 minutes and try again.
To make the filling, whisk the cornflour and lemon juice together until smooth, then stir in the blueberry jam and the zest of one lemon. Gently fold in the fresh blueberries (use fresh, not frozen, to avoid excess moisture).
Spread the filling in a thin, even layer across the rolled dough, then roll up firmly from a long edge into a log. Using a sharp knife, slice the log into nine even pieces and arrange them cut-side down in a 23cm (9-inch) square tin lined with baking parchment. Any lost filling can be spooned back into the rolls.
Cover the tin with clingfilm and let the rolls rise for about 1 hour until puffy. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and bake for 30–40 minutes; if the tops brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil toward the end of baking. The rolls are done when they are golden and cooked through.
Allow the rolls to cool in the tin for a short while, then lift them out on the parchment and transfer to a wire rack. Make the glaze by sifting icing sugar into a bowl and stirring in fresh lemon juice until you have a thick but pourable consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls and serve.
More Vegan Bread Recipes
- Vegan Hokkaido milk bread
- Vegan brioche
- Vegan banana bread cinnamon rolls
- Pumpkin bread rolls
- Vegan wholemeal maple cinnamon rolls
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Vegan Lemon Blueberry Rolls
Ingredients
Dough:
- 250 ml unsweetened almond milk
- 50 g coconut oil
- 450 g strong white bread flour
- 10 g instant yeast
- 65 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
Filling:
- 2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 280 g blueberry jam or preserves
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 300 g fresh blueberries (not frozen)
Glaze:
- 100 g icing (powdered) sugar
- 4 tsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat almond milk and coconut oil until the oil melts, then cool to lukewarm to avoid killing the yeast.
- Combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl, keeping yeast and salt apart. Make a well and add the cooled milk mixture and lemon zest.
- Mix to form a rough dough, then turn out and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for about two hours or refrigerate overnight.
- Punch down the dough, roll out to roughly 12 x 18 inches, and prepare the filling by mixing cornflour with lemon juice, then stirring in jam, zest and fresh blueberries.
- Spread the filling thinly over the dough, roll into a log, and slice into nine pieces. Arrange cut-side down in a lined 23cm/9-inch square tin.
- Cover and let rise for about 1 hour until puffy. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and bake 30–40 minutes, tenting with foil if the tops brown too quickly.
- Cool briefly in the tin, transfer to a wire rack, then drizzle with a glaze made from sifted icing sugar and lemon juice. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to two days.
