There's no better way to start a hot summer day than indulging in warm, gooey Huckleberry Sweet Rolls. These decadent rolls combine the rich, buttery sweetness of classic sweet rolls with the vibrant burst of flavor that only huckleberries can provide. Whether enjoyed on a lazy weekend morning, shared with friends and family at a summer gathering, or savored as a special treat just because, each bite is sure to make you grin from ear to ear!
If you're looking for other huckleberry recipes, you may enjoy my Lemon Huckleberry Scones or my Lemon Huckleberry Ice Cream!
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What Are Huckleberries?
Huckleberries grow wild in the northwestern United States and western Canada. It is actually the state fruit of Idaho and Montana. Being born and raised in Montana and now living in Idaho, it's clear why this delicious fruit would have a special place in my heart and why I would want to develop several huckleberry recipes for my blog. These delicious berries are often found in jam, candies, ice cream, muffins, salad dressings, drinks, and syrups. They are most similar to a blueberry so if you have a favorite blueberry recipe, it will most likely taste amazing if you substitute huckleberries in their place!
Why You'll Love These Sweet Rolls
These rolls are super easy to make and are the perfect seasonal sweet treat! You can enjoy them for breakfast or for a dessert at the end of the day! If you want to truly take advantage of huckleberry season, these need to be on your list!
Ingredients
Huckleberries: Huckleberries can only be found seasonally so you can substitute these for blueberries or whichever berry you prefer if needed!
Sugar: Granulated sugar will be used in both the huckleberry sauce and the dough for the rolls.
Cornstarch: This is used to help thicken the huckleberry sauce. If you don't have any then you can go without it. Just know that the filling might not thicken up as much so be extra careful when you roll the dough to not let any spill out!
Flour: I used unbleached all-purpose flour in this recipe. Bleached or unbleached works fine!
Lemon: You only need lemon zest in this recipe. The juice can be saved to make some delicious huckleberry lemonade!
Yeast: Use instant yeast in this recipe! I haven't tested it with active dry yeast the rolls might not come out as you'd hope.
Milk: I recommend using whole milk but any type of milk should work.
Egg: Use a large sized egg. I recommend allowing it to come to room temperature before using for best results.
Vanilla: I used pure vanilla extract. You can also substitute for vanilla bean paste or scrape out the seeds from one vanilla bean.
Butter: Use unsalted butter. If you don't have unsalted butter and have to use salted butter then omit the salt from the recipe.
Powdered Sugar: This is for the icing. I recommend you sift it into the bowl so it is easier to whisk together without any lumps.
How To Make Huckleberry Sweet Rolls
Step 1: Combine the 2 ½ cups huckleberries, ½ cup sugar, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch in a saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat while whisking consistently. Cook until the huckleberries release their juices and the sauce begins to thicken. Set aside to cool while you make the dough.
Step 2: In a microwave safe bowl, heat the ½ cup of milk, ¾ cup water, and 4 tablespoons unsalted butter until the butter has melted and the mixture reaches about 110℉.
Step 3: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, massage the ⅓ cup sugar and zest from one lemon together before adding the 4 cups flour, ¼ teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons yeast and mixing together. Add the milk, butter and water mixture and begin turning the mixture.
Step 4: Add the egg and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and continue turning until the dough gently pulls away from the side of the bowl.
Step 5: On a lightly floured surface, knead for about 5-6 minutes. Cover and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.
Step 6: Roll the dough into a 20x15 inch rectangle. Pour the huckleberry filling over the top and spread evenly over the dough. Roll up the dough into a long log and pinch the seams closed. Cut into 12 pieces and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch pan. Cover and allow to rise for 2-3 hours or until the rolls have doubled in size (see note below).
Step 7: Preheat the oven to 375℉. Uncover the rolls and place them in the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes or until done in the middle and golden brown on top.
Step 8: Pour about ¼ cup of huckleberries in a food processor and blend them. Run the juice through a fine mesh strainer to remove the skins.
Step 9: In a small bowl, add the 1 cup of powdered sugar and 2-3 tablespoons juice. Whisk until well combined. If the icing needs to be thinned out, add a little bit of milk. If it needs to be thickened, add a little more powdered sugar.
Step 10: Once the rolls have been removed from the oven and allowed to cool for a few minutes, top them with the huckleberry icing and enjoy!
Equipment
Here's the equipment I recommend to make my huckleberry sweet rolls!
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Buy Now → Tips and Tricks for Success
I always try to make my recipes as simple as possible but here are a few tips and tricks to make these rolls as perfect as possible!
- Measure your Flour Correctly! Make sure that you spoon and level your flour into your measuring cups. If you pack your flour, you may end up with too much causing your dough to be tough. This will also cause your rolls to not be as light and fluffy! If the dough ends up being too sticky that you need to add some extra flour, you can easily do so!
- Allow your egg to come to room temperature! Allowing your egg to come to room temperature makes it easier to mix into the dough. While you can still get great rolls if you don't do this, it is recommended to get the best texture possible.
- Make the rolls the night before to make your morning easier! You can make the rolls the night before and instead of allowing them to rise until doubled in size, you can stick them in the refrigerator overnight. When you wake up in the morning, take them out to rise at room temperature for about an hour before placing in the oven to bake.
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📖 Recipe
Huckleberry Sweet Rolls
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 2 ½ c huckleberries
- ½ c granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
For the Dough
- 4 ½ c all-purpose flour
- ⅓ c granulated sugar
- 1 lemon zested
- 2 teaspoon instant yeast
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ c whole milk
- ¾ c water
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoon butter unsalted
For the Huckleberry Icing
- 1 c powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoon juice from huckleberries
- 1-2 tablespoon whole milk if needed
Instructions
To Make the Filling:
- Combine the huckleberries, sugar, and cornstarch in a saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat while whisking consistently. Cook until the huckleberries release their juices and the sauce begins to thicken. Set aside to cool while you make the dough.2 ½ c huckleberries, ½ c granulated sugar, 2 teaspoon cornstarch
To Make the Dough:
- In a microwave safe bowl, heat the milk, water, and butter until the butter has melted and the mixture reaches about 110℉.½ c whole milk, ¾ c water, 4 tablespoon butter
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, massage the sugar and lemon zest together before adding the flour, salt and yeast and mixing together. Add the milk, butter and water mixture and beginning turning the mixture.4 ½ c all-purpose flour, ⅓ c granulated sugar, 1 lemon, 2 teaspoon instant yeast, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and continue turning until the dough gently pulls away from the side of the bowl.1 egg, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- On a lightly floured surface, knead for about 5-6 minutes. Cover and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.
- Roll the dough into a 20x15 inch rectangle. Pour the huckleberry filling over the top and spread evenly over the dough. Roll up the dough into a long log and pinch the seams closed. Cut into 12 pieces and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch pan. Cover and allow to rise for 2-3 hours or until the rolls have doubled in size (see note below).
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Uncover the rolls and place them in the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes or until done in the middle and golden brown on top.
To Make the Huckleberry Icing:
- Pour about ¼ cup of huckleberries in a food processor and blend them. Run the juice through a fine mesh strainer to remove the skins.
- In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar and juice. Whisk until well combined. If the icing needs to be thinned out, add a little bit of milk. If it needs to be thickened, add a little more powdered sugar.1 c powdered sugar, 1-2 tablespoon whole milk, 2-3 tablespoon juice from huckleberries
- Once the rolls have been removed from the oven and allowed to cool for a few minutes, top them with the huckleberry icing and enjoy!
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