Soft and sweet Blueberry Cheesecake Brioche Buns that are totally bakery level! Easy brioche bun dough topped with cheesecake cream, berries and streusel topping then baked to perfection.
Skip the bakery prices and make bakery style pastries at home, like Dubai Chocolate Pastries or Cherry Cheesecake Danish.
BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE BRIOCHE BUN RECIPE
This brioche bun recipe is the ultimate sweet treat. Soft and fluffy brioche buns topped with a creamy cheesecake filling, juicy berries and a crumbly streusel topping! These pillowy and golden dessert buns are not only pleasing to the tummy, but also to the eye. Enjoy them for breakfast, a sweet treat, or after dinner dessert.
WHAT YOU NEED-
BRIOCHE BUN DOUGH
- Milk– The brioche dough requires warm whole milk. Be sure not to go over 105-110°F or it will kill the yeast.
- Egg– Adding egg to the dough helps with binding and gives the buns additional richness.
- Yeast– For the brioche buns to rise the dough needs yeast! This recipe calls for instant yeast, also known as rapid rise yeast. You can also use regular active dry yeast; it will just take longer for the dough to rise.
- Sugar– To sweeten the brioche dough, this recipe calls for granulated sugar.
- Salt– A hint of salt in the dough elevates and balances the flavors.
- Flour– When it comes to any baking, be sure to use high-quality all-purpose flour! I love to use Bob’s Red Mill.
- Butter– The key to getting buttery, soft, and fluffy brioche buns is the butter! Be sure to use softened unsalted butter.
BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE FILLING
- Cream Cheese– The base for the cheesecake center is cream cheese! Be sure to use softened classic or low-fat cream cheese.
- Sugar– To sweeten the cheesecake mixture you want to use either granulated sugar or brown sugar. I prefer granulated sugar.
- Vanilla– Adding vanilla extract or paste to the cheesecake mixture adds flavor.
- Lemon– Lemon juice adds a kick of tartness to the cheesecake filling.
- Blueberries– You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries. Canned blueberry pie filling can also be used.
STRUESEL TOPPING
- Butter– Melted unsalted butter is what helps give you crumbly streusel topping.
- Flour– The streusel topping calls for all-purpose flour.
- Sugar– Either granulated sugar or brown sugar can be used.
- Cinnamon– A little hint of cinnamon gives the streusel topping a hint of spice flavor, so good!
HOW TO MAKE BRIOCHE DOUGH FOR BUNS
To make it easier, use a stand mixer to make and knead the dough, but you can totally use your hands if you don’t have one.
- In a large bowl, combine warm milk, egg, yeast, sugar and salt. Cover and let it sit for a few minutes, until the yeast becomes bubbly.
- Sift the flour into the mixture and stir until a smooth and slightly sticky dough forms. (Knead by hand or with a stand mixer for about 3–4 minutes.)
- Add the softened butter to the dough. (At first, it might look greasy and hard to mix—that’s normal!) Keep kneading until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough is soft and smooth.
- Knead until the butter is well incorporated and the dough is soft and smooth. (You will need to knead the dough for 10-15 minutes, dust the work space with flour and knead on the counter until a nice dough forms.)
- Shape the dough into a tight ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm space until doubled in size.
- As the dough rises, make the cheesecake filling. With a mixer, cream the cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined. (Be sure to leave the blueberries out, they go on top.)
HOW TO MAKE CHEESECAKE BRIOCHE BUNS
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Dust your workspace generously with flour, then transfer the dough to the workspace.
- Divide the dough into 9-12 even sized pieces. (If you want large ones make 9 but for small buns, divide into 12.)
- Roll each piece of dough into a round ball. Repeat with all dough and add to the baking sheet, spacing out. Cover with towel and let sit for about 20-25 minutes.
- Preheat the oven.
- Dust the bottom of a 1/4 measuring cup with flour. Then press down into the center of each ball, creating an indent. (You can also pinch down with your fingers to create the indentation.)
- Scoop or pipe the cream cheese filling into the center indentation of each bun, evenly dividing the cheesecake mixture. (You should use about 2-3 Tbsp for each bun.)
- Top the cheesecake mixture with fresh or frozen blueberries. With a pastry brush, brush the brioche buns with egg wash. (Do not brush the center, only the dough.)
- Sprinkle the brioche border with streusel topping. (The streusel topping is optional.)
- Bake until the buns are golden brown. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Top with powdered sugar or a simple sugar glaze and serve.
FILLING VARIATIONS-
You don’t have to just make blueberry cheesecake buns; you can have fun with your filling!
- Berry Cheesecake– Swap the blueberries for a different berry like raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, or cherries. You can even do a multi-berry version. Either fresh or frozen berries can be used, frozen berries do NOT need to be thawed.
- Poppyseed– Instead of fruit, top the cheesecake mixture with a scoop of poppyseed pastry filling.
- Simple Cheesecake– Leave out the fruit and make this a brioche cheese Danish recipe! Top the cream cheese topping with the streusel topping for a simple dessert bun.
- Canned Pie Filling– Instead of fresh or frozen fruit, top the cheesecake with canned pie filling, like my cherry pastries.
- Jam Topping– Swap the fruit for a scoop of your favorite jam or preservative.
- Apple Pie Topping– Use my apple turnover filling as your fruit topping for an apple pie brioche bun.
TOPPING IDEAS
There are several different ways to top and finish off these blueberry cheese brioche buns!
- Plain– Keep it simple and just leave it at the egg wash for a golden shiny brioche bun.
- Streusel Topping– This recipe calls for a crumbly streusel topping. It adds additional flavors and texture.
- Course Sugar– Top these blueberry cheesecake brioche buns with coarse sugar after you egg wash them for a simple, yet delicious finish.
- Finishing Touch– Once these dessert buns are baked and cooled, top with a simple sugar glaze or powdered sugar for your final touch!
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE:
Brioche is a style of bread that is known as an “enriched” bread dough made with a high content of butter and eggs. It is soft, pillowy and slightly sweet.
The key to getting perfect brioche dough is to knead it for a long time. To test if you are done kneading, you can do the “windowpane” test! This means you take a small piece of the dough and stretch it and if you see a thin layer of dough that is translucent it is done! If it rips you need to keep kneading.
Yes! Just be sure to bloom the active dry yeast before adding it to the mixture and the rise time will be 30-45 minutes longer the first time.
Yes! You can make the cheesecake mixture less sweet.
Dense buns usually result from under-kneading. Be sure to do the windowpane test to ensure the dough is done kneading.
Yes! Keep these just a simple cream cheese brioche bun and skip the fruit topping!
No, the streusel topping is totally optional! You can top with coarse sugar or leave them plain instead.
Yes, you can totally make the brioche dough ahead of time! Prepare the dough and instead of rising for an hour in a warm space, cover and transfer to the fridge for 10-12 hours. Remove the dough from the fridge and let rest to bring to room temp. Then continue with the instructions.
Once these blueberry brioche buns are cooled, store in an airtight container or bag at room temp for 1-2 days or in the fridge for 2-3 days. To enjoy, warm them for the best results!
Blueberry Cheesecake Brioche Buns
Ingredients
Brioche Dough-
- 1 1/3 cup warm milk
- 2 large egg
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
Blueberry Cheesecake Filling-
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup blueberries or other fruit fresh or frozen
Streusel Topping-
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
Prepare the Brioche Bun Dough-
- In a large bowl combine warm milk, egg, instant yeast, granulated sugar, and salt. Let it sit for 10 minutes, allowing it to bubble.
- Add the flour to the mixture and mix until combined and the dough forms, kneading for about 3-4 minutes.
- Once the dough has come together, add the softened butter to the bowl and continue kneading for about 4-5 minutes, until the butter is well incorporated. (It will be very messy and greasy at first, but as you continue to knead, the dough will become smooth and soft.)
- Lift the dough with your hands and shape it into a tight ball. Add the dough to a greased bowl and cover with a towel and let rise for 1 ½ hours in a warm space.
- Meanwhile, prepare the cream cheese filling. With a mixer, mix the cream cheese until creamy and smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla to the cream cheese and mix again until incorporated. Set aside. (You can make this ahead of time, up to 3-4 days. Just store in the fridge and bring to room temp when ready to assemble the buns.)
Assemble the Blueberry Cheesecake Brioche Buns-
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Dust your workspace generously with flour and then transfer the dough to the workspace.
- Divide the dough into 9-12 even sized pieces. (For large buns divide into 9 pieces or for smaller buns divide the dough into 12 pieces.)
- Roll all the pieces of dough into a round ball, be sure all the balls are the same shape and size Add the baking sheet, separating about 2-3 inches apart from each other.
- Cover lightly with a towel and let sit for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Dust the bottom of a 1/4 measuring cup with flour. Press down into the center of each ball, creating an indent. (You can also pinch down with your fingers to create the indentation.)
- Scoop or pipe the cream cheese filling into the center indentation of each bun, divide the cheesecake mixture evenly among all the buns. (I like to use my 2 Tbsp cookie scooper.)
- Top the cream cheese mixture with blueberries, evenly dividing the berries between all the buns. (You can add more or less berries, depending on preference.)
- With a pastry brush, brush the brioche buns with egg wash. (You do not want to brush the cream cheese filling, only the buns.)
- Sprinkle the brioche border with streusel topping. (The streusel topping is optional.)
- Bake at 350℉ for 20-23 minutes until the brioche buns are a light golden brown.
- Remove and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Top with powdered sugar or a simple sugar glaze and serve.
Leave a Reply