Blackberry-Custard Buns
These soft, sweet buns are filled with creamy vanilla custard and a spoonful of homemade blackberry jam. They're inspired by classic danishes, with a little well in the center to hold all that delicious filling. Perfect for breakfast, dessert or an afternoon treat.
These blackberry custard sweet buns were one of those bakes that started as one idea and turned into something else entirely. I originally planned to make them with a cream cheese filling, kind of like a cheesecake bun, but with a homemade blueberry jam on top. I'm still going to try that version because it sounds so good.
The dough for these buns is similar to a cinnamon roll dough; soft, rich and buttery. It’s a slightly sticky dough to work with, so I really recommend using oiled hands or wearing gloves while shaping it. But once you get the hang of it, it’s actually really easy to work with and comes together beautifully.
You shape the dough into equal balls, press a well into the center and then spoon in the custard and jam. As they bake, the buns puff up around the filling, creating that bakery style look. The jam is homemade too. Just blackberries, a bit of sugar and water cooked down into a thick, but not too thick jam. You can make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge, or just use store bought.
I love how versatile this recipe is. Once you have the base dough and know the method, you can fill them with pretty much anything. Cream cheese and fruit, Nutella, lemon curd, apple pie filling or even pumpkin for fall. I’m already thinking of a cinnamon-pumpkin version for cooler weather. There are so many ideas I want to try, it’s hard to choose just one.
Tips and tricks
1. Don’t skip the second proofing - After shaping the buns, it’s important to let them rest and rise again. This second proofing helps the dough relax and puff up, which gives you that soft, pillowy texture once baked. Skipping it can lead to dense buns.
2. Don’t overbake them - Keep an eye on the oven and take them out when they’re just golden brown on top. Overbaking will dry out the dough. Every oven is a little different so check a few minutes early just to be safe.
3. Make sure the milk is warm when added to the dough - The milk should be lukewarm, not hot. If it’s too cold, the yeast will activate slowly or not at all. If it’s too hot, it can kill the yeast. A warm temperature helps the dough rise properly.
4. Store leftovers in the fridge and reheat before serving - Because of the custard, these buns need to be refrigerated if not eaten the same day. To enjoy them later, just reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds!
5. You can freeze the dough for later - If you don’t want to bake the whole batch at once, you can freeze the dough after the first rise. Just shape it into rounds, wrap tightly and freeze. When ready to use, let them thaw in the fridge overnight, then bring to room temp, let them rise again, fill and bake.
6. Use oiled hands or gloves to handle the dough - This dough is slightly sticky and it can be tricky to shape. Lightly oil your hands or wear gloves when shaping.
Ingredients you will need for this recipe
For the dough
Bread flour: I used bread flour for a more structured dough, but you can use all purpose flour if that’s what you have.
Granulated sugar: Sugar sweetens the dough. You could also use light brown sugar for a slightly deeper flavor.
Salt: It balances the sweetness.
Instant dry yeast: Instant yeast doesn’t need to be dissolved in liquid first, so it saves a step. It gives a reliable rise and works quickly. You can use active dry yeast if that’s all you have, just dissolve it in the warm milk first and let it sit for 5–10 minutes until bubbly before adding to the dough.
Unsalted butter: Butter makes the dough tender and rich. I prefer using unsalted so I can control the salt level myself. If you only have salted butter, just reduce the added salt a bit.
Warm milk: The warmth helps activate the yeast and the milk keeps the dough soft and moist. I usually start with a little less and add more if needed. Humidity, flour brand and egg size can all affect how much liquid your dough needs.
Egg: Adds richness and it also helps bind everything together.
Vanilla bean paste: This adds a lovely vanilla flavor to the dough. You can substitute it with vanilla extract.
For the Vanilla Cream (Custard)
Egg yolks: They give the custard its richness and creamy texture.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens the custard.
Cornstarch: This is what thickens the custard and gives it that pudding like consistency.
Milk: The base of the custard.
Vanilla bean: You can also use vanilla bean paste or a good quality extract if you don’t have a whole bean.
Butter: Stirred in at the end to give the custard a silky texture. Make sure to use unsalted.
For the Jam
Blackberries: I love using fresh ones, but frozen work too.
Sugar: The amount can be adjusted depending on how sweet you want the jam to be.
Water: Helps break down the fruit at the beginning. You could also use lemon juice instead of water if you want a tangier flavor.
Step by step instructions with photos
1. First, let’s make the vanilla cream. In a saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Add the cornstarch and vanilla beans, then whisk until smooth. Gradually add the milk a little at a time, whisking well after each addition.
2. Once all the milk is added, cook the mixture over medium high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens. When it’s ready and while still warm, quickly mix in the butter, then cover it with cling film, making sure the film touches the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Let it cool completely.
3. Next, prepare the dough for the buns. I used a stand mixer, but you can also knead by hand.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, yeast and sugar.
5. Add the milk, egg, butter and vanilla bean paste.
6. Knead on low speed for about 10 minutes. The dough should be soft, smooth and elastic
7. Lightly oil the bowl, place the dough inside, cover and let it rise for 2 hours.
8. After 2 hours, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Each should weigh about 115 g. Shape them into balls, cover, and let them proof for another 45 to 60 minutes.
9. While the dough is proofing, prepare the blackberry jam. In a saucepan, combine the blackberries, sugar and water. Cook for a few minutes until the mixture slightly thickens. Once ready, blend it until smooth and set aside to cool.
10. Once the dough has finished proofing, use the bottom of a glass, a spice jar or the bottom of a measuring cup to create a well into the center of each bun.
11. Fill each once with vanilla cream and a bit of jam.
12. Brush the buns with egg wash and sprinkle with brown sugar.
13. Bake in a preheated oven at 180•C for about 18 to 20 minutes.
14. Enjoy!
Blackberry-Custard Buns
These soft, sweet buns are filled with creamy vanilla custard and a spoonful of homemade blackberry jam. They're inspired by classic danishes, with a little well in the center to hold all that delicious filling. Perfect for breakfast, dessert or an afternoon treat.
Ingredients
- 500g bread flour
- 70g granulated sugar
- 7g salt
- 7g instant dry yeast
- 50g unsalted butter, softened
- 230g-250g warm milk (start with 230 and add more if needed)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 3 egg yolks
- 65g granulated sugar
- 20g cornstarch
- 300g milk
- 1 vanilla bean scraped out
- 30g unsalted butter
- 85g blackberries
- 40g sugar
- 15g water
- Brown sugar, for topping
- Egg, for an egg wash
Instructions
- First, let’s make the vanilla cream. In a saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Add the cornstarch and vanilla beans, then whisk until smooth. Gradually add the milk a little at a time, whisking well after each addition.
- Once all the milk is added, cook the mixture over medium high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens. When it’s ready, cover it with cling film, making sure the film touches the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Let it cool completely.
- Next, prepare the dough for the buns. I used a stand mixer, but you can also knead by hand.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, yeast and sugar.
- Add the milk, egg, butter and vanilla bean paste.
- Knead on low speed for about 10 minutes. The dough should be soft, smooth and elastic
- Lightly oil the bowl, place the dough inside, cover and let it rise for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Each should weigh about 115 g. Shape them into balls, cover, and let them proof for another 45 to 60 minutes.
- While the dough is proofing, prepare the blackberry jam. In a saucepan, combine the blackberries, sugar and water. Cook for a few minutes until the mixture slightly thickens. Once ready, blend it until smooth and set aside to cool.
- Once the dough has finished proofing, use the bottom of a glass, a spice jar or the bottom of a measuring cup to create a well into the center of each bun.
- Fill each once with vanilla cream and a bit of jam.
- Brush the buns with egg wash and sprinkle with brown sugar.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180•C for about 18 to 20 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
484Fat
15 gSat. Fat
8 gCarbs
75 gFiber
2 gNet Carbs
73 gSugar
27 gProtein
13 gSodium
389 mgCholesterol
146 mg
