This blueberry cream cheese babka is everything you want in a yummy breakfast or brunch treat. Homemade buttery dough envelopes swirls of sweetened cream cheese and quick made from scratch blueberry preserves. This recipe makes 2 babka loaves so you have one to stash in your freezer when you need a delicious homemade bread in no time at all.
This week has been a doozy. It's been groundhog day over here with family breakfast, figure out how to entertain a toddler for 5 hours without leaving the house, family lunch, blessed nap time for said toddler, make dinner, family dinner, maybe allow a little too much tv time and then mercifully bedtime for the 2 year old and Netflix for the adults.
Add to that a few more unexpected life changes and this one will go down in the record books.
These times in a pandemic are unprecedented for all of us. There are people losing their jobs, people fighting this invisible virus on the front lines (thank you ALL hospital workers and first responders) and people trying to cope with working at home and home-schooling.
It's a tough time to process all the changes and figure out how to adapt to this new way of life.
My hope for this time is that we can continue to give each other grace, to not assume what may or may not be happening in others' lives and to give where we can and accept help when we need it.
I hope for a new appreciation for precious family time, the art of slowing down, and an understanding of where our priorities now lie.
It seems like during this time, there is also an increase in home baking. If you've never tried a yeast recipe before (hopefully you can get your hands on some yeast!) or had one that flopped previously, I hope you will give this blueberry cream cheese babka a chance!
How to make babka dough
To start this recipe, you will begin to “proof” your yeast which simply means that you are making sure the yeast is alive before combining it with the other ingredients.
To do this, you’ll warm some milk in the microwave or on the stove until it reads 100-110 degrees. Then you’ll add this warmed milk and 1 teaspoon of sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast over the top.
Stir it into the milk and then let it stand for about 5 minutes until it is foamy at the top. This tells you that your yeast is good and you can proceed with the recipe. If for some reason the yeast didn’t foam (milk too hot, old yeast, etc) then you would want to start over with new yeast.
From here, the rest is really simple. You will mix in your eggs, vanilla, flour, sugar and salt to the yeast mixture and then let the mixer do the magic.
Mix on low speed until combined and then on medium for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth. Next, you’ll add in the very room temperature butter and mix for another 4 minutes until the butter is incorporated.
Grease another bowl with baking spray and then transfer the sticky and wet dough into the new bowl. Cover this bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for an hour to an hour and a half until it’s doubled in size.
Foamy yeast after proofing. 
Dough after mixing in all dough ingredients. Dough after rising for 1-1.5 hours.
How to shape and assemble babka
Once your dough has risen, punch down the dough and scrape it onto a lightly floured surface. Cut it into 2 equal halves. Starting with one half, you will roll the dough into a 12 x 16 inch rectangle and then spread it with the half of the sweetened cream cheese.
Next, spread on half of the blueberry preserves. Roll the dough up into a long log and then slice it in half lengthwise. Last, twist the 2 halves around each other creating your final babka dough.
Transfer each babka to a loaf pan lined with parchment paper squishing it at the ends to fit if needed. The dough will need another hour to do a second rise.
You'll then bake it for about 40 minutes or until it's golden brown on top. Right after taking it out of the oven, you'll brush a simple syrup mixture over the top of each loaf. Cool for a few minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way.
Can you make babka dough ahead of time?
If you would prefer to tackle the blueberry cream cheese babka over two days, here is the method for that. Make the babka dough as described above.
Instead of letting the dough rise for 1-1.5 hours in a warm place, transfer the covered bowl of dough to the refrigerator overnight.
It will rise overnight in the fridge and then you can proceed with the shaping and assembling steps above. You will still let it do the second rise in the loaf pan before baking.
Can you freeze babka?
Once the babka is cooled, you can wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap, a layer of foil and then place it in a zip top bag and freeze it. It will last for 1-2 months in the freezer.
Place it in the refrigerator the night before you will want to serve it to allow it to defrost. Slices can be toasted in a toaster or warmed in a microwave if desired.
The babka will last tightly wrapped for about 3 days on the counter or longer if refrigerated.
For more babka and yeast bread recipes:
Tag me on Instagram @themarblekitchenblog if you make this and leave a star rating and comment below! Thank you and enjoy!
Blueberry Cream Cheese Babka
Ingredients
Blueberry preserves
- 3 cups blueberries
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup sugar
Babka Dough
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar + 1 teaspoon sugar divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pkg active dry yeast about 2 ¼ tsp
- 1 cup milk warmed to about 100-110 degrees
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 10 tablespoon unsalted butter very soft and cubed
Sugar Syrup
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup water
Instructions
Blueberry Preserves
- Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened and crushing some of the blueberries with the back of the spoon. Refrigerate the preserves while the dough rises.
Cream Cheese Filling
- Combine the cream cheese and sugar in a bowl and beat using an electric mixer until combined. Set aside until ready to fill the dough.
Babka Dough
- Whisk together flour, ⅓ cup of sugar and salt in a bowl. Warm milk in the microwave for about 45 seconds or until a thermometer reads 100 to 110 degrees. Add the milk and 1 teaspoon sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a dough hook. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and stir to combine. Let stand for about 5 minutes until the yeast starts to foam.
- Add eggs, vanilla, flour, sugar and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed until combined and then increase speed to medium low and mix for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth.
- Add the softened butter by the tablespoon and mix on medium low about 4 minutes until butter is incorporated and dough comes together but is sticky. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 ½ hours until the dough is about doubled (or let rise in the refrigerator overnight). Punch down the dough and scrape out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 halves and shape into a rectangle.
- Starting with one disc, roll the dough out on a floured surface to a 12 x 16 rectangle. Spread with half the cream cheese mixture leaving a small border on one long edge. Then spread with half the blueberry preserves again leaving a border on a long edge.
- Starting with the long side without the border, roll the dough into a tight log. If the dough is very warm or sticky, you can refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes to make it easier to work with (if you didn't refrigerate overnight).
- Trim off about an inch from each side. Slice the dough down the middle lengthwise into 2 long halves with the layers exposed. Place the end of one of the halves over the top of the other half, pressing together lightly (see pictures above) and then braid the 2 pieces over one another to the bottom, again pressing together lightly. Repeat the last 2 steps with the other dough disc.
- Line two, 9 x 5 loaf pans with parchment paper leaving an overhang on the long sides. Carefully place the braided dough into each loaf pan, squeezing the ends slightly to fit if needed. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for an hour.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until golden brown and a tester comes out clean. Immediately after taking out of the oven, brush each loaf with half the sugar syrup, using it all.
- Cool a few minutes in the loaf pan and then transfer the babka using the parchment paper to a wire rack to cool completely.
Sugar Syrup
- Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir, cooking on medium high until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool.
Notes
- Make the blueberry preserves first and be sure to refrigerate them so they have enough time to thicken up!
- After cooling the babka completely, wrap in plastic wrap or foil. It will keep for about 3 days on the counter or up to 5 refrigerated.
- Freeze the babka loaf by wrapping in a layer of plastic wrap, then foil and then placing in a zip-top bag. The babka will keep for 1-2 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- To make the dough over 2 days, instead of the first rise, place it into the refrigerator overnight and then proceed with the recipe.
- You can use purchased blueberry preserves instead of the homemade preserve if you need to save time!
Carly says
Can I make this recipe with instant yeast instead of active dry yeast?
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Carly! Yes, you should be able to sub instant yeast for the active dry. You can just add it to the dry ingredients and skip the initial proofing step.
Carly says
Thank you!!!! I can’t wait to try this 😊
Sasha says
Hello Tara,
Lovely recipe! Just wondering how you place the two finished dough disks in the pan? It looks like there’s only the one in the pan but maybe that’s because they’re lying on top of each other? Not entirely sure.
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Sasha! Thanks! This actually makes 2 individual loaves so you would need 2 loaf pans 🙂
Jessi says
Hi! The recipe states 7.5 hours of rising time, but I am just not getting that math when I follow your steps.. only about 2.5-3 hours? Can you confirm this for me. Thanks very much, so excited to try!
Tara Kringlen says
That was a typo! Should be 2.5 hrs of rising time. Fixed now :-). Enjoy!
Jessi says
Thanks Tara, going to make this RIGHT NOW! Already drooling 🙂 xoxo
Tara Kringlen says
Great! Let me know how it goes!
Kathleen says
Not sure what went wrong (maybe I got the world’s juiciest blueberries?) but the “preserves” just never became thick enough. When I tried putting it all together the dough just become slimy as the blueberries oozed all over the place. Managed to wrangle it all into the pan and am crossing my fingers as it rises one more time and then bakes. Too bad I have no more flour or blueberries to try again.
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Kathleen!
Two things. How long did you cook the preserves? They need a good 15-20 minutes of simmering to thicken up. Second, did you refrigerate them until cool before assembling the babka? This really helps firm them up more. Making babka is a messy process due to the filling and rolling so there should be some leakage and cleanup to do on your counter :-). That said, if you followed the steps above and they still didn’t get thick then I would recommend increasing the cooking time of the preserves slightly until it gets thicker. Even if they were thinner preserves, the babka should still taste good!
Kathleen says
Oh it was messy alright - delicious but messy. Being a glutton for punishment I tried again, simmering longer and refrigerating the blueberries. I added a teaspoon of cornstarch and water (which I usually do when I make a syrup for waffles. Still messy, but I was ready for it this time! (Sort of)
Tara Kringlen says
So glad you tried again Kathleen! Refrigerating the preserves helps immensely! I hope it was delicious despite the messiness 🙂
Mimi says
I had the same thing happened!! the blueberry preserves went slimy all over the place. Just a bit of suggestion from a beginner baker, maybe it can be mentioned in the recipe to make the blueberry preserves a day before so it can be chilled on the fridge to avoid this problem? I cooked mine about 15-20 minutes and it actually looked thicken. It tasted super delish, thank you for the recipe!!
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Mimi,
I'm sorry your preservers were not thick enough. I do mention to refrigerate the preserves both in the recipe and the notes at the bottom of the recipe and mine did thicken with just a couple hours in the refrigerator. I'm happy to hear it still tasted great!
Jen says
Wow! So yummy! The dough was easy to make but the blueberry preserves didn’t end up setting up very well. I simmered for 20mins, added a tablespoon of corn starch, and refrigerated for an hour before using it. In the end I made a mess putting the loaves together but just sort of scooped up what had run out and put it over the tops of the loaves. No problem. The finished product is rich, buttery, sweet, pillowy, and so tasty. I’m daydreaming about making into French toast. Thanks for the recipe!
Tara Kringlen says
Thanks for the comment Jen! French toast made with this sounds divine :-).
Sara says
This looks so good! Any idea of how much sourdough starter one would use to make this instead of the active dry yeast?
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Sara!
So I haven’t tried this so I’m not positive but usually a cup of sourdough starter is equal to a packet of yeast.You’ll also likely need to reduce the milk and flour by a bit to make up for the flour and water in the sourdough starter. Let me know if you try it!
Melissa says
Hi! I made this last week and it was a great success! Easy to follow! My family loved it so much they want me to make it again with different fillings! Would this recipe work if I used Nutella instead of cream cheese and blueberries?
Tara Kringlen says
Yay! So glad it was a success. Yes, you could definitely sub in nutella for the filling and it would be delicious!
Rachel Belleman says
Can you make this with only half? I've currently only got one loaf pan on hand 🙁
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Rachel! I haven't tested it halved yet but you could try! Sometimes baking recipes don't turn out the greatest halved but this one may work. The other option is to just refrigerate the other dough half until the first one is done baking and then proceed with letting the second one rise and bake. Good luck!
Alli says
Holy smokes! This looks SO fantastic. I definitely want to make this over the weekend. Such a great share. Thank you! <3
xo Alli | http://www.onthetripside.com
Tara Kringlen says
Do it! It's so good!
Jess Johnson says
Hello Tara the Magnificent!!
Thank you for sharing your recipe. It was fun to make and came out great!
The only thing I will criticize is the way you decided to put the recipe together for all to read.
First set of directions described flour, sugar and salt.. but then it jumps into warming milk for the yeast. That caught me off guard at first, so I decided to read the whole recipe first to make sure it wasn’t as random as the first paragraph.
Then I found that you had put the cream cheese filling and sugar syrup way at the end where people could miss it. Maybe some have applied the cream cheese without the sugar mix. Idk. All I personally think is that it’s just bad placement.
Again, this is just my opinion and my opinion alone. Please don’t take this in anyway personal.
Respectfully,
Jess
Semi-Crazy baker lol
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Jess,
Thanks for the feedback. I feel the recipe is written logically as to the way I prepared it so I'm sorry if you felt it didn't flow well. As far as the cream cheese and sugar syrup parts of the recipe, they are at the end of the recipe ingredients as they are a secondary part of the recipe with the dough being the primary part. With the dough taking some time to come together, these parts can be made after the dough has been made and is rising to maximize time. I always recommend reading a recipe through entirely before starting so you know what is to come! Thanks :-).
S. says
I agree with you, Jess. The recipe with the cream cheese spread is out of order. I was also wondering why the cream cheese was at the end. That is confusing.
Tara Kringlen says
Hi! Thanks for the feedback. I moved the cream cheese filling to before the babka dough :-). Always a good idea to read the whole recipe through first though!
Lisa says
Just took these two beautiful loaves out of the oven. I put them in the oven as soon as I put them in the pans and they didn’t get their second rise. Hope they are ok. The look great. Rose up to the top of the pans. Will be tasting shortly.
Tara Kringlen says
They should be fine despite no second rise! They will at least taste good still :-).
Talulla Barney says
Loved this recipe! My bread turned out great. I ended up baking it for a bit long than recommended. I took the bread out of the oven when it reached an internal temperature of about 185-190 and it was perfectly baked. I ended up using my own homemade blackberry vanilla jam, and I was very pleased with the results. I really enjoyed this recipe and I can't wait to make it again!
Tara Kringlen says
Blackberry vanilla jam sounds delicious! I'm happy it turned out great!
MizzouMary says
Hello, thanks for this recipe. I’d like to make with prepared black raspberry preserves that I have - how much would I use to be equivalent to the fresh blueberries used in your recipe?
Tara Kringlen says
About a cup and a half of preserves should work for the 2 babkas. Enjoy!
Debbie L Weaver says
Hi Talulla,
I just came across this recipe and your review. I love making jam and your jam sounds divine. I was wondering if you would possibly share it with me that would be so great. My email address is [email protected]
I would greatly appreciate having your blackberry vanilla jam recipe to my stash of recipes.
Thank-you for your time,
Deb Weaver
Autumn says
Why is the sugar in the dough part divided?
Autumn says
Never mind. I see that the 1 t of sugar goes with the yeast mixture and the 1/3 c with the remaining dough ingredients.
Tara Kringlen says
Yep, that's correct :-). The sugar added to the yeast at the beginning helps it activate.
Nadine says
Can loaves be frozen at raw state? Stage just prior to baking?
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Nadine! I have not tried freezing the uncooked shaped babka before. I would suspect it may work but would likely not rise as much as the freezer temp may kill some of the yeast. You would probably have better results with freezing the baked babka and then thawing it overnight but let me know if you try the other way!
Brandi says
I made every mistake imaginable: I didn’t cool the blueberries; I didn’t get the dough to cut without being a mess; and I forgot to make and add the simple syrup until the pans came out and cooled a bit - and it’s still perfect and delish. So fun to make, too. Thank you!!
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Brandi! Happy to hear the recipe was forgiving! Thanks!
Anne Marsh says
Would there be any difference to length of rising time or anything else since I don't have a stand mixer? I have an electric beater but the dough looks pretty thick. But this looks so good that I really want to try it!
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Anne! No, there shouldn't be a difference with rising time without the use of the stand mixer. Enjoy!
Debbie Dittrich says
Just have to share. I have canned pears that I put up. Cooked them for about 15-20 min to soften them up. Added about 1/2 cup sugar, diced into small pieces and added some cinnamon. OMG. This was so delicious. Will definetely make again.
Tara Kringlen says
Thanks for sharing Debbie. That sounds delicious!
Caroline says
My first time making babka and it was great. It’s messy but fun. I made one blueberry (no cream cheese) and one Nutella. Delish. Keeping this gem. Thanks!!
Tara Kringlen says
Thanks Caroline!
Kimberley says
This was AMAAZING!!!! It made the fluffiest finished product, definitely going in my favourite recipes folder! Thanks so much for sharing!
Tara Kringlen says
So happy to hear!!
Amy Price says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I just wanted to share my experience with making it, because I was so nervous for the consistency of the blueberries after reading some of the comments.... I personally found that they thickened up BEAUTIFULLY following the directions exactly as written. I actually found that it was WAY less messy putting than babkas I have made in the past (with Nutella etc). I was so pleasantly surprised. Just in the middle of my second rise now but I will post a photo of the finished product on instagram (@cookiediaries_) 🙂 Thanks so much again! XOXO
Tara Kringlen says
So happy it worked well for you Amy! Thanks for the comment and looking forward to seeing the pics!
Megan says
Can you use frozen blueberries?
Tara Kringlen says
I haven't tested it with frozen blueberries but I think it would work. The only concern is that there may be more liquid than with fresh blueberries so if you see it isn't thickening after 15-20 minutes then I would try adding a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with a little water) to thicken it. Let me know if you try it!
Alex M says
Has there been any success making this with coconut flour? I really want to try it but I cannot use regular flour. Thanks
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Alex. I haven't tested this with alternative flours so I couldn't say. Let me know if you try!
Sarah says
I just made this, and it is SO good! I've never made any type of babka, and I followed everything to a T! I seriously couldn't believe how well it turned out. My only advice is if your preserves aren't thickening up, they just need to sit on the stovetop longer. Mine almost took an hour to thicken up! Just be patient, and start that way ahead of time!
Thank you for sharing your recipe with the world! I found it on Pinterest, and loved how simple it was to follow, and I will definitely be making it again and playing with different fillings!
Tara Kringlen says
Thanks Sarah for your kind comment!! So happy it turned out well!
Lucia Abuin says
My babka didnt rise!
Why?!!!!!! Ugh...
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Lucia,
I answered on Instagram but wanted to answer here too in case anyone else had this issue. Most often when using yeast, if your dough doesn't rise, it means the yeast is not working. Often the cause of this is using too hot of a liquid (the milk in this recipe) which kills the yeast. The other culprit could be old yeast. This is why it's important to make sure you proof the yeast (see that it foams after a few minutes-see details in the post) to make sure it's alive before moving forward in a recipe. Hope this helps!
keri says
how much of the preserves would be needed if going with store bought vs making from scratch? thanks!
Tara Kringlen says
Hi! It should be about a cup to a cup and a half of preserves total for the 2 babkas.
Hannah says
How do you use medium setting with the dough hook? I thought you were only supposed to use setting 2 with that attachment. Sorry if that’s a stupid question this is my first time using the dough hook. It’s the spiral one if that makes a difference... I’m worried now that my dough will be really tough from so much mixing and I couldn’t really get the butter to incorporate
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Hannah,
I actually had not heard to not use the dough hook above a level 2 however I did google it and saw that Kitchen Aid recommends that. I personally have never had an issue with using it on a higher speed and have had my kitchen aid for many years with no issues with the motor. I have not had any issues with the dough being tough either the many times I've made this dough. I would just suggest doing what you feel comfortable with your mixer and if you do use it on the lower speed, it may just take some more time to come together and get the butter incorporated completely.
Hannah says
Thank you for the response, it did turn out delicious!
Tara Kringlen says
Yay! Happy it turned out well.
Gloria Schondelmayer says
Hi, this sounds amazing. Can I make this into a keto bread using Swerve and Almond flour? Would I need to add any coconut flour too? Thank you for your help.
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Gloria,
I unfortunately don't have experience with keto baking and alternative flours so I can't say if it would work or not. Maybe search google for a keto brioche dough and see if something comes up and then you can adapt the fillings for keto? Good luck!
Mitzi Stinson says
have you tried this with any other fruit but blueberry? I was thinking of Cherry.. I have lots of fresh frozen cherries and thought this might be a good choice too.
Tara Kringlen says
Hey Mitzi,
Sorry for the late reply! Yes, you can absolutely adapt it to use other fruits. I know someone who made a cherry one and it came out great!
Lindsey says
This bread was one of the top 10 things I have made of 2020 and I’ve done a LOT of baking recently. Thank you for this recipe! I was able to cut it in half as I haven’t been dropping off baked goods with friends due to Covid but now I’m really wishing I had another loaf waiting for me....
Tara Kringlen says
You made my day! Thanks for the comment and I'm so glad you loved the babka!
Lindsay says
How do you recommend handling the dough without a dough hook attachment?
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Lindsay,
You can do it by hand but it will be a workout! Make sure that the butter is very soft to make it easier to incorporate it. It should give easily when you push your finger into the butter. Just follow the instructions as written but you'll likely need to add a little bit more time for the dough to come together . Good luck!
Justi says
Hi! I live in Eastern Europe and I'd like to notice that although the yeast dough with fruit or curd, or sometimes both, is quite popular, we wouldn't call it babka. Maybe it's only in my country, but babka is generally a dry cake in a form of a bundt cake. It may be a yeast cake or baking powder cake. Yeast cake with fruit is called differently. In East Europe we use cream cheese on sandwiches only, and usually not in a sweet version. If we make a cake with cream cheese, it must mean the recipe is American...We use curd for cheesecake and many other desserts. I think it's a very common misunderstanding. Otherwise your cake looks like a nice "strucla", as I would call it 🙂
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Justi!
Good to know and so interesting! I haven't heard of "strucla" before. I'll have to look it up.
LCarter says
Hello! I would love to try this recipe this weekend, but I unfortunately don't have a mixer. Is it possible to make the brioche dough by hand?
Tara Kringlen says
It is! I can't say that I've done it without a mixer, but it can be done. Just make sure the butter is really soft (but not melted) to help you incorporate it. It will likely be messy and give you a good workout but it should work. Let me know how it goes! Also, if you google it, there are a few YouTube videos showing people making brioche by hand so that may help!
Nancy Starno says
I did it all by hand. It was a workout incorporating the softened butter and I hoped it would rise OK and it did.
I cut up the butter into small cubes and left it out in the warm kitchen while doing all the other steps. By the time I got to using it, it was soft enough.
Nancy Starno says
I was in the mood to try something new to use up the blueberries I had picked that were in the freezer. It all came out as I hoped. The preserves were a bit watery which made it messy to roll up. I did not have a mixer, so had to do all the mixing by hand. It came out looking spectacular. It tastes great too.
Tara Kringlen says
Thanks for the feedback Nancy and I'm impressed you did the mixing by hand!
Annie says
Can you make this in a bread maker? What if you don't have a stand mixer?
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Annie,
I'm not sure about a bread maker as I don't own one and don't have any experience with them. Babka dough can be made from hand if you need to though. It will be quite the arm workout but is totally doable as some readers have mentioned they've done it this way. You can look on YouTube for "how to make brioche by hand" for some videos of making the dough by hand. Good luck!
Alyssa L. says
So so so good! Not to sweet and I found that I did need about an extra 15 mins in my oven. I loved the simple sugar addition to the tops right out of the oven, that sizzle was perfect for my little bakers (7) and (8).
Tara Kringlen says
Thank you Alyssa! So fun to get the kids involved!
Stephanie says
So delicious! I left out the sugar from the cream cheese but it was still too sweet. Next time I will further reduce the sugar. The dough is a dream to work with and I will definitely be experimenting with a savory recipe and various fillings.
Tara Kringlen says
Thanks for the feedback Stephanie! Happy to hear it worked out well 🙂
Chelsea says
So I made this two days ago, misread the oven temp and baked it at 450 🤦 ya... Not a good idea. So pretty much burnt the top to a crisp. However I let it finish at 350 so I could at least taste the inside and see if I wanted to try it again! The inside was delicious!
Things I learned from doing it twice....
Make the preserves a day or two before and let that baby sit in the fridge. Also, I only used about half the preserves requested in the recipe, made it much less of a mess. Just my two cents.
LOVE this recipe, thanks so much for sharing it!
Tara Kringlen says
Ah, it happens to the best of us! I'm happy some of it was salvageable. Thanks for sharing your tips!
MAL says
This was absolutely delicious and one of my favorite things I've made in a long time - I've been enjoying it so much for breakfast every morning. Thanks so much for posting such a lovely recipe. Some notes just in case they help anyone else: I used frozen blueberries because that's what I had on hand, and cooked them down until there wasn't much liquid left (45 minutes-ish?) and when I put a bit on a plate in the freezer for a few minutes it jelled up. I did this part the day before everything else. When it came time to put everything together, after tasting the blueberry component, I used about half the sugar called for in the cream cheese mixture and was happy with that tangy contrast to the blueberries. And just because I was feeling lazy, as I was finishing mixing up the cream cheese I actually dumped the blueberries in the bowl and gave the mixer a few swirls. Then I only had to spread one mixture on the rolled-out dough. Saved me a little time (I'm terrible at the spreading part) and reduced the mess by just a tiny fraction. It was a little messy but fun and everything turned out beautifully - I don't see any negative effects of briefly swirling the cream cheese and blueberries together - can still taste both distinctly.
Sonam says
Hey
Made the recipe
Its delicious
But when i kept in the fridge for overnight proofing instead of rising the dough became hard coz of the butter
Is it normal??
Also after i thawed at room temp and then let it second rise all the butter was oozing out in the pan
Where am i wrong
Dough passed the windowpane test
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Sonam,
Sorry for the difficulties! I've not had that happen before and have made this dough many times overnight. It's normal that the dough would be harder after being refrigerated overnight but not too hard. I can't say what happened with the butter oozing other than maybe your room temperature was maybe too warm? Did you continue making the babka and did it turn out ok after baking?
Denise Morton says
Saw the recipe on Pinterest and asked my daughter to make it. She made blueberry and chocolate - OMG, I’m going to have to make the blueberry again! Delicious!
Tara Kringlen says
Wonderful! So happy you loved it.
Sali says
I just have to say, the time you overestimated how long this would last wrapped on the counter.....it did not get wrapped, it did not last overnight.....quite frankly, it didn't even make it off the table. I've eaten and made a LOT of babkas in my life...This is by FAR the best babka I've ever had.
I used oil instead of butter because I (gasp!) ran out of butter. I used 1/2 the dough and froze the other 1/2 for another time.
Have you ever made this dairy-free? What would you suggest instead of a soy-cream cheese substitute, which I usually find has too strong a taste?
Thanks so much!
Tara Kringlen says
Haha! Yes, I only have leftovers if I freeze the other loaf! Interesting that it worked well with oil. Good to know. I have very little experience with alternative dairy so I'm not sure how it would work, but I've heard the Kite Hill brand, which is almond-based, is good. Let me know if you try it!
Lyss says
Came out great! Only mods: I cooked the preserves longer and with a bit more sugar because it was just too loose. I added the zest from the lemon, along with the slightest squeeze of juice, to the cream cheese mix. Added vanilla beans to the simple syrup after I turned off the flame. I wound up making braided wreaths instead of loaves because I didn’t have the loaf pan, and it came out great. Very delicious.
Tara Kringlen says
Your version sounds lovely!
Alex says
I used the 2 day method and my loaves came out fantastic! think I reread the recipe 20 times, did things out of order & my twisting skills were tragic but they still came out perfect! I used frozen berries so I added cornstarch to thicken. I also cut my 2nd dough in half after the cream cheese step before adding the blueberries because things got quite messy. After baking I brushed the loaves with butter instead of simple syrup. Big hit, thanks!
Tara Kringlen says
Yay! Thanks for sharing!
Marylou says
Has anyone tried self rising dough to make this?
I love blueberries and cream cheese!!!
Debra Burchette says
Just made this and it is delicious. I had a hard time twisting the rolls because the bread was so sticky and not firm enough to handle. Should I have kneaded it more? Cooked up so light and fluffy though.
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Debra,
It may have just been too warm! Next time, just pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes and then roll it out.
Debra Burchette says
Thank you.
Laila says
Can this be made using a sourdough starter instead of a packet of yeast? If so, what amount could I use? Thanks. Looks lovely!
Tara Kringlen says
Hi! So I’m not entirely sure as I haven’t tried this but about a cup of starter is usually equivalent to a packet of yeast. So I would try that and see what happens! The rise time may need increased as well. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
Rocky R says
It was a messy process but extremely fun to make, and the babka turned out beautifully 🙂
Tara Kringlen says
It can be messy but happy to hear it turned out well!
Dawn Halter says
First attempt. I think they look pretty good. I used frozen blueberries and the jam set up very well. I will absolutely be making this again and testing out different fillings.
Tara Kringlen says
Thanks Dawn!
Rebecca says
I am so glad I found this recipe. I made it yesterday and it is absolutely delicious! I read most of the comments and the only thing I did different was to add a little corn starch and water to the blueberries to thicken them. The only issue I had was the dough. After refrigerating it then rolling it out I still had trouble getting it to roll up tight. I pretty much gave up and put it in the pan loose which only affected the appearance. The flavor is heavenly! I do live in a tropical climate though so I'm sure that had a lot to do with it. I will make this again though and I thank you for sharing!
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Rebecca,
Yes, humidity could make the dough harder to roll up. Maybe try an overnight chill in the fridge and see if that helps!
Sarah says
This is DIVINE. I simmered the preserves for about 25 minutes, added a little bit of cornstarch slurry, and chilled overnight. They came out perfect, with virtually no leakage from the assembled bread the next day. This bread is delicious, the only problem being that it would be easy to eat an entire loaf in one sitting - it's THAT GOOD. My kids rated it "a definite make again." Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Tara Kringlen says
You are very welcome and so happy that everyone loved it!
Iris says
Can you do the second rising overnight instead of the first one?
Tara Kringlen says
I haven't tried it that way. You would still want to let it rise out of the refrigerator if you fully assemble it and refrigerate overnight. Try the one hour rise and if it doesn't rise enough, let it go another 30 minutes or so and then bake.
Muhammad says
I made this recipe it came out splendid
Tara Kringlen says
That's great! Thanks for trying the recipe!
Anne says
Not a review because I haven't attempted this yet ... mainly because I don't have a stand mixer! Do you think it will work if I knead by hand or is the dough too wet for that? It looks SO GOOD that I'm almost tempted to buy a stand mixer! But limited counter and cabinet space AND money make that problematic.
Thanks in advance!
Tara Kringlen says
Hey Anne,
So yes, a stand mixer will make your life much easier when making this! However, I get all your concerns. You can make brioche by hand. A bench scraper would be helpful and you will get a really good arm workout. I would Google how to make brioche by hand and watch a few videos of others making it by hand. Good luck!
Michelle Wells says
Can I use canned blueberry pie filling instead of fresh blueberries?
Tara Kringlen says
I haven’t tried it with pie filling before so I’m not sure. I suspect it would be pretty messy to roll up if the pie filling is fairly loose but you can definitely try. Maybe try straining some of the liquid if possible!
Jen says
The bread itself turned out well, but the blueberry filling just did not turn out well for me. It took forever to only sort of set (over an hour). I refrigerated it for two days before making the bread so it would set more. Even still, as it baked, it liquified, so there were a few solid blueberries throughout and the bread bottom soaked and soggy in blueberry liquid. For my second loaf, I used Nutella instead and it turned out fantastic. I’ll definitely make this with Nutella again!
So the next time, I plan to use purchased blueberry preserves and totally skip that step.
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Jen. I'm sorry that the blueberries didn't set enough but happy to hear the nutella one was great. You can definitely try purchased blueberry preserves or if you want to try again yourself, you can add a cornstarch slurry to the preserves mixture to thicken it up. Start with a teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with a teaspoon of water and stir it into gently boiling preserves.
Natasha says
Jen, did you cook the blueberries enough? If you do not see the blueberry filling thicken on the stove, keep cooking it. once it reduces and thickens a bit, let it cool and refrigerate. Your stove might take longer to heat the mixture enough. The Nutella sounds amazing! I will have to try it!
Natasha says
This turned out AMAZING! The recipe was very easy to follow and left little room for error! I Will absolutely be making it in the future and adding it to my recipe book! I will try it with different fruit in the future!
Tara Kringlen says
So happy to hear! Thanks Natasha!
Vanesa says
I love this recipe! I’m so scared of making bread usually and my boyfriend is the one who usually makes it. I surprised him for his birthday with this recipe and he loved it! It was a hit even with some picky eaters. I did switch the all purpose flour for I bread flour instead . Today I decided to make it again and switched up the fillings I used peaches with peach butter for one and then apple butter for the other as a filling and it was delicious!
Tara Kringlen says
So glad you liked it! Peach babka has been on my list of things to try. Sounds delicious!
Deanna Scigliano says
I love this recipe, thanks for sharing! I made the dough in my bread machine, no issues with the blueberry preserves, just followed the instructions & halved the recipe to only make one loaf...was so yummy! I made french toast with it and it was amazing 😊 About to make it again with raspberry jam this time.
Tara Kringlen says
Thank you Deanna!
Courtney R says
This was so much work and so messy! Oh my goodness but, I have to say it was worth every bit of it. I used blueberry butter I had made a couple of days ago instead of the preserves listed above. It seemed to have a better consistency and I did not run into the liquid problem that others had reported. The nutmeg and cinnamon in my blueberries added an extra flavor so I’m not sure I would enjoy it as much if I had followed the recipe exactly. Either way this was my first time making dough from yeast and it was a success. Thank you for the recipe! I will be making this again.
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Courtney! I'm glad you liked it despite the messiness!
Dave Reid says
Hi Tara, I made this recipe and it was delicious ..BUT the finished product sure didn't look like yours! Putting it together was a real challenge. I cooked the blueberries about 40 minutes, then cooled it in the fridge for several hours. It had thickened up very well. Even though the berries were thick, there was still too much liquid, which made it very slippery trying to braid it, and it just didn't go together well. I managed to get it into a pan, and got it cooked. The end product didn't look very good, but it was very tasty. Any suggestion to overcome this issue ?
Tara Kringlen says
Hi Dave, You could also try refrigerating the dough so both are cold before you start assembling it. Refrigerate the cream cheese mixture as well. Hope this helps!