Fragrant Vanilla Cake

Tag: rolls

  • Vegan Apple Cinnamon Sweet Rolls

    Vegan Apple Cinnamon Sweet Rolls

          

    Apple season is in full swing!  Although I have yet to make it to the apple orchard this year, I really want to go soon, I love going there are picking my own apples!  However I did recently buy some apples at a farm market when we visited Door County Wisconsin recently.  They were the first of the season, and they were delicious!  I had just enough left to make something, so I decided to make some Vegan Apple Cinnamon Sweet Rolls!  I have been wanting to make these for a while, I got the idea last year but didn’t get around to it so I had to do it this year!  I made these after work one day last week because they just sounded good!

    I actually really like making yeasted dough when I have the time, it is kind of relaxing and satisfying to knead it!  To think I used to be intimidated by it back in the day, but it is really nothing to worry about so long as your yeast is fresh, and you don’t add overly hot water to it. I had a foods class in high school, and the teacher would always say, add warm water but not too hot, you don’t want to kill the yeasty beasties!  I still say that to myself now lol when I am adding the water. It should be about 105-110F degrees but not hotter. Another note on the yeast, if you choose to use rapid rise yeast in this recipe, then it rises in about half the time, so keep an eye on it, and it should be done rising in half the noted time. I have made my rolls with it before and it works just as well.

    I scented the dough with cinnamon and vanilla, and I used granulated sugar this time because it was what I happened to have on hand, but you could use maple sugar, coconut sugar or even brown if you prefer.  Also, I used whole wheat pastry flour because it is what I had but if you wanted to use regular all purpose flour, that works too, I have used the same amount in my roll recipes before with good results (I use the same base roll recipe for most of my sweet rolls and just change the flavorings). For the filling, I used a combination of chopped apples, apple jam that Eric’s Dad made, and some maple syrup and it was just the right amount of sweet!

    Lastly, I topped these off with a vegan cream cheese frosting, because cinnamon rolls have to have a good frosting!  I used a combination of vegan butter and cream cheese with a little vanilla and powdered sugar to sweeten it.  If you wanted a less sweet topping, you could use the glaze that I used on my Strawberry Sweet Rolls instead, it is made with coconut butter and no refined sugar.  Anyways, these rolls turned out sooo good!  They were soft and fluffy, the sweet cinnamon apple filling tart and sweet and flavorful, the perfect partner for the rich cream cheese frosting!  If you are loving apple desserts as much as I am right now, definitely give these Vegan Apple Cinnamon Sweet Rolls a try!

    Vegan Apple Cinnamon Sweet Rolls

    Makes 12

    Dough:

    • 1/2 cup warm water ( 105-110F degrees)
    • 1 packet active dry yeast (1/4 oz)
    • 3/4 cup warm full fat coconut milk (I warmed it up on the stove, but you want to keep it below 105 degrees)
    • 1/4 cup granulated sugar, maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed, mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • 3 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or as needed

     

    Filling:

    • 1 cup finely chopped apples
    • 1 cup apple jam or apple butter
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

     

    Frosting:

    • 1/2 cup vegan butter (I used Earth Balance, one stick), softened
    • 8 oz vegan cream cheese (I used Kite Hill)
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 2 cups powdered sugar

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make the dough, combine the yeast and the warm water (about 110F degrees, you don’t want to kill the yeast) plus a pinch of maple sugar and stir to dissolve. Let sit 5-10 minutes until it starts to foam.
    2. In a large bowl, combine the yeast, coconut milk, sugar, vanilla extract, salt and flax mixture, cinnamon and mix together to combine.
    3. Add 2 cups of flour and mix to combine.
    4. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour and mix until you have a smooth dough (you may need to use your hands at the end to mix it in).
    5. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth and supple. If it is too sticky add a little flour but you want to add as little as possible because if you add too much the dough gets tough.
    6. Place in an oiled bowl, and cover. Let rise for about 1 1/2 hours until doubled in size.
    7. When it is ready, turn out onto the counter or a board and roll out into a 9×15 inch rectangle.
    8. Mix together the filling ingredients and spread it evenly over the dough.
    9. Roll it up, then cut the roll into 12 pieces.
    10. Oil a 9×9 inch square baking pan, and place them in the pan.
    11. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
    12. Meanwhile heat the oven to 350F degrees.
    13. When the rolls have risen for 45 minutes, place them in the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes until starting to brown and cooked through.
    14. Remove from the oven and let cool 15 minutes.
    15. To make the frosting, beat together the butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth, then beat in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until smooth.
    16. Spread the frosting over the rolls, and enjoy!

    These keep covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week.

  • Vegan Chocolate Caramel Rolls

    Vegan Chocolate Caramel Rolls

        

    I have been telling myself that I wanted to make some sort of sweet rolls since before the Holidays, and I finally got around to it last weekend.  They are a bit of a project, since the dough requires rising time and whatnot and time is something I have not had a lot of lately. It has now calmed down though, and so I am happy I get to make more fun things like sweet rolls! I have never made them with chocolate before, so I thought I would try it this time!  I decided on caramel rolls, because I love the chocolate and caramel combo.

    Don’t let the yeast dough intimidate you. I admit, it used to intimidate me back in the day because it wasn’t something I had a lot of experience with, but once I started using it, I was pleasantly surprised that it was pretty easy! There is something kind of enjoyable and relaxing about kneading bread dough that I love!  I used the dough I normally make my sweet rolls with and added in a bit of cacao powder to make them chocolate. 

    For the caramel, I know I could have made a traditional caramel with vegan butter and brown sugar, but I prefer date caramel, because it has more nutritional benefits to it.  I am obsessed with dates, they are like nature’s caramel!  I can’t believe that I didn’t want to eat them when I was little because I thought they looked weird.  Man I was missing out!  Anyways, they make the most amazing caramel when blended up with a few other ingredients.  

    I wanted these rolls to have another chocolate element as well, so I rolled chocolate chips into them, and sprinkled some on top. Because melty chocolate chips are amazing in baked goods! These smelled so good while baking, I could not wait to try them!  I waited just long enough to cool then I had to have one!  They were sooo good!  Chocolaty, and gooey with plenty of caramel and melty chocolate chips!  These would make the perfect weekend brunch treat! 

    Vegan Chocolate Caramel Rolls 

    Makes 12

    Dough:

    • 1/2 cup warm water ( 105-110F degrees)
    • 1 packet active dry yeast (1/4 oz)
    • 1/4 cup cacao powder
    • 3/4 cup warm coconut milk (I warmed it up on the stove)
    • 1/4 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed, mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 3 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or as needed

     

    Caramel Filling/Topping:

    • 1 1/2 cups soft, pitted medjool dates (if not soft, soak them in filtered water 30  minutes and drain well before using)
    • 3/4 cup pecan butter (raw cashew butter or almond butter would also work if you don’t have pecan)
    • 1/2 cup filtered water (or as needed)
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    To Finish: 

    • 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make the dough, combine the yeast and the warm water (about 110F degrees, you don’t want to kill the yeast) plus a pinch of maple sugar and stir to dissolve. Let sit 5-10 minutes until it starts to foam.
    2. In a large bowl, combine the coconut milk, maple sugar, vanilla extract, salt and flax mixture and mix together to combine.  Add the yeast, and 2 cups of flour and mix to combine.  Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour and mix until you have a smooth dough (you may need to use your hands at the end to mix it in).
    3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth and supple. If it is too sticky add a little flour but you want to add as little as possible because if you add too much the dough gets tough.
    4. Place in an oiled bowl, and cover. Let rise for about 1 1/2 hours until doubled in size.  When it is ready, turn out onto the counter or a board and roll out into a 9×15 inch rectangle.
    5. Meanwhile to make the caramel, add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth (if it is too thick, add a touch more water, you want it spreadable at this point, but will add more liquid later for topping the rolls with half the mixture).
    6. When it is ready, turn out onto the counter or a board and roll out into a 9 x 15 inch rectangle.
    7. Spread about half the caramel evenly over the dough, and sprinkle with 3/4 cup chocolate chips 
    8. Roll it up, then cut the roll into 12 pieces.
    9. Oil an 8×8 inch square baking pan, and place them in the pan.
    10. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
    11. Meanwhile heat the oven to 350F degrees.
    12. When the rolls have risen for 45 minutes, place them in the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes until starting to brown and cooked through.
    13. Remove from the oven and let cool 15 minutes.
    14. Whisk a little more maple syrup or water into the remaining caramel if it seems too thick to pour over the rolls.
    15. Pour the caramel over the rolls, sprinkle with more chocolate chips and enjoy!

    These keep covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerated for up to 1 week.

  • Vegan Blueberry Sweet Rolls

    Vegan Blueberry Sweet Rolls

         

    We are at the tail end of summer, so I am enjoying all of the berry deliciousness that I can!  Which includes desserts, and other creations besides just eating them plain.  Like these vegan blueberry rolls! When we visited Eric’s Dad in July he sent us home with lots of his home made jam, and I had something specific in mind for the blueberries.  These rolls!  I love sweet rolls of any kind.  Of course everyone thinks to make the caramel rolls or cinnamon rolls but I like to switch it up and use other fillings sometimes.  I have been wanting to make blueberry for a while because they just sounded good. 

    It is funny, back in the day the thought of making sweet rolls intimidated me. Or just yeast breads in general, because they are a little more work than a quick bread and whatnot. But I soon got used to them and actually enjoy making them now!  They are so worth the effort, especially sweet rolls like these babies. I made my dough with a little coconut milk to give it a bit of richness and sweetened it with maple sugar since it goes so well with blueberries. The dough came together and kneaded up nicely!  

    I used that blueberry jam from Eric’s Dad along with some fresh blueberries and they were so pretty with the colorful filling even before baking! They smelled so good I could not wait to try one when they came out of the oven. But I had to put a glaze on them first, because what is a sweet roll without a little glaze?  At least I think it is important. So I made a sweet blueberry glaze with Dastony coconut butter and raw cashew butter from Raw Guru.  It is a cream cheese style glaze, and you would swear it has dairy because it tastes rich and creamy. 

    These rolls turned out sooo good!  I love gooey sweet blueberry jam inside of a soft, warm sweet roll!  These are a nice switch up from cinnamon or caramel rolls when it is blueberry season. I am going to have to try making them with other fruit as well. Maybe some apple ones, since apple season is now here! Anyways, if you are looking for a sweet weekend treat, why not whip up a batch of these blueberry rolls! 

    Vegan Blueberry Sweet Rolls

    Makes 12

    Dough:

    • 1/2 cup warm water ( 105-110F degrees)
    • 1 packet active dry yeast (1/4 oz)
    • 3/4 cup warm coconut milk (I warmed it up on the stove)
    • 1/4 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed, mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 3 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or as needed

     

    Filling:

    • 3/4 cup blueberry jam
    • 1 cup fresh (or frozen, thawed and drained) blueberries 

     

    Glaze:

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make the dough, combine the yeast and the warm water (about 110F degrees, you don’t want to kill the yeast) plus a pinch of maple sugar and stir to dissolve. Let sit 5-10 minutes until it starts to foam.
    2. In a large bowl, combine the coconut milk, maple sugar, vanilla extract, salt and flax mixture and mix together to combine.
    3. Add the yeast, and 2 cups of flour and mix to combine.
    4. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour and mix until you have a smooth dough (you may need to use your hands at the end to mix it in).
    5. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth and supple. If it is too sticky add a little flour but you want to add as little as possible because if you add too much the dough gets tough.
    6. Place in an oiled bowl, and cover. Let rise for about 1 1/2 hours until doubled in size.
    7. When it is ready, turn out onto the counter or a board and roll out into a 9×15 inch rectangle.
    8. Mix together the filling ingredients and spread it evenly over the dough.
    9. Roll it up, then cut the roll into 12 pieces.
    10. Oil an 8×8 inch square baking pan, and place them in the pan.
    11. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
    12. Meanwhile heat the oven to 350F degrees.
    13. When the rolls have risen for 45 minutes, place them in the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes until starting to brown and cooked through.
    14. Remove from the oven and let cool 15 minutes.
    15. Whisk the glaze ingredients together, adding a little bit more coconut milk if it seems too thick.
    16. Pour the glaze over the rolls, and enjoy!

    These keep covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerated for up to 1 week. 

  • Vegan Poppy Seed Rolls

    Vegan Poppy Seed Rolls

     

    Sweet rolls are for lazy weekend mornings, and days off.  So I decided to make some on my day off last Monday.  I know a lot of you may be feeling like there are a lot more of them lately with everything being shut down, so why not make some sweet rolls?  They always cheer me up. Maybe that is because they were considered a treat when I was little or reserved for special occasions. My Mom would make them on weekends occasionally and I loved it, or we would pick some up on a road trip or enjoy them on a holiday.  They were usually cinnamon rolls, orange coconut rolls, or caramel rolls and I love all of those but sometimes now I like to be creative and make new varieties. 

    Like the poppy seed ones I made last weekend.  Raw Guru recently sent me some of their Dastony poppy seed butter, and I thought it would make the perfect filling for rolls.  I have seen lots of lovely poppy seed bread on social media including swirled varieties, and that is what gave me the idea since it sounded so good. Plus that lovely black swirl would make them really pretty! 

    I used my classic roll dough that is the base for my caramel and cinnamon rolls, and although it uses yeast, it is easy to manage.  It kneads up nicely and rolls nicely.  I love kneading dough because it is a great stress reliever!  Too bad I don’t make bread and yeast recipes as often as I used to.  For the filling I took the poppy seed butter and mixed it with a bit of maple syrup for sweetness plus some whole poppy seeds for a little crunch.  So it was spreadable and crunchy. 

    The rolls baked up beautifully, and when they had cooled a bit from the oven, I added a cream cheese style glaze.  They were sooo good!  Like a poppy seed swirled bread but in sweet roll form!  If you are looking for something delicious and fun to make while you are stuck inside, definitely give these a try! 

    Vegan Poppy Seed Rolls

    Makes 12

    Dough:

    • 1/4 oz active dry yeast
    • 1/2 cup warm water ( 105-110F degrees)
    • 3/4 cup warm coconut milk (I warmed it up on the stove)
    • 1/4 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed, mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 3 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or as needed

     

    Filling:

     

    Glaze:

    • 1/4 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1/4 cup coconut butter (not oil)
    • 1/4 cup coconut milk or as needed
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 tsp lemon juice
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make the dough, combine the yeast and the warm water (about 110F degrees, you don’t want to kill the yeast) plus a pinch of maple sugar and stir to dissolve. Let sit 5-10 minutes until it starts to foam.
    2. In a large bowl, combine the coconut milk, maple sugar, vanilla extract, salt and flax mixture and mix together to combine.
    3. Add the yeast, and 2 cups of flour and mix to combine.
    4. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour and mix until you have a smooth dough (you may need to use your hands at the end to mix it in).
    5. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth and supple. If it is too sticky add a little flour but you want to add as little as possible because if you add too much the dough gets tough.
    6. Place in an oiled bowl, and cover. Let rise for about 1 1/2 hours until doubled in size.
    7. When it is ready, turn out onto the counter or a board and roll out into a 9×15 inch rectangle.
    8. Mix together the filling ingredients and spread it evenly over the dough.
    9. Roll it up, then cut the roll into 12 pieces.
    10. Oil an 8×8 inch square baking pan, and place them in the pan.
    11. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
    12. Meanwhile heat the oven to 350F degrees.
    13. When the rolls have risen for 45 minutes, place them in the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes until starting to brown and cooked through.
    14. Remove from the oven and let cool 15 minutes.
    15. Whisk the glaze ingredients together, adding a little bit more coconut milk if it seems too thick.
    16. Pour the glaze over the rolls, and enjoy!

    These keep covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerated for up to 1 week.

    *If you don’t have poppy seed butter, you can blend 1/2 cup poppy seeds with 1/4 cup raw cashew butter in a blender until combined and poppy seeds are breaking down to substitute for it. 

  • Vegan Banana Caramel Rolls

    Vegan Banana Caramel Rolls

    Easter is coming up next weekend, and although it will be a little different this year, me and my family will still be enjoying good food.  Honestly, most years we go out to dinner for Easter, so it will be nice to make some of the traditional things I enjoyed growing up and share with my family.  It has been quite a few years since we cooked for ourselves and enjoyed a meal at home. Growing up, my Mom always hosted Easter, and it will be like old times, except with only 3 people instead of 10.  We are making a veganized version of cheesy potatoes I loved growing up, and I am going to make some maple dijon glazed tempeh instead of the ham we used to have, and a couple of flavorful salads.  Plus, we need some sweet rolls, because those were one of the other favorites we always had.

    So, last weekend I baked some vegan banana caramel rolls, and I am going to freeze some for us to enjoy next weekend (since I won’t have time to make them then). I am still working (I work in a grocery store deli), so even with all of the shut downs it doesn’t mean I have tons of extra time. Caramel rolls were one of my favorite things that were served with the Easter meal and my veganized version is just as good! 

    This time I decided to make banana, because banana and caramel go so well together, and also the banana gives them a nice soft texture and a little sweetness. For the dough I used my whole wheat pastry flour as the base, with banana and coconut milk to give it a nice soft texture.  I usually use a flax egg too, but the banana worked just fine to make them tender.  The dough is soft and kneads up nicely.  I find it kind of stress relieving to knead out dough!  I spread a date caramel on the inside so these would be nice and sweet, and still just as delicious as the original but a bit healthier.

    They baked up beautifully, and smelled amazing while baking!  I spread more caramel over them after they baked and could not wait to try one!  These are sooo good warm from the oven!  If you are a caramel roll fan, definitely give them a try!  They would be perfect for your Easter brunch too!

    Vegan Banana Caramel Rolls

    Makes 12

    Dough:

    • 1/4 oz active dry yeast
    • 1/2 cup warm water ( 105-110F degrees)
    • 1/2 cup warm coconut milk (I warmed it up on the stove)
    • 3/4 cup mashed banana
    • 1/4 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 3 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour or as needed

     

    Caramel Filling/Topping:

    • 1 1/2 cups soft, pitted medjool dates (if not soft, soak them in filtered water 30  minutes and drain well before using)
    • 3/4 cup pecan butter (raw cashew butter or almond butter would also work if you don’t have pecan)
    • 1/2 cup filtered water (or as needed)
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make the dough, combine the yeast and the warm water plus a pinch of maple sugar and stir to dissolve. Let sit 5-10 minutes until it starts to foam.
    2. In a large bowl, combine the coconut milk, banana, maple sugar, vanilla extract, salt and mix together to combine.
    3. Add the yeast, and 2 cups of flour and mix to combine.
    4. Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups of flour and mix until you have a smooth dough (you may need to use your hands at the end to mix it in).
    5. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth and supple. If it is too sticky add a little more flour but you want to add as little as possible because if you add too much the dough gets tough.
    6. Place in an oiled bowl, and cover. Let rise for about 1 1/2 hours until doubled in size.
    7. Meanwhile to make the caramel, add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth (if it is too thick, add a touch more water, you want it spreadable at this point, but will add more liquid later for topping the rolls with half the mixture).
    8. When it is ready, turn out onto the counter or a board and roll out into a 9 x 15 inch rectangle.
    9. Spread about half the caramel evenly over the dough.
    10. Roll it up, then cut the roll into 12 pieces.
    11. Oil an 8×8 inch square baking pan, and place them in the pan.
    12. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
    13. Meanwhile heat the oven to 350F degrees.
    14. When the rolls have risen for 45 minutes, place them in the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes until starting to brown and cooked through.
    15. Remove from the oven and let cool 15 minutes.
    16. Whisk a little more maple syrup or water into the remaining caramel if it seems too thick to pour over the rolls.
    17. Pour the caramel over the rolls, sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds and enjoy!

    These keep covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerated for up to 1 week.

  • Vegan Peanut Butter and Jelly Sweet Rolls

    Vegan Peanut Butter and Jelly Sweet Rolls

        

    I have made classic caramel rolls, and cinnamon rolls but I thought I would make something a little different last weekend as far as rolls went because I am always open to trying new things when it comes to making recipes! I has some of Eric’s Dad’s home made jam and I thought about making some strawberries and cream rolls, but then I thought peanut butter and jelly rolls sounded even more amazing so that is what I made!  It was the perfect day to do so because it was in the single digits outside, so perfect baking weather to stay inside warm and cozy.

    A while back sweet rolls intimidated me because of the whole yeast and letting it rise factor. But once you get the hang of it, it is really quite easy and simple!  These do take a bit of time, but it is the perfect weekend project, and you can enjoy the fruits of your labor after!  There is nothing more satisfying than making your own really good treat like these rolls! For the base, I used whole wheat pastry flour because it is what I have on hand and it worked perfectly!  Could you use regular AP flour?  Yes, if you prefer a lighter roll, I just like the whole wheat.  I added a bit of peanut butter and vanilla to it plus a bit of maple sugar to sweeten and it was just right. 

    It kneaded up and rose nicely.  For the filling, I gave it a layer of peanut butter and jelly because  just adding the peanut butter to the dough wasn’t enough peanut butter flavor for me.  They smelled amazing while baking! Once they emerged from the oven and had a little time to cool, I made a quick peanut butter maple topping that tasted like peanut butter caramel and drizzled that over them. 

    They were sooo good!  Soft textured rolls just as sweet rolls should be with gooey peanut butter and jam inside and that sweet glaze was just the thing to top them off with!  Kind of like a PB and J in roll form.  If you are a big PB and J fan like me, definitely give these a try!

    Vegan Peanut Butter and Jelly Sweet Rolls

    Makes 12

    Dough:

    • 1/4 oz active dry yeast
    • 1/2 cup warm water ( 105-110F degrees)
    • 3/4 cup warm coconut milk (I warmed it up on the stove)
    • 1/4 cup peanut butter
    • 1/4 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed, mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 3 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour or as needed

     

    Filling:

    • 3/4 cup peanut butter
    • 3/4 cup strawberry or raspberry jelly

     

    Topping:

    • 1/4 cup peanut butter
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make the dough, combine the yeast and the warm water plus a pinch of maple sugar and stir to dissolve. Let sit 5-10 minutes until it starts to foam.
    2. In a large bowl, combine the coconut milk, maple sugar, salt and flax mixture and mix together to combine.
    3. Add the yeast, and 2 cups of flour and mix to combine.
    4. Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups of flour and mix until you have a smooth dough (you may need to use your hands at the end to mix it in).
    5. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth and supple. If it is too sticky add a little more flour but you want to add as little as possible because if you add too much the dough gets tough.
    6. Place in an oiled bowl, and cover. Let rise for about 1 1/2 hours until doubled in size.
    7. When it is ready, turn out onto the counter or a board and roll out into a 9 x 15 inch rectangle.
    8. For the filling, spread the peanut butter evenly over the dough, then the jelly.
    9. Roll it up (the short side down, so you have a longer roll), then cut the roll into 12 pieces.
    10. Oil an 8×8 inch square baking pan, and place them in the pan.
    11. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
    12. Meanwhile heat the oven to 350F degrees.
    13. When the rolls have risen for 45 minutes, place them in the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes until starting to brown and cooked through.
    14. Remove from the oven and let cool 15 minutes.
    15. To make the topping, whisk the peanut butter and and maple syrup together until smooth with the sea salt.  Add a little more syrup if it seems too thick (since peanut butter varies in thickness) to pour over the rolls.
    16. Drizzle the peanut butter mixture over the rolls and enjoy!

    These keep covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerated for up to 1 week.

  • Vegan Pumpkin Caramel Rolls

    Vegan Pumpkin Caramel Rolls

    Last weekend we drove up to Duluth MN and Gooseberry Falls State Park for the day, since I took some vacation from work and those are some of my favorite places to visit.  It is about a 2 hour drive to Duluth and another hour up to the park, so as you can imagine we have to stop a few times.  Mainly  because I can’t stand to sit too long but anyhow, we stopped at Tobie’s which is a restaurant/gift shop/gas station that we have been stopping at ever since I was a kid when we would drive up north, and on the way to the restroom we walked past some really amazing looking caramel rolls.  Eric had to buy one, but sadly they don’t have any vegan version so I did not try it.  I know they are good, because I used to get them back in the day before I went vegan and they were sticky sweet deliciousness.  I made a note to myself that I needed to make some later in the week since I was off work.

    The rest of the day went well, The fall colors were amazing on the drive up, especially the firey red and orange maple trees, but I like when there is some yellow and green in there as well for the full rainbow affect. Gooseberry Falls was beautiful, even though the water was a bit higher than normal and it was muddy it was nice to breath in the fresh cool fall air in a place outside of the city. We got in a good hike and when it was time for dinner we stopped at At Sarah’s Table Chester Creek Cafe since I love that place and they always have good vegan options, even desserts.  Even though I did a lot of driving that day, it really didn’t seem like a lot since I enjoyed the trip so much!

    Back to those rolls I talked about making.  I had been wanting to make some vegan pumpkin cinnamon rolls anyhow, so I changed that to caramel rolls since the dough would be the same, it is just the topping and filling that were different.  So, I made my usual cinnamon roll dough, and added pumpkin and spices in to make it super delicious.  For the caramel that would fill the rolls and top them, I did not want a traditional sugary caramel, I wanted one that had some nutritional value so I made it from dates, my go to vegan caramel source.  They are nature’s caramel after all, and when you blend them up with a few other key ingredients they make the most delicious healthier for you caramel.

    The rolls worked out nicely. I am always a bit nervous still when working with yeast, but they rose beautifully and baked up even better.  They gave off the most heavenly aroma while baking in the oven. I could not wait to try them!  But first, they had to be glazed with even more caramel, and I also topped them off with some toasted pumpkin seeds I had on hand.  They were so good!  Sweet, gooey and delicious with a soft, fluffy consistency and the flavors of pumpkin and spice!  These would make the perfect lazy weekend morning treat to enjoy with your coffee or tea!  I hope you are all having a great fall season so far!

    Vegan Pumpkin Caramel Rolls

    Makes 12

    Dough:

    • 1/4 oz active dry yeast
    • 1/2 cup warm water ( 105-110F degrees)
    • 1/2 cup warm coconut milk (I warmed it up on the stove)
    • 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
    • 1/4 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1 tsp maple extract (optional)
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed, mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1 tsp ground ginger
    • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
    • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
    • 3 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour or as needed

     

    Caramel Filling/Topping:

    • 1 1/2 cups soft, pitted medjool dates (if not soft, soak them in filtered water 30  minutes and drain well before using)
    • 3/4 cup pecan butter (raw cashew butter or almond butter would also work if you don’t have pecan)
    • 1/2 cup filtered water (or as needed)
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Garnish:

    •  1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds for topping

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make the dough, combine the yeast and the warm water plus a pinch of maple sugar and stir to dissolve. Let sit 5-10 minutes until it starts to foam.
    2. In a large bowl, combine the coconut milk, pumpkin, maple sugar, maple extract, salt and flax mixture and mix together to combine.
    3. Add the yeast, spices and 2 cups of flour and mix to combine.
    4. Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups of flour and mix until you have a smooth dough (you may need to use your hands at the end to mix it in).
    5. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth and supple. If it is too sticky add a little more flour but you want to add as little as possible because if you add too much the dough gets tough.
    6. Place in an oiled bowl, and cover. Let rise for about 1 1/2 hours until doubled in size.
    7. Meanwhile to make the caramel, add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth (if it is too thick, add a touch more water, you want it spreadable at this point, but will add more liquid later for topping the rolls with half the mixture).
    8. When it is ready, turn out onto the counter or a board and roll out into a 9 x 15 inch rectangle.
    9. Spread about half the caramel evenly over the dough.
    10. Roll it up, then cut the roll into 12 pieces.
    11. Oil an 8×8 inch square baking pan, and place them in the pan.
    12. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
    13. Meanwhile heat the oven to 350F degrees.
    14. When the rolls have risen for 45 minutes, place them in the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes until starting to brown and cooked through.
    15. Remove from the oven and let cool 15 minutes.
    16. Whisk a little more maple syrup or water into the remaining caramel if it seems too thick to pour over the rolls.
    17. Pour the caramel over the rolls, sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds and enjoy!

    These keep covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerated for up to 1 week.

  • Vegan Maple Cinnamon Rolls

    Vegan Maple Cinnamon Rolls

    Nothing beats the aroma of freshly baked cinnamon rolls. It is such a happy smell, and one can not possibly be in a bad mood when exposed to the heavenly scent! At least I can’t. I have always loved them, since I was a little kid. I used to like it when my Mom made the ones from a can with the cream cheese frosting even though they weren’t home made. But what I really loved were the ones that my Grandma always bought at a local bakery. They were giant, and so fluffy, sweet and packed with cinnamon flavor, and topped off with a cream cheese icing.

    Well, it has been a while since I have had a cinnamon roll. I have made caramel rolls since I went vegan, and other types of rolls but not plain cinnamon. I don’t know why because every time I see them I tell myself that I need to make some because I get hungry for them. Maybe it is partly because I get a little overwhelmed with yeasted goodies sometimes because they take longer to make than say a cake that you just whip up and bake without rising time. But I had a few free hours last Sunday and I decided that baking some cinnamon rolls was the perfect thing to do.

    The yeast wasn’t so bad. In fact, kneading bread or roll dough is kind of relaxing and the finished product is totally worth the rising time. I just went for a walk and did other things while the dough did its thing. I decided to use maple sugar in these because I love that in combination with the cinnamon and they smelled amazing while baking!

    They had to be topped with some luscious cream cheese style frosting too! So, I used a combination of Dastony coconut butter and macadamia nut butter from Raw Guru with a little maple syrup and vanilla and it was heavenly! The rolls were soft and they had plenty of cinnamon and maple flavor which was perfect with the creamy rich frosting! If you are a cinnamon roll fan, give these a try, they are totally worth the extra time!

    Vegan Maple Cinnamon Rolls

    Makes 12

    Dough:

    • 1/4 oz active dry yeast
    • 1/2 cup warm water ( 105-110F degrees)
    • 1/2 cup warm coconut milk (I warmed it up on the stove)
    • 1/4 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1/4 cup avocado oil
    • 1 tsp maple extract (optional)
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed, mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 3 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or as needed

    Filling:

    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1/2 cup maple sugar
    • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

    Glaze:

    Instructions:

    1. To make the dough, combine the yeast and the warm water plus a pinch of maple sugar and stir to dissolve. Let sit 5-10 minutes until it starts to foam.
    2. In a large bowl, combine the coconut milk, maple sugar, maple extract, avocado oil, salt and flax mixture and mix together to combine.
    3. Add the yeast, and 2 cups of flour and mix to combine.
    4. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour and mix until you have a smooth dough (you may need to use your hands at the end to mix it in).
    5. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth and supple. If it is too sticky add a little flour but you want to add as little as possible because if you add too much the dough gets tough.
    6. Place in an oiled bowl, and cover. Let rise for about 1 1/2 hours until doubled in size.
    7. When it is ready, turn out onto the counter or a board and roll out into a 9×15 inch rectangle.
    8. Brush with the maple syrup so you have a thin coating of it for the sugar to stick to. Mix the cinnamon and sugar together, then sprinkle it evenly over the dough.
    9. Roll it up, then cut the roll into 12 pieces.
    10. Oil an 8×8 inch square baking pan, and place them in the pan.
    11. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
    12. Meanwhile heat the oven to 350F degrees.
    13. When the rolls have risen for 45 minutes, place them in the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes until starting to brown and cooked through.
    14. Remove from the oven and let cool 15 minutes.
    15. Whisk the glaze ingredients together, adding a little bit more coconut milk if it seems too thick.
    16. Pour the glaze over the rolls, and enjoy!

    These keep covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerated for up to 1 week.

  • Mini Vegan Coconut Orange Sweet Rolls

    Mini Vegan Coconut Orange Sweet Rolls

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    When I was little, sometimes my Mom would buy take and bake sweet rolls.  I know everyone’s favorite is the caramel or cinnamon variety usually, but she would buy the orange, and add coconut to them to jazz them up a bit.  Now they may have been store bought rolls, but they were super delicious to my 8 year old self.  They remind me of lazy Saturday mornings when I would get up and watch cartoons with the cat in my princess outfit (I was lucky enough to have a Grandma that was very good at sewing and I would beg her to make me costumes), while I waited for the rolls to bake.  I was quite excited when they were cool enough to dive into.  The fact that they were not home made never dawned on me, I just thought they were a special treat.  One that I have not forgotten.  Now, I have made many varieties of sweet rolls as an adult, but for some reason never any with coconut and orange. Well, I decided that needed to change.

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    I told my Mom I was going to make some, and she was excited too!  These would be home made, and just as good if not better than those ones we used to eat.  I used a quick sweet roll dough for these, because I don’t usually keep yeast on hand, plus I don’t like waiting around for dough to rise etc.  These come together and are served in less than 45 minutes, which is almost unheard of for sweet rolls.  I made them mini rolls, because I love cute little desserts, and they bake up faster.  I scented the dough with orange, and made a sweet coconut orange filling which got rolled up and baked into the soft dough.  These actually only take 10 minutes to bake!  And let me tell you, in those 10 minutes your kitchen will smell amazing!

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    I topped them off with an orange coconut glaze, and they were just as I imagined they would be!  Sweet soft dough, fragrant with orange and coconut plus a hint of vanilla.   Just as good as those childhood rolls, but way healthier!  My Mom much approved as well telling me, “Since they are small, I can have 4 at a time right?”  Totally yes.  That is my mentality too.  These are perfect for making this time of the year when citrus is at its best and most flavorful, if you have a craving for something sweet and orange scented, give these a try!

    coconut-orange-sweet-rolls

    Mini Vegan Coconut Orange Sweet Rolls
    Makes 9

    Dough:

    Filling:

    • 2 Tbsp coconut butter, warmed to liquid
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1 Tbsp orange zest
    • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 cup finely shredded, dried unsweetened coconut

    Glaze:

    • 3 Tbsp coconut butter, warmed to liquid
    • 1 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 3 Tbsp orange juice (or as needed)

    finely shredded, dried unsweetened coconut for topping

    Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
    2. To make the dough, combine the flour, guar gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl, and mix together. Mix in the orange juice, vinegar, and coconut oil until blended, then knead the dough lightly and place it on a sheet of parchment (dust it lightly with flour). Roll out 1/4 inch thick in a rectangle on the parchment in a rectangle 6 inches wide top to bottom.
    3. Mix together the filling ingredients, and spread over the dough (leaving a 1/2 inch boarder at the top and bottom). Roll up from the top down jelly roll style. Cut into 9 pieces, and place cut side up in a non-stick mini muffin tin.
    4. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes until puffed up and starting to brown a little (but do not overbake). Remove from the oven and let cool until warm.
    5. Whisk together glaze ingredients until smooth (adding a little more orange juice if you think it is too thick to spoon over nicely), and spoon over the tops of the rolls, sprinkle with coconut. Enjoy!

     

  • Mini Vegan Sweet Potato Pecan Sweet Rolls

    Mini Vegan Sweet Potato Pecan Sweet Rolls

    sweet-potato-pecan-sweet-rolls-5

    This is the time of the year when I like to spend more time baking delicious things in the kitchen!  I still venture outside even though it may be snowy to go for my runs, and it is kind of exhilarating to exercise in the cold air, but coming home to a warm kitchen is awesome and so comforting!  Something that I always used to love to bake, but haven’t made as much of lately is sweet rolls.  I used to make them a lot, back in the days when I had many bags of flour, and used cream cheese for icing, or real butter in my caramel.  I have veganized them before, but I guess I don’t always want to deal with yeast, and letting dough rise, so it went by the wayside.  But guess what?  I created a no yeast version based off an old recipe that tastes so good you won’t notice it does not have it.  And, it uses leftover Thanksgiving sweet potatoes (if you have mashed ones).  Sweet rolls just sounded good to me, and I love sweet potatoes, so why not combine them?!

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    sweet-potato-pecan-sweet-rolls-3

    Sweet potato pecan sweet rolls, because sweet potatoes and pecans are a match made in heaven!  I ended up making these mini as well, because who doesn’t love bite sized little sweets?!  I do, you can have more than one because they are small!  These are actually really quick to make, mine were ready to eat in less than an hour.  I made these oil free, using pecan butter in place of the oil in my old recipe and they turned out soft and delicious!    I made a cinnamon sort of caramel filling out of pecan butter, cinnamon and maple syrup and I knew these were going to be delicious!  Combining maple syrup and pecan butter is my go-to quick caramel recipe by the way.  Because I don’t always have time to blend up dates and I always have the two on hand.

    sweet-potato-pecan-sweet-rolls-1

    These smelled amazing while baking, and I could not wait to try them!  Once they were cooled enough, I topped them off with more quick caramel and pecans and they were sooo delicious!  This would be the perfect lazy weekend recipe because baking on weekends is the best, but don’t count out weeknights if your heart desires sweet rolls, because they are fast to make!  I say skip Black Friday shopping in stores, stay home and make these!

    sweet-potato-pecan-sweet-rolls

    Mini Vegan Sweet Potato Pecan Sweet Rolls
    Makes 9

    Dough:

     

    Filling:

    • 2 Tbsp raw pecan butter
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 1/4 cup chopped pecans

     

    Quick Caramel:

    • 3 Tbsp pecan butter
    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
    • pinch sea salt

     

    Chopped pecans for topping

    Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
    2. To make the dough, combine the flour, guar gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl, and mix together. Mix in the water, vinegar, and pecan butter until blended, then knead the dough lightly and place it on a sheet of parchment (dust it lightly with flour). Roll out 1/4 inch thick in a rectangle on the parchment in a rectangle 6 inches wide top to bottom.
    3. Mix together the filling ingredients, and spread over the dough (leaving a 1/2 inch boarder at the top and bottom). Roll up from the top down jelly roll style. Cut into 9 pieces, and place cut side up in a non-stick mini muffin tin.
    4. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes until puffed up and starting to brown a little (but do not overbake). Remove from the oven and let cool until warm.
    5. Whisk together caramel ingredients, and spread over the tops of the rolls, sprinkle with pecans. Enjoy!

     

    *Note: If you do not have raw pecan butter, another nut butter may be used such as almond. Keep in mind though, nut butters vary in consistency, so you may need to thin it out a little with water if too thick for the caramel and filling.

  • Vegan Summer Berry Sweet Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

    Vegan Summer Berry Sweet Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

    Summer Berry Sweet Rolls 3

    My perfect summer day off involves going for a run in the morning and having it be cool and refreshing outside, then enjoying some berry picking and more time outside maybe going for a walk in the woods, and later making something fabulous with those berries, and afterwards relaxing with my favorite person and a glass of wine.  That was last Sunday, a really good day.  I picked some wild raspberries, and they were fabulous.  That is one of my favorite parts of Summer is the wonderful fruit and it actually being available locally.  I have yet to go to a strawberry farm, but I like the wild raspberries best anyhow.  I have been wanting to make sweet rolls for a long time, and since it was my day off, I finally got around to it.

    Summer Berry Sweet Rolls 4

    I used to make sweet rolls quite often a few years back actually, but the whole yeast thing and letting the dough rise, and flour that I used to use were all kind of off putting to me lately.  I don’t want to say that I have gotten lazier, just busier, and I now often times want things that require less time. Which is good for you all in a way because I know you do not want to spend all day in the kitchen either.  So, made my first gluten free (well non raw gluten free) sweet rolls.  They have baking soda and powder and cider vinegar to help them rise instead of the usual yeast and it works pretty slick!  I use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour because I feel like it has the best texture for baked goods.  I used the fresh raspberries along with some blueberries to fill these rolls, and they turned out awesome!

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    They had to have a “cream cheese” topping of course, so I made a faux cream cheese that I have used in the past and it was perfect. They were delicious warm, with the gooey frosting and jammy berries inside.  Summer’s take on regular sweet rolls.  These only take about 15 minutes to bake, so they really don’t require much of your time before you can enjoy them!  If you are looking for the perfect weekend morning treat (because these were made for lazy Saturday mornings), you need to try these!

    Summer Berry Sweet Rolls

    Vegan Summer Berry Sweet Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
    Makes 4

    Dough:
    3/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill all purpose baking gluten free flour
    1/2 tsp guar gum
    1/2 tsp baking powder
    1/4 tsp baking soda
    1/8 tsp sea salt
    1/4 cup filtered water
    1 Tbsp maple syrup
    1 tsp cider vinegar
    2 Tbsp coconut oil, warmed to liquid plus extra for brushing

    Filling:
    1 cup fresh organic raspberries, mashed
    1 Tbsp maple syrup
    1 Tbsp chia seeds
    1/4 cup fresh organic blueberries

    “Cream Cheese” Frosting:
    1/4 cup raw cashew butter
    1/4 cup coconut milk (or as needed)
    1/4 tsp cider vinegar
    1/8 tsp sea salt
    1 Tbsp maple syrup

    Preheat the oven to 375F degrees, and line 4 muffin tins with coconut oil.
    To make the dough, combine the flour, guar gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl, and mix together. Mix in the water, vinegar, and coconut oil until blended, then knead the dough lightly and place it on a sheet of parchment (dust it lightly with flour). Roll out 1/4 inch thick in a rectangle on the parchment.
    Mix together the filling ingredients, and spread over the dough (leaving a 1/2 inch boarder at the top and bottom). Roll up from the top down jelly roll style. Cut into 4 pieces, and place cut side up in an oiled muffin tin. Brush the tops with a little coconut oil. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes until puffed up and starting to brown a little (but do not overbake). Remove from the oven and let cool until warm.
    Whisk together frosting ingredients, and spread over the tops of the rolls. Enjoy!

    Summer Berry Sweet Rolls 2