Nut Butter Cinnamon Buns
Helloooooo!!!
So it’s been a couple of months. I’ve been crazy busy making content–but for someone else. And you know what? That’s okay! It’s been a big adjustment (continues to be), but it’s interesting stuff.
It’s now spring, and to me, spring always means yeasted breads (ie things that rise). Specifically, hot cross buns, which my mother loved, and I can’t eat them without thinking of her.
But this is not a recipe for hot cross buns. I recently got some nut butters from a local company called Loki’s. They sell vegan versions of your favourite spreads, like their own version of the cinnamon spread you probably had on your toast growing up, or a vegan version of nutella.
I love the cinnamon one so much, I thought I’d try it as a filling in cinnamon buns, soooo…. Nut Butter Cinnamon Buns.
I think many people are intimidated by yeasted breads. There’s always a concern that it won’t rise. But yeast isn’t that challenging, really.
A few things to bear in mind:
- Buy fresh yeast. I used to always buy a big jar of it so I’d have lots on hand, but it has a limited shelf life, so now I buy the individual packets and those seem to work much better.
- Don’t make your water too hot or too cold. Too hot, you’ll kill the li’l yeasty guys off, too cold, they won’t rise. Aim for about 90-100 degrees.
- Give them something to feast on. Adding a little sugar to your warm water/yeast mixture helps the yeast to activate.
These Nut Butter Cinnamon Buns would make a great addition to your Easter Brunch (or any brunch, for that matter. Just make them the night before up until step 5, then set them in the fridge overnight. In the morning, preheat your oven and bake them off. Glaze and serve warm!
Nut Butter Cinnamon Buns
Ingredients
For the dough
- 2 ¼ cups non-dairy milk
- 3 tbsp plant-based butter
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 packet yeast or 2 ¼ tsp
- 3 cups flour
- ½ tsp salt
For the filling
- Loki's Cinnamon Roll Nut Butter
For the glaze
- ½ cup icing sugar
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- Splash of vanilla
Instructions
First, make the dough
- Place the milk, sugar and butter in a microwave-proof container and zap it for about 30 seconds. You want the milk to be warm, but not hot, and it’s fine if the butter is not melted. If you have a thermometer, it should be somewhere between 90-100 degrees.
- Give it a good stir, then dump it into the bowl of your stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast overtop and then allow it to sit for about 5 minutes to bloom.
- You should notice a yeasty smell at the end of the 5 minutes. Give it a stir, then attach your dough hook.
- Add 1 cup of the flour and mix for a couple of minutes, then add the second cup of flour, stir, and finally add the last cup of flour and the salt. Beat on low speed for a couple of minutes until the dough begins to come together, and then turn the speed up a little to medium and allow to knead for about 5-6 minutes, until the dough is coming together in one smooth, elastic ball that grips either your dough hook or the sides of the bowl.
- Remove the bowl from your stand mixer, and add a few drops of cooking oil, covering the ball of dough. Cover the bowl with a clean towel (I like to use a disposable plastic shower cap) and stash it in a warm area for about an hour until the dough has doubled in size.
- Punch the dough down and turn out onto a clean work surface. Using a rolling pin or a wine bottle, roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about ¼” thick.
Fill and bake
- Warm the Cinnamon Roll Nut Butter a little in the microwave to make it more spreadable. Spoon it onto the surface of the dough and spread it out evenly in a thin layer.
- Beginning at the long end, carefully begin to roll it up into one long roll, working your way back and forth until it’s completely rolled up. Pinch the seams to seal.
- Now cut the roll in the half, then into quarters. Depending on how big you want your cinnamon rolls to be, you can either cut each quarter in half or in thirds.
- Grease 2 round pie plates or pans. Place the cinnamon rolls, cut sides down, in a circle around the outside, taking care not to crowd the pan(s). This recipe would also fit in a 9”x13” rectangular pan.
- Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for an hour.
- In the last 15 minutes of rising time, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until the cinnamon rolls are just a bit golden on the outsides.
- Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
How to make the glaze
- Put the icing sugar, maple syrup and splash of vanilla in a small bowl and whisk well to combine. The consistency should be drizzly. You can add a little water if it's too thick.
- Drizzle this glaze all over the cinnamon rolls and serve while still warm.
- Leftover rolls store well in an airtight container on the counter for a few days.