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:

• 1/2 cup Dastony poppy seed butter*
• 1/2 cup maple sugar
• 3 Tbsp poppy seeds

 

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 9x15 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 8x8 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.