Vegan Strawberry Sweet Rolls

Spring has arrived in full force, the trees are blossoming, the grass is vibrant green, and the birds are singing.  I love it!  And, I am inspired to make desserts that have spring ingredients, like these Vegan Strawberry Sweet Rolls! Minnesota strawberries won't be here for a little while, they are in their flowering stage, or at least the wild ones are. I have seen quite a few while hiking, so there should be plenty later in the season.  But for now I will settle for the store bought and frozen.  I have been wanting to make these rolls for quite a while, and I finally bought some yeast and found the time to do so.  Funny story, I popped them in the oven and the sirens started sounding for a tornado warning, so we had to go downstairs, but luckily by the time the storm passed, they were just about done baking and they turned out just right. 

I love making sweet rolls, or any kind of bread dough for that matter, it is so relaxing kneading it!  For this dough, I used my recipe for cinnamon rolls but modified.  It has full fat coconut milk to give it a little richness, and flax eggs in place of the eggs used in regular roll recipes. I scented it with vanilla and sweetened it with maple sugar.  If you didn't have maple sugar you could use brown sugar or granulated sugar instead and it will still turn out delicious! I used whole wheat pastry flour but you could also use all purpose flour for these if a lighter crumb and dough is desired.

I filled the rolls with some jam that we received from Eric's Dad.  He makes the best jam we have ever tasted!  He grows his own berries, and the jam is perfectly balanced.  Not too sweet like some store bought jams that just taste like sugar, this has just the flavor of real fresh strawberries.  It is perfect in things like these rolls!  I used plenty of it in the filling, so they were oozing a bit while baking, but that is just how I like them!  My kitchen smelled so heavenly when I pulled them from the oven!

I frosted them with a faux cream cheese frosting made out of raw cashew butter, coconut butter, and coconut milk and it was the perfect thing to top them off with!  They turned out so heavenly!  Soft and sweet, gooey jammy berries and that rich "cream cheese" frosting!  If you are looking for a treat to make for brunch this weekend, definitely give these Strawberry Sweet Rolls a try!

  

Vegan Strawberry 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)
• 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 strawberry jam
• 1 cup sliced (or frozen, thawed and drained) strawberries

 

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.