If you love someone you make them sticky buns. If they are your one and only you make them healthier sticky buns because you want them to *stick* around longer. These take my already delicious cinnamon roll recipe and turn it into a sticky mess of a bun. I took out all the refined sugar, replaced some of the butter with pumpkin, and covered it all with date caramel. These are still sweet, and sticky, and fragrant, and soft, and shout love. They are also great to make the night before and throw in the oven while you sit around sipping coffee. Or rush around getting ready for work and then sit together at the table for a few minutes eating a special breakfast showing your partner you love them because you took extra time to just be with them. Oh, love.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Vegan Date Caramel Sticky Buns
Ingredients
- For the date caramel
- 12 oz medjool dates
- 1 3/4 cup boiling water
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp (4grams) fine sea salt
- For the sticky buns
- 4 1/2 tsp.(14 grams) Ener-G Egg Replacer powder (equivalent of 3 eggs)
- 6 TBL water
- 600 grams (4 1/2-5 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour- divided
- 2 1/4 tsp. (8 grams) active dry yeast (one packet)
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 1/4 lb (1/2 cup) Earth Balance Buttery spread or sticks
- 1/4 pure maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- Filling
- 1/2 cup (144 grams) date caramel
- 1 1/2 TBL (15 grams) cinnamon
- 1/4 lb (1/2 cup) Earth Balance Buttery Spread or sticks
- 1/4 cup ( 68 grams) pumpkin puree (or more butter)
- Topping
- The rest of the date caramel
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup Earth Balance buttery spread or sticks softened to room temperature
- 2 tsp bourbon (optional)
- 1/4 cup nondairy milk
Instructions
- In the bowl of your stand mixer whisk the egg replacer and water until smooth- set aside
- In a small saucepan heat together the milk, Earth Balance, sugar and salt until the butter is almost melted.
- Remove from heat and stir until butter is melted. Make sure this mixture is warm, not hot or it will kill the yeast.
- Add 260 grams (3 cups) of the flour and yeast to the egg replacer/water mixture.
- Add the warm milk mixture and mix with the paddle attachment for 2 minutes. If you don’t have a stand mixer you can do this by hand.
- Switch to the dough hook add the rest of the flour and mix until the dough forms a ball and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. If you are measuring by cups instead of weight add the flour a half cup at a time and mix until the flour is incorporated before adding more. The dough should be firm with slight resistance when you push on it and should just stick to the sides of the bowl, but not your fingers.
- Remove the dough hook and drizzle olive oil over the ball of dough, cover with a damp towel and set aside to rise for 1-2 hours.
- White your dough is rising make the date caramel and filling.
- For the date caramel place pitted dates in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them sit for about 10 minutes to soften.
- Drain dates reserving the liquid.
- Place dates, vanilla, sea salt, and 1/2 cup of the reserved date water in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. If you are finishing the rolls in the morning cover and refrigerate the unused date caramel until the morning.
- To make the filling cream together 1/2 cup of the date caramel, 1/2 cup Earth Balance, and cinnamon until uniformly brown. Set aside.
- Once dough has doubled in size, punch it down then allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
- While dough is resting combine the filling ingredients and set aside.
- Place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll dough into a rectangle about 18″ by 15″.
- Spread the filling mixture evenly over the dough, all the way to the edges.
- Roll dough into a log and slice into buns, as large as you like. I like mine to be about 1 1/2″ thick and I usually cut between 10-12 rolls.
- Place buns on a rimmed baking sheet or pan close enough to touch each other. I use my 9×13 pan. I like to line the baking sheet with parchment paper (for easier cleanup).
- If baking right away: Let the the rolls rise until almost doubled in size, about and hour.
- If baking the next morning: cover the rolls tightly and let them rise in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning set the on the counter as your oven preheats and proceed as usual.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake rolls for 25-30 minutes depending on their size, until golden brown.
- While the rolls are cooking combine the topping ingredients except for the walnuts, and just heat through on the stove.
- When rolls are done pour the topping over the hot rolls, and sprinkle with the nuts.
- Serve warm.
Happy Food Ninja 