Happy Saturday! We are almost heading into fall weather. The temperature in Ohio during the day is still hot, but when the evenings roll around, the temperature drops down to the sixties. We’re in week 2 of Michigan football, and I am super excited to see how Michigan plays this week. The past week has been a busy week of projects at work, planning ahead of assignments for my two certificate programs, and brainstorming new recipes in between. I’ve been working on developing some truly tasty vegan recipes and am excited to share my recipe for pumpkin spice rolls. Fluffy breakfast rolls are decadent, comforting treats perfect for weekend breakfasts. I typically make my cinnamon rolls with a cream cheese glaze when I’m craving rolls. This time around, I challenged myself to make an equally decadent vegan version featuring fall flavors. I’ve been noticing pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin treats popping up all over coffee shops throughout Ohio. Every coffee shop I’ve stepped foot into, the aromas of pumpkin spice fill the air. All of the intoxicating smells inspired me to make a vegan version of pumpkin spice rolls this weekend. When I woke up this morning, I started on the pumpkin spice rolls right away. I typically rest the dough twice when making rolls, so I needed the extra time in the morning to start prepping the rolls. I don’t mind the extra wait because the end result of these rolls is worth the wait. To make sure the pumpkin flavor shines through in these rolls, I folded in pumpkin puree along with pumpkin pie spice to really make the pumpkin the star of these fluffy rolls. The pumpkin puree folded into the flour keeps the dough fluffy and gives it a beautiful orange hue. It also works magically as a replacement for the egg I usually add to my dough. Instead of butter, I used a neutral vegetable oil to help keep the rolls fluffy (but also vegan friendly) when baked. I also swapped out whole milk for some almond milk. The dough is prepared first by combining the dry and wet ingredients and then letting the dough rest for an hour. After the resting period, the dough will have doubled in size. The dough is then rolled out, brushed with vegetable oil, and topped with the perfect mix of pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, and granulated sugar. The dough is rolled into a log, sliced into 12 pieces, placed into a baking dish, and then left to rest for another 30 minutes. After the second resting period, the rolls are ready for the oven. All in all, the preparation itself doesn’t take too long. Most of the time required to make this recipe lies in the resting period. Resting the dough allows the yeast to work its magic and creates the most fluffy, tasty pumpkin spice rolls. The waiting period for the rolls is the hardest part. It takes between 30 and 35 minutes for the rolls to bake through. Once the rolls start baking in the oven, you could smell the aromas filling the kitchen. In the past, I’ve usually started on the glaze while the rolls are baking, but I’ve learned over the years to wait until the rolls are done baking before making the glaze. If I started on the glaze and I don’t use it right away, the glaze starts to set fairly quickly. I like to drizzle on the glaze while the rolls are still warm and then serve the rolls right away. The rolls were done just in time to enjoy breakfast before watching the Michigan game at noon.
For the pumpkin spice rolls:
For the dough:
· 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling out dough
· ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
· ¾ cup almond milk, lukewarm
· 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
· ¼ cup granulated sugar
· ¾ cup pumpkin puree
For the filling:
· 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
· ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
· 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
· ¼ cup vegetable oil
For the pumpkin spice glaze:
· 1-1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
· ¼ cup almond milk, microwaved for 30 seconds
· ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
· ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
1) In a large bowl, combine the flour and kosher salt. Set aside.
2) In another bowl, combine the almond milk, active dry yeast, and sugar. Stir to combine. Let the mixture sit for five minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
3) Combine the almond milk, yeast, and sugar mixture into the large bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir to combine. Add the pumpkin puree. Knead the dough in the bowl for 5 minutes, adding additional flour as needed if the dough it too sticky. Place a sheet of plastic wrap over the bowl. Let the dough rest in the bowl for at least one hour.
4) While the dough is resting, make the filling for the rolls by combining the pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
5) After an hour has passed, the dough should have doubled in size. Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface until you form a rectangle. Brush the vegetable oil onto the rolled-out dough. Generously top the dough with the pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and sugar mixture. Starting on one side of the longer end of the rectangle, roll the dough into a cylinder. Use a knife to cut the rolled dough into twelve equal pieces. Arrange the rolls loosely in a casserole dish. Let the rolls rest for at least another 30 minutes before baking. The dough should rise again during this second resting period.
6) When the rolls are halfway through the second resting period, preheat the oven to 350°F. Once the rolls are done resting, place the rolls into the oven and let the rolls bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown.
7) To make the glaze for the rolls, combine the confectioners’ sugar, warmed almond milk, and spices in a bowl. Place the glaze in the microwave. Microwave on high heat in 15 second intervals for 30-45 seconds until the glaze achieves a silky and smooth consistency. Drizzle the glaze onto the pumpkin spice rolls once the rolls are removed from the oven.
I enjoyed a piece of pumpkin spice roll with pumpkin spice glaze on my favorite spot on the coach while watching the Michigan game.
Takeaways: These pumpkin spice rolls definitely takes patience to make. I find resting the rolls twice helps it achieve the fluffy and soft texture. For classic cinnamon rolls, check out my recipe here.