Vegan Blood Orange Sweet Rolls

Posted by Gabrielle in Breads, Breakfast, Cooking, Desserts, Easter | 1 comment

Hello & Happy Friday!!

Words can’t express how excited I am to know that it’s Friday. While I love working  non stop, this week I was inundated with projects that you’ll soon see! My favorite thing about cooking, is catering to the seasons. I love how ingredients and flavors shift and it simply gets me excited about being in the kitchen. 

With the warmer temps comes lighter and more fruit forward dishes. Although I love a good salad, I’ve noticed how the healthier dishes get less traction lol. That being said, I was in the mode to create spring inspired dessert dishes to share with you!

The first thing I thought was blood orange! Blood oranges are so much fun to work with, have the same flavor profile as typical oranges, but provide a gorgeous red hue. If you’re not crazy about oranges altogether, this variety will make you change your mind as they are just gorgeous!

What’s fab about this recipe, is simply everything! It’s involved like all cinnamon roll recipes, but has easy to follow steps, a gorgeous color, a rich orange flavor, and truly captures the essence of spring! 

If you’re searching for that perf spring treat to feature at your next brunch, you have to try my effortless vegan Blood Orange Cinnamon Rolls!

Want to learn more about EDS?! Tune in to the weekly IG Live segments!

This weeks IG live we discussed various nutrition topics that cater to the plant based lifestyle. I also featured a few items I use in my smoothies and supplements I take. If you want to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes be sure to tune in multiple times a week at 12:00 noon EST. 

Why this recipe rocks: 

Fun

Perf for spring/summer

Aesthetic appeal

Perf pink color 

Great for entertaining

Non vegan approved

Recipe Tutorial 

Vegan Blood Orange Sweet Rolls

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• Author: Eat Drink Shrink
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
• Yield: 10-12 rolls 1x

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Ingredients

For the yeast:

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 packet quick-rise instant dry yeast

For the dough:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose white flour, plus more for kneading
• 1/3 cup vegan butter, melted
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/3 cup cane sugar or brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the filling:

• 1/2 cup cane sugar or brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1/4 cup vegan butter, melted
• 2 tbsp blood orange zest

For the frosting:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2tbs strained blood orange juice 
• 1 tbsp blood orange zest

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Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 250. Set aside a 9- by 13-inch casserole dish.
2. For the yeast: In a small bowl, add the warm water. Make sure it’s not too hot; it should feel like warm bath water (approximately 110°F/45°C). Stir in the sugar until mostly dissolved. Now, stir in the yeast until dissolved. Set aside for about 6 to 7 minutes so the yeast can activate (it’ll look foamy when ready).
3. For the dough: Flour a working surface for later. Add 3 cups of flour into a large mixing bowl.
4. Combine the melted 1/3 cup vegan butter, room temp almond milk, 1/3 cup sugar, and salt. The mixture should be lukewarm—if it’s any hotter let it cool off for a minute. Stir in all of the yeast mixture until just combined.
5. Pour the wet yeast mixture over the flour and stir with a large wooden spoon. Stop mixing once all of the flour is incorporated and it looks a bit like muffin batter, about 15 seconds.
6. Mix with a spoon for several seconds. Lay onto a floured surface and gradually add more flour until it forms a firm dough. Dough will be sticky at first, but come together. Knead the dough for about 3 to 4 minutes until it’s no longer sticky to the touch; it should be smooth and elastic.
7. Shape the dough into a ball and place into a clean oiled bowl. Flip the dough around so it gets lightly coated in the oil. Turn off the oven, tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the oven or simply in a warm, draft-free area Let the dough rise for 60 minutes.
8. After the first dough rise, re-flour your working surface and grab a rolling pin. Roll the dough into a large rectangle, approximately 20 by 14 inches.
9. With a pastry brush, spread the melted vegan butter onto the dough, covering the entire surface except the very ends to ensure it seals when you slice. Sprinkle with cinnamon, sugar, and blood orange zest, leaving a 1/2 inch around the edges without any sugar.
10. Grab the end of the dough (short side of rectangle) and roll it up, rolling as tightly as possible. Place it seam-side down once it’s rolled up. Use a serrated knife to slice 1 1/2 inch–thick rolls. You should have 10 to 12.
11. Grab your cut rolls and place into the prepared pan a few inches apart from one another. Cover the pan with plastic wrap, place into the oven and allow them to rise for 45 minutes. They will double in size.
12. After the second rise, remove the rolls from the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Remove the plastic wrap. Bake the rolls for 23 to 26 minutes at 350°F (180°C), until lightly golden in a few spots. Remove from oven and allow the rolls to cool for about 10 minutes. Combine the frosting ingredients, pour over top, enjoy immediately!

Notes

– you can top the cinnamon rolls with additional butter or orange zest before baking

• Category: Cinnamon Rolls
• Cuisine: Breakfast

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1