Instead of butter and sugar, the filling rolled up inside these chocolate orange cinnamon rolls is made from dates, orange, and a little coconut oil blended together (so no sugar at all!) then topped with dark chocolate. The dough is orange scented and pillowy, with non-dairy milk and a little cinnamon mixed in. What I’m saying is that they’re much better than normal cinnamon buns, but just as easy to make.
If you’re not used to working with yeast, I don’t know that I can convince you to try it, but this is a good place to begin if you’re interested in trying sweet doughs. It’s pretty forgiving and easy to work with, and you’re not doing any complicated shapes or twists.
The dough is my go-to for any cinnamon buns or other sweet breads, just with the addition of orange zest and some hazelnut oil, which is optional. It seems a bit fancy but I promise it’s simple, and rolls are so fun. There’s an even easier yeasted cake recipe on the blog for a rhubarb streusel cake if you want to try that first to get a feel for it. There are a lot of notes at the end of the recipe, but just because I want you to succeed, not because it’s complicated.
The method for the liquid ingredients is a touch different for this recipe, because you heat them on the stove, then cool slightly before whisking in the yeast. Just make sure it’s not boiling hot when you add the yeast; the milk should be just warmer than your skin if you touch it. If it’s too hot it’ll kill the yeast. My house is freezing so I place rising dough on top of a radiator (it’s topped with a stone slab) but placing it near a radiator or in the oven with a light on will do the trick.
I chose not to make a cream or icing, but if you’d like one, try the citrus cream from my vegan cream scones recipe, just substituting orange for the bergamot. You can go a more traditional cream cheese route if you prefer (maybe with coconut yogurt labneh) or simply have them as is. They’re good without anything on top but sometimes you just need a little icing.
If you make this Orange Rolls or any other ancient grain bread recipes on Occasionally Eggs, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more OE, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, purchase the Occasionally Eggs cookbook, or subscribe for new posts via email.
Chocolate, Orange, and Date Cinnamon Buns
Description
Ingredients
Dough
- 250 ml (1 cup) non-dairy milk
- 60 ml (¼ cup) light-tasting oil*
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast**
- Zest of an orange
- 400 – 480 grams (2 ½ – 3 cups) spelt flour***
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Filling
- 100 grams (½ cup) packed soft dates soaked if needed
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- Juice of an orange ~3 tablespoons
- Zest of an orange
- 50 grams (¼ cup) dark chocolate
Instructions
Dough
- Add the milk, oil, and maple syrup to a small saucepan and heat on low until just warm to the touch. Pour the milk mixture into a large heatproof bowl and whisk in the yeast. Let it rest for about 15 minutes, or until foaming.250 ml (1 cup) non-dairy milk, 60 ml (¼ cup) light-tasting oil*, 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- Stir in the orange zest, 1 cup of flour, cinnamon, and salt. Add the remaining flour in 1/2 cup increments, stirring between each addition, until it becomes too difficult to stir. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured countertop and knead, adding more flour as needed, until a soft and smooth dough forms, about ten minutes.2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast**, Zest of an orange, 400 – 480 grams (2 ½ – 3 cups) spelt flour***, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Oil a large bowl and place the dough in it. Brush a little oil onto the top of the dough, cover, and set the bowl in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about one hour.
- Line a 20 cm (8 inch) springform pan with parchment paper. Punch the dough down and place it onto a floured surface. Roll it out to about 2 cm thickness and spread the filling equally over the dough, then top with the dark chocolate. Roll the dough up lengthwise and cut into 5 cm wide pieces. Place the pieces into the prepared pan, cover, and set in a warm place to rise again for 30 minutes.50 grams (¼ cup) dark chocolate
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Once the buns are finished rising the second time, place them on the centre rack in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden. Serve warm if you can and keep any extras in a sealed container at room temperature for up to three days.
Filling
- Blend the dates, coconut oil, orange juice, and zest until smooth in a food processor or high speed blender. If it’s not becoming smooth, add a tablespoon of nondairy milk.100 grams (½ cup) packed soft dates, 3 tablespoons coconut oil, Zest of an orange, Juice of an orange
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Hi Alexandra, I just bought my first sourdough starter. Can I use starter in place of the active dry yeast or would that be a whole new recipe?
Hi Lillian, you can try using starter, but note that the rising times will be completely different. I usually use 100g of starter that’s mixed with 60g flour and 40g water so it’s a bit stiffer when subbing for yeast recipes like this one. You’ll likely need an overnight rise for the first proof, at room temperature, and then about four hours after shaping for the second rise. This will all depend on the temperature in your home so look for the same visual cues as with yeast: doubling in size for the first proof, and then about 1/3 increase for the second.
I am looking forward to trying this but a quick question, do you have a temp range for the warm milk?
Should be about 38°C if you want to use a thermometer.
What flour would you suggest in place of Spelt? I have whole wheat, all purpose, and almond. I live in a really isolated area so sadly my options for flours are limited. Thanks!
Definitely all-purpose for this recipe! Any wheat flour can be used instead of spelt, so I usually recommend AP for lighter recipes (like this) and whole wheat for things like banana bread.
Can I use whole wheat flour for the spelt?
You can, but the buns will be a bit less tender with a whole grain flour. It’ll definitely work though!
I made this recipe today, and I used 1/2 spelt flour and 1/2 bread flour. These rolls are so delicious! I like that they are not very sweet but still very satisfying. Thank you so much for this great recipe!
Do you have a gluten free version? Is this flour gluten free? I tend to try and bake with almond flour, coconut flour of tapioca flour to keep the carbs low. Would this recipe work with either of these?
Hi Nicola, spelt isn’t gluten free and I never make yeasted doughs with gluten free flour – I’m sure there are cinnamon bun recipes out there that make use of those types of flours, but they won’t be the same as this one.
Thank you!
these (and your photography) are INCREDIBLE!