Sugar free and vegan chocolate orange cinnamon buns, filled with dates and made with whole-food ingredients. Cinnamon rolls that you can feel good about eating for breakfast (no judgement here).
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 non-dairy milk, 60 ml 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 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast**, Zest of an orange, 400 - 480 grams spelt flour***, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 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 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 packed soft dates, 3 tablespoons coconut oil, Zest of an orange, Juice of an orange
Notes
• If the milk mixture gets too hot, just let it cool in the bowl until it's warm but not hot.• I always use a big dinner plate to cover the top of the bowl when I'm letting dough rise. It's better and preventing it from drying than a tea towel, and no plastic.• You can also use a square tin or a regular baking sheet for the buns, but the baking time might change slightly.* I did half sunflower oil and half hazelnut. You can use coconut or any light-tasting oil, but try adding some hazelnut if you have it!** You can also use half a cube of fresh yeast.