Description
These Pumpkin-Shaped Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls are a festive, vegan treat perfect for autumn. Made with a soft pumpkin-infused dough, filled with a creamy vegan cinnamon and dark chocolate filling, and shaped to resemble cute pumpkins with a unique string technique. Finished with a subtle maple glaze and decorative wafer or cinnamon stick stem, they bake up fluffy and aromatic, ready in just one hour.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Dough:
- 180ml + 1 tbsp plant-based milk
- 60g vegan butter, cubed
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp (7g, or 1 sachet) fast action yeast
- 175g plain flour, plus extra to dust
- 175g strong white bread flour
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spices
- A pinch of salt
- 60g pumpkin puree
For the Filling:
- 100g vegan cream cheese
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 50g dark chocolate, chopped
For the Glaze:
- 1-2 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
- 30g icing sugar
- 1-2 tsp water
- Wafer biscuit sticks or cinnamon sticks (for decoration)
Instructions
- Make the milk mix: Warm together 180ml plant-based milk and the cubed vegan butter until the butter melts and the mixture is lukewarm. Whisk in 2 tbsp coconut sugar, then sprinkle over 2 ¼ tsp fast action yeast. Let the yeast bloom for 5 minutes until bubbly, then whisk again.
- Prepare the dough: In a large mixing bowl, stir together 175g plain flour, 175g strong white bread flour, 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spices, and a pinch of salt. Pour in the milk mixture and 60g pumpkin puree. Stir to form a sticky dough. Turn onto a floured surface and gently knead for 1 minute until a soft, smooth dough ball forms. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and leave in a warm spot for 20 minutes to rise.
- Preheat oven and dust surface: Preheat the oven to 160°C fan (180°C conventional) and lightly dust a clean surface with flour.
- Make the filling: Whisk together 100g vegan cream cheese, 2 tbsp coconut sugar, 1 tbsp cinnamon, and 1 tbsp cornstarch until smooth and creamy.
- Shape the dough: Punch down the risen dough and place it on the floured surface. Roll out into a large rectangle approximately 36cm by 30cm. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the dough, then sprinkle 50g chopped dark chocolate on top. Trim the ends for even edges.
- Slice and roll: Cut the rectangle into 7 to 8 strips about 3.5 to 4cm wide. Roll each strip tightly into a cinnamon roll shape.
- Optional pumpkin shaping: Cut 7 or 8 long pieces of food-safe string. Place each cinnamon roll in the middle of a string length, bring ends up, cross over and fold back down to divide the bun into eight sections, then flip the bun upside down and repeat twice more to create the pumpkin segments. Tie the string ends loosely, just touching the dough without squeezing. Repeat for all rolls.
- Arrange and bake: Place the cinnamon rolls spaced apart on a parchment-lined baking tray. Brush each with 1 tbsp plant-based milk. Bake in the preheated oven for 22 minutes until golden, fluffy, and cooked through.
- Cool and glaze: Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Brush lightly with 1 to 2 tbsp maple syrup for shine if desired. Mix 30g icing sugar with 1 to 2 tsp water until a sticky glaze forms, then drizzle over the buns.
- Decorate and serve: Insert a wafer biscuit stick or cinnamon stick in the center of each bun to mimic a pumpkin stem. Serve fresh, ideally the same day, or store in a sealed container for 1 to 2 days.
Notes
- Make sure the milk and butter mixture is lukewarm, not hot, to avoid killing the yeast.
- The string for shaping the pumpkins should be food-safe and not too tight to prevent dough tearing.
- You can omit the pumpkin shaping step and bake as regular cinnamon rolls if preferred.
- Use full-fat vegan cream cheese for the creamiest filling.
- These rolls are best enjoyed fresh but keep well in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Optional maple glaze adds sweetness and a beautiful shine to the rolls.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cinnamon roll
- Calories: 270 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
