Is it too early to post a recipe involving s’mores? If it is, that’s just too bad because how could I resist making a s’mores-flavored treat when I found these vegan marshmallows at Whole Foods?
No, I am not going vegan. Not to worry, omnivores, this blog is not about to become filled with egg-free, dairy free recipes. I couldn’t live without Greek yogurt, so a vegan diet is just not going to happen anytime in the foreseeable future. That said, I think it’s interesting how people who are on a vegan diet find ways to make delicious food and treats, sans animal products of any kind. In the case of these vegan mini cinnamon buns, adapted from Vegan Pandamonium, you wouldn’t even know they were made specially without anything that came from an animal.
These little delights are obviously not as healthy as granola or whole grain bread, but they are healthier than your typical baked good from any old bakery: they are made partially with whole wheat flour, and any sugar has been replaced with muscovado sugar. I just found out about this sugar a couple days ago on Simple Provisions, and it looked like a very intruiging ingredient to try. But I never thought I’d find such an exotic thing at my local Whole Foods, where I was shopping for ingredients yesterday! When I saw it I just had to buy it, even though it was like 5 dollars for a skimpy little bag. It was definitely worth it because it added a more sophisticated depth to the taste of the cinnamon rolls. When my mom tried one, she just kept saying how good it was, seeming mystified as to how I could have made it so good. I told her I used muscovado sugar; I think that’s what really made these cinnamon rolls special.
Muscovado sugar is actually slightly healthier than other types of sugar such as white sugar because, unlike white sugar, muscovado has been left unrefined and minimally processed, so the molasses are left in the sugar naturally instead of being injected back into it as is the case with brown sugar. Less processed is always better in my book. The only objection I have to muscovado sugar is: WHAT IS THE CORRECT SPELLING?!?! I’ve seen it spelled “muscovado” and “muscavado”, and my computer is giving me the annoying red underline no matter which spelling I use. So I’ve just been favoring the first spelling, I don’t know why, I just like it with an o better than an a for some reason.
But this is a food blog, not a spelling blog, so let’s get on to the recipe!
Vegan S’mores Mini Cinnabuns
based on this recipe from Vegan Pandamonium
Makes 15 mini cinnamon buns
Disclaimer: I’m not 100% certain these are impeccably vegan, because the muscovado sugar may have been filtered in a way that was not vegan. The package does not specify how it was filtered, but there are muscovado sugars available that are certified vegan. For more info see this site.
Ingredients:
for dough
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup Earth Balance original buttery spread
- 1 tbl baking powder
- 3/4 cup vanilla flavored almondmilk
for cinnamon/s’mores filling
- 1/4 cup dark muscovado sugar
- 1 heaping tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 Theo Ultimate Dark Chocolate bar (found at Whole Foods)
- 1/2 cup vegan marshmallows (I used 4 large Dandies brand classic vanilla flavored marshmallows, found in the baking section at Whole Foods)
for cinnamon and sugar topping
- 2 tsps dark muscovado sugar
- a sprinkling of cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, combine flours, salt and baking powder. Cut in the Earth Balance. Add vanilla almondmilk until dough is thick and soft.
Place the dough in one big ball on a flat working surface. Roll it out into a rectangle shape (I just used my hands for this.)
Microwave the marshmallows until they are melty and do your best to spread them on top of the rectangle of dough. They will be hard to spread; don’t be a perfectionist about how well-distributed they are. 🙂 Then melt the chocolate (this took about 30 seconds in a glass bowl in the microwave for me. Just keep checking and stirring with a spoon until it is melted.) Spread the chocolate on top of the dough as well. Sprinkle as evenly as possible with 1/4 cup muscovado sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon.
Roll up the rectangle from the long side. Using a sharp knife, cut the long roll into 15 little mini rolls, placing each on the prepared baking sheet. Top each roll with that extra sprinkle of muscovado sugar and cinnamon.
Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes or until rolls are golden brown and look done.
These rolls make me think of summer nights past of toasting marshmallows around a campfire in the woods… ah, the joy of childhood memories I never really had! 🙂
Has anyone reading this ever been camping in the woods before (unlike me?) Did you make s’mores?
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