Vegan Cinnamon Braid Buns

Hannah Sunderani
Nov 21, 2017
6 min read

Hello beauty Cinnamon Braid Buns! Just take a look at these STUNNERS! (Also known as Estonian Kringle bread - mini ones). They are dressed to impress, am I right?!

These Vegan Cinnamon Braid Buns are a dreamy winter breakfast delight. They're warm and puffy, sweet and satiating, and are perfectly crunchy on the outside with a soft and supple cinnamon sugar interior. A total 10/10!

But, I'm not going to lie to you... Although it might seem in the photos that these were thrown together at ease I was TOTALLY intimidated to make these cinnamon braid buns. Heck, I've never even made normal cinnamon buns, so why I thought adding a braid to the mix was a good idea is beyond me. But it turns out a little optimism goes a long way; just look at the outcome! In the beginning I was a bit of a spaz, holding my breath with every braid as if my life depended on getting it right. But after the first bun, you realize that the dough is quite nimble and forgiving. You can play around with it and manoeuvre it, without having it fall apart. (I've heard this about new born babies too. That they're a lot less fragile than they look, but I'll stick to testing my theory on dough for now!). And so by the third cinnamon bun I was folding and rolling the dough like an expert baker. Turning and manipulating it at ease like it was some sort of choreographed dance.

So in a nutshell, I'm here to tell you that:

- YES, you can make these Cinnamon Braid Buns too!

- NO, they aren't as cumbersome as they look.

- And YES, you can credit yourself a total boss for serving these beauties for breakfast

The dough I used for this recipe came from the Oh She Glows Cinnamon Rolls recipe. The cinnamon sugar filling was a big of an invention. Combining coconut butter, coconut sugar, and cinnamon. Don't confuse coconut butter for coconut oil here. Coconut butter is the hydrogenated version, and although I like to stick with wholesome/natural ingredients (opting for oil over margarine), it's important for this recipe to use margarine as we don't want the dough to get too oily. I tried to find a brand with as few ingredients possible and without palm oil, and found that the Vita'Coco Margarine was my best bet. It worked really well in this recipe.

To make the Vegan Cinnamon Braid Buns I started by making the Oh She Glows cinnamon roll dough, leaving it for one hour to rise, then dividing it into 6 mini dough balls. From there I rolled out each pastry into a thin rectangular shape. I lathered each with cinnamon filling and then rolled them into 6 logs.

From there I cut the logs in half, lengthwise, leaving 1/2 inch at the top uncut. Then I began braiding the two pieces, trying to keep the sliced side with the exposed layers on top as I braided (this is what makes this braid effect). Finally I pinched the ends together and formed a round wreath. And if that explanation is too confusing the video below is a great play-by-play on how to roll, cut and braid the dough to get the braided effect. I watched it a couple times before trying it myself. You'll notice in the video they've made one large kringle bread, but our mini cinnamon braid buns work just the same. :)

Watch the video on how to make Cinnamon Braid Buns.

The end result is a cinnamon swirl masterpiece. Truly a breakfast of champions. And the sweet cinnamon flavour is so fitting as we approach the Christmas holidays. Although the recipe makes 6 cinnamon buns, you might want to double it. I'll admit they didn't even last 24 hours in our home and it was just the two of us. Every walk by the kitchen would illicit another bite. And when the house is filled with the beautiful scent of freshly baked cinnamon bread it's hard to ignore!

I strongly urge you to give these Vegan Cinnamon Braid Buns a try. They make for a beautiful breakfast bun, and are fun to prepare. Why not make it a fun holiday get together with friends? It's a great activity to do along Christmas tunes to get into the holiday spirit. Plus there is no better feeling then pulling out these gorgeous buns from the oven and indulging. It's a Christmas miracle at it's finest I would say. ;)

Hope you enjoy these totally brill vegan cinnamon braid buns.

Vegan Cinnamon Braid Buns

(or Mini-Estonian Kringle Bread)

Makes: 6 buns| Prep Time: 1h + 30 mins| Cook Time: 12-15 mins

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

(recipe adapted from Oh She Glows)

1/2 cup (125 mL) warm water
1 teaspoon (5 g) coconut sugar
1 packet (8 g) quick-rise instant dry yeast
2 1/2 cups + 3 tablespoons (430 g) spelt flour (White Type 70), or all-purpose white flour, plus more for kneading
1/3 cup (67 g) coconut butter, or other vegan butter (I used Vita'Coco Margarine)
1/2 cup (125 mL) unsweetened almond milk
1/3 cup (73 g) coconut sugar
1 teaspoon (6 g) fine sea salt

For the Cinnamon Filling:

1/2 cup coconut butter, or other vegan butter (I used Vita'Coco Margarine)
10 tbsp coconut sugar
6 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

In a small bowl add warm water. Stir in coconut sugar until mostly dissolved. Then add yeast and stir. Set aside for about 6 to 7 minutes, or until the yeast is dissolved and activated, (it will look foamy when ready).
Add 2 cups of flour to a large mixing bowl. Melt coconut butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Then remove saucepan from heat and add almond milk, coconut sugar, and sea salt. Ensure mixture is lukewarm (not hot), and pour in yeast mixture.
Pour the wet mixture over your flour and stir with a large wooden spoon. Mix until combined and resembling muffin batter (approx. 15 seconds of mixing). Then, add remaining 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons flour. Mix with a spoon for several seconds.
Lightly oil your hands and roughly knead the mixture until it comes together in a shaggy and sticky dough. Don't worry if the dough is very sticky, it's normal. Flour a working surface and place dough on top. Knead the dough, adding small handfuls of flour as needed, until it’s no longer sticky to the touch, approx. 3-4 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic. (Don’t be afraid to add more flour if needed. Adding between 1/2 cup to 3/4 cups while kneading is normal). When dough is no longer sticky to the touch, shape it into a big ball.
Wash out your mixing bowl and dry it. Lightly oil the bowl (using coconut butter) and place the ball of dough inside. Flip the dough around so it gets lightly coated in the oil. Then, tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a draft-free area. Let the dough rise for 1 hour. (It should almost double in size).
Meanwhile, make the cinnamon sugar filling. In a small bowl, mix coconut butter, coconut sugar and cinnamon to combine. Set aside.
When dough has risen, divide it into 6 equal portions (to make 6 mini dough balls). Place on a clean work surface to the side.
Preheat oven to 400F (200C). On a floured work surface, take one dough ball at at a time, and roll the dough into a rectangle making it as thin as you can, approx. 3 mm in thickness. (Don't worry if it's not a perfect rectangle, my edges were wiggly).
Spoon the cinnamon filling over top of the dough and spread evenly, leaving a clean 1/2-inch border around the edges. Then roll the dough away to form a log. Using a sharp knife, cut the log in half lengthwise leaving about 1/2 inch at the top uncut.
Start braiding the two pieces, one over the other, trying to keep the open layers exposed so the cut side remains on top (this is what makes this braid effect). When you've braided the entire log pinch the ends together, and form a circular wreath. Then gently transfer braided cinnamon bun to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the wreath with more cinnamon filling.
Continue Step 8-10, rolling the remaining mini dough balls into logs and braiding them, until you have created six braided cinnamon buns. Reserve any remaining cinnamon filling not used on the cinnamon buns for serving.
Bake cinnamon buns in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm with remaining cinnamon filling.