Strawberry Cinnamon Breakfast Buns are the perfect baked good for Mother's Day! This dairy-free adaptation of a classic cinnamon roll takes on seasonal flavors with the addition of fresh strawberries. This treat is drizzled with a strawberry glaze as a final touch. Serve these buns up with a mimosa, and brunch is served!
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Instructions
Make the Dough
Measure the milk and coconut oil in a glass measuring cup. Microwave until the oil has melted.
Pour the warm milk/oil mixture into the bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment.
Add 1 cup of the flour, as well as the vanilla extract, vanilla bean caviar, sugar, egg, yeast and salt. Beat on low for around 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of bowl.
Add the rest of the flour to the dough. Mix on low until the dough comes together and feels tacky. If dough is extremely sticky, add flour by the tablespoon until the dough comes together and pulls away from sides of bowl.
When it is of the right consistency, turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky. (This should take around 8-10 minutes.) Form into ball.
Spray a large glass bowl with nonstick spray, and transfer the dough into the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then a kitchen towel, and move to a warm place in your house.
Let the dough rise until doubled in volume. (This took my dough around 2 hours.)
Make the filling
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt. Stir until combined. Chop the strawberries and set them aside. (Do not mix them into the filling yet because the mixture will get more watery.)
Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down in the bowl, then transfer onto a floured work surface.
Roll the dough into a rectangular shape that is about ½" thick rectangle.
Spread the filling mixture evenly on top of the dough, leaving a ½" border.
Sprinkle the chopped strawberries on top of the filling evenly.
Starting on a long side, roll the dough into a log, pinching gently to keep it rolled. Be gentle with the dough, and keep in mind that this part can get messy. (You've been warned! But it's totally worth it.) Pinch the seal closed gently.
With the seam side down, cut the dough crosswise with a sharp knife into 18 slices. I've found that making a cut in the middle, then making cuts in the middle of those (and so on and so forth) is the easiest way to get evenly-cut rolls.
Let the dough rise for another 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size. (The filling will get gooey during this stage. Don't fret if a lot of it is in the bottom of the pan! Also, if you want to make these buns in advance, transfer them to the fridge at this point. Bring them out 1-2 hours before baking, let them come to room temperature and complete their second rise)
Bake the Breakfast Buns
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
When the oven has preheated, place the baking dishes in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are golden, then remove from the oven.
Invert the rolls onto a plate (so the sticky topping is front and center!), and let cool for 10 minutes.
While the rolls are cooling, make the Strawberry Icing.
In a blender, mix the strawberries and powdered sugar together until smooth.
When rolls have cooled slightly, serve individually, and drizzle the icing on top of the rolls. Enjoy!
Notes
Recipe adapted from my Walnut Sticky Buns with Cream Cheese Icing (which was adapted from Epicurious and Joy the Baker.)Note that the prep time includes rising time and rest time.If you make these the night before, put them in the refrigerator in the baking dishes BEFORE the second rise. The morning of, be sure to pull them out of the fridge in time to do their second rise. This will take a little longer, as they'll be cold, so allot about an hour and a half for them to sit out and rise, then bake as directed.