PALEO, VEGAN , DAIRY FREE & GLUTEN FREE
I will never give up eating the indulgent treats that I have grown up with. Cinnamon buns remind me of family holidays to Florida, and my first time in Disney Land. As soon as you enter the gigantic wrought iron gates the smell of hot sugar and cinnamon fills your nostrils and it doesn't leave until you do.
These cinnamon buns definitely do not sacrifice any flavor. They are slightly lighter and the dough is thinner but they have no unrefined sugar, no gluten, no diary and are nearly fat free!
So if you have a sweet tooth, are craving warm dough with sticky cinnamon pecan filling and a creamy icing then give these a go!
Also in this recipe there is far too much icing for the cinnamon buns, but I know that I am a fan of dunking so thats what its there for!
NUTRITIONAL VALUE
Serving Size 71g
Amount Per Serving(ONE ROLL WITH ICING)
Calories 155
Calories from Fat 28
Total Fat 3.2g
Saturated Fat 2.7g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 256mg
Potassium 140mg
Total Carbohydrates 30.9g
Dietary Fiber 1.8g
Sugars 15.4g
Protein 1.5g
Vitamin A 0%•Vitamin C 2%Calcium 3%•Iron 3%
INGREDIENTS
For the filling
1 1/2 cup of dates
1 cup water
2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 cup of pecans
1/4 cup of chopped pecans
For the dough
2 cups gluten free self-raising flour
3 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
3 tbs coconut oil
1 apple
juice of a wedge of lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup boiling water
1-2 tbs of water(to adjust consistency)
For the glaze
3 tbs pure maple syrup
For the icing
200ml coconut milk
4 tbs maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp cinnamon
METHOD
So(deep breath), firstly prepare the filling.
Roughly chop the dates and place them in a saucepan over medium heat with the water. Bring to a boil and then allow simmer until the dates have softened. When most of the water has evaporated off transfer the dates(at this stage it should be a thick lumpy paste) to a blender.
Add the vanilla, cinnamon & salt. Blitz to combine everything. Then add the whole pecans and pulse just so that they are roughly chopped throughout the mix. Leave this to one side while you prepare the dough.
To make the apple sauce, finely dice one apple(I used Pink Lady) and add it to a sauce pan over medium/high heat. Add the lemon, vanilla extract and 1/4 cup of boiling water(this just helps everything soften faster, it will evaporate off) to the apple. Allow to come to a boil stirring frequently and mashing the apple up with the back of a fork. When all the water has evaporated off the apple it should be completely broken down into a pulp. Remove from heat and mash up any chunky bits that are left. Leave to one side while you prepare the dough.
Add the flour, baking powder and salt to a medium sized bowl. Stir everything together. Melt the coconut oil and add this to the dry ingredients. Mix until it is a dry crumbly consistency. Add the apple sauce to the dough and mix throughly. At this stage it is still too dry so start off by adding one tablespoon of water at a time. At this point it is a good idea to use your hands so that you can get a feel of how much water you need to add. The dough shouldn't stick to your fingers and should be smooth to touch.
This dough is quite delicate so before rolling it out lay out a sheet of greaseproof paper on the counter and sprinkle it with a little bit of gluten free flour.
Start rolling the dough out from the centre, creating a rectangle shape that is about 1/2cm thick.
Spread the date & pecan paste evenly over the dough, leaving an inch boarder. Sprinkle with the chopped pecans.
Starting with the side that is furthest away from you, fold about 1/2 an inch of the dough over onto its self just to get you started. Then using the greaseproof paper(on the same side that you folded the dough) pull it towards you, rolling the dough tightly so that everything is secure.
Unwrap the greaseproof paper and slice the dough into inch pieces.
Place each piece facing upwards in a greased dish(I greased mine with coconut oil).
Drizzle with the maple syrup and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
The glaze
Put the coconut milk in a saucepan and melt it over a medium heat. Add the maple syrup, vanilla essence & cinnamon. Stir until melted, remove from heat and poor into a separate bowl. Allow to cool completely before using as it is too runny at this stage. I even put mine in the freezer and used a whisk to lighten it up a little.
Drizzle over the Cinnamon Buns.
Enjoy! xx