Vegan Mixed Berry Sweet Rolls

In New England, I’m finally starting to see strawberries make their way back into most of the shopping markets, meaning that spring is near! I got a giant tub of strawberries for super cheap due to their ‘in season’ price, although it is still pretty cold outside. I decided to make a sweet, warming dessert with this fruit as a transitional treat. These sweet rolls are very reminiscent of cinnamon rolls, just without any cinnamon. The dough recipe and execution are the same, it’s just filled with fresh berries instead. I used strawberries and blueberries but you could substitute the amounts equally with other fruit like blackberries or raspberries as well. I know it is very tempting to ice the whole pan of sweet rolls immediately when they come out of the oven, but they will become soggy if you do this and don’t eat them within the first couple hours. I prefer to re-heat and frost them individually.

Vegan Mixed Berry Sweet Rolls

Recipe Type: Breakfast Sweets

YIELDS 8 rolls

PREP TIME 25 min

COOK TIME 25 min

TOTAL TIME 50 min

4 cups whole wheat flour
1 package (or 1 tbsp) active dry yeast
1/2 cup cane sugar
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup earth balance butter, melted
1 cup + 2 tbsp almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup strawberries, minced
1/2 cup blueberries
2 tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup cane sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp almond milk

4 cups whole wheat flour
1 package (or 1 tbsp) active dry yeast
1/2 cup cane sugar
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup earth balance butter, melted
1 cup + 2 tbsp almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup strawberries, minced
1/2 cup blueberries
2 tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup cane sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp almond milk

Directions

1. Begin by making the dough. Melt the butter over super low heat until it melts. Set aside.
2. Add the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a mixer. Whisk together.
3. Add the almond milk, butter, and vanilla and mix with the dough hook on the lowest or second lowest setting for about five minutes, until it forms into a soft, smooth ball of dough.
4. Cover the bowl with a damp wash cloth and set aside.
5. To prepare the filling, add the strawberries, blueberries, corn starch, and sugar to a small pot. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the fruit boils down and thickens into a jelly like substance. Set aside to cool.
6. On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a rectangle. Pour the cooled fruit filling over the entire rectangle.
7. Using the long edge, begin to roll the dough into a log. Cut the log into 8 even sections.
8. Grease a round pie pan and place the sweet rolls in the pan. Cover the pan with a damp cloth and allow to rise another ten minutes while the oven preheats.
9. Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 25 minutes, until the crust begins to crisp and brown.
10. While the rolls are baking, prepare the frosting by beating the confectioners sugar with the 3 tbsp almond milk together.
11. Remove rolls from oven, let cool, and top with frosting.