Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Mmm...nothing says fall like flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon, and spices in the kitchen!  These were a perfect treat for a chilly, cloudy fall day.  And since they are vegan, I had all the ingredients at home in my pantry for a spur of the moment baking lesson with my son (no having to run to the store for eggs!).  So much fun...but even more fun was his gooey cinnamon smile as he said "Mama, this is gooood!"  Warms my heart to see him enjoy this treat we made together!  I hope that this recipe warms your family's heart as well this fall season.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the dough:

2 Tbsp Earth Balance buttery spread

1/3 cup almond milk

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp chia sees (or ground flax meal) + 3 Tbsp warm water (This is the "egg" substitute)

1 (1/4 oz) packet of dry yeast (~1 Tbsp)

2 cups all purpose flour (next time, I plan to try to use whole wheat pastry flour and see how it turns out for a healthier option)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp ground ginger

filling:

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp Earth Balance buttery spread, softened

glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2+ Tbsp almond milk

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Heat the almond milk and the Earth Balance together in a small pan on the stove over low/medium heat until the butter melts and the milk is warm to the touch.  Remove from heat, let cool a little (temperature should be like warm bath water.  If it is hotter than that, the yeast won't rise).  Sprinkle the yeast and stir so yeast will dissolve.  Let yeast mixture sit for 5 minutes (it should foam and look creamy after a few minutes).

Meanwhile, combine chia seeds/flax meal with water and let sit for 5 minutes.  Then, combine with pumpkin. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice.  Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture and pour in yeast.  Mix together.

Knead dough by hand for about 10 minutes or with an electric dough mixer with either a paddle attachment or dough hook on medium speed for 6 minutes.  The dough should be smooth and elastic when you're done.  

Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a dishcloth and set in a warm area to rise for 1 hr 15 min.  While the dough is rising, mix together softened Earth Balance, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Remove dough and punch dough on a lightly floured surface.  Ross out to a large rectangle and spread brown sugar mixture on top, keeping 1 inch bare around the sides.  Gently roll up dough so it resembles a log.  Slice dough into 1/2 -inch slices and placed on a greased 9-inch casserole dish.  Cover with a dishcloth and let rise for another 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.  Bake rolls for 25 minutes.  Let cool while you make the glaze.

For the glaze, mix together the powdered sugar, almond milk and vanilla.  If glaze seems too runny, add a little more powdered sugar.  Place glaze in a small plastic bag and snip the tip off.  Make swirls over the cooled rolls and serve.

Recipe taken from: http://www.eatliverun.com/vegan-pumpkin-cinnamon-rolls/