Vegan Matcha Chocolate Rolls
These soft and fluffy bread rolls combine matcha and chocolate together, an underrated yet extremely delicious combo. They're vegan, refined sugar free, and include healthier swaps that you won't notice--adding more fiber and nutritional value.
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 ¼ cup white whole wheat flour not regular whole wheat
- 1 ¾ cup unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup warm (not hot) oat milk or any nondairy milk
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 10 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ cup avocado oil
- 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast or 1 packet
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 ½ teaspoons salt
- ⅓ cup finely ground flaxseed meal
- 3 tablespoons high-quality matcha powder see blog post for my fav brand
Filling
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup coconut sugar or any granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ¼ cup finely ground flaxseed meal
Instructions
- In a large bowl, heat the milk until it is just warmer than room temperature–be sure it's not too hot. Mix in the maple syrup. Add the yeast and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it "blooms" or activates and becomes bubbly/foamy.
- Whisk in the applesauce, avocado oil, and flaxseed meal. Once fully combined, fold in the white whole wheat flour and ¾ c of the all-purpose flour. Cover the bowl and set aside in a warm place to rise for an hour.
- In the meantime, make the filling. Just whisk together all the filling ingredients (coconut sugar, applesauce, flax meal and cocoa powder) and set aside.
- Once the dough is done rising it should be about double in size. Fold in another ½ c all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and matcha powder, then transfer to a floured surface. Use the remaining ¼ cup of flour as needed (you may need more or less) to knead. Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes. Do NOT keep adding flour until the dough is dry; only add flour if it is really sticking to the counter/surface.
- Make sure the surface is well-floured so it doesn't stick, then roll the dough (make sure your rolling pin is floured too). Roll until it is about ½" thick. Cut off the edges to make them super clean. You can use the scraps to make more later. This is optional, but it will result in the best-looking rolls. Spread the filling evenly throughout.
- Grease 2 9"x 11" (or any similar size) pans and set aside.
- You can roll and cut the traditional way, but I find this method much easier and has a better-looking result: Cut the dough while it's flat, about 1" thick slices. Roll each slice individually and transfer to the prepared pan. Try not to pack them too closely; they will spread out. If using 9"x 11", you can fit about 6. Cover and let them rise for 30 minutes in a warm place.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- While the rolls are rising, you can make an icing: just whisk powdered sugar with a splash of plant based milk, and keep adding until you reach the desired consistency. You can also add a splash of lemon juice to help it set and harden.
- Once the rolls are done rising, bake in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes (depending on size and how fast your oven cooks--mine took 15). Serve warm with the icing or alone. If you aren't planning to finish them on the first or second day, freeze as soon as it cools, and microwave to reheat.