You guys asked for it, so here it is! My recipe for egg-free cinnamon buns. These egg-free cinnamon buns taste exactly like their egg-based counterpart but are even easier to make!
I accidentally “came across” this recipe when I was making my original cinnamon bun recipe over the weekend. I was rushing trying to get everything done fast and while I was waiting for the dough to rise, I realized that I completely forgot to add eggs. Naturally, I panicked and figured that I just wasted ingredients and my time and that nothing would be salvageable.
However, I realized that there are plenty of dough-based recipes in the world that do not use eggs and turn out completely fine and delicious – like pizza dough! Nevertheless, I was worried about the consistency and texture of my dough. Pizza dough is tasty for pizza, but for cinnamon buns I wanted my dough to be pillowy and soft. This meant that I would need to knead my dough to achieve the desired softness.
For this step (which renders the recipe very easy to make) I used my stand mixer and dough hook attachment. I kneaded my dough for 10 – 15 minutes on low-medium speed, to develop the gluten to a level that would render my dough pillowy and soft. Afterwards, I let it rise till it doubled in size and then kneaded it again for 3-5 minutes on low before rolling it out.
Now you don’t necessarily need a stand mixer, but a stand mixer makes this recipe infinitely easier to accomplish, as you let the dough hook do all the work. However, in the past, I just used to use my good old hands to knead the dough. With that in mind, if you are using your hands, then you would only need to knead (ha ha), the dough for 7- 10 minutes the first round, and 2-3 minutes the second round. And on the bright side – you get in such a good arm workout that warrants eating 2-3 egg-free cinnamon buns to restore your energy levels 😉
EASY EGG-FREE CINNAMON BUNS
Egg-Free Cinnamon Buns
These egg-free cinnamon buns render a dough that is soft and pillowy, with a decadent cinnamon sugar filling and sticky brown sugar bottom.
Ingredients
Dough Recipe
- 1 cup warm milk
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (instant yeast works too)
- 3 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cane sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 tbsp vanilla essence
- 2 tsp lemon zest
Cinnamon Filling
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
- 3 tbsp melted, butter
Sticky Brown Sugar Mixture
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
- 1 tbsp bourbon (optional)
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt (optional)
Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 oz softened, cream cheese icing (half the package of brick of cream cheese)
- 3 tbsp full cream / milk (may need to add more or less, depending on icing)
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 cup icing sugar (may need to add more)
- pinch of salt to taste
Instructions
Assembling the Dough
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Place warm milk in the bowl of your stand mixer (or another large bowl). Measure in the active yeast with 1/2 tsp of sugar, and let sit for 10 minutes to activate. Make sure the milk isn’t too hot or else it will kill the yeast and the dough will not rise.
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In the large mixing bowl, add in the flour, sugar, salt, vanilla, lemon zest and softened butter. Using your dough hook, knead the mixture for 10 minutes on low-medium speed.
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Cover the bowl with either plastic wrap or a towel and let sit for at least an hour or until it’s doubled in size. I let mine rest for 30 minutes in my warm oven because I am impatient and wanted to eat these babies ASAP.
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After the dough has risen, knead it for another 5 minutes (by hand or using the dough hook). Place dough on a floured surface and begin to roll out the dough into a 16" by 20" rectangle and about 1/2 - 1 inch thick. It doesn't have to be perfect.
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Now move on to the filling.
Assembling Cinnamon Filling
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Meanwhile, while the dough is rising, place the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and use a fork to mix the ingredient together until it becomes like sand (they will be small separated grains).
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Melt the butter on the stove or in the microwave. .Using a pastry brush, begin to spread the melted butter onto the dough - make sure you reach the edges. Then sprinkle the cinnamon mixture on top.
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Starting with the short edge, begin to slowly roll the dough into a long. Cut the roll into 12 equal pieces.
Sticky Brown Sugar Mixture
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Combine the brown sugar, nuts, maple syrup and butter in a saucepan and melt over low heat. Once melted, turn the heat to medium - high and constantly stir the mixture for about 3 minutes. You will start to see the mixture bubble and thicken up. Once you feel it is thick enough, remove the mixture from the heat.
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Add the vanilla, and the salt and bourbon. Pour mixture into a baking dish and place the cinnamon rolls inside.
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Cover the dish with plastic wrap or a towel and let the buns rise for another 30 minutes (or until they look nicely puffed up).
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Preheat the oven to 350F and bake the buns for 25-30 mins or until they start to brown on top. Remove and add the frosting on top while the buns are warm, so they melt the icing.
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Take one (or two) and enjoy it with a big glass of milk!
Cream Cheese Icing
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In a medium sized glass bowl, add the softened cream cheese, icing sugar, full cream and salt. Beat the mixture until it has the consistency of whipped cream rather than a stiff buttercream. Spread the icing on top of the warm cinnamon buns.
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AT FIRST THIS RECIPE SEEMS DAUNTING BECAUSE IT HAS MULTIPLE STEPS BUT THE MORE YOU MAKE THEM (AND YOU WILL) THE EASIER IT BECOMES. CINNAMON BUNS ARE A STAPLE IN MY FAMILY AND THEY DO NOT LAST MORE THAN TWO DAYS. I HAVE MEMORIES OF EATING CINNAMON BUNS WHILE SHOPPING WHEN I WAS YOUNGER. WHAT ARE SOME FOODS THAT EVOKE YOUR CHILDHOOD MEMORIES?
