These vegan sticky buns are easy to make from scratch without a mixer or any special equipment! They're lightly spiced with cinnamon, they're soft, gooey, and chewy, and have delicious bits of apple and chopped walnuts in every bite.
In a small bowl, warm the almond milk to 100 °F-115 °F. Stir in the brown sugar and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow the yeast to rest until it forms tiny foamy bubbles on top.
2 teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 tablespoon vegan dark brown sugar, 1 cup almond milk
In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the activated yeast mixture. Stir until mostly combined.
2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt
Add the oil and mix to completely combined.
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
Knead for 5-7 minutes on a lightly floured surface until the dough is smooth and stretchy. Form the dough into a ball.
Spray a large bowl with oil or brush it with oil. Place the dough ball in the oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel (Hint: spray the underside of the plastic wrap with oil to prevent sticking!). Place in a warm place and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Prepare the filling:
In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir well.
½ cup dark brown sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Peel and finely dice the apples. If your walnuts aren't chopped, chop them into small pieces.
Prepare the sticky pan sauce:
Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
In a small saucepan, combine the coconut oil, almond milk, and brown sugar.
3 tablespoons coconut oil, 2 tablespoons almond milk, ⅓ cup dark brown sugar
Over medium heat, stir until all of the sugar is dissolved and the solution is syrupy and bubbling (watch it closely!).
Pour into the base of the baking pan and spread around.
Assemble and bake the rolls:
Turn out the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a rectangle about 14x20 inches.
Brush 3 tablespoons of melted coconut oil onto the surface of the dough. Sprinkle spiced sugar into an even layer over the surface, getting all the way to the edges.
3 tablespoons coconut oil
Scatter the diced apple and chopped walnuts over the dough.
1 cup chopped walnuts, 2 medium apples
Starting on the long side, roll the dough up gently but tightly. Turn the dough log so the seam is underneath.
Using a very sharp knife, cut the dough into 12 even pieces (tip: for even-sized sticky buns, either measure your 12 pieces, or slice the dough log in half, then into quarters, and then into 12 pieces).
Place the dough pieces in the prepared baking dish so that they are evenly spaced. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Allow to rise again until doubled (about 30-45 minutes).Make-ahead tip: At this point you can cover the rolls with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 48 hours if you don't want to bake them right away. If refrigerating, allow them to come to room temperature and rise before baking.
During the last rise, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until just starting to turn golden on top. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
→ The rising time will vary depending on how warm your room temperature is. Warmer dough will rise faster, but you do NOT want to go above 115F (45C) because that will kill the yeast. Read the blog post for more tips.→ Use refined coconut oilif you don't want a coconutty flavor or aroma.→ Make-ahead tip: Prepare and refrigerate the 12 rolls in the baking pan right before the second rise. Wrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap so the tops of the sticky buns don't dry out and refrigerate overnight (or up to 2 days). Let the rolls come to room temperature before baking.→ Drizzle these cinnamon sticky buns with vegan caramel sauce or with vegan cream cheese icing, following the recipe from this vegan carrot cake and thinning out the icing with just a splash or almond milk.→ Storing and freezing sticky buns: Baked sticky bun rolls can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days and reheated in the microwave or oven. To freeze sticky buns, cool completely then freeze, either separately or in a pan. Allow to thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat in the oven before serving.