A Recipe Rival: Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Sticky Buns

I won’t hesitate to say that my whole wheat vegan cinnamon rolls are the best thing I’ve ever made. If not the best, definitely my favorite.

But even when a recipe is a winner, I have no desire to make it all the time. I can’t risk getting sick of it! That doesn’t mean I can’t make endless variations.

It’s time for a slightly less healthy, still part whole wheat, still vegan -but-you-wouldn’t-know-it, decadent breakfast treat.

Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Sticky Buns

It’s like a chocolate chip pancake rolled into a cinnamon bun dipped in ooey goodness.

Sticky Bun Dough

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup almond milk

1 1/2 tsp yeast

1/2 tsp salt

1 T flax meal + 3 T water

2 T agave nectar {can use honey if not making vegan}

2 T vegan butter, melted {or regular of course}

1/4 cup chocolate chips {dark or carob if keeping vegan}

Filling

3 T granulated sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Sticky Glaze

1 T vegan butter, melted

1 T honey

2 T brown sugar

1 T almond milk

1/8 cup pecans {optional}

1. Mix flax meal and water together; set aside. Heat almond slightly {about 20 seconds in the microwave}, stir in yeast; set aside.

2. Mix remaining dough ingredients together, minus chocolate chips. Add flax and milk. Stir until combined. {May not come together completely until step 3.}

3. Dump dough on clean, dry surface. Knead gently until nice ball forms.

4. Brush clean bowl with oil. Set dough inside. Cover and let sit about an hour to rise.

5. Once dough has risen {slightly}, place on clean surface and punch down. Gently fold in chocolate chips.

6. Roll dough into long skinny rectangle. Spread surface with cinnamon and sugar. {Add more filling if it doesn’t look like enough- depends on size of rectangle.}

7. Roll dough length wise into log. Cut into slices ~try for at least 9 rolls.

8. Mix sticky glaze ingredients together. If won’t blend smoothly, heat them up slightly.

9. Pour glaze in greased 8×8 baking dish; spread evenly. Top with pecans.

10. Place sticky buns evenly spaced into baking dish. Cover and let rise ~2 hours. {Buns should rise enough to touch each other and fill pan.} Move on to step 11, or refrigerate overnight.

11. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, covered loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes. {If refrigerated, set out to warm up a little before baking.}

12. Remove from oven and let cool 1-2 minutes. Slid knife around outside edge of pan to loosen buns. Put plate on top of pan and flip over to invert sticky buns.

13. For extra decadence, make an extra batch of sticky glaze and drizzle over buns.

These might be better than the cinnamon rolls….

Chocolate chips? Cinnamon? Pecans? Gooey glaze? What’s not to love about sticky buns?!