Gluten Free/Vegan Pumpkin Sticky Buns

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons Melted Earth Balance Butter
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 3/4 cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Flour Bread Mix
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dry Ener-G Egg Replacer
• 1/3 cup Warm Milk + 1 TBS of Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Yeast (Fast Acting)

Sticky Bun Filling

• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup Melted Earth Balance Butter
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Ginger

For the Pan

• 3 tablespoons Melted Earth Balance Butter
• 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Frosting

• 1/2 cup Dairy Free Cream Cheese
• 1/4 cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
• 2 tablespoons Softened Earth Balance Butter
• 2 tablespoons Vegan Shortening
• 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon Shortening

Directions

This Recipe might have changed my life.  This is one of those triumphs that Ill be on cloud nine over for the next several weeks. They are incredible, amazing.. they might make you cry even. My husband said they were the BEST sticky bun he has ever had. (even before gluten free) I have been thinking and plotting out Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns for months! And I mean months! The problem is that in most cases creating a gluten free dough that will rise- but is pliable enough to roll out in the  typical sticky bun fashion is a combination that I had found difficult.

Insert- King Arthur’s New Gluten Free Flour Mixes. I have been reading and hearing rave reviews. So while I’m not one to buy flour mixes-  as I find them to be a crutch as I put myself through this Gluten Free kitchen boot camp. BUT they do offer a great starting point.  I have read that the King Arthur Gluten Free Bread Mix baked into a gorgeous Loaf. That’s exactly what I needed- a flour mix that would provide me with a guaranteed rise.  So I picked up a box and I used it- and talk about results.

King Arthur Flour is made primarily from Rice and Tapioca Flour. Not my favorites health wise. Now that I know a good recipe formula to follow- I will be working on a healthier rendition of this recipe. (I mean Sticky Buns aren’t ever meant to be healthy- but perhaps I can squeeze in some Whole Grain Flours and Unrefined Sugars)

I Must give you fare warning. These are FATTENING. You could use less butter.. but what fun is that  :) Honestly they would still be good if you omit some of the butter from the filling and the pan.. BUT If I’m having a sticky bun- I want it to be buttery and moist- just sopping with deliciousness. I CAN”T STAND dry Cinnamon or Sticky Buns. Who wants to indulge in that?? Oh speaking of the butter- Here’s something very important. All of the melted butter in this recipe CANNOT be scalding hot right out from the microwave. If you add HOT butter to the recipe at any point- you could kill the yeast. Keep this in mind.

And Finally- If you can’t eat Soy- no worries. The Frosting contains Soy Cream Cheese- Instead of using this- you could omit it all together and make a Pumpkin Glaze. (A simple glaze is what is pictured above!) Or a Pumpkin Frosting. I Don’t have an exact recipe for you today for this- but I would suggest playing around with combining Pumpkin Puree, Powdered Sugar, Earth Balance Butter Softened, and Vegan Shortening. (The Shortening Makes it Fluffy)

Ok Lets get to it..

1. Preheat oven to 400 Degrees.
2. To Make the Dough: Combine the Warm Milk  + TBS Sugar and Yeast. Set aside and let it bubble and froth (let the yeast begin to grow)  . In the bowl of a stand mixer (Or a large bowl using a hand mixer) Combine the King Arthur Bread Mix Flour, Sugar, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Xanthan Gum, Spices, Salt and Egg Replacer. Mix in the Melted Butter (Make sure it is not really hot to touch as this will kill the yeast) Also add in a TSP of Vanilla Extract (sorry forgot to mention this ingredient in the list)  Finally Mix in the Yeast and Milk Mixture to form a pliable dough.
3. Coat your hands with Oil and rub a little over the surface of the dough- Roll the dough out thinly on a Large sheet of Parchment Paper into a rectangular Shape.  Sprinkle the dough with the Brown Sugar, Spices and Finally Drizzle butter all over the surface.  Gentle Starting at one edge- using the parchment paper as your aid begin to roll the dough until you have a long rolled up log. Using a sharp Knife cut the dough into segments. (I cut mine into 10-12 Sticky Buns.
4. Prepare the Pan- Coat the bottom with Brown Sugar and Pour in the Butter. Place the Sticky buns side by side (with a little room to grow) into pan. (I Used a 9 by 9 inch Square Pan)
5. Place the Pan on top of the pre-heated oven so that it can benefit from its heat. Cover with a towel and Allow the Sticky Buns to Rise for 1 hour.
6. Place Sticky Buns into the oven and Bake 18 minutes. While they bake prepare the Frosting..
7. Using a Mixer combine the Cream Cheese, Softened Butter, Shortening, Powdered Sugar Nutmeg and Cinnamon.
8. Remove cooked Sticky Buns from the Oven- allow to Cool Slightly and them Frost and serve them.  This frosting is not extremely Firm. If you place the sticky buns Covered in the fridge the frosting will come to a more solid state. They can be refrigerated for several days and will not dry out do to the sheer amount of butter used Feel free to also freeze this for another day.

Enjoy! and try not to eating more than 2 in one sitting. I dare you

Here is a photo of the dough before it has begun to rise:

After the Rise:

and Finally This is what they should look like coming out of the oven: