Fluffy Pumpkin-Spice Buns

I can't begin to explain how satisfying it feels to make your own baked goods, then savour them while they're still warm with a cup of coffee. It's such an indulgence – and this recipe makes it ridiculously simple. Certainly, if you have a mixer with a dough hook, you're laughing!

Buns like these often require you to warm milk to a certain temperature to activate the yeast, but here you just bung it all in, stir and knead. Then there are two one-hour proves to wait for while you get on with your day, then you're done.

I've used very strong 00 Canadian bread flour here, which makes the buns extra fluffy, but I've used regular 00 bread flour in the past, and they're just as tasty. I recommend baking these for no more than 20 minutes – about 17 is perfect to make sure they're tender and fluffy. I've also given you two topping options – a frosting and a glaze – so you can use whichever you fancy.

If you want to make regular cinnamon buns, simply swap the pumpkin spice for ground cinnamon, or make my Chelsea Buns instead.

PREP TIME:
2 hour 20 minutes

COOK TIME:
20 minutes

SERVES:
Makes 8 Buns

Ingredients
Instructions

Ingredients

For the dough

350g 00 flour, plus extra for dusting

50g coconut or soft brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp ground cinnamon

7g sachet dried yeast

30g vegan butter, melted

Pinch of salt

200ml oat or almond milk

For the pumpkin spice mix

4 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cloves

½ tsp grated nutmeg

For the filling

3 tsp pumpkin spice mix

40g soft brown sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

40g vegan butter, softened

For the cream cheese frosting

150g almond cream cheese, or an alternative

75g plant-based butter

1 cup icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the glaze

2-3 tbsp maple syrup

1 cup icing sugar

2 tbsp oat or almond milk

Instructions

If you have a mixer, use the dough hook to combine all the dough ingredients together. If you don't, use a wooden spoon and some elbow grease, mixing until you have a sticky dough.
Knead the dough until it firms up and passes the window pane test – if you take a small lump and lightly stretch it, you should see the light through the dough. This should take around 10 mins in your mixer, or longer by hand.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball. Place it in a lightly floured bowl, cover with cling film or a tea towel, and set aside somewhere warm for 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the spice mix in a small bowl, and set aside. In another bowl, stir together the filling ingredients, and set aside.
Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper, or lightly grease a baking dish.
Once the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl, and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out into a large rectangle, about 1cm thick.
Spread the filling evenly over the dough, and sprinkle with brown sugar. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough widthways into 8 even strips. Roll up each strip tightly, to prevent the filling from spilling out.
Arrange the rolls in your lined tray, leaving a little space between each one to give them room to expand.
Cover the tray in cling film or a clean kitchen towel, and leave to prove somewhere warm for another hour.
15 mins before your buns are fully proved, preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/Gas 4.
Bake your buns for around 15-20 mins, until golden and fluffy. Be careful not to over bake – you want them as light and tender as possible. When they're done, remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Prepare your frosting or glaze by whipping together all the ingredients. Once the buns have cooled, either spoon over your frosting, allowing it to slip down the cracks, or drizzle over your glaze.