Pumpkin & Coconut Milk Cinnamon Buns with Pumpkin Glaze

We’re on a roll with the coconut theme on this blog. This time, we’ve got coconut milk guest starring in this delicious cinnamon bun recipe. And in true Halloween fashion, we had to make this one extra special by mixing in some pumpkin purée. It gives these soft, fluffy, ooey-gooey scrolls a pretty hint of orange. Of course, there are countless recipes out there for pumpkin cinnamon buns (come on, everyone’s done ’em), but I like to think this one’s a little bit special because it incorporates some coconut milk into the dough and you end up smothering the buns in a sweet pumpkin glaze.

That said, I believe we’ve found the most amazing smell in the world: creamy pumpkin purée + fragrant coconut milk. Stir the two together and the resulting aroma is intoxicatingly luscious. And it only gets better when the gorgeous blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cardamom is added. With such potent ingredients, you will not get a better smelling cinnamon bun dough.

To be honest, we kind of decided to make these because James had never tried a sticky cinnamon bun before in any way, shape or form. At first, I wanted to make them simple – classic cinnamon scrolls without the extra flavours of pumpkin or coconut – so that James would know exactly what he’d been missing out on his whole life. But James was adamant that the very first buns he wanted to try would be these special ones. And seeing as they all vanished within two days, I’d say it was a big hit with him (and everyone else who tried them).

Pumpkin & Coconut Milk Cinnamon Buns with Pumpkin Glaze
adapted from smitten kitchen’s pumpkin cinnamon rolls.

Ingredients:

for the dough:
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 1/4 teaspoons instant dried yeast
1/2 cup coconut milk
2/3 cup pumpkin purée
1 egg, lightly beaten

for the cinnamon filling
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup raw sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

for the pumpkin glaze:
1 cup icing sugar
3 tablespoons coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
a pinch of ground cinnamon

Preparation:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugars and spices. Mix thoroughly.
2. Add the 1/4 cup melted butter to the dry ingredients and combine.
3. In a small bowl, combine the yeast, coconut milk, pumpkin purée and egg. Stir well, then add to the flour mixture and mix until a dough starts to form.
4. Using a dough hook, mix on low for 5 minutes, or until elastic and no longer sticky.
5. Place dough in a large well-oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until double in size.
6. Line a large rectangular baking pan with non-stick baking paper.
7. Once the dough has risen, generously flour a work surface and roll the dough out into a 16 inch x 11 inch rectangle.
8. Lightly brush the rest of the melted butter over the top of the dough. Combine all the ingredients for the cinnamon filling and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the buttered dough.
9. Lengthwise, carefully roll the dough into a tight spiral. Cut into 1 inch pieces with a sharp serrated knife (sawing slowly with very minimal pressure) and lay them spiral-side-down in prepared pan, just touching each other. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise for another hour.
10. Bake at 175°C for approximately 25 minutes.
11. Remove from oven and leave buns to cool in the pan while you make the glaze.
12. To make the pumpkin glaze, combine all the ingredients until a smooth mixture forms. Add more/less icing sugar or coconut milk for desired consistency.
13. Drizzle the glaze over the buns. Serve warm for an extra sticky, gooey, delicious treat!