Roxakia (Vegan Vanilla & Chocolate Greek Pastries)

Syrupy sweet, inexpensive, and easy to make Greek pastry!

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Roxakia is a very popular vegan vanilla and chocolate Greek pastry in Northern Greece. They’re syrupy, sweet, and easy to make. Just a few simple and inexpensive ingredients turn into two layers of dough. One is a chocolate yeast dough with a hint of cinnamon and the other is a vanilla yeast dough with hints of orange. The two are rolled up together to create a delicious soft pastry that’s soaked in a vanilla orange syrup. You’ll impress the whole family with these pastries!

Why you’ll be hooked on these pastries

• Golden soft pastry
• Syrupy Sweet
• Delicious chocolate and vanilla flavor combination
• Delicious vegan vanilla and chocolate pastry that’s inexpensive and easy to make!

Simple & Inexpensive ingredients

For the Syrup:

• Water
• Granulated sugar
• Orange rind –remove before juicing
• Juice of orange –I don’t suggest another citrus, so leave it out if you don’t have it.
• Pure vanilla extract –use a good quality for the best flavor
• Cinnamon stick (optional)

For the Pastry Dough:

• Lukewarm water
• Granulated sugar –white or pure cane sugar
• Instant active yeast –use new or yeast that you know is active.
• All-purpose flour
• Zest of an orange –always zest before juicing
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Orange juice –I don’t suggest another citrus, so leave it out if you don’t have it.
• Vegetable oil –a light neutral-flavored oil

The Chocolate Mixture:

• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Ground cinnamon
• Orange juice –again, leave it out if you don’t have it or like orange and chocolate.
• Optional: ground walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts

How to make Roxakia- Vegan Vanilla & Chocolate Greek Pastries

Make the Syrup: 

1. Combine the sugar, orange zest, water, cinnamon, and orange juice in a pot and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
2. Remove the pot from the heat, add the vanilla extract, and set it aside to cool completely.

Make the dough: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 175 °C, and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a tabletop mixer that has been fitted with the hook attachment, whisk together the yeast, water, and sugar, and allow proofing for 6-8 minutes.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and orange zest.
4. Add the orange juice, oil, and flour mixture to the yeast mixture, and knead for about 3-5 minutes or until combined. The dough should be smooth. If it is too sticky, add a little more flour.
5. Divide the dough into 2 portions. One portion should be about 100 grams smaller than the other. The smaller portion will be the chocolate part of the pastry.
6. Place the smaller portion of dough in the bowl of the mixer, and add the cinnamon, cocoa powder, and orange juice. Knead until combined.

Make the pastry:

7. Lightly flour your work surface and roll the vanilla dough out to a rectangle approximately 12 x 10 inches (30cm by 25 cm).
8. Then, roll the chocolate dough into a log about 12-13 inches long.
9. Place the chocolate log on the long edge of the vanilla dough and roll them up tightly.
10. Cut half-inch thick slices and shape them into circles.
11. Place the rounds on the baking trays and bake in the preheated oven until golden –about 25-30 minutes.
12. As soon as the pastries come out of the oven, transfer them all to one pan, and pour the cool syrup over them.
13. Flip them over and let them absorb the syrup for an hour.
14. Then, transfer to a serving platter

Dipping instead of soaking in syrup

If you prefer your roxakia to be a bit dryer and less syrupy, try dipping the hot baked pastries into the syrup instead of pouring the syrup over them in the tray. Dip them in the syrup for about 30 seconds and transfer them to a serving platter. I like them syrupy, so let me know how you make them!

Serving

I could eat these all day, each time I pass by the kitchen. However, invite some friends over and serve them with hot Greek coffee. Friends, Roxakia, and Greek coffee make for a great day! Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator. They taste best at room temperature, but they’re harder to resist when you can see them on the counter! Kali orexi!

More Vegan Desserts:

• Moustokouloura: Greek Vegan Grape Molasses Cookies
• Greek Walnut Cake
• Tahinopita: Greek Vegan Tahini Cake
• Vegan Chocolate & Pistachio Biscotti: Greek Paximadia
• Orange & Almond Olive Oil Biscotti: Greek Vegan Paximadia