Delicious and beautiful nutty sweet rolls with fall flavors!
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Tahinopitakia is a traditional recipe for sweet vegan Tahini and cinnamon rolls from the island of Cyprus. They’re delicious with a cup of coffee and can be served alone or on a brunch table. I can’t wait for you to try these and make them your own.
This recipe isn’t exactly the traditional tahinopitakia, but I wanted to make an American version with fall flavors. So, I’ve added maple syrup to the filling. If you prefer to use honey or that’s what you have, the substitution is easy. Just remember the rolls won’t be vegan if you add the honey.
Why will everyone want one?
Sweet bread full of
Nutty tahini
Spicy cinnamon
Sticky maple syrup
Deep brown sugar
And covered in
Orange maple glaze
What do I need for the dough?
Lukewarm water -this helps wake-up and rehydrate the yeast so it will proof. If the water is too cold, your yeast won’t activate. If it’s too hot, you’ll kill the active yeast. Make sure the water is slightly warmer than your body temperature for the perfect results every time.
Granulated sugar -adds a bit of sweetness and feeds the yeast to rise the dough.
Instant dry yeast -makes the rolls rise and creates an airy texture in the rolls.
All-purpose flour -it’s what bread is made of. Ha! If you have a good all-purpose gluten-free flour, I bet it would work, too. Let me know if you try it!
Ground mastic -this can be a little tricky to grind because it gets sticky. I typically use a mortar and pestle, but you can use a food processor. You can also substitute cardamom here.
Light olive oil -I use a good quality light olive oil from Costco, but any light oil will work.
Orange juice -adds the perfect citrus flavor for a sweet roll.
Orange zest -the zest has more flavor than the juice. Remember to zest before you juice.
What’s in the filling?
Tahini -roasted sesame seed puree creates a thick nutty flavored paste.
Pure maple syrup -the traditional recipe calls for honey, but maple syrup screams fall!
Brown sugar -a better version of sugar in this recipe. The molasses that’s added makes the sugar softer and darker and helps the rolls stay moist and chewy.
Ground cinnamon -pairs perfectly with tahini and maple syrup.
Pure vanilla extract -add to the caramel flavor of the filling.
Can I add other things?
Yes! You can add your favorite things to the filling. Try raisins, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, chopped walnuts or pecans.
What do I need to make a glaze?
Three simple ingredients… confectioner’s sugar, maple syrup, and orange juice. You can make this as thick or thin as you like.
How do I activate the yeast?
Rarely do I end up with inactive yeast, but it can happen. So, always check your yeast. Mix the lukewarm water, yeast, and sugar in your mixing bowl and set it aside for about 8-10 minutes. At the end of the time, you should see a puffy, bubbly cloud on top of the liquid. The yeast is active if you see a puffy cloud form on top of the mixture.
Do I make the dough after the yeast has activated?
Yes. After you see the yeast is activated, whisk the flour, zest, and ground mastic together in a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil and orange juice to the yeast mixture. Then, add the flour mixture and knead on low speed for 8-10 minutes. If the mixture is still too sticky, add a little more flour and knead until incorporated.
Grease a large bowl with light olive oil and toss the dough in the bowl to coat. Cover and set aside to rise until doubled in volume.
How do I make the filling?
It’s so simple. Just whisk all of the filling ingredients together in a bowl. Add some warm water to thin out so that it is easily spreadable.
How do I create the beautiful spirals in your pictures?
Preheat the oven to 375 °F, 190 °C. Dump the dough onto a floured surface and divide it into 12 equal portions. Lightly flour your work surface again and roll out each portion of dough into a thin disc. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of the tahini mixture on top. Then, sprinkle your favorite toppings over the tahini. Raisins with nuts or coconut and chocolate are great combinations.
Roll it up into a rope and twist it. Then, roll the rope into a spiral. Place the spirals onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper and brush the tops and sides with water. Sprinkle with plain sugar or cinnamon sugar and bake on the center rack until golden -about 25 minutes.
Is there a way to make the rolls similar to American cinnamon rolls?
Cinnamon rolls in America are softer than tahinopitakia. If you want to try that, preheat the oven temperature to 350 °F and assemble the spirals. Once you have them on the parchment paper, let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to rise a bit before proceeding. You’ll bake them for about 35 minutes.
Can I drizzle the rolls with a glaze?
I do! Add the confectioner’s sugar into a bowl along with the orange juice. Drizzle in some maple syrup and whisk together. Add enough syrup so that the glaze pours easily. Adding too much syrup will make the glaze too thin and translucent. Drizzle the glaze over the spirals once they have cooled to room temperature.
What’s the best way to serve vegan tahini and cinnamon rolls from Cyprus?
The rolls taste best slightly warm or at room temperature. They smell and taste delicious, but don’t forget a hot cup of coffee. If you’d like to serve these on a brunch table, try serving them alongside shakshuka with spinach and feta, a spinach and feta cheese phyllo tart, or a zucchini and feta omelette. If you want to serve them on a pastry tray, try my Greek bread rings, known as koulouria thessaloniki’s, easy puff pastry danishes, or apple turnovers in puff pastry.
Do I store these like bread?
These rolls have no dairy, so you can store them with your bread at room temperature. They’ll stay fresh for a few days.
Can I freeze these rolls?
Once completely cooled, put the rolls in freezer-safe bags or containers, and they’ll keep for up to a month. Thaw and toast in the oven for a few minutes before serving, and then top with confectioner’s sugar or the glaze.
Tahinopitakia: Vegan Tahini & Cinnamon Rolls from Cyprus
These vegan sweet Tahini rolls are a traditional recipe from the island of Cyprus. They're delicious with a cup of coffee.
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 cup (250ml) lukewarm water
- 1/3 cup (80g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons instant dry yeast
- 3 and 1/2 -4 cups (about 550g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mastic or cardamom
- 1/2 cup (160ml) light olive oil
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- zest of 2 oranges
For the Tahini Filling:
- 1 jar (11 oz/312g) tahini
- 5-6 tablespoons pure maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Optional fillings:
- raisins
- chocolate chips
- chopped walnuts/pecans
- shredded sweetened coconut
- Glaze:
- 1 and 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
- a few tablespoons maple syrup
- a tablespoon or 2 of orange juice
Instructions
Make the Dough:
In the bowl of a tabletop mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the water, yeast, sugar, and a couple tablespoons of flour. Mix together and set aside to proof. About 8 minutes. The yeast is alive if you see a puffy cloud form on top of the mixture.
In a arge mixing bowl combine the flour, zest, ground mastic and whisk together.
Add the olive oil and orange juice to the yeast mixture. Add the flour mixture and knead on low speed for 8-10 minutes. If the mixture is still too sticky add a little more flour and knead until incorporated.
Grease a large bowl with light olive oil and toss the dough in the bowl to coat. Cover and set aside to rise until doubled in volume.
Make the Filling:
Combine all of the filling ingredients together in a bowl and whisk together. Add some warm water to thin out so that it is easily spreadable.
Preheat the oven to 375 °F, 190 °C.
Assemble the Tahini Rolls:
Divide the dough into 12 equal portions.
Lightly flour your work surface.
Roll out each portion of dough into a thin disc. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of the tahini mixture on top. Sprinkle your favorite toppings over the tahini. Raisins with nuts are a great combination or coconut and chocolate.
Roll it up into a rope and twist it. Then roll onto a spiral.
Place the spirals onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
Brush the tops and sides with water and sprinkle with plain sugar or cinnamon sugar.
Bake on the center rack until golden. About 25 minutes.
Make the Glaze:
Add the confectioner's sugar into a bowl along with the orange juice. Drizzle in some maple syrup and whisk together. Add enough syrup so that the glaze pours easily. Adding too much syrup will make the glaze too thin and translucent.
Drizzle the glaze over the spirals once they have cooled to room temperature.
Notes
The tahini rolls can be stored at room temperature. They taste best the day that they are made but will keep fresh at room temperature for a few days.
They can be stored in freezer-safe bags/containers up to a month. Thaw and toast in the oven for a fw minutes and then top with confectioner's sugar or the glaze.
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