Rolling Up with A Date

for all the cinnaholics out there

As soon as I finished the last of my banana galettes, I knew I needed to give that date caramel another opportunity to shine. It’s too good for you to miss out on because you don’t like bananas. It’s really something special. And considering that it takes less than 5 minutes to prepare, I’m basically DEMANDING that you make it. I rarely issue orders but consider this a top priority in your kitchen. 

Buy the best plump medjool dates you can find. Throw them in your food processor with a few common ingredients and you end up with a caramel so delicious that you’ll wonder why people aren’t eating it every chance they get. I added a little nondairy butter and cinnamon to this version to make the filling more reminiscent of classic cinnamon rolls but the original recipe is just fine the way it is. There’s a thousand different ways for you to enjoy it and probably a thousand more ways I haven’t even thought of yet. It’s great in the banana galettes, as a dip for apples, drizzled over cake, and as a layer in a batch of Millionaires’ shortbread. This week we’re gonna start gearing up for a cozy fall and make cinnamon rolls.

This Onion article still lives rent free in my head

Hungry as Hell has a pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe in it that’s damn delicious but it’s also a seasonal treat. The filling is made with pumpkin- not the dough like in most recipes- so it’s a sticky sweet mess that reminds you a little of pumpkin pie. While I LOVE that version, this is a more traditional cinnamon roll but without the mind-numbing sweetness found in most recipes. I don’t want to feel like I’m gonna pass out because I wanted a little sweet treat. The date caramel gives you all the gooey sweetness you want without the blood sugar spike. They are much lower on the glycemic index than the sugar and cinnamon combo usually found in cinnamon rolls and their added fiber keeps you feeling steady instead of giving you the sugar shakes.

I put a barely-there glaze on top, mostly for looks, but if you want the cream cheese-based monstrosity people usually spread on there, that’s your business. Also, I like to pour ½ cup of nondairy milk or creamer over the rolls right before they go in the oven. I saw this tip on TikTok and it really does help the cinnamon rolls get extra plump and gooey. Do it with your next batch and see the magic happen for yourself. Like most cinnamon roll recipes, this one is long but your active cooking time isn’t- particularly if you have a stand mixer. I like to make them when I’m spending a day at home cleaning or something. Just set a timer and go about your business and let the yeast do its thing. You’ll be so happy you did once your place smells just like a Cinnabon franchise without the harsh overhead lighting.

Cinnamon Rolls with Date Caramel

Makes about 9 rolls

¼ cup nondairy milk

2 tablespoons ground golden flaxseeds

4 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast (one standard packet)

½ cup cane sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 ¼ cup warm nondairy milk

¼ cup nondairy butter, softened

½ cup nondairy creamer or milk

Date Caramel Filling

10 pitted medjool dates

½ cup nondairy milk, plain or vanilla

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons nondairy butter, softened

1 tablespoon cinnamon plus 1 teaspoon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

¼ cup nondairy milk, vanilla or plain

In a small glass, whisk together the ¼ cup of milk with the ground flaxseeds and set it aside.

Grab your stand-mixer and fit it with your dough hook attachment. Add the flour and yeast to the bowl and stir a couple of times to combine. Add the sugar, milk, flaxseed mixture, and salt and mix again. Add the butter in a couple dollops and run your mixer until a smooth dough starts to form, about 5 minutes. If it looks too dry or too wet, add some nondairy milk or flour a tablespoon at a time until it starts looking right to you. All kind of things can affect the moisture level of your flour on any given day so if it looks too dry etc, you didn’t fuck up. It’s just the flour being fussy. Give it whatever it needs until it behaves. Once the dough is smooth and pulling away from the edges of the bowl, place it in a tall bowl coated with oil on the inside, cover with a kitchen towel, and place it somewhere warm to rise. This will take 1 ½-2 hours to double in size so you have more than enough time to make the caramel and do whatever the fuck else you want.

To make the date caramel, throw the dates, milk, maple syrup, nondairy butter, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt into your food processor and run that shit until everything looks smooth. You might need to scrape down the sides to get all the date chunks in there but that’s it. Done.

Once your dough has doubled in size, grease a 9x13 inch pan and set it aside. Warm your oven up to 375 degrees. Punch down the dough in the bowl then lay it on a well-floured surface. Roll it out into a large rectangle, about 12x20 inches. Spread the prepared filling all over the dough leaving about ½ inch clean at the top of the long-side of the rectangle. Starting with the long edge closest to you, roll the dough into a log, as tightly as you can then use that little ½ inch of plain dough to help pinch the roll shut. Cut the log into slices 1 to 1 ½ inches thick and place them, spaced out, in the prepared pan. Cover this again and let them rise until they look like they’ve almost doubled in size, 30-45 minutes. You could also stick them in the fridge at this point, covered, and bake them the next day after you let them rise on the counter for 45 minutes to warm back up. Your call.

Once the rolls have risen again, pour over the ½ cup of creamer on the rolls and in the spaces in between them. This will help them get extra fluffy and gooey in the oven. Bake them for 25-35 minutes until the edges look golden and the centers look well-cooked.  If you aren’t sure, let them bake just a little longer because a raw center is such a bummer.

When they’re all done let the tray cool on a wire rack while you make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until no clumps remain. Drizzle this over the warm cinnamon rolls and let them cool for at least 15 more minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Best eaten within the first 4 days they’re made.

Cinnamon Rolls With Date Caramel

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Thanks so much for cooking along with us here in The Broiler Room. Are good dates easy to find where you’re at? Let us know in the comments.