Warm, yeasted buns with a luxurious dark filling of sweet black sesame, and a sticky matcha glaze.
Cinnamon roll, meet black sesame. When you pull apart these soft, sweet buns, warm from the oven and sticky with glaze, you’re going to wish you made a double batch. The nutty toasted black sesame adds deep richness to these buttery buns, adorned with gorgeous jade swirls of earthy, bittersweet matcha glaze.
Ingredients
The dough is a simple yeasted dough:
- 1 cup (240mL) unsweetened soy milk or almond milk, slightly warmed, or at room temperature
- ¼ cup (57g) vegan butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons (25g) organic granulated sugar
- 1 packet (7g, 2 ¼ teaspoons) quick-rise instant yeast
- 2 ½ cups (350g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the black sesame sugar filling:
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (72g) toasted black sesame seeds
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup (57g) vegan butter, softened
For the matcha glaze:
- ½ teaspoon ceremonial-grade matcha powder. I recommend using ceremonial grade matcha, meant for drinking, as it’s more vibrant green and not bitter like culinary grade matcha
- ½ cup (100g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened soy milk or almond milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Make the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the non-dairy milk, melted butter, and sugar. Sprinkle on the instant dry yeast, then add the flour and salt. Stir vigorously until the dough is well combined. Cover with a towel and set aside for an hour to proof.
- Make the black sesame sugar mixture. In a food processor or high-speed blender, pulse the sesame seeds and sugar until the mixture resembles a fine sand. Transfer to a bowl, then fold in the softened butter until a crumbly paste forms.
- Assemble like a jelly-roll. After the dough has doubled, turn it out of the bowl onto a well-floured surface. Add flour in increments, kneading until the dough is still soft and malleable but no longer sticky. Roll the dough out into a rectangle (with ½ inch thickness), then sprinkle on the black sesame mixture in a generous layer. Starting from the long end, roll up tightly to form a log.
- Proof the rolls. Slice the log lengthwise into 8 equal pieces and arrange in a single layer in a 9-inch pie or square pan. Cover and let the buns rise in a warm place for another 25 to 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool slightly as you prepare the glaze.
- Make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the matcha powder, powdered sugar, non-dairy milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle the rolls with the matcha glaze and serve while the buns are still warm.
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Print📖 Recipe
Black Sesame Cinnamon Rolls with Matcha Glaze (Vegan)
A twist on the classic cinnamon roll. Warm, sticky buns with a luxurious dark filling of sweet black sesame, drizzled with a fragrant matcha glaze.
- Prep Time: 90
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Desserts and Treats
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Scale
For the dough:
- 1 cup (240mL) unsweetened soy milk or almond milk, slightly warmed (if your kitchen is cold), or at room temperature
- ¼ cup (57g) vegan butter, like Miyoko’s or Earth Balance
- 2 tablespoons (25g) organic cane sugar
- 1 packet (7g, 2 ¼ teaspoons) quick-rise instant yeast
- 2 ½ cups (350g) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the black sesame:
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (72g) black sesame seeds, toasted
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup (57g) vegan butter, softened
For the matcha glaze:
- ½ teaspoon ceremonial-grade matcha powder
- ½ cup (100g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened soy milk or almond milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the non-dairy milk, melted butter, and sugar. Sprinkle on the instant dry yeast, then add the flour and salt. Stir vigorously until the dough is well combined. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside for an hour, or until doubled in size.
- Make the black sesame filling. In a food processor or high-speed blender, pulse the sesame seeds and sugar until the mixture resembles a fine sand. Transfer to a bowl, then fold in the softened butter to form a crumbly paste.
- Shape the rolls. Transfer the risen dough out of the bowl onto a clean, well-floured surface. Add flour in increments, kneading until the dough is still soft and malleable but no longer sticky. Roll the dough out into a rectangle about ½ inch in thickness. Add the black sesame mixture in a generous layer. Starting from the long end, roll up tightly to form a log.
- Proof the rolls. Slice the log lengthwise into 8 equal pieces and arrange in a single layer in a 9-inch pie or square pan. Cover and let the buns rise in a warm place for another 25 to 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Bake. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops of the buns are golden brown. Remove the buns from the oven and let them cool slightly.
- Make the glaze. Meanwhile, in a a small bowl, whisk together the matcha powder, powdered sugar, non-dairy milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and drizzly in consistency. Top the rolls with the matcha glaze.
- Serve! Enjoy while the buns are still warm.
Notes
- I prefer Miyoko’s vegan butter, but you can also use Earth Balance buttery sticks. Or, substitute melted coconut oil.
Maja says
Hello Hannah!
I tried to make your recipe and they turned out sooo good. Really needs some self control to not eat ALL of them immediately!
★★★★★
Hannah says
haaha yay! so glad you loved them!
Rebecca says
I’ve made these many times and they ALWAYS turn out amazing!
★★★★★