Vegan Chocolate Cinnamon Star Bread
This Vegan Chocolate Cinnamon Star Bread is easy to make and a really impressive tear and share dessert. Layers of no-yeast pastry filled with chocolate spread and cinnamon sugar all shaped into a star.
I love star breads, babka buns and cinnamon rolls so it was only a matter of time before I made another star bread – after my delicious Vegan Chocolate Star Bread a few years ago. The method is the same although I hope to have added in a few more top tips here with extra step-by-step photos and let’s not forget the cinnamon sugar. This star bread really is an amazing dessert or snack to serve to guests this festive period (and beyond).
Why will I love this dessert bread?
This Vegan Chocolate Cinnamon Star Bread is the best, it is:
- Light, fluffy and tender
- Easy and quick to make in under an hour
- Requires no yeast, no kneading and no proofing time
- Packed with chocolate and cinnamon sugar
- Made with simple ingredients
- Fun to make with friends and children
- Great to tear and share
- A showstopper centrepiece
- Naturally vegan and nut-free
If you already love the sound of this star dessert then skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
The recipe is divided into the dough, the filling and then the glaze all which naturally plant-based ingredients.
- Plant-based milk: any milk is great for the dough. I like oat or almond but coconut (from the carton) soya or rice milk are also great.
- Vegan butter: this is for the dough and you can use either the block-style butter or margarine. I have not tried this with coconut oil but I imagine it would work.
- Self-raising flour: this is the magic ingredient that leads to fluffy dough. I have not made this with gluten-free flour so I would check out recipes like my No-Yeast Strawberry Buns for top tips on GF doughs.
- Coconut sugar: both for the dough and the filling. I love the caramel-like flavour of coconut sugar but you can use white or golden caster sugar for the dough instead and a light brown or demerara sugar for the filling.
- Cinnamon: for flavour.
- Salt: to enhance the bake.
- Dairy free chocolate spread: there are so many vegan chocolate spreads around so pick your favourite. Make sure it is nut-free, where needed, too.
- Olive oil: I use this to spread over the dough as opposed to vegan butter as I love the richer flavour. you can also use coconut oil for the filling layers but I suggest sticking to olive oil for the glaze (or just milk).
- Maple syrup: to mix with the olive oil for the glaze. Other syrups like agave are also great to try vegan honey.
How do I make this?
This star bread is ready in a few steps:
- Melt the plant-based milk and butter: for the dough, until lukewarm.
- Stir together this mixture with the rest of the dough ingredients: and stir to a ball of dough.
- Bring together with your hands: till it is smooth.
- Divide into 4 equal pieces: best to weigh them in you can.
- Roll out each piece to a circle: the size doesn’t matter too much but mine have a 24-cm diameter.
- Place one circle down and spread half with the chocolate spread: to the second half add the olive oil and cinnamon sugar.
- Top with the second piece of dough and spread the alternate half with cinnamon sugar: and the other with chocolate spread.
- Repeat with the third piece of dough: and then chocolate spread and cinnamon sugar.
- Top with the final piece of dough: and press down lightly.
- Place a small cup or similar in the centre: this is what you’ll use to guide your cuts.
- Cut the dough into quarters: working from the edge of the dough to the edge of the cup.
- Now cut into eights and then sixteenths: so you have 16 equal strips of dough coming out from the centre.
- Remove the cup and check all the cuts have gone through: to the base.
- Take two pieces of dough and twist: them twice away from each other and then press the ends together. this is your first point of the star.
- Repeat to make 8 points of the star: pressing the edges down.
- Brush with the olive oil maple mix: and bake for 18-20 minutes, till golden brown, puffy and cooked through.
- Glaze again for more shine and dust with icing sugar: and enjoy warm or cold.
How long will it last?
Once cool, keep the bread in a sealed container at room temperature for 1-2 days although best eaten on the same day. You can freeze the bread, wrapped very well, for up to 1 month and allow to defrost at room temperature.
Is this star bread gluten-free and nut-free?
This is easily nut-free, just check that your vegan butter and chocolate spread do not contain nuts. I have not made this gluten-free before but I do love my Apple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls or Cinnamon Raisin No Yeast Swirl Buns for a gluten-free dough.
Troubleshooting top tips for the best bread
Here are a few top tips to make the best bread:
- Read through all the instructions carefully: from start to finish before beginning as it’s best to have everything ready.
- Work quickly as the dough will dry out: if it’s left out for too long and cause dry star breads.
- Don’t over-knead the bread: you just want to achieve a smooth ball of dough. Overworking the dough could cause dry and less fluffy bakes.
- Warm the chocolate spread slightly: to make it easier to spread.
- Don’t worry if your star pieces are not perfectly even: aim for the same size but once baked, you won’t be able to tell as much.
- Make sure your flour is not old: as it won’t rise as well.
- Have fun with it: this is the most important!
What else can I make?
If you are looking for more breads and buns to make, how about my:
- Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Panettone
- Vegan Espresso Cinnamon Roll Tear and Share
- Strawberry No Yeast Swirl Buns
- Vegan Chocolate Star Bread
- Mince Pie Swirl Buns
Vegan Chocolate Cinnamon Star Bread
This Vegan Chocolate Cinnamon Star Bread is easy to make and a really impressive tear and share dessert. Layers of no-yeast pastry filled with chocolate spread and cinnamon sugar all shaped into a star.
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 240ml plant-based milk
- 45g vegan butter, cubed
- 400g self-raising flour, plus extra
- 30g coconut sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
For the Filling:
- 80g dairy-free chocolate spread, warmed if needed
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp melted vegan butter or olive oil
For the Glaze:
- 1 tbsp olive oil or melted butter
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- Icing sugar
Instructions
- Please read through the full recipe before starting.
- Preheat the oven to 160Fan/180ºC and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon for the filling in a bowl and leave to one side. Warm the chocolate spread if needed to make it easier to spread.
- For the liquids: warm the milk and butter in a saucepan until the butter just melts. Stir well and check that the mix is lukewarm, if needed, allow to cool down slightly.
- For the dough: in a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pour in the milk-butter mix and stir to a shaggy dough. Bring together with your hands and knead slightly for 1 minutes to bring to a small ball of dough.
- To roll the dough: divide the dough into 4 equal pieces (best to weigh them) and roll each one into a circle, approximately 24-cm diameter.
- To fill the bread: lay one circle on top of the baking tray and brush half with melted butter or oil and sprinkle over 1 tbsp of the cinnamon sugar mix. Spread the other half with chocolate spread. Top with a second piece of dough and repeat the cinnamon sugar and chocolate on alternate sides. Repeat once more with the third piece of dough. Top with the fourth piece of dough and place a small round in the middle, this is where you will cut from the outside pf the top and stop here.
- To shape the bread: use a knife to cut the dough into 16 strips, I start with quarters, eights and then 16 pieces. Take two pieces of star bread and twist away from each other twice then pinch them together at the tops to create a point. Repeat to make 8 points of the star bread.
- To bake: stir together the olive oil (or melted butter) and maple syrup for the glaze and brush all over the star bread (save some for after). Bake in the middle of the oven for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown and puffed up.
- To serve: brush with the leftover glaze and sprinkle with icing sugar. Serve warm or cold, with extra icing sugar.
- To store: keep the star bread for 1-2 days in a sealed container at room temperature or you can freeze the bread for up to 1 month, allowing to defrost at room temperature.
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I look forward to hearing what you think of this Vegan Chocolate Cinnamon Star Bread so please let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make this bread, I’d love to see so please tag me, I’m I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With star bread love x
p.s. this recipe was first made with Tala Cooking, whose bakeware I love. This blog post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own.
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