GUAVA CINNAMON ROLLS
Being raised by two Caribbean parents, one from Dominica and one from Trinidad means I didn’t always eat the same foods as my American friends. Even something as simple as what juice or fruit we had at the house was always a little different. I thank my upbringing for helping me expand my taste buds at an early age and for my overall love of cooking. West Indians often show their love through cooking for others and I’m now starting to do the same. The idea for these Guava Cinnamon Rolls came to be when I found some guava paste at a local Mexican grocery store. As a kid, I remember cutting off the guava paste and eating it by itself like candy. The nostalgia immediately caused me to buy the guava paste and figure out what I could make from it. I decided to add it to one of my favorite breakfast items, cinnamon rolls, and thus, Guava Cinnamon Rolls were born.
What is Guava?
Guava is a fruit that grows on a tree native to the tropical and subtropical climates, which include Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and the Northern part of South America. It has a sweet taste when ripe and is a great source of Vitamin C.
Where can I find guava paste?
Guava paste can be found in the international aisle of many grocery stores. It can also be found in Hispanic and Caribbean grocery stores. If you can’t find it near you, try ordering it online.
How to Make Guava Cinnamon Rolls
Making the rolls is not difficult at all once you master the dough. Your dough will look better and better the more you make this recipe. As they say, practice makes perfect. My best advice would be to take your time and enjoy the process. Patience will make for the best dough. To make the filling, you have to melt about a third of a 14 oz package of guava jam with water over the stove. Once the paste is a spreadable consistency, add your cinnamon and combine. You spread the guava paste on the dough and roll lengthwise as pictured below. Cut the dough into even sections with a sharp knife and then place in a baking pan. While the rolls are baking, make the icing. I made a simple vegan buttercream icing, but a vegan cream cheese icing could be used as well. You can also skip the icing altogether and top the rolls with more melted guava instead. Once the rolls are finished baking, let them cool before adding the icing.
Guava Cinnamon Roll Recipe
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Rise Time: 2 hours
Bake Time: 20 to 25 minutes
Dough Ingredients
1 cup plain unsweetened non-dairy milk
1 ¼ oz package active dry yeast
6 tbsp vegan butter at room temperature (plus extra for greasing bowl and pan)
¼ cup organic brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
Filling Ingredients
⅓ 14 oz package Guava paste
¼ cup Water (plus more if needed to thin the consistency)
1 tsp cinnamon
Icing Ingredients
2 tbsp vegan butter
1 tbsp plain unsweetened non-dairy milk
¾ cup powdered sugar (plus more if needed to thicken)
1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
Warm the milk in the microwave in 10 second increments until it is warm to the touch (not hot). It should be about 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk the milk with the yeast in a small bowl and set aside for 10 minutes.
Combine the butter, sugar, and vanilla together in a small bowl. Stir until uniform. (Cutting the butter into small pieces first may help with combining the ingredients)
Stir the milk and yeast mixture into the butter and sugar mixture.
Add the flour one cup at a time, adding the salt with the last cup of flour. A dough will begin to form.
Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. This could take up to 10 minutes.
Lightly oil a large bowl with vegetable oil and transfer dough to this bowl. Cover bowl and allow dough to rise for 2 hours
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit about 15 minutes before the dough is finished rising.
Add the guava paste, cinnamon, and water into a small saucepan over medium high heat. Combine with a whisk until jam is of a spreadable consistency. Remove from heat.
Once dough is finished rising, transfer to a floured surface. Roll the dough into a 12 by 18 rectangle.
Spread the guava filling onto the dough equally.
Roll the dough lengthwise as tightly as possible.
Using a sharp knife, cut the rolled dough into 12 slices.
Place the slices into a buttered baking dish, ensuring to spread the slices out equally. A slightly larger baking dish that will hold all the slices, but still allow some space in between the rolls is preferable. It will allow the rolls to grow even larger in the oven.
Bake the rolls until slightly golden brown. This will take about 20 - 25 minutes.
While the rolls are baking, make your frosting by combining the butter, powdered sugar, non-dairy milk, and vanilla in a small bowl with a whisk until smooth. You may add extra powdered sugar if the frosting isn’t thick enough or more milk if you prefer a thinner frosting.
When rolls are finished baking, remove from the oven. If possible, remove the rolls from a pan to cool.
Once rolls have cooled, drizzle the frosting over the rolls and serve.
