Cinnamon rolls are one of the most beloved sweet treats out there. The combination of warm, gooey dough and spicy cinnamon filling is enough to make (just about) anyone's mouth water. However, while cinnamon rolls may be the classic go-to, there are so many other delicious variations of sweet rolls to try. From decadent chocolate rolls to fruity raspberry rolls, the possibilities are endless.

Today, I’m sharing my Earl Grey and Lavender Rolls. These rolls combine the fresh floral flavors or lavender with the light and citrusy notes of earl grey tea, creating a delicately sweet and aromatic roll that will have you drooling as soon as you catch a whiff of the heady aroma wafting from the oven. Make these rolls, then sit back and sink your teeth into a warm, fluffy sweet roll that practically melts in your mouth.

Did I sell it? Ok, good- let’s bake.

Shopping List

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Equipment:

Stand mixer w/ dough hook ( you can definitely make these by hand, but if you have a stand mixer, I would say use it)
Candy or food thermometer
Scale, if using (you should! )
Sharp knife or dental floss for cutting rolls
Large bowl or stand mixer bowl
Medium bowl ( for icing )
Baking sheet or 9”x 13” baking pan
Cooling rack
Kitchen towel, bowl cover, or plastic wrap
Sifter or sieve

Makes- 6 extra large rolls or 8 large rolls

Products used:

Links provided below-

Rapid Rise Yeast- I prefer active dry over rapid or instant because I think the end result is a product that is more flavorful, but…. the quickness of Rapid Rise/ Instant yeasts can’t be denied. * see notes below *
King Arthur Bread Flour- any bread flour will do, King Arthur is just my preference. If you only have all purpose, go ahead and use it instead
Unsalted Violife or Miyoko’s Butter - Are my current faves, but use whatever brand you prefer. If you can only find salted butter, you can adjust the salt down by 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon- it’s hard to say exactly though as different butters have different levels of saltiness.
Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt- the chef’s salt for various reasons I won’t get into here, but…it contains 53% less sodium than standard salt, so that’s why I say to use half if you’re using Morton or table salt.
Domino Sugar- now, this is a tricky one… my supplier list it as vegan and Domino has stated in the past that the sugar coming from Baltimore, MD, Yonkers, NY or South Bay, FL are all vegan, but at the time (this was around 2017), the supplies coming from west coast were not. Now, this is a good 5 years, so I suspect that it’s all vegan now, but I haven’t had the chance to confirm this - so buy with caution. If you’re a distrustful vegan (aren’t we all? ) go for organic instead- just try to get the finest grain you can- your baking results will be better.
Silk Unsweetened Organic Soy Milk- what type of plant milk doesn’t really matter too much in this recipe, just make sure it’s unsweetened.
Silk Heavy Cream- you really don’t need to go out and buy this unless you already have it in your fridge. For this little amount, you can just use plant milk.

And that’s the tea

Earl Grey is a black tea that is flavored with bergamot oil, which gives it a distinctive aroma and flavor. The bergamot oil also gives Earl Grey its delightful citrus notes that when paired with subtle, floral lavender, creates a unique and delicious balance of flavors.

Notes:

Yeast- This recipe calls for Rapid Rise Yeast, however if you prefer to use Active Dry, just make sure to proof the yeast before using and with slightly cooler water (100°–110°F). **Your dough will also require a second rise as this one does not **

Salt- Diamond Crystal Kosher is my preference, but if you use Morton, sea or table salt- reduce the amount by half as Diamond is less salty than the two.

Sugar- to make sure it’s vegan, use organic as it does not use bone char (yes, it’s as bad as it sounds) in the processing like conventional sugar.

Oil- serves as our egg replacer here. Butter is flavor, but oil helps with moisture and keeping the dough softer after it’s been sitting for awhile.

Measuring- Listen… just go ahead and get a scale! They’re cheap and the most accurate for baking. I use them to develop my recipes and do the best I can to convert to cup measurements out of courtesy to those who don’t have one, but trust me, if you like to bake- it will be the best $20 dollars you spend to improve your recipes. If you still refuse, make sure that you use the scoop and level method to measure out your flour to avoid using more than the recipe calls for.

Temperature- the temp for any liquid that you are using for Rapid Rise Yeast should be between 120° and 130°F. This temp is a little higher than with Active Dry Yeast, (I believe) because of the difference in the processing of the yeast, but I won’t bore you with that here. The important takeaway here is that along with a scale, if you’re really into baking, you should go ahead and add a food thermometer to your kitchen tool set. I’ll admit that some of them can be a bit pricey, but you can always pick up a candy thermometer which is typically pretty affordable and readily available.

MEASUREMENT ABBREVIATIONS

T= tablespoon tsp= teaspoon C= cup g= gram ml= milliliter pinch= around ⅛ of a teaspoon

INGREDIENTS:

Rolls

420 g (3 + 1/2 C ) bread flour (you can sub with all-purpose flour, but the texture will be slightly different)
50 g (¼ C ) granulated sugar (organic or vegan-friendly)
1 packet Rapid Dry Yeast
1 tsp. kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal, half the amount if using table salt, Morton, or sea salt)
2 tsp. dried lavender (culinary grade)
1-2 bags of earl grey tea
240 ml (1C ) milk ( warm, 120°–130°F)
113 g (½ C) unsalted butter (vegan, very soft)
30 g (2 T ) oil (grapeseed, avocado, vegetable, or canola work best)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Filling

56 g ( ¼ C ) vegan butter, very soft
50 g granulated sugar
50 g light brown sugar
2 tsp. dried lavender
1 teabag earl grey tea
pinch kosher salt

Icing

120 g (1 C) powdered sugar
42 g (3 T) butter, very soft
1- 3 tsp. heavy cream, plant-based (or sub with plant milk)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. Lavender extract (optional)
Pinch salt

Prep:

Bring butter to room temp (rolls, filling, and icing)
Heat milk until near boiling, then steep a bag of earl grey tea until the temp hits 120°–130°F ** Do this step right before you’re ready to make the dough **

DIRECTIONS:

ROLLS

Add 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, along with 2 teaspoons of dried lavender to a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Using your clean hands, crush the lavender into the sugar to mix and release their oils.
In the same bowl, add the flour, yeast, and salt (try to place the salt away from the yeast), then set aside.
Add the plant milk to a microwave safe bowl (I like to use my glass liquid measuring cup) or alternatively, add to a small pot on the stove and bring the milk to just under boiling. When hot, add 1- 2 bags of earl grey tea (there’s about 2 grams of tea per bag if you’re using loose leaf).
Let the tea bags steep in the milk until the temperature reaches 120°–130°F on a food thermometer or is very warm (but not scalding) to the touch. Squeeze the bags to release the tea into the milk and( insert dirty joke here).
If using a stand mixer, turn it on a low speed with the dough hook attachment and slowy add the warm milk (120°–130°F) to the bowl. Otherwise, make a well in the middle of your dry ingredients and pour in the milk and combine.
Mix the ingredients on low until a rough, shaggy dough forms.
Once the dough is shaggy, add the butter in slowly until it has mixed (for the most part) into the dough.
Turn the mixer to a medium/ medium- high speed and continue to mix until the bowl is nearly clean of dough on the sides, is shiny, elastic, and doesn’t stick to your hands (about 6-10 minutes). If mixing by hand, continue to knead until you reach the same result. See the Top Tip below for more.
Once the dough is done, form it into a ball and set on your work surface or in a bowl covered with a towel for 10 minutes to rest.
While the dough is resting, make the filling.

TOP TIP

KNOW WHEN YOUR DOUGH IS PROPERLY KNEADED

The better your dough is needed, the better the result will be for your final baking product!

Dough has gone from shaggy to shiny
The sides of your bowl (or your hands) are mostly free from any dough sticking to it/them
If using a mixer, your dough will often form and tight ball around the hook and “slap” the sides of the bowl
You can tear a piece of dough from the ball and stretch it so you can see through it without the dough tearing or breaking apart

FILLING

In a medium-sized bowl, add both granulated and brown sugars along with dried lavender and contents of one bag of earl grey tea.
Again, with clean hands, mix together to fully combine and release the essential oils from the lavender and tea.
Add in the softened butter along with a pinch of salt (you can omit if using salted butter) and mix together with a spatula or mixer until well combined. Set aside for the assembly of the rolls.

ASSEMBLY + BAKING

After the dough has rested, roll it out into a rectangle (about 12” x 14”) on your work surface.
Spread the softened butter mixture with a spoon or spatula over the dough to cover, leaving about 1/4 inch uncovered at the top (this helps to seal the roll).
Roll the dough into a log by rolling up and away from you (try to keep the roll tight along the way) until it rolls on itself and the seam is at the bottom. Gently press to secure the roll.
With a very sharp knife or dental floss, cut into 6 or 8 even pieces and place onto a baking sheet or a pan.
Cover the rolls with a clean towel and let them rise and nearly double in size in a warm spot (about 45- 60 minutes) depending on the heat conditions of your kitchen.
Preheat your oven to 375° F while rolls are rising.
When ready, place the rolls in your preheated oven on the middle rack to bake for 18- 20 minutes or until firm to the touch and tops are golden.
Once out of the oven- you can brush the hot rolls with more melted butter (optional), then let cool for 5- 10 minutes on the baking sheet or pan, then place the rolls on a cooling rack to cool further before icing- about 10-15 minutes.

ICING

Place a sifter or a sieve over a medium-size bowl and add icing (powdered) sugar. Sift to remove any lumps.
Add softened butter, pinch of salt, vanilla, and lavender extracts (if using) and mix until well combined and a thick paste has formed.
If you like your icing super thick you could stop there or add 1 teaspoon of heavy cream or plant milk and mix well.
Give your icing a taste for flavor and keep adding cream/ milk and or extracts until you’re satisfied with the flavor and thickness.
When ready, spread the icing on the tops of the cooled rolls.
Enjoy with a cup of earl grey, coffee, or a tall glass of plant milk!

STORAGE AND USE

Fresh rolls are the most delicious, but you can save some for later!
Store rolls in an air-tight container at room temp for 2-3 days.
If you want to freeze rolls, don’t ice them, cover in foil, and place in a freezer proof bag or container to freeze for later.
Warm frozen rolls in the oven on 350 ° F until warmed through again, then add icing and enjoy.

I hope you give these delicious rolls a try- if you do, let me know what you think!

Thanks for stopping by, friend.

xx Debbie xx