Vegan Hazelnut Cream Bun (Shrove Tuesday Semla)(yeast & wheat free)

Who said that the Semla cream bun has to be bland and boring? Let’s spice it up with a delicious hazelnut hint. It’s also yeast and wheat-free, and vegan. Enjoy on Shrove Tuesday or why not in the middle of summer?

What is hazelnut cream bun?

Cream bun or Semla bun is known as a traditional dessert on Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday in Sweden. Cream buns are made all over Europe and even in Thailand, I’ve heard. It’s traditionally made with wheat flour and yeast dough, filled with almond paste or marzipan, and topped with whipped cream.

In recent years, bakeries have started to make more special buns like adding jam, chocolate, or salted caramel.

Hazelnut cream bun is a special version of a traditional Swedish Fat Tuesday bun made with oat flour, tapioca starch, sweet potato, and baking powder and filled with healthy “Nutella”, chocolate and topped with Nutella whipped cream and crushed hazelnuts.

Is hazelnut cream bun healthy?

Traditional Shrove Tuesday cream bun is usually unhealthy as includes processed sugar and whipped cream. But this vegan hazelnut cream bun is healthier and can even be made gluten-free if using 100% gluten-free oat flour. There is no processed sugar but coconut sugar which has a lower GI (glycemic index) and contains fiber.

How to make a hazelnut cream bun?

The hazelnut cream bun recipe is not so difficult but can take some time as it consists of different parts and fillings. The bun dough recipe idea is from Vimergy. First bake sweet potatoes, mash them with a fork or use a food processor, then mix them with oat flour, tapioca starch, and baking powder until you have a non-sticky dough. Let the dough sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes, shape the buns and bake at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes. Cut the top of the buns and carve to make a hole for the filling.

Next, make healthy Nutella by blending the roasted hazelnuts into butter and adding cacao and maple syrup or dates. For the Nutella cream, whip coconut milk and add healthy Nutella and more maple syrup if needed. Finally, melt dark chocolate with some plant milk.

Start filling the buns by adding Nutella at the bottom, top with melted chocolate, add some crushed hazelnuts, top with Nutella whipped cream, add some crushed hazelnuts again, and top with a bun “hat”.

Can I make a cream bun without baking powder?

I haven’t tried it but I have baked a lot without baking powder and as the dough isn’t raising that much I believe it would work. Or use baking soda instead. Make sure it’s also aluminum free.

When to eat hazelnut cream bun?

Usually, a cream bun is eaten on Shrove Tuesday/Fat Tuesday but who forbids you to eat it whenever you want to? For example, make it instead of a cake for your birthday.

Ingredients

Oat flour: Use oat flour or make it yourself by blending the oats. Use gluten-free oats or flour for a gluten-free version.

Sweet potato: A starchy root vegetable that keeps the dough together and gives natural sweetness. It’s a good source of vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin A.

Tapioca starch: A fine, white powder made from the roots of the cassava plant. It works as a thickening agent in gluten-free recipes.

Baking powder: I use gluten-free baking powder. A leavening agent that helps baked goods rise by producing carbon dioxide gas when it comes in contact with liquid and heat.

Maple syrup: It’s used instead of white sugar. Can substitute with a date or coconut sugar or dates.

Vanilla extract: A liquid flavoring made from vanilla beans that gives a bit sweet, floral flavor to buns.

Hazelnuts: Give a special taste to those cream buns.

Coconut milk: Used for hazelnut whipped cream. Can be substituted with vegan whipped cream made of soy or oat or use cream made of cashews or vegan sour cream instead.

Plant-based milk: I add it to dark chocolate to make it softer when it thickens.

Dark chocolate: I prefer dark chocolate as it contains less sugar. For the processed sugar-free version make a chocolate sauce with cacao powder, coconut oil, and maple syrup instead.

Step-by-step Instructions

To make the buns:

Step 1. Bake sweet potatoes.

Mash them with a fork or in a food processor.

Step 2. Mix oat flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt.

Add the sweet potato puree and mix thoroughly until you have a non-sticky dough. Add more flour if the dough is still sticky.

Step 3. Put in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Step 4. Take a piece of dough, shape it into balls, put it on the baking sheet, and spread it with virgin olive oil or coconut oil.

Step 5. Bake at 356°F (180°C) degrees for about 20 minutes.

Cut the top of the buns and carve to make a hole for the filling.

To make Healthy Nutella:

Step 1. Roast hazelnuts.

Rub them together in a paper towel to get the skins off. It’s okay if there will be some.

Step 2. Blend roasted hazelnuts into butter, add cacao and maple syrup or dates, and blend until creamy. Add a bit of coconut oil if needed.

To make Hazelnut whipped cream:

Step 1. Whip coconut milk or soaked and blended cashews and add healthy Nutella and more maple syrup if needed.

To make chocolate sauce:

Step 1. Add coconut oil to a bowl and place it in the water.

Add dark chocolate or cacao powder and maple syrup.

To finish the buns:

Step 1. Start filling the buns by adding Nutella at the bottom.

Step 2. Top with melted chocolate, and add some crushed hazelnuts.

Step 3. Top with Nutella whipped cream, add some crushed hazelnuts again, and top with a bun “hat”.

Extra tips:

1. If would want to make even prettier buns, dip a bun “hat” into chocolate sauce, top it with hazelnuts, and let it thicken or just drizzle your buns with some chocolate sauce.
2. Use the carved part of the bun to make “Kräsupea” cake by just adding all the leftovers in a bowl or cake pan like in the picture below.

Optional Add-ins

Raspberries or raspberry jam: If you are a fan of cream bun with jam you might want to add some.

Powdered sugar: If you want to make them look more like traditional buns and you don’t fear white sugar.

MORE HEALTHY DESSERTS WITH OATS:

• Oat Breakfast Pudding
• Gingerbread Cookies
• 5 Ingredient Banana Bread