Classic bakery-style Vegan Cream Buns filled with strawberry jam and freshly whipped dairy-free cream. These pillowy soft, light and fluffy buns are a favourite tea-time treat! Fully vegan, no eggs or no dairy!
This recipe has been made in collaboration with The Coconut Collaborative. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. (For more information along with affiliated links, check out my disclosure policy.)
What are cream buns?
If you’re familiar with bakeries, than you’ve probably come across a cream bun before. They are essentially a lightly sweetened breaded dough, which are split open and piped with some fruity jam (most often strawberry or raspberry) and freshly whipped cream. They are So simple and SO delicious!!
There are so many different variations of cream buns, but trust me when I say, these are truly the BEST EVER vegan cream buns you’ll try! not only are they extremely easy to make, they taste ‘out of this world’ good. The bun is perfect and the fillings are a classic flavour combination which is sure to make you go back for seconds!
Ingredients you’ll need:
You’ll be very pleased to hear, this recipe contains minimal ingredients, some of which you probably already have in your kitchen cupboards! Jot these ingredients down for your next shopping trip!
- Dairy-free milk : Soya milk works best, but you can use any dairy-free milk for this recipe including oat, almond or cashew.
- Active dry yeast : One packet is usually 7-8g of yeast which is perfect. The active yeast is what will make these buns super light, fluffy and springy!
- All-purpose / plain flour : Plain flour works perfectly for this recipe. You can use self raising, but the buns might prove / raise too large.
- Sugar : Caster sugar or a very fine white sugar is perfect for this recipe. I wouldn’t recommend granulated sugar as it can make the buns gritty in texture.
- Oil : Use a neutral flavoured oil. Sunflower works best!
- Dairy-free cream : You want to use a good quality cream which is thick and holds it’s shape. The BEST dairy-free / vegan cream is ‘The Coconut Collaborative Double Cream’.
- Fresh strawberries : Adding a strawberry into the middle of the bun not only helps the bun stay open for the cream, but is also a delicious hidden treat inside! Super fruity and tasty!
- Strawberry jam : You can use any fruity jam, but I chose organic strawberry.
- Icing sugar : Dust the tops of the buns with some icing sugar before serving. Adds extra sweetness and makes them look glorious!
Whats the best vegan cream?
Whipped cream is the star of the show with this delicious breaded dessert. The cream needs to be thick enough that is holds its shape and holds up the bun. The BEST Vegan cream which I’ve tried if ‘The Coconut Collaborative Double Cream‘. This cream is absolutely unbelievable!!!
Coconut collaborative are a small UK company who use the delicious ‘coconut’ to create amazing tasting yoghurts and desserts, and their incredible double cream! Apart from creating remarkable products the company are also on a mission to support the fragile ecosystems. You can read all about their mission on their website.
In my recipe I used their double whipping cream and OH MY, if you have never used it before you should really try it! It’s now my go to vegan whipping cream as it is silky smooth, firms up beautifully and is ultra creamy and tasty. This recipe showcases the cream really well and along with strawberries and my sweet buns, this is a delightful recipe everyone should have a go at making. Why not try it for the upcoming Coronation! Available from Supermarkets including : Ocado, Sainsburys & Tesco!
How to make Vegan Cream Buns
You will be surprised with how easy these buns are to make. You only need a handful of ingredients, some simple tools and a little bit of time and you’ll be making the most bakery worthy treat in no time! The full method, recipe and ingredients list is written in the recipe card at the bottom of this page. Happy baking!
- Dough
Heat the milk and sprinkle over the yeast and a teaspoon of the sugar. Whisk to combine. Pour the activated yeast mixture and oil into the flour and sugar. Knead until a sticky dough forms.
- Prove
Place the dough ball into a lightly greased bowl, place in a warm area for at least an hour. The dough will double in size. Once it’s grown, turn out on a lightly floured surface. Roll 100g of the dough into balls and place on a lined baking tray. Allow the prove for a second time.
- Bake
Once the balls of dough have finished proving, brush them with milk and bake until golden. Allow the cool fully before filling.
- Jam
Use a serrated knife to slice the buns 3/4 in half. Spread jam into the buns.
- Cream and strawberry.
Whip up the dairy-free cream, transfer into a piping bag with a round tip nozzle. Pipe cream into the buns, place in a strawberry and cover with more cream. Use a knife to spread the cream flush to the bun (see photos and video for reference). Thinly slice some fresh strawberries and gently press into the sides of the cream.
- Icing sugar
Serve the buns with a light dusting of icing sugar.
Cream bun FAQ
Is it a cake or cookie?
- I would class this dessert as a cake, but it’s basically bread! The bun is very light and soft which does resemble cake in a way.
Can this recipe be made gluten-free?
- Unfortunately not. This recipe works best with wheat flour. Stay tuned as I am recipe testing a gluten-free version!
How to store the buns?
- Store the buns only for 1 day. Store in a sealed container at room temperature (do not store in the fridge) The buns will dry out if left too long. Best enjoyed day of making, or second day, no later!
Can you make the buns ahead of time?
- As I mentioned above, the bun are best made day of making. If you really needed to make them ahead of time, you can bake them and store them in an air tight container at room temperature overnight to keep them soft and fresh!
Easy Vegan Cream Buns
- Total Time: 4-5 hours
- Yield: 8–10 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
The BEST Vegan Cream Buns- a light breaded bun split open and filled with strawberry jam and fresh whipped cream. Easy to make and delicious!
Ingredients
Ingredients for the buns
- 250g of dairy-free milk
- 7g of active dry yeast
- 500g of plain flour
- 100g of caster sugar
- 70g of sunflower oil
Ingredients for the filling
- 220ml of dairy-free whipping cream
- Fresh strawberries
- Strawberry jam
- Icing sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
Method (buns)
- Pour the warm dairy-free milk into a bowl and sprinkle over the yeast and a tablespoon of the sugar, stir. Cover with a tea towel then put into a warm place for around 8-10 minutes until frothy. TIP: To heat the milk, add it into a small saucepan and simmer until it’s warm. If the milk is too hot it can kill the yeast, so make sure its just warm.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour and sugar flour. Mix to combine.
- Once the yeast mixture is frothy, pour into the dry ingredients along with the oil.
- Mix with a hand whisk or attach a dough hook to your stand mixer and begin to knead on medium until nice and smooth. The dough should be soft, smooth and slightly sticky.
- Once kneaded, place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and place into a warm area (I place mine in my conservatory) and allow to prove for around 2-3 hours or until double in size.
- Line a baking tray with grease proof paper. You might want to line two just in case.
- Once doubled, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, form into a large dough ball and divide the dough into equal balls. Weigh the balls out to 100g each. Take each ball of dough and roll it with your hands to form a smooth, round shape (watch my video tutorial here). Place the dough balls on a lined baking tray lined with grease paper and let proof a second time in a warm place for 1 hour. The buns will puff up on their second prove and will also rise in the oven, so make sure to space them out on the tray / trays.
- Once ready to make, preheat oven to 180°C fan. Brush the top and sides of each bun with some dairy-free milk, place onto the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the tops of the buns are golden in colour, and soft to touch.
- Allow the buns to cool fully before cutting open and filling with cream.
Method (prepare the fillings filling)
- Whisk the dairy-free cream using an electric hand whisk or in a stand mixer fitted with a balloon whisk attachment until it has thickened and soft peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle (you can even use a star tip nozzle for a different effect).
- Using a sharp knife, finely slice some fresh strawberries so you have little slices ready for the decoration.
Method (assemble the buns)
- Use a sharp serrated knife to cut open the buns open on a diagonal, but do not cut all the way through!
- Spread some strawberry jam on one half of the bun, then pipe in some of the cream and a whole strawberry, continue piping in the cream until the bun is filled, then use a clean knife to scrape the cream flush to the bun. Press some of the fresh strawberry slices to the outside of the cream for decoration.
- Lightly dust the tops of the buns with icing sugar, then serve.
Notes
To store: Keep unfilled buns in a sealed container at room temperature. Serve as soon as the cream is piped in. Best enjoyed day of making.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
- Category: Cakes and layer cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Hong Kong
I couldn’t wait to try these and they are so tasty. I’d recommend the cream too its so lovely.
Author
Hello, Aw thank you so much! I’m so happy you enjoyed! They are definitely a go-to sweet treat for summer, haha! xx
Absolutely gorgeous buns! I made them for my family last weekend, and they raved about them. I left them slightly longer to prove, came out perfect!
thank you xx