IBERIA PARISH (KATC) — The smells of gingerbread and warm cinnamon filled the kitchen this week as Bianca Paige, a local teacher and owner of Bianca Bakes Bliss, demonstrated her vegan gingerbread cinnamon rolls — a recipe she’s perfected since becoming vegan in 2019.
“Baking is pretty much a science,” Paige said. “People always ask how they get so fluffy if they’re vegan — and if I use tofu — and I’m like, no.”
Paige began adapting recipes after her own struggles since transitioning her diet.
“I couldn’t find sweets I could eat," Paige said. "So I started turning my favorite recipes into vegan recipes, and that pushed me to bake everything from scratch,” she said.
Not only that, but now she's using her position in the community to give back to those most in need through a food drive supporting the shelves and kitchen at St. Francis Diner in New Iberia. She is accepting non-perishable items like canned goods, rice, beans, cooking oil, utensils, and more through at least the end of the month.
“Believe it or not there are some children their parents go to work and they don’t really have anything to eat, and that diner is a place they can go because a lot of them really depend on those school lunches,” she said.
Those interested in donating can email her at biancabakesbliss@gmail.com.
Now for the recipe, which makes about 6-9 cinnamon rolls:
Ingredients
For the roll:
1 cup oat milk (or any plant-based milk)
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 packets rapid rise yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegan butter, melted
1 tsp salt
21/2 -3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
For the spiced filling:
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tbsp vegan butter or coconut oil, melted
For the gingerbread frosting:
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract or vanilla
• 3 tsp oat milk (or any plant-based milk)
Directions
1. Warm plant-based milk of your choice to about 100 degrees and pour in a large bowl. Add 1 tsp sugar and yeast. Mix and let sit for approximately 10 minutes to activate.
2. Add 1/4 cup sugar, vegan butter, salt and flour and mix until it forms a soft and slightly sticky dough.
3. On a floured surface, roll out dough into large rectangle then brush surface with melted vegan butter or coconut oil.
4. Combine the spiced filling ingredients in a small bowl, sprinkle onto dough, then smooth evenly with spatula or clean hands.
5. Starting at the long end, roll dough slowly into a log then slice off rolls about 1 1/2" wide.
6. Place rolls onto greased baking pan, cover with clean towel or plastic wrap and let it rise for 20 minutes.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.
8. While rolls are baking, prepare frosting by mixing together the powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, and non-dairy milk.
9. Once rolls are done baking, let cool for approximately 10 minutes, then spread frosting over them before enjoying.
To learn more about Bianca and other vegan desserts from Bianca Bakes Bliss, click here.
