If you like raisins then you will absolutely love these raisin buns with whole wheat flour! They are soft, sweet and completely plantbased. If your kids are anything like mine, they will love these. But a little warning, once you get started, you’ll have a hard time not eating them all.  

I’m in love with raisin buns. There, I said it. But who can really blame me? They’re soft, light and have just the right amount of sweetness. Usually I’m not a huge fan of raisins in baked goods, but when they play the central role like in this recipe, I can’t help but absolutely love them  – and I’m not alone in sharing these warm feeling for the little rolls. It’s a classic treat to give your kids when visiting a bakery here in Denmark and my 3-year old Eva is a firm believer that you should always have raisin buns on hand.

But raisin buns are originally made with dairy – and we don’t eat dairy in our household, so buying the buns from a bakery is not an option. Sometimes we’re lucky to come across a vegan bakery, but for some reason the price is always quite high. I like raisin buns, but if I’m paying more for 1 bun that the cost of 8 regular buns, I feel kind of cheated.

Instead I’ve started making my own raisin buns – and you know what? They taste freaking amazing! And they’re easy to make, don’t cost a fortunehowever and I’ve upped the amount of raisins, since bakeries tend to be rather stingy with the raisins. Instead with this amount every bite of bun will contain at least one raisin! On the health scale I’ve also decided to make it with half regular and half whole wheat flour and only added a tablespoon of sugar. I find that the raisins are sweet enough on their own and if I pack one of these buns as part of my kids lunch (a treat), I wan’t them to be a bit more nutritious than you standard all white bun. But don’t worry – they are not dry and boring. They are soft and ever so tasty. And they still contain quite a bit of sugar from the raisins, so they are not exactly

I like to the buns with my kids, though it can be quite a mess, but it’s usually a good time for everyone. Just be aware that your little ones don’t eat all of the raisins. There is such a thing as too many raisins. They are filled with sugar and quite laxative.

Ingredients for vegan raisin buns (makes about 12)

These buns are of course made with raisins, but if you don’t like them, they could be substituted with other dried fruits.

• 1-1,5 cup raisins
• 1 cup plantmilk (can be substituted with water)
• 25 grams fresh yeast
• 1 tablespoon cane sugar (about 15 grams)
• 1,5 cup wholewheat flour
• 1,5-2 dl. regular white wheat flour
• 50 grams liqiud coconut oil
• optional: 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• optional: a splash of soy milk or soy cream

How to make the raisin buns

1. Soak raisins in warm water for about 10-15 minutes. Drain well in a corelander.
2. Dissolve the yeast in the milk (or water) in a big bowl.
3. Add the sugar, cinnamon, wholewheat flour, coconut oil and raisins to the bowl and mix well. I just use a spoon at this stage.
4. Add about half of the white flour, mix and then add a little flour at a time until you get a good consistency. A good consistency means the dough won’t be too dry, but rather a tad sticky. A good indicator it’s done, is when you pick the dough up it will stick slightly to your fingers, before easily falling off.
5. Knead the dough for a few more minutes and then let the it rice in a warm place for 45 minutes. If you have the time double knead the dough meaning punch out the dough after about 25 minutes, knead it again and then set it a side once again to let it rise for the remainder of the time.
6. Knock out the dough and knead it again before shaping it into buns. It can be a good idea to stuff the raisins into the center of the bun to avoid charred raisins. I didn’t do this when taking photos though since it didn’t bothered me. The more moist the raisins, the less of a problem this will be in my experience.
7. Place the buns on a baking sheet,  and let rise for about 15-20 minutes one last time. Brust with soy cream/milk at this point.  I prefer brushing with soy cream or milk as I find it slightly browns the buns in the oven, but if you don’t care a bit of oil or water will do just fine.
8. Bake for 15 minutes at 200 degress Celsius convection oven (about 400 degress Fahrenheit). 

Storage

These raisin rolls are best eaten while still warm after oven and with a bit of butter on top. But if you store them in an airtight bag or container they’ll last a few days on the counter and a few more days in the fridge. Just give them a quick reheat in the microwave if they are starting to become a bit dull. I find that they freeze well. Just defrost them on the counter, in the oven or if in a hurry and to be eaten straigh away, in the microwave.