These cute buns are called Zopfhasen (bread bunnies) in Switzerland and they’re usually made during Easter time! Kids love them, but adults enjoy them even more!
The original Easter vegan Bunny Buns recipe is made of buttery bread dough with raisins or sultans.
I opted for a chocolate filling instead to make them even more delicious! Feel free to leave out the chocolate or to replace with raisins.
To shape the bunny buns, you will need 3 different dough balls: one bigger for the body, one medium for the head and a small one for the ears.
I usually divide dough as following: 50 g for the body. 30 g for the head and 20 g for the ears.
If you follow these measurements, you will get about 10-12 bunny buns.
I used vegan solid butter (not margarine) and soy milk. Feel free to replace with other plant mill (like oat or almond) or dairy milk and dairy butter if you don’t mind the recipe not being vegan.
Easter vegan Bunny Buns
Equipment
- Stand mixer with hook attachment (optional, but recommended)
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 600 g (4 cups) strong bread flour
- 100 g (1/2 cup) light brown sugar or caster sugar
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 12 g (4 tsp) instant dry yeast
Wet ingredients
- 360 ml (1 1/2 cups) soy milk warmed to 40°C (almond or oat is fine too)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 60 g (4 tbsp) vegan butter, softened
Add-ins
- 10-12 chocolate squares for the filling
- plant milk to brush the buns
- mini chocolate chips for the eyes
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add dry ingredients and whisk to combine.
- Add warm milk, vanilla and softened plant butter and start kneading on medium-low. Knead for 10-15 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.
- Shape dough into a ball and place into a lightly greased bowl.
- Let rise in a warm place for 1h-1h30, until doubled in size.
- When dough has risen, punch down to deflate and divide into 3 pieces, one big, one medium and one small (1x 500g, 1x300g, 1 x 200g approx).
- Divide each piece into 10 pieces and shape into balls.
- For each bunny, you'll need 1x50g (body)1x30g (head) and 1x20g (ears)dough pieces .
- Assemble all the pieces to get 10-12 bunny buns. Place them on a lined baking tray, cover and let rise for 20 min.
- While the buns are rising, preheat oven to 180C degrees.
- Brush buns with plant milk, press 2 mini chocolate chips for the eyes (or use small pieces of dough to make a tail).
- Bake at 180C degrees for 8-9 minutes.If the buns gets too dark, cover with foil.Enjoy warm!
Cooking tips Easter vegan Bunny Buns
Here are some cooking tips for making Easter vegan Bunny Buns:
- Use bread flour: Bread flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour, which helps to create a chewy and elastic texture in the bread.
- Knead the dough well: Kneading the dough is an important step to activate the gluten in the flour and create a strong and stretchy dough. Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes, until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- Let the dough rise properly: After kneading, let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until it has doubled in size. This can take anywhere from 1-2 hours, depending on the temperature and humidity.
- Divide the dough evenly: When dividing the dough to create the bunny shapes, make sure to divide it as evenly as possible to ensure a consistent texture throughout the buns.
- Use a sharp knife or kitchen scissors to create the bunny ears: Use a sharp knife or kitchen scissors to cut the dough into the shape of bunny ears. Make sure to keep the ears attached to the bun.
- Use vegan butter or olive oil to brush the buns: Brush the buns with vegan butter or olive oil before baking to help them brown and add flavor.
- Add vegan chocolate chips or raisins for the eyes and nose: Use vegan chocolate chips or raisins to add the eyes and nose to the bunny buns. Press them gently into the dough before baking.
- Bake at the right temperature: Bake the buns at the recommended temperature in the recipe, and check them often to ensure they don’t overbake. The buns should be golden brown on the outside and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
By following these tips, you can create adorable and delicious Easter vegan Bunny Buns that are perfect for the holiday season.
Nutritional ingredients
As an AI language model, I don’t have access to specific recipes, but I can provide a general idea of the nutritional ingredients that are commonly used in Easter vegan Bunny Buns. Keep in mind that the actual nutritional content will depend on the specific recipe and the quantities of ingredients used:
- Flour: Typically all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour is used as the main ingredient for the dough, providing carbohydrates and some protein.
- Yeast: Used as a leavening agent to make the dough rise.
- Plant-based milk: Such as almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk, provides moisture and richness to the dough.
- Vegan butter or oil: Adds moisture and richness to the buns.
- Sugar or sweetener: Adds sweetness to the buns. Depending on the recipe, you may use granulated sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, or other sweeteners.
- Salt: Enhances the flavor of the dough.
- Ground flaxseeds or chia seeds: Used as an egg substitute to bind the dough together.
- Warm water: Used to activate the yeast and help the dough rise.
- Vanilla extract: Adds flavor to the buns.
- Raisins or vegan chocolate chips: For the eyes or decorations of the bunny faces.
- Optional glaze or icing: Made with powdered sugar and plant-based milk to drizzle over the buns for added sweetness.
Please note that the nutritional profile of the buns will vary based on the quantities of these ingredients used and the number of servings the recipe yields. If you have a specific recipe, you can input the ingredients into a recipe calculator or use a nutrition app to get more accurate nutritional information. Additionally, some recipes might use alternative ingredients or adjust quantities to suit dietary preferences and requirements.