Why do I hate cooking?

I’m terrible at it.

I’m impatient.

I have a very specific diet, eating mostly Raw Till 4.

Gooey, Sugary, Stovetop Cinnamon Buns

However, inspired by Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls and living at a petsit without a working oven, I attempted to make my own relatively Raw Till 4 Vegan Stovetop Cinnamon Buns with these guidelines:

• No fat
• No salt
• Oil free
• Fruit infused
• Sweet tooth fulfilling
• Simple ingredients
• Can add a boost of filling protein by adding 2 scoops of protein powder to recipe

First, boil 2 cinnamon sticks with a banana, and a cup of water for 5 minutes.

Cinnamon Sticks and a Banana Add Flavor to the Dough

Next transfer this to a mixing bowl and add apple sauce and vanilla.

Mix those dry ingredients with apple sauce, instead of oil.

Flour your work surface.

Have fun creating a design with your dropped flour.

Roll out your dough.

Dough doesn’t have to be a perfect square. Some rolls will just end up thicker than others.

Mix cinnamon with sugar and sprinkle mixture all over dough surface and smooth it out until evenly distributed.

This mixture will create the beautiful cinnamon swirls of your rolls.

Roll up the dough into one hunkin’ chunk.

Cinnamon Bun rolled dough.

Slice dough into 1-2 inch thick pieces, depending on how thick you want your buns.

Sinking your knife into the sticky sticky dough

Aw look at that swirly cinnamon sugar goodness.

Tuck buns tightly next to each in your pan, after liberally spraying the pan with cooking spray, if it is not non-stick.

Cinnamon rolls sitting in a cast iron pan.

Place a damp paper towel or towel over the buns to keep them moist.

Moist cinnamon buns

Cast Iron Steamer

Place a lid or a similar sized pan on top to trap in heat.

Smokin’

Heat them slowly over a low flame, so they have time to cook from the inside out. As one side starts to brown, flip them over, so both sides cook. You can flip them again on their sides for more coverage.

A little crispy.

I might have cooked them a little too long on one side. Oops!

But they are delicious, and it was too cold for me to leave the apartment – and I wanted to make this with what ingredients I had – so I made these without yeast! Gasp! With yeast, they would have turned out even less dense, more fluffy!

I’m going to try making them again, but if you’re ever in a pinch – without an oven or yeast – cinnamon rolls are a distinct possibility.

For reading this.

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 ripe banana
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 3 cups flour
• 1/3 cup apple sauce
• 1 T cinnamon
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 t vanilla

And here is Sandy’s review of the Vegan Stovetop Cinnamon Buns!