Valentine's Day is almost upon us, and with this occasion in mind I really wanted to create a recipe that was both heartwarming and perfect for serving to friends or your partner in crime. For me, there's nothing as fun or romantic as an amazing breakfast enjoyed together, and what a better way to celebrate than with the gooiest cinnamon rolls?! Banana date cinnamon rolls to be exact. 

I'm nervous about sharing this one with you because Carlos has been telling all of our friends that out of all my recipes this is his number one favorite, so there's a lot of pressure to live up to every time I make it! It has never disappointed though, and now it's all yours for the taking and especially the sharing. 

I have a special tradition with my best girlfriends that we always catch up over breakfast (no boys allowed), and Carlos and I also love having a special breakfast or brunch just the two of us. When thinking of Valentine's Day I thought about just that, friends or your special guy or gal spending time together. No matter who you're serving these to, people will go nuts over them. If you grew up loving those cinnamon rolls drizzled with vanilla icing they sold at the mall, you now have them right here and in a 100% vegan version. They're perfect as a snack or dessert too!

BANANA DATE CINNAMON ROLLS

Yield: 10 rolls ⎮ Prep time: 20 minutes ⎮ Rising time: 30 minutes ⎮ Cook time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 3 & 3/4 teaspoons rapid rise or instant yeast
• 1 cup non-dairy milk (soy or almond preferred)
• 3 cups flour (plus a bit more for kneading)
• 1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons evaporated cane sugar (or use regular granulated sugar if you prefer)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 & 1/2 bananas, mashed
• 1 tablespoon non-dairy butter, melted

For the filling:

2 tablespoons non-dairy butter, melted

1 tablespoon cinnamon + a bit extra for dusting

1/4 cup evaporated cane sugar + a bit extra for dusting

1/2 cup dates, pitted

For the glaze:

1 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2-4 tablespoons non-dairy milk

A drizzle of vanilla extract

Directions

1. Warm the milk slightly either in the microwave or in a sauce pan until it is warm but not too hot. Think luke warm bath here.

2. Whisk in the 2 teaspoons of sugar, add the yeast, whisk and let the yeast develop for 5 minutes. If you don’t see bubbles, foam or movement in the milk after the 5 minutes, toss the mixture and repeat the process.

3. While your yeast develops, prepare the filling. Pulse the dates a few times in a food processor (or cut them into very small pieces with a knife).

4. Add the 1/4cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon and pulse until you have the consistency of loose, thick granules. Set aside.

5. To assemble the dough, add the flour to a large bowl.

6. Add the salt, the 1 tablespoon of melted non-dairy butter, the remaining 1/4cup of sugar, the mashed banana and your yeast-milk mixture.

7. Mix until combined and you have a very sticky dough.

8. Add a bit more flour to the bowl and your hands, and knead for a few seconds until your dough is well combined and more manageable (it will still be quite sticky, this is normal).

9. Place a piece of parchment paper on your work surface, brush it with some oil and sprinkle some flour on top. Spread it with your fingers.

10. Add the dough in the center and with the use of a floured rolling pin or your hands, extend it until you have a large rectangle. Add flour if needed to be able to stretch it out.

11. Brush the dough with the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted non-dairy butter.

12. Sprinkle the date-sugar-cinnamon mixture all over the surface.

13. At this point you can sprinkle a bit more sugar and cinnamon over any bald spots that remain.

14. With the help of your parchment paper, start rolling the dough until you’ve reached the other end. A pastry cutter or scraper will help you loosen the dough from the paper if it’s too sticky in some places.

15. Cut the “log” into 10 equal pieces and place them in a parchment lined baking dish

16. Cover the baking dish with plastic and let them rise for 30 minutes while you pre-heat your oven to 350ºF (176º C).

17. Once your cinnamon rolls have risen, bake them in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

18. Let them cool slightly and then drizzle with the glaze.

19. To prepare the glaze simply mix together the powdered sugar and vanilla and add the milk slowly while whisking, you may not need all of it. What you want is the consistency of thick condensed milk.

20. Serve your rolls warm and enjoy!