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Vegan Brioche Buns with Rhubarb and Vanilla Custard Recipe

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★★★★★

4.5 from 120 reviews

These Vegan Brioche Buns with Rhubarb and Vanilla Custard combine a fluffy, airy brioche dough made with a legume-based egg substitute, tangy rhubarb compote, and a silky plant-based vanilla creme patissier. Perfect for spring when rhubarb is in season, these buns are topped with a crunchy, gluten-free almond crumble and baked to golden perfection with a shiny finish. Ideal as a dessert or indulgent treat, this recipe is fully vegan and brings together classic flavors with innovative plant-based ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale

Brioche Dough

  • 320g white wheat flour (type 550; or type 405 with extra adjustment)
  • 130g cold water
  • 20g Eggfield (legume-based egg white substitute)
  • 32g sugar
  • 5g salt
  • 100g margarine (e.g., Flora)
  • 15g fresh yeast

Almond Crumble

  • 155g ground almonds
  • 130g rice flour
  • 120g sugar
  • 1.2g salt
  • 1.2g baking powder
  • 1g vanilla powder (e.g., Vanilla Dream)
  • 145g margarine

Vegan Vanilla Creme Patissier

  • 215g plant-based milk (e.g., Alpro oat milk)
  • 35g sugar
  • 1 vanilla pod (scraped, e.g., Vanilla Dream)
  • Pinch of salt
  • 20g cornstarch (Maizena)
  • 8g flour
  • 35g plant-based milk (additional)
  • 14g sunflower oil
  • 25g cocoa butter
  • 5g margarine

Rhubarb Compote

  • 25g sugar
  • 1/2 vanilla pod (scraped)
  • 5g lemon juice
  • 4g cornstarch (Maizena)
  • 1 Tbsp water
  • 125g rhubarb (cut into small cubes/brunoise)
  • 1/8 to 1/4 tsp beetroot juice (for pink color)

Instructions

  1. Prepare Brioche Dough: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a hook attachment, combine flour, cold water, Eggfield, sugar, salt, margarine, and fresh yeast. Mix on low speed for about 15 minutes until you achieve a smooth and elastic dough. If the dough feels too wet, add a tablespoon of flour and mix again until combined.
  2. First Proof: Shape the dough into a round ball on a lightly floured surface. Place it into a clean bowl and cover with cling film or a cloth. Allow it to rest at room temperature for approximately one hour until it doubles in size.
  3. Second Shaping and Proof: Once risen, shape the dough again into a round ball and let it rise a second time until doubled. This step enhances airiness and fluffiness.
  4. Divide and Shape: After the second rise, cut and weigh dough pieces: 50g portions for hot dog buns and 70g portions for rhubarb buns. Shape into round balls. For hot dog buns, roll into small logs. Place hot dog buns on silicone Airmats to proof until doubled in size.
  5. Prepare Rhubarb Buns: Flatten dough balls into discs and place into greased ring molds. Flatten again and cover with cling film or cloth to proof until doubled, preventing crust formation. Optionally, proof in an oven set at 35-40°C to speed up the process.
  6. Create Center Hole in Rhubarb Buns: Press a small heat-proof bowl into the dough discs to form a hole for filling. Add baking beans, rice, or lentils into the hole to weigh it down during baking.
  7. Prepare Almond Crumble: Combine ground almonds, rice flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, vanilla powder, and margarine in a mixer bowl. Mix until the texture is crumbly but can be shaped into small crumbs. Set aside or freeze leftovers.
  8. Apply Egg Wash and Topping: Brush the buns with Eggfield as an egg wash to achieve a shiny crust. Sprinkle almond crumble and/or coarse sugar chunks on top of the rhubarb buns.
  9. Bake Buns: Bake the buns in a preheated oven at 165°C with half steam and half hot air (or place a heatproof bowl with hot water inside the oven for steam). After 10 minutes, remove the water and increase temperature to 170°C. Continue baking for an additional 5-8 minutes until golden brown.
  10. Make Vegan Vanilla Creme Patissier: In a small pot, heat plant-based milk, scraped vanilla pod, salt, and sugar over medium-high heat until boiling. In a separate bowl, whisk together the additional milk, cornstarch, and flour until smooth. When the milk mixture boils, add the flour mixture slowly while whisking continuously. Bring to a boil again for about 1 minute to cook out the starchy flavor. Remove from heat and pour the hot custard onto a mixture of cocoa butter, margarine, and sunflower oil. Let sit for one minute, then hand blend until smooth and glossy. Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge. Blend again before use and place into a piping bag.
  11. Prepare Rhubarb Compote: Mix cornstarch with water until smooth. In a small pot, combine sugar, lemon juice, scraped vanilla pod, and rhubarb cubes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, but do not cook too long to avoid overly soft rhubarb. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and bring to boil again until thickened. Remove from heat immediately and let cool.
  12. Assemble and Serve: Once buns have cooled slightly, fill the center hole of rhubarb buns with rhubarb compote and vanilla creme patissier. Enjoy immediately or store refrigerated.

Notes

  • Eggfield is an optional legume-based egg white substitute that helps add stability and shine to the dough; you can omit or replace with other vegan egg substitutes if desired.
  • This dough can be made ahead and proofed overnight in the fridge after the second shaping for convenience.
  • If you don’t have an oven with steam or hot air settings, placing a heatproof bowl of hot water in the oven mimics the steam effect to keep buns soft during baking.
  • The almond crumble is gluten-free and can be frozen for future use in other pastries or cakes.
  • Proofing times may vary depending on room temperature; a warm place or proofing in the oven at low temperature (35-40°C) speeds up the process.
  • Adjust the amount of strawberry gel filling in hot dog style buns for a more intense fruity flavor if you choose to make those variations.
  • Be cautious not to overcook the rhubarb compote to maintain some texture and avoid breaking down the rhubarb.
  • Use cling film to cover custard while cooling to prevent skin formation and ensure smooth texture.

Keywords: vegan brioche buns, rhubarb compote, vanilla custard, creme patissier, plant-based dessert, almond crumble, egg substitute, vegan baking

Find it online: https://reemcook.com/vegan-brioche-buns-with-rhubarb-and-vanilla-custard-recipe/