Vegan walnut rolls feature thinly rolled dough, juicy walnut filling and golden toasted crumbs – a combination that is simply irresistable!
This is a traditional Slovene dessert, called “štruklji”. Štruklji are a dish made from simple dough and various fillings, rolled into a roll and then either cooked or baked in an oven. They can be made with all kinds of fillings, from savoury to sweet, like walnuts to apples, tarragon, walnuts and so on. Preparing traditional Slovenian dishes in vegan version is always a challenge for us, which we are always happy to face. The joy of a delicious final dish that looks and tastes just like the one that we remember and the surprise from non-vegans over how identical the taste of a traditional dish is always motivates us.
Our mom prepares the best walnut rolls and we have always loved them, so we’ve decided to “veganize” her recipe and made equally delicious but healthier and of course vegan rolls. They can be served in a variety of ways, we love then sprinkled with toasted breadcrumbs and a little bit of cinnamon.
Dough and filling
The rolls are made from simple dough, juicy walnut filling with tofu and sprinkled with toasted breadcrumbs. Instead of breadcrumbs, we sometimes use toasted ground walnuts, which gives an even better taste.
The best part of rolls is of course the filling, as it is extremely juicy and tasty . The mixture of tofu and soy yogurt resembles cottage cheese in both taste and texture. When you add walnuts, maple syrup and vanilla extract you get a divine filling that cannot be resisted. Just make sure it doesn’t run out before you spread it on the dough, as it is also delicious on its own and you could eat it with a spoon!
Preparation and tricks for perfect rolls
Rolls are quite easy to prepare, but it does takes some time and practice. The biggest challenge is to remove the kitchen towel, so that the dough does not stick to it during cooking. It is best to sprinkle the towel with flour or better yet with breadcrumbs and then place the roll on it. The kitchen towel in which roll are cooked should always be boiled or washed without softener, otherwise rolls can take on the taste of softener.
If you follow the next steps, the your rolls will definitely be a success!
- Prepare the dough first. Preparing the dough is extremely easy and you can easily prepare it by yourself in just a few minutes. All you need is flour, water and salt. Mix all of the ingredients together and let the dough rest in the fridge for a while.
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling: blend all of the ingredients in into a cream.
- Once you have the dough and filling ready, you can start making the rolls.
- Roll out the dough into a rectangle, spread the filling over the entire surface and roll it tightly.
- Wrap in a damp boiled kitchen towel and tie both ends with a rubber band.
- Boil water in a large pot, place a roll wrapped in towel in it and cook for 40 minutes.
- Take cooked roll out of the water, carefully remove the cloth and cut into slices.
- Sprinkle with toasted breadcrumbs and cinnamon and serve.
Recipe
Vegan walnut rolls - štruklji
Ingredients
Dough
- 200 g all purpuse flour
- pinch salt
- 110 ml cold water
Filling
- 150 g ofu
- 200 g soy yogurt
- 30 g maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 75 g ground walnuts
Crumbs
- 25 g coconut oil
- 50 g breadcrumbs
Instructions
Dough
- Put flour in a bowl, add salt and stir.
- Make a dent in the middle, pour water into it and mix with a fork from the middle outwards.
- Finally, knead with your hands to form a uniform dough.
- Cover the dough with foil and let it rest in the fridge for about an hour.
Filling
- Put all of the ingredients for the filling in a blender and blend into the cream.
Rolls
- Roll out the dough on a floured kitchen towel into a rectangle measuring 30 cm x 45 cm.
- Coat the entire surface of the dough evenly with the filling and roll it tightly.
- Wrap the roll in a boiled kitchen towel (which can be sprinkled with breadcrumbs to make the štruklji easier to remove) and tie both ends with an elastic band.
- Put water in a large pot and bring it to a boil. When it starts boiling, put a roll in it, lower the heat and cook for about 40 minutes.
- Once the rolls are cooked, remove them from the water and carefully unwrap the cloth and cut into slices.
Crumbs
- Put coconut oil in a pan and heat it. When hot, add the crumbs, stir and fry for a few minutes. Stir several times in between so that they do not burn.
Serving
- Arrange the slices on a plate, sprinkle with toasted breadcrumbs, add a little bit of cinnamon if desired and serve.
