Vegan Speculaas Star Bread

Name: Vegan Speculaas Star Bread
Prep time: 105 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 135 min
Yield: 16 servings
Ingredients: 300g 00 Flour; 1package Vanilla Sugar; 0.5package Instant Dry Yeast; 1tsp Sugar; 0.5tsp Salt; 0.5tsp Ground Cinnamon; 150ml Oat Milk; 30ml Sunflower Oil; 150g Vegan Speculaas Spread; 1tbsp Maple Syrup; 2tbsp Water; 1tbsp 00 Flour; 1tbsp Powdered Sugar

This Vegan Speculaas Star Bread is the kind of bake that looks way fancier than it actually is. Soft, lightly spiced dough gets layered with warm, gooey speculaas spread, then twisted into a beautiful pull-apart star that’s perfect for cozy mornings, coffee breaks, or holiday dessert tables. Tear, share, repeat — it’s dangerously snackable.

Total Time

135 min

Difficulty

Servings

16 servings

Categories: Breads Breakfast Desserts

Allergens: Gluten

Dough Instructions

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, vanilla sugar, instant yeast, sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
Warm the oat milk until it’s pleasantly warm to the touch (not hot). Pour it into the bowl along with the sunflower oil.
Mix until a dough forms, then knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. If the dough feels too dry, add a splash of warm oat milk. If it’s sticky, add a little flour (1 tbsp at a time).
Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm spot for about 45 minutes, or until doubled in size (an oven set to ~30°C works great).

Speculaas Filling Instructions

Spoon the speculaas spread into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for about 10–15 seconds, just until soft and spreadable (not fully melted).

Glaze Instructions

Stir the maple syrup and water together in a small bowl.

Shaping and Baking Instructions

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces.
Roll the first piece into a circle about 3mm thick. Transfer it to the lined sheet pan (you can roll on parchment if that’s easier).
Spread the softened speculaas evenly over the dough circle, leaving about a 1cm clean border around the edge.
Roll the second piece into a circle the same size and place it on top. Gently press the edges to seal.
Place a small glass or round cutter in the center (as a guide) and cut the dough into 16 equal strips: first into quarters, then eighths, then sixteenths. Leave the center uncut.
Take two adjacent strips, twist them away from each other twice, then pinch the ends together to form a point. Repeat all the way around to create the star.
Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Brush the star gently with the maple glaze.
Bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden brown. If it browns too quickly, loosely cover with aluminum foil for the last 5–10 minutes.
Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
Optional: dust with powdered sugar right before serving for the prettiest finish.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Notes

Warm (not hot) milk helps yeast rise reliably — too hot can slow it down.
If your speculaas spread gets runny, let it sit 1–2 minutes so it thickens before spreading.
Try to roll both circles the same size so the star twists evenly.
Cutting 16 strips sounds fiddly, but the quarter → eighth → sixteenth method makes it easy.
Cool fully before tearing for cleaner layers and a nicer pull-apart texture.

Equipment Needed

Mixing Bowl
Wooden Spoon
Kitchen Scale
Measuring Cups
Kitchen Towel
Oven
Microwave
Bowl
Spatula
Teaspoon
Sheet Pan
Parchment Paper
Rolling Pin
Knife
Pastry Brush
Wire Rack
Aluminum Foil
Sieve