These pillowy soft vegan apple cheesecake brioche buns are a twist on the classic cream cheese danish using a yeast risen enriched dough instead of puff pastry! The centers are filled with a gooey dairy free cheesecake filling, gooey cinnamon apples, and a vanilla crumble to finish!

apple cheesecake buns on parchment paper

Brioche buns meet danishes:

Don’t get me wrong- I love a flaky blueberry danish in the morning with a good cup of coffee. But with the cool air of autumn, we need something a bit more warming.

Enter in these ridiculously delicious apple cheesecake brioche buns. They’re like a danish, in that they have a gooey cheesecake filling. But instead of using homemade puff pastry, we’re using a plush and pillowy brioche doughnut dough that holds all of the yummy apple cheesecake flavors!

broken open brioche bun on parchment paper

These brioche buns are soft, full of warming cinnamon spice, and an irresistibly rich vanilla dough that’s plush and just melts in your mouth.

Oh, and these buns are naturally dairy free and egg-free. Meaning, yes, they’re entirely vegan, and no, you’d never know!

It’s what a fall morning should consist of. Well, that and gooey vegan cinnamon rolls I guess 😉

Apple cheesecake danish components:

Unlike a traditional danish, which typically uses a puff pastry or rough puff pastry dough, we’re using an enriched brioche bun dough. This makes these apple cheesecake brioche buns sort of like a cross between a doughnut and a danish.

Here’s why you’ll love them:

  • Soft brioche bun: Contrary to a flaky danish pastry, these brioche buns are pillowy soft with little pickets of air in them in a tight yet plush crumb. They’re the perfect vehicle to transport our deliciously rich apple cheesecake filling!
  • Creamy cheesecake filling: One of my favorite uses of my homemade 3 ingredient vegan cream cheese is in anything cheesecake. Because it actually works and turns out so lush and creamy. The cheesecake filling is deliciously tangy and sweet with just a hint of vanilla.
  • Gooey cinnamon apples: This is what makes these apple cheesecake brioche buns fell more like apple pie. The filling is simple- just apples, vegan butter, light brown sugar, cinnamon, water, and a touch of flour to help everything thicken.
  • Vanilla crumble: To finish and add a bit more texture to the buns, we’re topping with a simple vanilla crumble on top. This will help these buns feel like they came from a bakery (and provide a bit of insulation for the apples on top!).

Tips for making these cheesecake brioche buns:

  • Use homemade vegan cream cheese: This is my absolute favorite. The homemade cream cheese is so delicious and really does have that cream cheese tang because we’re using the traditional method for making cream cheese. However, store bought will work- Kite Hill is great for this.
  • Allow the buns to rest: Because we’re using an enriched dough, they’ll take longer to rise. More fat = more time to proof. Don’t worry if your dough is taking a long time to rise, as long as your yeast properly bloomed. You can always place the brioche buns into the TURNED OFF oven with the oven light on to help create a warm setting if your oven doesn’t have a proof setting.
  • The sweeter the apple, the better: Like my vegan apple pie, it’s crucial that you use a sweet apple variety- Fuji, Gala, and McIntosh are the best.
gooey apples in a bowl
homemade cream cheese filling
brioche buns before baking

Can I make these danishes gluten free?

So I have not tested this before- however, if I were, I would use my gluten-free vegan cinnamon roll dough to start. Now, again, because I haven’t tested these, I cannot guarantee that the brioche buns will hold their shape.

However, you could absolutely try- at the very least, the dough might be lovely in a large muffin tin and baked that way!

baked apple cheesecake brioche buns

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If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!

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apple cheesecake buns on parchment paper

Vegan Apple Cheesecake Brioche Buns

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  • Author: Britt Berlin
  • Prep Time: 45
  • Proofing Time: 60
  • Cook Time: 22
  • Total Time: 2 hours 7 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

These pillowy soft vegan apple cheesecake brioche buns are a twist on the classic cream cheese danish using a yeast risen enriched dough instead of puff pastry! The centers are filled with a gooey dairy free cheesecake filling, gooey cinnamon apples, and a vanilla crumble to finish!

Ingredients

Scale

Brioche Buns:

  • 3/4 cup (184 g) dairy free milk, heated to 110F
  •  1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar or coconut sugar, divided
  • 4 cups (500 g)  bread flour or all purpose flour
  • 2.5 tsp (.25 oz) dry activated yeast
  • 12 tbsp (185 g) unsalted salted vegan butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup (62.5 grams) unsweetened applesauce or dairy free yogurt, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cheesecake filling:

  • 1 batch vegan cream cheese (or 12 ounces store bought vegan cream cheese)
  • 1/4 cup (60 mL) vegan heavy cream or coconut cream
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup or maple butter
  • 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Apple pie topping:

  • 2 large gala or fuji apples, diced
  • 1 tbsp vegan butter
  • 3 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1/2 tbsp flour

Vanilla crumble topping:

  • 1/2 cup (63 g) all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup (80 g) granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsp vegan butter, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Vegan egg wash:

  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp soy milk

Instructions

  1. Please read through all instructions before beginning:
  2. Prep: Grease a medium bowl with olive or coconut oil, and set aside.
  3. Bloom the yeast: In a separate large bowl, combine the dairy free milk, 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar, and activated yeast. Mix with a wooden spoon, and cover. Place in a warm area to activate for about 10 minutes. The yeast should begin to foam and smell yeast-like (similar to beer).
  4. Make the dough: Once the yeast is activated,  you’ll start the dough. In a large bowl or using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, add the bread flour and remaining sugar to the bowl. Mix just until the sugar is mixed throughout the flour. Then add in the dairy free yogurt, vanilla, and bloomed yeast mixture. Mix on medium speed until a very shaggy dough forms, about 3-4 minutes. Then add in the tablespoons of vegan butter, and begin to mix again on medium speed. Stop every so often to reincorporate the butter. Once the vegan butter is incorporated, turn the speed of the stand mixer onto high, and allow the dough to be kneaded in the bowl for about 10-15 minutes, or until soft and pliable. The dough might still be slightly tacky, but should not leave globs of dough on your finger tip. The trick is to knead the dough until it passes the windowpane test.
  5. First proof: Place the dough ball into the medium sized greased bowl. Cover with a clean dish towel and place in a warm area (ideally above 80F) to rest for about 60-120 minutes, or until doubled in size.
  6. While the dough is proofing: Follow the instructions for making the vegan cream cheese. Then in a medium bowl,  whisk together the cream cheese with the remaining cheesecake filling ingredients. Set aside. Then make vanilla crumble ingredients by mixing all vanilla crumble ingredients together in a small bowl. Finally, make the apple filling:
    1. Heat: Add the vegan butter to a medium sauté pan and melt on medium heat. Add in the apples, light brown sugar, cinnamon, water, and flour, and toss to evenly coat. Then cover the pan and let the apples cook for 3-5 minutes, or until soft and tender. Set aside to cool.
  7. Shape the dough: Once the dough has doubled in size, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly flour a clean surface, and place the dough onto the surface. Divide the dough into 8 even dough balls (or more for smaller brioche buns). Take one piece, and pinch the corners together to create a ball. Then gently roll the dough ball between your palms or on the lightly floured surface to smooth the seams until you get a smooth dough ball. Place the shaped dough onto the parchment paper, and repeat for the remaining dough.
  8. While the doughnuts are resting: Let the brioche buns rest for 15-20 minutes to puff up. Preheat the oven to 375F.
  9. Finish filling the doughnuts: Once the brioche buns have puffed up, take a small glass no larger than 2-3″ in diameter, and gently press the bottom of the glass into the middle of the bun to create a crevice where the cream cheese filling will sit. Spoon about 2-3 tbsp of cheesecake filling per bun, followed by the apple pie filling, and a sprinkle of vanilla crumble on top.
  10. Bake: Mix together the vegan egg wash and brush the edges of the brioche buns with the vegan egg wash. Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the buns are golden brown around the edges.
  11. Serve and enjoy! Serve the brioche buns freshly baked or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Notes

See blog post for all tips and tricks!