These kolache (Kolaches/Koláče) are a delicious sweet vegan pastry using a light, sweet dough, filled with a poppy seed- and vegan cheesecake filling and topped with a streusel topping! This recipe is dairy-free, eggless, and can be made gluten-free and nut-free!
Please measure all ingredients in grams (use my written measurements) on a kitchen scale for exact results. Also, watch the VIDEO for visual instructions.Mix the warm milk (about 40 C / 104 F) with the yeast and 2 teaspoons of sugar in a small bowl and let it sit for a few minutes.
Add the flour to a medium bowl, along with the rest of the sugar and the salt. Pour in the yeast mixture and the oil. Mix well with a wooden spoon and then knead with your hands for a few minutes until a smooth dough is formed. If using dry yeast, you will need to add a little more milk.
Form the dough into a ball, return it to the bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
Poppy seed filling
Grind the poppy seeds in an electric spice grinder or blender, then place all ingredients in a saucepan or skillet, heat and let simmer for a minute. Set aside.
Vegan cheesecake filling
Place all ingredients in a small blender and blend until the mixture is smooth and lump-free. You can also use a stick blender.
Crumble
To make the crumble, simply mix all ingredients in a small bowl with your hands until the texture is crumbly. Set aside.
Shape the dough
Divide the dough into 7 pieces (40 g each) and shape into round "cookies". Dust the bottom of a glass with a little flour and then place it in the center of the round dough pieces. Apply pressure and flatten the dough in the middle, forming an edge on the outside.
Brush the edges of the dough with a little plant-based milk (mixed with a small pinch of turmeric) and place them on a lined baking sheet. Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).
Add fillings and bake
Spread about 2 teaspoons of the poppy seed and also of the cheesecake filling on each of the pastries and decorate with almonds (see step-by-step photos in the blog post). You can also fill the pastries with jam/marmalade if you like. Plum jam is well suited. Also, sprinkle with the crumbles.
Bake in the oven at 180 C (350 F) for 15-18 minutes. The edges should be lightly browned. Enjoy warm!
Notes
Video Of The Recipe
Sugar: For the yeast mixture, you should use 2 teaspoons of regular sugar to activate the yeast. The remaining amount can be coconut sugar or Erythritol.
For the gluten-free version use the following ingredients:
120 g rice flour
40 g chickpea flour
40 g tapioca flour, or arrowroot flour
60 g plant-based milk, warm
40 g sugar, of choice
30 g oil
10 g fresh yeast, or 1 tsp (3 g) dry yeast
1 pinch of salt
Use the same method as mentioned above.
The gluten-free pastries need to be baked about 4-5 minutes longer, and you should use about 50 g of dough per pastry, as they don't rise as much as the regular ones.
The total time doesn't include resting time.
Nutrition Facts
Kolache
Serving Size
1 kolach
Amount per Serving
Calories
278
% Daily Value*
Fat
8
g
12
%
Saturated Fat
1
g
5
%
Carbohydrates
47
g
16
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
19
g
21
%
Protein
5
g
10
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.