Coconut Rolls with Coconut Glaze

❤️Why you will love this recipe

• This is an easy recipe for delicious coconut rolls with sweet coconut filling made using fresh coconut.
• It requires fairly simple ingredients and yields perfectly soft rolls with a lovely coconut flavor.
• Baked into perfect golden brown rolls, these treats are a great addition to your brunch table.
• The sweet rolls can enjoyed for breakfast with a cup of coffee or simply as a snack during the day.
• Both the dough and the coconut filling can be made in advance and refrigerated, so you can literally make these coconut rolls anytime you want and perfect for busy days.

Like this recipe? Here are my other posts you might want to check out:

• Coconut Candy (A Quick and Easy Treat)
• Cherry Coconut Cookies (Easy Christmas Cookie Idea)
• Coconut Loaf Cake with Lemon Glaze Topping
• Ube Rolls (Soft and Fluffy Twisted Buns)
• Easy Yeast Rolls for Beginners
• Strawberry Rolls with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Glaze
• Coffee Rolls with Coffee Cream Cheese Glaze
• Cinnamon Raisin Rolls
• Coconut Jelly with Palm Sugar
• Pandan Jelly with Coconut
• Sago Pudding with Coconut Milk and Palm Sugar
• Pandan Cookies with Coconut and Gula Melaka

Dough

• All-purpose flour + salt - salt is best mixed with flour before being added to the yeast. It should not be added directly to the the yeast as it can kill the yeast. Use fine salt.
• White sugar - sweetens the dough.
• Instant yeast - with dry instant yeast, you need not activate the yeast by mixing it with warm liquid and waiting for it to froth. If you are using dry active yeast, activation is required (see Expert tips section below for more details).
• Whole milk - can be at room temperature. If using active yeast, milk has to be warm.
• Eggs - use large eggs.
• Butter - I use salted butter. Both salted and unsalted butter will work fine for the rolls.

Coconut Filling

• Freshly grated coconut - this is coconut in fine grated form. If frozen, let it thaw first before using.
• Brown sugar - sweetens the coconut filling and adds a lovely depth in flavor to the filling.
• Water - to cook the coconut and to keep it moist.
• Salt - The salt in the coconut filing is very important as it really makes a difference to the taste, so do not skip the salt.

Coconut glaze

• Powdered sugar - sift first to break any lumps.
• Coconut milk - sold in cartons. Use coconut milk and not coconut cream or coconut water.

🧾Substitution and Variations

• The brown sugar in the coconut filling can be replaced with white sugar, but you might have to adjust the quantity as white sugar tend to be sweeter than brown sugar.
• Grated coconut can be substituted with shredded coconut. Use fresh unsweetened shredded coconut and process it in a food processor or blender to make it fine. Dry flakes or desiccated coconut will not work for this recipe.
• You can add one teaspoon of coconut extract to the dough along with the milk for extra coconut flavor in the rolls.
• The coconut glaze topping can be replaced with cream cheese frosting if you like.
• The coconut milk in the glaze can be replaced with water. For coconut flavoring, you can add half a teaspoon of coconut extract to it.

👩‍🍳How to Make

Mixing the dough

1. Start by mixing the milk and yeast in your mixing bowl. Stir to dissolve the yeast lightly.
2. Add the sugar, egg, flour, and salt. Turn on the mixer to a low speed and mix for about 2 minutes until the dough comes together.
3. The dough will be sticky at this stage.
4. Add softened butter, and knead for a further 7 to 8 minutes until the butter is all incorporated into the dough.

First proof

1. By the end of the machine kneading, the dough should be elastic.
2. Turn the soft dough out onto your working space (lightly floured) and shape it into a smooth dough ball.
3. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover with cling wrap.
4. Let the dough rest and proof in a warm place until it doubles in size.

Making the coconut filling

While waiting for the dough to proof, making the coconut filling.

1. To make the filling, start by measuring the brown sugar, salt and water into a small saucepan. Place the pan on a stove and turn on medium heat and mix to dissolve the brown sugar.
2. Once the sugar is dissolved, add the coconut. Cook the coconut over low heat until it thickens slightly. Remember to keep the heat low.
3. Continue cooking and keep stirring until the coconut filling is completely thickened. At this stage, you should not be able to see any more liquid in the pan.
4. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool down before using. This filling can be made in advance and kept refrigerated.

Assembling the rolls

1. Once the dough has proofed, turn it out onto a floured surface. Press the air bubbles out.
2. And then roll it into a rectangle measuring about 30 cm by 23 cm.
3. Brush with some melted butter.
4. After that, spread the coconut filling. I find using a rubber spatula very helpful in spreading the filling to a thin layer. Don’t worry about having to press down the rolled dough as you spread the filling thin.
5. Once the filling is all done, start rolling the dough from one of the longer edges.
6. Roll it as tightly as possible and pinch the ends.

Cutting the rolls and second rise

1. Divide the roll into 9 equal sections. To do this, first, divide the roll into 3 sections. And then divide each section into 3 additional sections.
2. Arrange the rolls in a greased deep 7 inches square tin. When placing the rolls into the tin, position them such that the ends are against the tin. That way, when they expand in size, the sides of the tin will stop them from unrolling.
3. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let the rolls proof until double in size.
4. Bake the rolls at 170 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes.

Making the coconut glaze

While waiting for the coconut rolls to bake, prepare the glaze.

1. Sift and measure icing sugar into a glass or jar. I prefer to use my measuring glass with a small spout as it is easier to pour the glaze onto the coconut rolls later.
2. Add coconut milk and stir until the glaze is smooth. This glaze will crust, so it is important not to make it too much in advance.
3. As soon as the coconut rolls are out of the oven, brush the top with butter and pour the coconut glaze all over them.
4. Let the glaze soak into the coconut rolls. The coconut rolls are ready to be served as soon as they turn warm. They are also good when served completely cooled down.

Since the glaze is made using coconut milk, the coconut rolls must be consumed within the same day they are made. If you wish to keep them longer, replace the coconut milk in the glaze with warm water.

🍽️Serving & storage

• Let the coconut rolls cool to a warm temperature before serving. They are best served warm.
• The baked coffee rolls are best consumed on the day they are made.
• Since coconut milk does not last well at room temperature, these rolls are best stored in the refrigerator if you wish to keep them for more than a day due to the coconut milk glaze. The rolls are best consumed with 2 to 3 days. Reheat in an oven before consuming.

Kneading the dough

• The dough in this coconut rolls recipe is kneaded in a mixer. If you wish to knead by hand, you will need to knead it slightly longer than the time mentioned in the recipe.
• To test if the dough is well kneaded, use the windowpane test. Take some dough and stretch it gently with your hands until it forms a thin film (almost see through). If you can form the film without the dough tearing, the dough is well kneaded.

Yeast

• The dough recipe uses instant dry yeast. Unlike active dry yeast, with instant yeast, there is no need to dissolve the yeast in warm milk or liquid and let it froth before using (which can take up to 15 minutes if using active yeast).
• You can use room temperature milk to mix in the instant yeast and as soon as it is dissolved, you can add all other ingredients (except butter) and knead into a dough.
• With active dry yeast, you need to activate it first by mixing it in warm liquid and let it froth. Only then can you add all the other ingredients.

Best coconut to make the coconut filling

• The coconut filling is best made with unsweetened freshly grated coconut.
• Coconut in shredded form (thin short strips) will not be as good as grated coconut. You can still use shredded coconut, just process it in a food processor to make it fine and use as indicated in the recipe.

Storing the coconut filling

• This filling can be made in advance and refrigerated for a good 3 to 4 days. If you wish to keep it longer, the filling is best frozen. It can last for a good one month frozen. Thaw before using.

💭FAQs