Vegan Cream Cheese Rolls with Garlic Butter
Today we've got a recipe for you that looks super elaborate at first glance but is actually pretty laidback: plant-based cream cheese buns with garlic butter, inspired by Korean street food.
Maybe you've already stumbled across these little buns before? Back in 2019, they were a huuuuge trend in Korea, with people standing in line for hours to get them. The combination of fluffy brioche buns, creamy cream cheese, and buttery garlic glaze is simply amaaazing – so we totally get it.
We've adapted the Korean recipe to make it completely plant-based, and we're answering all your important questions about how to make them here.
What makes the Korean original so special?
Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Bread (육쪽 마늘빵) has one very distinctive feature: the buns are cut into six triangular segments but stay connected at the bottom. You can pull them apart beautifully, and each piece is packed with plant-based cream cheese and garlic butter. The original uses dairy cream cheese, butter, an egg, and dairy milk – all ingredients we can easily replace with plant-based alternatives.
Which buns work best?
Clearly: brioche buns! They're slightly sweet, super fluffy, and not too firm. Brioche buns that haven't been pre-sliced are perfect, like burger buns. But if you can only find pre-sliced ones, no problem at all – that works too!
How do I cut the buns correctly?
This is actually the trickiest part: you cut three times through the top from above so six triangular segments form. It's important not to cut all the way through – the bottom needs to stay intact so the bun holds together. It's best to make the cuts approx. to the middle of the bun. A sharp knife helps tremendously.
Does the garlic really need to be roasted in the oven?
Technically not, but we highly recommend it. Roasted garlic is much milder, sweeter, and more aromatic than raw garlic. You simply cut off the top third of a whole garlic bulb, drizzle it with olive oil, wrap it in aluminum foil, and let it roast in the oven for approx. 30 minutes. After that, you just squeeze out the soft cloves – done. This takes half an hour, but you can use that time perfectly to prepare the cream cheese and buns.
Which plant-based cream cheese works best?
For this recipe, we can highly recommend plant-based Petrella in the varieties "with garlic & herbs" or "with fresh chives." But the varieties "plain" or "Peppasweet" also work wonderfully. Petrella uses fresh ingredients like chives or bell pepper, and we think you can totally taste it! All the varieties have a great tanginess and freshness that pairs beautifully with these filled buns.
By the way: if you don't have a piping bag for your cream cheese mixture, you can also use a freezer bag and cut off one corner.
Can I prepare the buns ahead of time?
Of course! You can prepare the buns completely, freeze them, and then bake them as needed.
Vegan Cream Cheese Rolls with Garlic Butter
Ingredients
For the Garlic Butter:
- 1 whole garlic bulb
- 100 g (3.5 oz) plant-based butter
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley
- 1 tsp sugar
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
- 125 g (4.5 oz) plant-based cream cheese (e.g., Petrella with garlic & herbs or with fresh chives)
- 2 tbsp plant-based milk
Additionally:
- 4 plant-based brioche burger buns
- plant-based parmesan
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180 °C / 355 °F (convection). Cut off approx. the top third of the garlic bulb so the individual cloves become visible. Drizzle with some olive oil, season with salt, and wrap in aluminum foil. Roast in the oven for approx. 30–35 minutes until the garlic is soft and golden brown.
In the meantime, for the cream cheese filling, mix the plant-based cream cheese with the plant-based milk until smooth and a creamy consistency forms. Fill into a bag so you can pipe the mixture.
Prepare the buns: cut into the top part (the "lid") three times so 6 triangular segments form. Don't cut all the way through – the bottom of the bun should stay intact so everything holds together.
Melt the plant-based butter. Remove the roasted garlic from the foil and squeeze out the soft cloves. Mix with the melted butter, chopped parsley, sugar, salt, and pepper, mashing the garlic well as you mix.
Now switch the oven to 180 °C / 355 °F (fan). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the buns on it. Fill the cream cheese mixture into the cuts of each bun. Leave a little bit of cream cheese mixture aside so you have a dollop left for the center after baking. Then drizzle the buns with garlic butter. You can also dunk them upside down into the garlic butter if the buns are stable enough.
Bake the buns for approx. 10–15 minutes until they're crispy on the outside. Add a final dollop of cream cheese mixture to each bun and serve warm with some grated parmesan.
