Vegan Sourdough Discard Coconut Date Energy Rolls

Name: Vegan Sourdough Discard Coconut Date Energy Rolls
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients: 1 cup (240 ml) sourdough discard (unfed or recently fed), at room temperature; 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour; ½ cup (120 ml) canned coconut milk (full-fat), stirred well to combine; 1 cup (160 g) Medjool dates, pitted, roughly chopped; ¾ cup (60 g) unsweetened shredded coconut; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) virgin coconut oil, melted, slightly cooled; ½ teaspoon (3 g) fine sea salt; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract; 1½ teaspoons (4 g) ground cinnamon; ½ teaspoon (1 g) ground cardamom (optional); 2 tablespoons (30 ml) ground flaxseed mixed with water (flax egg), prepared 5 minutes ahead (2 tablespoons ground flaxseed + 5 tablespoons water)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Chewy, naturally sweet energy rolls made with sourdough discard, Medjool dates, and shredded coconut. These vegan rolls require minimal kneading and use the discard to reduce waste while building complex flavor. Perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert—they're rich enough to satisfy with just one or two.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 25 min
Wait: 1 hr 30 min
Total: 2 hr 20 min
Makes: 12 rolls

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Ingredients

12 servings

1 cup (240 ml) sourdough discard (unfed or recently fed), at room temperature
2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (120 ml) canned coconut milk (full-fat), stirred well to combine
1 cup (160 g) Medjool dates, pitted, roughly chopped
¾ cup (60 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tablespoons (30 ml) virgin coconut oil, melted, slightly cooled
½ teaspoon (3 g) fine sea salt
1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons (4 g) ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon (1 g) ground cardamom (optional)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) ground flaxseed mixed with water (flax egg), prepared 5 minutes ahead (2 tablespoons ground flaxseed + 5 tablespoons water)

Equipment (7)

Medium mixing bowl
Large mixing bowl
Wooden spoon or rubber spatula
9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan
Parchment paper
Kitchen scale (recommended)
Wire cooling rack

Steps

Before you start

Have your sourdough discard at room temperature (ideally fed 4–8 hours ahead, but unfed discard also works)
Measure all ingredients before mixing
Preheat oven to 375 °F (190 °C) 15 minutes before baking
Line a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan with parchment paper

1
Prepare flax egg
- In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed and 5 tablespoons water until combined.
- Let sit for 5 minutes to thicken.
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Ready when: Mixture should be thick and pudding-like
Tip: Prepare this first so it's ready when you need it
2
Mix wet ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk together the room-temperature sourdough discard, coconut milk, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and the prepared flax egg until smooth and well combined.
- No lumps of discard should remain.
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Ready when: Mixture is smooth and uniform in color
Tip: Whisking breaks up the discard so it distributes evenly throughout the dough
3
Combine dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sea salt, cinnamon, and cardamom (if using).
- Stir until spices are evenly distributed throughout the flour.
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Ready when: Flour mixture is uniform in color with no visible clumps of spice
Tip: Whisking the dry ingredients helps prevent dry pockets in the final dough
4
Make filling
- In a small bowl, combine the chopped Medjool dates and shredded coconut.
- Mix gently with a fork until the coconut is distributed among the dates.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: Dates and coconut are loosely combined
Tip: Chop dates into roughly ½-inch (1.3 cm) pieces so they don't clump together
5
Combine wet and dry
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until a shaggy dough forms.
- Stir about 50 times—the dough should be cohesive but slightly rough.
- Do not overwork at this stage.
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Ready when: All dry flour is incorporated and dough is shaggy
Tip: Minimize mixing to keep the gluten loose and the crumb tender
6
First rise
- Cover the bowl loosely with a damp kitchen towel.
- Let the dough rest at room temperature for 45 minutes.
- The dough will not double but will visibly relax and become softer.
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Ready when: Dough is softer, slightly risen, and jiggles when bowl is moved
Tip: A warm kitchen speeds fermentation; a cool one slows it—adjust time accordingly
7
Shape rolls
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently press into a 9×11-inch (23×28 cm) rectangle.
- Scatter the date-coconut filling evenly over the dough, leaving a ½-inch (1.3 cm) border on all sides.
- Starting from the long side, roll tightly toward you, pinching the seam at the end.
- Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the log into 12 equal pieces (about 1 inch / 2.5 cm thick).
- Place rolls seam-side up in the parchment-lined 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) pan, arranging them in 3 rows of 4.
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Ready when: Rolls are cut and arranged with ½-inch (1.3 cm) space between them
Tip: Seam-side up means the swirl is visible on top and the filling won't unroll during baking
8
Second rise
- Cover the pan loosely with the damp kitchen towel.
- Let rolls rise at room temperature for 45 minutes.
- They should puff and rise about ½ inch (1.3 cm), and when gently poked, the dough should spring back slowly.
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Ready when: Rolls are noticeably puffy and spring back slowly when poked
Tip: If your kitchen is cold, place the pan on a slightly warm (not hot) surface to speed rise
9
Bake rollsOven 375°F / 190°C
- Preheat oven to 375 °F (190 °C) if not already preheated.
- Remove the towel from the pan and place it in the center of the oven.
- Bake for 23–28 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the rolls are set but still slightly tender.
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Ready when: Tops are golden brown; a pick inserted into the center comes out with minimal crumbs
Tip: If browning too quickly after 15 minutes, tent loosely with foil to prevent darkening
10
Cool
- Let rolls cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- Then turn rolls out onto the rack and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- Rolls are best served warm or at room temperature.
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Ready when: Rolls are warm to the touch and set but still slightly tender inside
Tip: Cooling them in the pan for 10 minutes prevents them from breaking apart

Good to know

Tips

Sourdough discard doesn't need to be recently fed—even discard that sits in your fridge for weeks will work, giving you deeper sour notes. If you prefer milder flavor, use actively fed discard.
These rolls are naturally sweet from dates and coconut; if you want them sweeter, dust tops with cinnamon sugar (2 tablespoons cinnamon + ¼ cup sugar) right after removing from the oven, or drizzle with coconut glaze (1 cup powdered sugar + 2–3 tablespoons coconut milk).
The dough will be looser and stickier than typical yeast rolls because sourdough discard adds moisture and there's no yeast for extra structure. This is normal and creates a tender crumb—just dust your work surface generously with flour when shaping.
Rolls freeze beautifully both baked and unbaked. Baked rolls thaw and reheat in minutes; unbaked rolls give you fresh-baked rolls whenever you want them with minimal morning effort.

Make ahead

Store unbaked shaped rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. In the morning, let them come to room temperature (about 45 minutes) and rise for 20–30 minutes before baking. You can also freeze shaped rolls (in the pan, wrapped well) for up to 3 months; thaw in the fridge overnight and let rise for 45–60 minutes before baking.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature (in an airtight container): up to 2 days. Refrigerator: up to 4 days—warm gently in a 300 °F (150 °C) oven for 10 minutes. Freezer: up to 3 months (wrap individually in foil)—thaw at room temperature and warm before serving.

Substitutions

Medjool dates, pitted → chopped dried figs, apricots, or raisins. Use the same quantity by weight. Figs and apricots will give slightly more texture; raisins will be sweeter but smaller and more delicate.
unsweetened shredded coconut → chopped toasted nuts (almonds, walnuts, or pecans). Use the same quantity by weight. Toast nuts lightly first for deeper flavor and to prevent them from absorbing too much moisture.
canned coconut milk (full-fat) → oat milk, almond milk, or soy milk. Use the same quantity. Full-fat oat milk will give the richest flavor; the rolls will be slightly less indulgent with lower-fat milks.
ground flaxseed mixed with water (flax egg) → aquafaba (3 tablespoons) or chia egg (1 tablespoon ground chia + 3 tablespoons water). Aquafaba creates a slightly lighter crumb; chia eggs will add a subtle texture. Both work equally well as a vegan binder.