Best Russian vegan Kulitch (yeast-free, butter-free, eggs-free, milk-free)

It’s amazing how hard it is to find a good vegan Kulitch. I've been literally never able to do it. And since it’s my favorite part of the Russian orthodox Easter, I decided to give it a try and create my own Kulitch, but a light version of it.

No eggs, no butter. Surprisingly it turned out to be light and fluffy anyway. It has a very balanced taste, very lightly sweetened and looks very appetizing.

I use apricot preserves in this recipe but you can go with any similar mild-taste jams. I will highly recommend to add orange peel (fresh is always better) to spice the taste up, as well as vanilla.

I love to add dry apricots inside and some light raisins, but you can literally go with anything off your shelf. 

From nuts to chocolate, you name it!

I personally prefer small Kulitchi, since they are faster to bake and can be shared among more people, in my case - 5 kids. 

You can decorate them with anything you want. I like to go classic: sugar glaze and some sprinkles. Makes it look nice, happy, and very attractive.

And let me be honest, I think Kulitchi can be great as an everyday baking habit (just skip the sugar glaze) and can serve as a perfect addition to any breakfasts. Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself! Ready?

Let’s go cooking!

We will need

For the dough

2 cups of plain flour (1 cup - 250 ml.)

1 cup of brown or white sugar

1,5 table spoon of baking powder (double action)

1/2 cup of melted coconut oil

1/2 cup of apple sauce

1/4 cup of orange juice

1/2 tea spoon of vanilla extract 

1 tea spoon of lemon juice

3 table spoons of apricot preserve

Fresh orange peel, dry nuts or fruits, raisins 

For the glaze

3/4-1 cup of powdered sugar

1 tea spoon of any milk

1 tea spoon of lemon or lime juice

Combine oil, juices, vinegar, sugar, vanilla, preserves. If your oil got hard, beet everything up in a microwave for 1 minute.

Mix together flour and baking powder.

Combine wet and dry ingredients. This mixture will be a bit thick, but that’s normal.

Chop some dry fruit and put in. Don’t forget about the orange peel. It will elevate this recipe to a new level.

I prefer to bake small Kulitchi rather then the large ones, because it’s faster, they look good and are easier to share.

Warm up your oven to 170C/340F and bake till they are ready.

The large one can take up to 45-50 minutes depending on your oven and settings, small ones are quick - 20 minutes and they are ready to go!

Prepare you glaze. Let Kulitchi cool down and only then cover with the glaze.

Decorate with some fancy sprinkles and enjoy!

Happy spring!