Got a few day-old rolls and not sure what to do with them? Here, they’re dipped in vanilla syrup, filled with pistachio, warmed in the oven for a few minutes, then finished with a layer of vanilla whipped cream.
This is a far cry from a brioche that’s simply split and filled cold. The first bite is moist, soft, and slightly dense at the center, with the pistachio coming through right after. This recipe joins my other gluten-free breads and pastries.
What are gluten- and lactose-free cream buns?
These gluten- and lactose-free brioches are briefly dipped in vanilla syrup, filled with pistachio paste, returned to the oven, then finished with vanilla whipped cream and crushed pistachios. The method differs from more classic cream buns, which are often split in half and filled with whipped cream and sometimes fruit, in the spirit of a maritozzo.
Everything here starts with day-old buns. The syrup soak and second pass through the oven restore moisture and make them taste freshly baked. For the most accurate results, weigh everything in metric.
How the recipe came about
Chef Rommel Reyes explains that the idea started with five rolls left over from a brunch bake the day before. He had made a double batch, far too much for eight people, and saved the extras for the next day.
This recipe is intentionally built around using leftovers. Rather than wait for freshly baked buns, Rommel transforms yesterday’s rolls into dessert with a method designed to revive them.
Key ingredients
The rolls are the foundation. Orange-scented gluten-free buns work particularly well, but your usual gluten-free roll recipe will do just fine. Store-bought buns are fine too, as long as they’re genuinely gluten-free and lactose-free if you need both.
Pistachio is at the heart of the recipe. You can use homemade pistachio paste made from roasted pistachios, or store-bought pistachio butter. Both work well, and a certified gluten-free, lactose-free product helps avoid unpleasant surprises.
Vanilla shows up in two places: the syrup and the cream. For the syrup, boil the water, sugar, and a scraped vanilla bean together, then let the empty pod infuse as well, or use vanilla extract if that’s what you have on hand. The whipped cream can also be flavored with real vanilla without any extra sugar.
As for the cream, choose carefully. Many lactose-free or plant-based whipping creams are already sweetened, so sometimes vanilla is all you need. If your cream is already sweet, leave it as is. If it isn’t, use an unsweetened version and flavor it simply with vanilla.
The syrup can stay simple, but you can also change it up with rose water, orange blossom water, Cointreau, or Disaronno. Finish with crushed pistachios, added at the last minute so they keep their texture.
Technique tips and pitfalls to avoid
This recipe hinges on a few precise steps. The goal isn’t to fill a fresh bun, but to restore structure and moisture to one that’s already baked, then finish it like a made-to-order pastry.
Make the syrup and preheat the oven
Boil the water, sugar, and vanilla together, then remove from the heat and let the syrup steep. If you’re using a bean, add the scraped pod too. If not, vanilla extract works just as well.
Preheat the oven to 180°C before you start on the buns. The bake is short, so the oven needs to be fully up to temperature.
Hollow out, dip, and fill
Use a paring knife to cut a hole in the center of each bun. Aim for about 2.5 cm wide and 2.5 cm deep, without piercing the bottom. If you cut all the way through, the syrup and filling will leak out.
Dip each bun in the vanilla syrup for 5 seconds, no longer, then set it on a wire rack so the excess can drip away. This step matters: it restores moisture before baking.
Once the bun has drained, fill it with pistachio paste. Pistachio paste or pistachio butter will both work.
Bake, cool, and finish
Bake the filled buns for 12 to 15 minutes. When they come out of the oven, transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely before adding the cream. Pipe the cream too soon and it will melt and slide off.
Whip the cream with the vanilla until stiff peaks form. That’s the cue to watch for: the cream should hold its shape cleanly. For piping, use a star tip and pipe a spiral over the top of each bun.
Finish with crushed pistachios just before serving so they stay crunchy and clearly visible on top of the cream.
If you cook gluten-free every day, you’ll find plenty more here.
Recipe developed by Chef Rommel Reyes. Find his work on Instagram, his Substack newsletter, and his YouTube channel.
Ingredients
- 5 gluten-free, lactose-free brioches or Gluten-Free Orange Brioche
- 120 g pistachio paste
- 200 g heavy cream
- 1 pod vanilla bean or 10 g vanilla extract
- 500 ml water
- 30 g sugar
- 20 g vanilla extract or use the scraped vanilla bean
- 25 g crushed pistachios
Instructions
Vanilla Syrup
- Bring the sugar, scraped vanilla bean, and water to a boil in a saucepan.
- Remove from the heat.
- Set aside.
- For extra fragrance, add rose water, orange blossom water, or a liqueur such as Cointreau or Disaronno.
Filling and Baking the Brioches
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
- Using a paring knife, cut a 2.5 cm-wide, 2.5 cm-deep hole in the center of each brioche without cutting all the way through.
- Dip the brioches in the vanilla syrup for 5 seconds to soak them.
- Place the soaked brioches on a wire rack to drain off any excess syrup.
- Fill each brioche with pistachio paste.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Whipped Cream and Finishing
- Whip the heavy cream with the vanilla until stiff peaks form.
- Pipe the whipped cream onto the brioches in a spiral using a star tip.
- Sprinkle with crushed pistachios before serving.
