Rosca de Reyes Recipe
Celebrate Día de Reyes with a warm slice of Mexican Three Kings Bread, a traditional pan dulce that’s soft, fluffy, and sweet. My vegan Rosca de Reyes recipe is plant-based and made dairy-free and egg-free.
💚About This Three Kings Bread
- Recipe Name: Mexican Three Kings Bread (Rosca de Reyes)
- Ready In: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Servings: 6 servings
- Calories: about 519
- Carbs: ~70g Protein: ~7g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 28g
- Main Ingredients: Flour, sugar, yeast, butter, milk, fruit paste
- Dietary Info*: Egg-free, dairy-free, plant-based friendly
- Why You’ll Love It: Still has the same delicious traditional taste and soft texture. Celebrate the holiday even if you’re lactose-intolerant, have an egg allergy or who follow a vegan diet.
*Dietary Info are estimates
Though my recipe is completely plant-based, it’s still everything I remember and love about the traditional version. It’s still soft, has the sweet toppings, and that delicious citrus aroma. Oh, and you can still hide the little muñequito too!
What is Rosca de Reyes (Mexican Three Kings Bread)
Rosca de Reyes is a sweet bread traditionally enjoyed on January 6th for the Día de Reyes or Three Kings Day holiday (also known as the Christian feast of Epiphany). It’s a celebration of the moment the Three Wise Men arrived in Bethlehem bearing gifts for Baby Jesus.
The rosca or bread is shaped into an oval shape and decorated with colorful candied fruit to symbolize the jewels on the crowns. Hidden inside the bread is a small figurine, or muñequito, representing Baby Jesus.
The tradition is that whoever gets the slice with the figurine will have to make tamales on Día de la Candelaria on February 2nd. Some consider it good luck, while others don’t because of the labor involved.
The holiday is celebrated in Mexico, Spain, and across Latin America. Some countries call the bread Rosca de Reyes and others Roscón de Reyes. The pan dulce and celebrations can vary from one country to another.
Dia de Reyes Magos in Mexico
I can still remember the anticipation as I placed one of my shoes by the door as a little girl. Those nights my sisters and I didn’t get much sleep wondering what the Reyes Magos would be leaving us the next morning.
In Mexico we celebrate the Three Wise Men every January 6th. It’s a Christian holiday that celebrates the day the Three Wise Men gave gifts to the Baby Jesus. We commemorate the day by gifting small children gifts. Usually the gifts are smaller and not as elaborate as Christmas.
In addition to the gifts, my mom would have a slice of Rosca de Reyes (Three Kings Bread) ready for us with a cup of hot chocolate.
The adults celebrate a bit different in that they usually host a party with family and friends to enjoy the Rosca. Whomever gets the figurine of the Baby Jesus hidden inside the bread will have to host the Candlemas fiesta and make tamales. It’s such a fun holiday for kids and adults alike.
Why You’ll Love My Three Kings Bread Recipe
• Traditionally the rosca is made using dairy milk and butter, and eggs. My Rosca de Reyes bread is both dairy-free and egg-free.
• This recipe is perfect for those lactose-intolerant, with egg allergies or who follow a vegan diet.
• This vegan rosca de reyes is still soft and fluffy.
• You don’t have to miss out on the celebrations if you don’t eat eggs or dairy.
Vegan Three Kings Bread Ingredients
Flour: You don’t need special bread flour for this recipe. You’ll need standard all purpose flour found at any grocery store.
Yeast: Look for the small packages of active dry yeast.
Cane Sugar: This sugar is my favorite to use and also appropriate for vegans and vegetarians.
Milk: Plant-based unsweetened and unflavored. I like to use the NotCo full-fat milk, but use your favorite non-dairy milk.
Butter: I used Country Crock Vegan Plant Butter made with avocado oil. Use your favorite brand.
Aquafaba: This is used in egg-free baking to replace eggs. It’s the brine in canned chickpeas.
Flavorings: You’ll need salt, orange zest, and vanilla. If you’d like you could also add ground cinnamon.
Sugar Topping: Made using all purpose flour, powdered sugar, vegetable shortening, and vanilla extract.
For Decorating: I used strips of ate and membrillo fruit pastes (guava and quince fruit paste). You could also use maraschino cherries, and dried figs.
Baby Jesus Figurines: You can add or skip these, but if you do, make sure they are oven safe like these ones.
Optional Ingredients
Some people like to include almonds or other nuts. You could add ground cinnamon to the dough for another flavor. For a more intense citrus taste, add orange extract.
How to Make Rosca de Reyes Step-by-Step
- Proof The Yeast: Combine one tablespoon each of the flour and sugar with the yeast. Mix in warm milk, then set in a warm place to proof.
- Make Dough: Mix flour, sugar, salt, vegan butter, and orange zest. Add the aquafaba, milk and vanilla extract and mix well.
- Add Yeast: Pour the bubbly yeast mix into the dry ingredients and knead into smooth dough ball.
- Rest: Butter a large bowl, place the dough ball, cover and put in a warm, dark place to double in size.
- Sugar Topping: Mix concha topping ingredients, form a ball, refrigerate.
- Oval Shape: Deflate dough, roll out to flat rectangle, place the doll or other fillings. Roll up, join sides, shape into an oval.
- Decorate: Decorate with the concha cookie topping, strips of fruit paste. Leave to rest.
- Bake: In center of oven until golden and cooked through.
- Enjoy: Cool to room temperature, slice and serve as desired.
Nancy’s Tips for a Perfect Vegan Rosca de Reyes
• Proof Yeast: To test that it’s still active and will rise the dough.
• Room Temperature Ingredients: Helps an even and quicker rising of the dough.
• Don’t Skip Orange Zest:: It gives the Rosca de Reyes its unmistakable aroma and flavor.
• Lots of Toppings: Decorate the Rosca generously with sugar topping and fruit paste.
• The Figurine Safety: Use a heat-proof one or just insert into the bread once it has cooled.
• Same Day: This pan dulce tastes best eaten the same day it’s baked.
How to Serve Your Three Kings Bread
My favorite way to enjoy a big slice of freshly baked Rosca de Reyes is served warm and with a cup of either Mexican hot chocolate, Champurrado, cafe de olla, or an atole.
This vegan Rosca de Reyes can be served as a sweet breakfast, dessert, or at a family gathering for Día de Los Reyes Magos.
How to Store
It’s best to enjoy this sweet bread the same day it’s baked. But leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to two days.
More Mexican Sweet Treats
Gracias
I’m so happy you stopped by. If you have any questions or want to let me know how you liked this recipe, do leave a comment. Muchas gracias, I appreciate you!
The Best Vegan Rosca de Reyes – Authentic Mexican Three Kings Bread Made Plant-Based
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Ingredients
Concha Dough Ingredients
- 250 grams all purpose flour 8.80oz or 2 1/4 cups
- 75 grams cane sugar 1/3 cup or 2.65oz
- 5 grams active dry yeast 7/8ths Tablespoon or .30oz
- 100 ml lukewarm plant milk* or 1/2 cup or 3.60 fluid oz
- 3 grams salt 1 teaspoon
- 45 grams vegan butter** or 1.60oz
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest
- 3 Tablespoon aquafaba***
- 1 ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoons vegan butter softened at room temperature
Topping Ingredients
- 80 gm or 2.80oz fine all purpose flour 2/3 cups
- 90 gm or 3.15oz confectioners' sugar it’s powdered sugar and it’s 3/4 cups
- 96 gm or 3.40oz vegetable shortening
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 3 teaspoons cocoa powder)
- Membrillo Fruit Paste
- Guava Fruit Paste
Instructions
Start The Yeast
- Mix one Tablespoon each of the flour and sugar, and all the yeast in a small bowl. Mix in 1/4 cup of the lukewarm plant milk. Set aside in a warm dark place.
Make Rosca de Reyes Dough
- In a large mixing bowl or in a stand mixer add the remaining flour, sugar, salt, softened butter, orange zest, and mix on low until ingredients come together. Stop to scrap down the sides as needed.
- Add the aquafaba egg replacer, remaining milk, vanilla extract and mix for a couple of minutes.
- Pour in the bubbly yeast and mix on low speed until yeast is incorporated into the dough.
- Then increase speed to medium and continue to mix until you have a dough that doesn’t stick to the sides of the mixer bowl.
- The dough should be smooth and elastic, not stick to your hands or mixer bowl. Additionally you should be able to stretch it without it ripping. Gather the dough into a large ball.
- Flour your work area and knead the dough for a few minutes.
- Grease a large glass or plastic bowl with butter. Put the dough ball in it, cover plastic wrap. Leave to rise in a dark, draft free and warm place in your kitchen and allow dough to double in size.
Make Crumbly Cookie Topping
- Mix the powdered sugar and flour in a small bowl. Add the shortening and vanilla extract mix until you get a crumbly texture like shortbread cookies. Shape into a ball and cover then leave in a cool dark place, or your refrigerate until ready to use.
- After the dough doubles, use your hand to flatten and shape the topping into wide stripe to decorate the rosca.
Shape and Decorate The Rosca
- Press to release excess air from dough bough knead and roll out to a flat rectangle. Fill with your favorite filling or the Baby Jesus figurine. Shape into a long rectangle.
- Roll into a long tube, join both sides, place on a lined baking sheet.
- Cut and slice up the candied fruit paste into long strips and prepare the cherries and/or figs if using.
- Decorate the top of the bread dough with the concha cookie topping and the fruit paste strips. Any pattern you wish.
- Leave the rosca in a dark draft-free, warm place to rise a second time and for about 20 minutes.
- With 10 minutes left in rising, preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C.
- Bake in the center of oven for 20-30 minutes, or until it's golden brown. Careful not to overbake and burn it.
- Allow to come to room temperature then insert the figurines from underneath.
- Serve at room temperature with your favorite Mexican hot drink.
Recipe Notes & Pro Tips
Nutrition
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Nancy Lopez is a Mexican-born food writer and author of Mexican Tamales Made Meatless. Raised in the U.S. and now living in Southern Mexico, she creates authentic vegan and vegetarian Mexican recipes rooted in tradition and tested for real home kitchens.Read more…
