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A sliced Three Kings Bread topped with colorful fruit strips sits on a wooden platter, decorated with a red poinsettia flower. A knife and small figurines are nearby on a light tablecloth.
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The Best Vegan Rosca de Reyes – Authentic Mexican Three Kings Bread Made Plant-Based

This delicious Vegan Rosca de Reyes delivers all the traditional Mexican Three Kings Bread flavor without any dairy or eggs. Soft, fragrant, and beautifully decorated, it’s the perfect plant-based recipe to celebrate Día de Reyes with family and friends.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Raising Time1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time2 hours 25 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican, vegan
Diet: Low Lactose, Low Salt, Vegan
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 519kcal
Author: Nancy Lopez & MexicanMadeMeatless.com

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 scrape 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 with plastic wrap. Leave to rise in a dark, draft free and warm place in your kitchen and allow dough to double in size.
    A ball of resting dough to make Three Kings bread sits in a greased glass bowl covered with plastic wrap, placed on a wooden cutting board.

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.
    A ball of risen dough to make vegan rosca de reyes sits in the center of a clear glass bowl on a light-colored surface, with a corner of a wooden board visible in the bottom left.

Shape and Decorate The Rosca

  • Press to release excess air from dough ball, then knead and roll out to a flat rectangle. 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.
    A hand holds a thick slice of Rosca de Reyes, a traditional Mexican sweet bread, showing its fluffy interior and a strip of colorful candied fruit on the crust. More bread is visible in the background.
  • Serve at room temperature with your favorite Mexican hot drink.
    A slice of Rosca de Reyes topped with candied fruit sits on a white plate beside a mug of coffee. The festive bread rests on an embroidered cloth, with figurines and more Rosca de Reyes in the background.

Video

Notes

Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature and that the butter is softened at room temperature. You can microwave the milk to warm up. 
* I like to use NotCo’s Not Milk.
**I have tested this recipe with both Miyoko’s European Style Cultured Vegan Butter, dairy-free margarine, and Country Crock Plant Butter. All work well, use what’s available to you.
***Aquafaba is the brine that's in cans of chickpeas. This is a great substitute for eggs in vegan recipes.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION ARE ESTIMATES AND FINAL NUMBERS WILL DEPEND ON THE INGREDIENTS YOU USE.

Nutrition

Serving: 6servings | Calories: 519kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 2g | Sodium: 267mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 415IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 3mg
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