Vegan cinnamon rolls are perfect for a sweet plant-based breakfast or weekend brunch.
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What Are Vegan Cinnamon Rolls?
A cinnamon roll is a sweet rolled pastry made with a yeasted dough, gooey cinnamon-sugar filling, and topped with cream-cheese icing. Vegan cinnamon rolls, while similar in look and taste, are made without any animal products. Vegan recipes use plant-based ingredients like dairy-free milk, vegan butter, vegan cream cheese, coconut oil, and egg replacements made from hydrated flaxseed meal.
6 Tips for Baking Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
Follow these tips to ensure you bake the best vegan cinnamon rolls, even if it’s your first time:
- 1. Prep the dough the night before. It’s simple to make the dough ahead of time for the next day. Let the cinnamon rolls proof in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake.
- 2. Proof the dough. Unlike cakes that rely on leaveners like baking powder or baking soda, cinnamon rolls use yeast. Proofing is a step in bread and viennoiserie baking that activates the yeast in the dough. What’s most important in the proofing step is to make sure the dough is neither overproofed (where it’s proofed up so much that it eventually collapses, causing the layers to separate and the vegan butter to leak) or underproofed (which will result in a tight crumb and you won’t get those fluffy, flaky layers).
- 3. Think about thickness. If you like more filling to dough ratio, roll dough closer to a quarter of an inch thick and roll the pastry up tightly. If you’re a fan of doughy texture, roll out the dough to about half an inch thick and form looser rolls when shaping.
- 4. Roll your spiral tight. Whether you want lots of rolls or just a few, keep your spiral tight while you work so the cinnamon rolls keep their shape while they bake. Form C-shapes with both of your hands, with your thumbs pressing at the base edge of the dough, keeping the roll tight as you work. Continue pushing the dough up with your thumbs to roll it into a spiral.
- 5. Use a serrated knife. A serrated knife is best to cut through the delicate layers of the roll. You can also use dental floss or thin twine for clean cuts.
- 6. Make it gluten-free. While there is no shortage of gluten-free flour options, for cinnamon rolls it’s best to utilize an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend that has the words “measure for measure” or “one-to-one” in the name. These gluten-free flour mixtures are made with a combination of alternative flours and binding ingredients such as tapioca flour, potato starch, rice flour, sorghum flour, and xanthan gum, and are specifically designed to replace traditional all-purpose flour in baked goods. Utilizing a single-ingredient flour, like coconut flour or almond flour, is unlikely to provide proper binding for your dough.
Vegan Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
makes
8prep time
2 hr 30 mintotal time
cook time
25 minIngredients
For the dough:
For the filling:
For the icing:
- 1
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm oat milk. Let sit until it becomes foamy, about 10 minutes.
- 2
In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, and 4 cups of flour.
- 3
In the large bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, mix the dry ingredients with the vegan butter, hydrated flaxseed meal, and the yeast mixture. Start on low speed and raise to medium speed, kneading until smooth, 15 minutes.
- 4
Transfer kneaded dough to a large greased bowl. Cover and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
- 5
In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon.
- 6
Punch down dough and divide into two pieces.
- 7
On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll one piece into an 11 by 8-inch rectangle.
- 8
Brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle all over with half the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- 9
Roll the long side of the dough inward as tightly as you'd like, starting with a long side and pinch the seam side to seal.
- 10
Cut into 8 slices; place in a greased 13 by 9-inch baking dish or baking sheet, cut side down.
- 11
Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
- 12
Let rise in a warm place, proofing dough until doubled, about 1 hour.
- 13
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake rolls until golden brown and cooked through, 30 minutes.
- 14
Make the vegan cream cheese frosting. In a medium bowl, beat together the vegan butter, vegan cream cheese, vanilla extract, and salt until combined. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar.
- 15
Spread over the tops of rolls while they are still warm.
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