Soft and swirled with a dairy-free cream cheese frosting, these Vegan Cinnamon Rolls can be on the table in ninety minutes. With a fluffy texture and sweet cinnamon flavor, this dessert is the one you make when you want to impress!
No one is going to know these eggless cinnamon rolls are vegan, they’re that good! With a soft base and gooey cinnamon cream cheese frosting, they bring a sense of comfort with each bite, kind of like my favorite lava cake.
Great for special occasions or when you just want to curl up and indulge, these plant-based cinnamon rolls are straightforward to whip up and come together quicker than you think. If you’re like me and a total sucker for dessert-style comfort food (like these vegan donut holes), you’re going to be making this recipe over and over.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No Major Kitchen Skills: Dairy-free cinnamon rolls always feel a bit daunting, but this recipe is easy to follow, and you don’t need any major skills to get them on the table.
- Perfect Texture: Ultra-soft and fluffy but with gooey bites from warm cinnamon and dairy-free cream cheese frosting.
- Perfect for Holidays: Thanks to their classic taste, these vegan cinnamon buns work for all major holidays or simple family brunches.
Ingredients
- Vegan butter: You need this for all three areas of the cinnamon rolls as it’s what creates that drool-worthy, sweet taste. Coconut oil can work in its place, but it will alter the classic texture.
- Instant yeast: This is what makes the cinnamon rolls come together so quickly. If you have to use active yeast in place of quick, you will need to extend the time to rise.
- Brown sugar: In the filling, cinnamon brown sugar brings out the best taste. However, regular sugar will also work.
- All-purpose flour: Though other flours like gluten-free or oat flour can work, the egg-free cinnamon rolls won’t be as light and fluffy as they can be.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Berry Swirl: Mix some raspberry chia jam in with the cream cheese frosting or drizzle some on top after the cinnamon rolls have set for a bright, uplifting taste.
- Chocolate chip: Everyone loves a gooey bite of chocolate. Add a layer of mini, dairy-free chocolate chips to the cinnamon buns for extra indulgence.
- Maple pecan: Add caramel sauce or maple syrup to the cream cheese frosting, and then sprinkle the tops of the rolls with chopped pecans for extra crunch.
How to Make Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
As with any vegan cinnamon roll recipe, it may look like a lot of steps. However, making cinnamon rolls is an easy process and always results in everyone's favorite dessert. To get started, combine the dairy-free milk and sugar and microwave it for 1 minute until it’s between 105- 110°F before adding the package of yeast. Cover the bowl and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
Step 1: Make Dough and Begin Layering. Mix together the yeast mixture, vegan butter, salt, and flour, and begin kneading it with your hands until it’s smooth and stretchy. Then, cover the bowl with a towel and let it sit for 45 minutes so that it can rise. Once the dough has doubled in size, lay it on a flour-covered surface and roll it out into a rectangle. Once rolled, spread a layer of vegan butter on top, followed by the brown sugar and cinnamon.
Step 2: Cut the Rolls. Begin to cut the strips for the cinnamon rolls. Measuring from the short side and slice them into 1.5-inch strips.
Step 3: Prep the Rolls: Roll each strip and place them into a greased baking pan. Cover the pan with a towel and let them sit for roughly 30-45 minutes to rise again.
Step 4: Bake the Rolls: Place the cinnamon buns into a preheated oven and bake them for 25 minutes until they’re golden on top.
Step 5: Prep the Frosting and Frost: Combine the vegan cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a bowl, and whisk until it’s smooth. Once the rolls have cooled from the oven, add a large dollop of cream cheese frosting on top of each and serve.
Expert Tips
- Resting time: For the dough to rise, it needs to be placed in a warm area and covered with a towel. Ideally, it will double in size.
- Cutting the rolls: Many people prefer to slice their cinnamon rolls after baking. However, I find them easier to remove from the pan if they’re sliced beforehand. If you cut them to 1.5 inches thick, you should get 9 rolls.
- Make gooier rolls: Optional but delicious, if you want extra gooey rolls, melt any leftover butter, sugar, and cinnamon in the microwave and pour it on top of the rolls before you bake them. You can also pour ⅓ cup of canned coconut milk over top for the same effect.
- Storing: Once completely cooled, store the cinnamon buns in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-6 days. Simply reheat them before enjoying them again.
Serving Suggestions
These cinnamon buns are delicious in every which way. However, the ways we enjoy them the most are:
- As part of breakfast with a mango protein smoothie.
- On the table as a brunch spread, along with vegan bagels and chocolate protein pancakes
- As a dessert for special occasions, with vegan banana cake.
Recipe Video
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can prep cinnamon rolls the night before. Make the cinnamon buns and get them into a baking pan before placing plastic wrap over the top. In the morning, let the pan come to room temperature and drizzle coconut milk over the cinnamon rolls before baking them until golden. This helps them retain their soft and gooey texture.
In place of cream cheese frosting, you can lighten up the cinnamon rolls by drizzling on a vegan caramel dip or making an easy powdered sugar glaze.
To freeze vegan cinnamon rolls, first let them cool completely. If you know you’ll be freezing them, do not top them with cream cheese frosting. Wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag. When you need them, let them come to room temperature before reheating them in the microwave or in the oven on low. You may need to add a splash of coconut milk to the rolls to bring back their soft texture.
More Indulgent Brunch Recipes
Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For yeast
- ¾ cup dairy-free milk
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 packet instant yeast 2 ¼ tsp
Dough
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ cup vegan butter 120g
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 330g + more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon salt
Filling
- ⅓ cup vegan butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Frosting
- 1 cup vegan cream cheese
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Optional
- 1 can coconut milk
Instructions
- Combine room-temperature dairy-free milk and a tablespoon of sugar in a bowl and microwave them for about 1 min. Use a thermometer to measure the temperature and ensure it is between 105-110*F.
- Add the package of yeast. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it sit for 5-10 min to activate the yeast.
- Once the yeast has risen, add the room-temperature vegan butter, salt, & flour. Knead the dough using your hands or a stand mixer for 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth, stretchy, and slightly tacky.
- Once you've created your dough, cover the bowl of dough with a towel and leave it in a warm place for 45 min, until the dough has doubled in size.
- After the dough has doubled, take it out of the bowl. Sprinkle a clean surface with flour and place the dough on top. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a rectangle (14 x 20").
- Spread the vegan butter on top, then sprinkle the sugar & cinnamon.
- I cut my rolls before rolling. Measure from the short (14") side into 1.5-inch strips. You'll get 9 rolls.
- Roll each strip, then place in the baking pan. Cover the rolls with a towel and let them rest for another 30-45 min in a warm place, until they grow in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
- Once the rolls have grown in size, you can do these optional steps to make the rolls softer and gooier. If you have leftover butter, sugar, and cinnamon from the filling, melt it in the microwave and pour it into the pan before placing the roll on top. Also, open up a can of coconut milk and pour about ⅓ cup of it over the rolls.
- Place the rolls in the oven and bake them for 25-30 minutes, until they are golden brown.
- Now it's time to create your frosting. Combine the vegan cream cheese, vegan butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a bowl and whisk the ingredients together until well combined.
- Once the rolls have cooled, add a large dollop of frosting on each roll and dig in!
Notes
- Make gooier rolls: Optional but delicious, if you want extra gooey rolls, melt any leftover butter, sugar, and cinnamon in the microwave and pour it on top of the rolls before you bake them. You can also pour ⅓ cup of canned coconut milk over top for the same effect.
- Kneading the dough: You can either knead the dough by hand or use a stand mixer for 5-7 minutes. Either way, you want the dough to be smooth and stretchy but slightly tacky.
- Yeast: Both instant and dry active yeast work for the vegan cinnamon rolls recipe. However, instant yeast will make the rolls faster to prep.
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