Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

glazed cinnamon rolls on parchment paper

Bakery-style vegan cinnamon rolls that are fluffy, moist and delicious! They will make your home smell incredible and comforting, especially during chilly winter months.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 55

Cook Time 30

Proofing Time 2

Total Time 3 25

Servings cinnamon rolls

Calories 436

Author Jhanelle Golding

Equipment

Stand Mixer
18-by-13 inch half sheet pan
Rolling Pin

Ingredients

Dough:

5 cups (600 g) unbleached all-purpose or bread flour See Notes
⅓ cup (80 g) brown sugar light or dark
4 teaspoon (14 g) instant yeast or active dry yeast
1 ¼ cups (300 ml) warm water
2 tablespoon (30 ml) oil
2 teaspoon (15 g) barley malt syrup optional
2 teaspoon (11 g) salt

Filling:

⅔ cup (160 g) brown sugar light or dark
2 tablespoon (15 g) ground cinnamon
6 tablespoon (86 g) softened vegan butter (not unsalted) (¾ stick)

Cream Cheese Glaze (see notes for glaze recipe without cream cheese):

4 oz (115 g) vegan cream cheese
2 teaspoon (10 ml) vanilla
1 ½ cup (190 g) confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) plant-based milk or as needed

Instructions

Make the dough:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast, sugar and warm (not hot) water. Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes or until foam starts to form on the top.
4 teaspoon instant yeast, 1 ¼ cups warm water, ⅓ cup brown sugar
Add the oil, barley malt syrup, salt and half the flour.
2 tablespoon oil, 2 teaspoon barley malt syrup, 2 teaspoon salt, 5 cups unbleached all-purpose or bread flour
Mix the ingredients using a dough hook on the mixer on the lowest speed. Gradually spoon in the remaining flour until combined.
Stop and cover the bowl with a clean towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes. This gives the flour time to absorb the liquid so it’s easier to knead.
Restart the mixer at medium speed and knead for 6 to 8 minutes. The dough should be soft, smooth and begin to pull away from the sides, leaving an almost clean bowl.
Place the dough in a large, well-oiled bowl. Coat the top of the dough with oil to prevent it from drying out.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rise until doubled in size. This should take 2 hours or ideally 6 to 8 hours. A slow rise develops even more flavor in the dough and a chilled dough is easier to roll out.

Fill and shape the rolls:

Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.
⅔ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and give it a punch to release the gases.
Flour a clean work surface and a rolling pin and roll out the dough to about 18 by 14 inches (46cm x 10cm). Ensure the thickness is even. For more swirls, roll out to 18 x 18 inches.
Evenly spread the vegan butter on the dough with a small offset spatula or butter knife. Sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mix.
6 tablespoon softened vegan butter (not unsalted)
Starting at the wider end, roll up the dough tightly into a log. Measure and mark out 12 equal pieces or about 1 ½ inches (3.8cm) each.
Using a clean piece of dental floss, cut out individual rolls. Place the floss under the dough, where the first mark was made, lift ends, criss-cross then pull to cut.
Tuck the end of the cinnamon roll under the bottom to help hold its shape. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, about 1 inch (2.5cm) apart.
Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise for about 30 minutes in a warm area or until doubled in size.

Bake the rolls:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Place the cinnamon rolls in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. The center should be firm when pressed and the roll should sound hollow when tapped.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before glazing.

Make the glaze:

Combine the vegan cream cheese with the vanilla in a bowl.
2 teaspoon vanilla, 4 oz vegan cream cheese
Gradually stir in the confectioners’ sugar. Stir in just enough plant-based milk until the mixture is thick and smooth.
1 ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon plant-based milk
Spread over each cinnamon roll before serving.

Notes

Different types of flour absorb different amounts of water. You may need to add more flour or water to the dough, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed.
Barley malt syrup helps to break down the starches in the flour, making softer bread. But it is optional.
For the most bakery-style flavor in cinnamon rolls, go for Korintje or Saigon cinnamon.
For even more cinnamon flavor, lightly sprinkle the rolls with Ceylon cinnamon, just before applying the glaze. This type of cinnamon has a delicious flavor but tends to get lost when heated.
Plain glaze without cream cheese: 1 ½ cups (188g) confectioner’s sugar, 1 tbsp (15ml) soy milk, 1 tbsp (15ml) vanilla. Best applied when the rolls are hot.

Nutrition