Cinnamon rolls are perhaps one of the most beloved holiday desserts. What’s better than warm bread that’s been rolled up in melty butter with cinnamon and sugar, and drizzled with creamy sweet glaze?
NOTHING, I tell you.
Unless of course, you add a hot cup of coffee on the side, while eating your cinnamon rolls on the couch in your yoga pants. Yeeeaaaahhh buddy.
And when they’re easy to make + dairy-free, there’s no excuse not to have cinnamon rolls for the holidays. These vegan cinnamon rolls are so delicious, no one would even know they’re completely free of animal products.
A deliciously dairy-free dessert
Traditional cinnamon rolls are full of dairy, which is a no-go for vegans and those with allergies. But that’s okay, because you can still enjoy this classic holiday dessert without the butter or the cream! What I use to substitute:
- vegan butter for the inside (such as Earth Balance brand)
- full-fat coconut cream (or almond milk) for the creamy glaze on top
With just these two swaps, you can enjoy your rolls without having to sacrifice taste!
Who invented cinnamon rolls?
Did you know that cinnamon rolls can be traced back to Sweden? They are said to have originated in the 1920s after WWI, when Swedish folks were able to purchase luxurious spices such as cinnamon. Simply referred to as kanelbulle (which means “cinnamon bun”), cinnamon buns are not the same as America’s cinnamon rolls.
In Sweden, cinnamon buns are not as heavy, and they don’t come with the sticky sweet glaze we Americans love. The Swedes also use cardamom in their dough, which gives their buns a slightly different flavor (albeit delicious!).
Of course, in America, most of us think of cinnamon rolls as being large and full of sugar. In this recipe, I don’t go overboard on sugar, but you can add (or subtract) as much sugar as you’d like. No judgements here!
What you need:
(See the recipe below for exact measurements.)
- room temperature water
- all-purpose white flour
- fast rise yeast
- granulated sugar
- salt (I use Himalayan pink salt)
- vegan butter (such as Earth balance brand)
- ground cinnamon and extra granulated sugar
- coconut cream OR almond milk, for the glaze
- powdered sugar, for the glaze
How to make easy vegan cinnamon rolls
To make deliciously easy vegan cinnamon rolls, follow these instructions:
1. First, make the dough. In a stand mixer (or by hand in a medium mixing bowl with a whisk), add room temperature water, melted vegan butter, salt, and sugar. Mix (or whisk) ingredients together.
2. Add the flour on top. Make a “well” in the center (I just poke through the top with my finger) and add yeast. Mix on the lowest setting of the stand mixer (or by hand with a large spoon) until a dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
3. Using your hands, shape the dough into a ball and transfer from stand mixer to a glass bowl (if mixing in a medium bowl by hand, no need to transfer the dough). Place in a warm spot, cover with wrap, and allow to rise for 1 hour.
4. Next, roll out dough into a 15″ x 15″ square. Brush the dough with melted vegan butter. Sprinkle on sugar and cinnamon. Starting at one end, roll up the dough slowly, but tightly. Using a knife, cut the dough into 12-16 pieces (depending on the size you want). Line a large cast-iron skillet or square baking dish with rolls. Cover again and set near the oven. Preheat oven to 400° and allow the buns to rise again.
5. Once the buns have doubled in size (about 20-30 minutes of rise time), bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes, until browned on top.
6. Meanwhile, whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla, and coconut cream (or almond milk).
7. Once the cinnamon rolls are finished cooking, remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before drizzling the glaze on top. Serve!
Notes, allergy-info, and substitutions
- This recipe is 100% vegan, meaning it is dairy-free and egg-free. It is also naturally nut-free when using coconut cream for the glaze.
- I have not made this gluten-free, but you can always substitute with 1 to 1 gluten-free flour. Just keep in mind that it may not rise as much as regular all-purpose flour, and can be trickier to roll out.
- Don’t want to use vegan butter? You can swap it out for coconut oil. Just keep in mind this will affect the taste.
- Wondering if you can use dry active yeast instead of fast rise? Yes, you can, but this will result in longer rise times, so you may have to let it sit for longer.
- Add 1 teaspoon of ground cardamon in the dough if you want it to resemble the traditional Swedish dough.
- For another delicious holiday bread, try this traditional Swedish Santa Lucia bread.
Easy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
For the cinnamon rolls dough:
- 1 cup room temperature filtered water
- ¼ cup vegan butter, melted and cooled
- 2 teaspoons salt (I use Himalayan pink salt)
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose white flour
- 2 teaspoons fast rise yeast
For the inside of the cinnamon rolls:
- ¼ cup vegan butter, melted and cooled
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
For the glaze:
- ½ cup vegan powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon coconut cream OR almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- First, make the dough. In a stand mixer (or by hand in a medium mixing bowl with a whisk), add room temperature water, melted vegan butter, salt, and sugar. Mix (or whisk) ingredients together.
- Add the flour on top; make a “well” in the center of the flour (I just poke through the top with my finger) and add yeast. Mix on the lowest setting of the stand mixer (or by hand with a large spoon) until a dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Using your hands, shape the dough into a ball and transfer from the stand mixer to a glass bowl (if mixing in a medium bowl by hand, no need to transfer the dough). Place in a warm spot, cover with wrap, and allow to rise for 1 hour.
- Next, roll out dough into a 15″ x 15″ square. Brush the dough with melted vegan butter. Sprinkle on sugar and cinnamon. Starting at one end, roll up the dough slowly, but tightly. Using a knife, cut the dough into 12-16 pieces (depending on the size you want). Line a large cast-iron skillet or square baking dish with rolls. Cover again and set near the oven. Preheat oven to 400° and allow the buns to rise again.
- Once the buns have doubled in size (about 20-30 minutes of rise time), bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes, until browned on top.
- Meanwhile, whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla, and coconut cream (or almond milk).
- Once the cinnamon rolls are finished cooking, remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before drizzling the glaze on top. Serve!
Notes
- This recipe is 100% vegan, meaning it is dairy-free and egg-free. It is also naturally nut-free when using coconut cream for the glaze.
- I have not made this gluten-free, but you can always substitute with 1 to 1 gluten-free flour. Just keep in mind that it may not rise as much as regular all-purpose flour, and can be trickier to roll out.
- Don’t want to use vegan butter? You can swap it out for coconut oil. Just keep in mind this will affect the taste.
- Wondering if you can use dry active yeast instead of fast rise? Yes, you can, but this will result in longer rise times, so you may have to let it sit for longer.
- Add 1 teaspoon of ground cardamon in the dough if you want it to resemble the traditional Swedish dough.
- For another delicious holiday bread, try this traditional Swedish Santa Lucia bread.
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Could you just bake them in a glass baking pan? Any directions on how to do so would be appreciated! Thanks!
Absolutely Sammy! Directions are the same:) You may want to lightly grease the baking dish prior to adding the rolls though, so they don’t stick. If you are using a dish larger than a square (like a standard 9 x 13), just keep in mind that they may not fill the pan. But otherwise, it will all work out just fine!
Heya!
I am drooling. I will definitely try this over the holidays while my flatmates are at their homes and I’ll have the run of the place. (I don’t know how they’d enjoy my renditions of old Clash songs bellowed from the kitchen.)
I once made cinnamon rolls and there was a suuuuuper helpful hint in the recipe for cutting the log of rolled up roll dough:
dental floss!
Just wrap a strand of normal, non-menthol floss around the log and cross the ends of the strand and pull. It goes right through without squashing your perfect roll.
Ah! That’s a great tip Jane! Now that you mention it, I have seen chefs do that on cooking shows, but never tried it myself. I’ll have to now though lol!