These easy vegan cinnamon rolls are soft and fluffy, loaded with cinnamon and brown sugar, and topped with vegan cream cheese icing!  These cinnamon buns will melt in your mouth and are sure to be your new favorite breakfast for holidays or lazy Sunday mornings. 

A close up of a vegan cinnamon roll with 3 others behind it on a white surface.

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I used to make this recipe every Thanksgiving morning with my mother when I was a kid.  Since they were kind of a holiday tradition in my house, I assumed that they were fussy and complicated.  When I finally made the recipe vegan and attempted it on my own years later, I couldn’t believe how easy they were to make.

These cinnamon rolls are

  • buttery, soft, fluffy, flaky, and delicious.
  • easy to make in 1 bowl with no fussy steps.
  • dairy-free, nut-free, and easily made soy-free.

Ingredients and substitutions

  • Flour – white all-purpose flour works best, but you can use half white and half whole wheat if you wish.  Sorry, but gluten-free flour doesn’t work for this recipe.
  • Sugar – for sweetness. Granulated sugar works best. Look for organic sugar to ensure that it’s vegan.
  • Plant-Based Milk – for the right amount of moisture in your dough.  Any type will work – soy milk, oat milk, almond milk, or cashew milk are all good choices.
  • Yeast – to make the dough rise and make your cinnamon rolls soft and fluffy. I use dry active yeast.
  • Sea Salt – for flavor.
  • Oil – to grease the bowl.  Any neutral-flavored oil, such as canola or vegetable oil, will work.
  • Vegan Butter – or margarine.  I like to use the stick version of my homemade vegan butter.
  • Brown Sugar – for flavor. Look for organic brown sugar to ensure that it’s vegan. You can also swap this out for coconut sugar.
  • Cinnamon – for flavor, since they’re cinnamon rolls.
  • Glaze – to drizzle over the rolls.  I like to use my vegan cream cheese frosting or vegan icing. (You will only need 1/4 of a batch.)
Six vegan cinnamon rolls with vegan cream cheese icing drizzled on top of them.

How to make vegan cinnamon rolls

Make the cinnamon roll dough

  • Heat the milk so it’s warm, but not hot. (about 100° F – about 45 seconds in the microwave does the trick) and add it to a mixing bowl with 1 packet of dry active quick-rise dry yeast. Give it a stir and let it sit for a few minutes.
  • Add the softened vegan butter, sugar, and salt, and stir again until no butter clumps remain.
  • Slowly add 2 1/4 cups of flour, stirring until you get a soft dough that you can hold without it sticking to you. (You may need to add another tablespoon or two of flour until the dough can be handled without being sticky.)
  • Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 3 minutes, until soft but no longer sticky.  (At this point, you can put the dough in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and finish the rest of the steps when you are ready.)
  • Place the dough in an oiled bowl, then flip it over so the dough ball is coated with a thin layer of oil.
  • Put the dough in a warm spot to rise.  (I usually turn on the oven to 100° F for 1-2 minutes to get a little heat in there, then turn the oven off and put the dough in the oven to rise for about 1 1/2 hours.)
A collage of 4 pictures showing the process steps for making the dough for vegan cinnamon buns.

Assemble the cinnamon rolls

  • Once the dough has doubled (usually about 1 1/2 hours, depending on how warm it was during rising), punch it down and roll it out on a floured surface into a large rectangle about 9×14 inches.
The risen dough punched down before making cinnamon rolls with it.
  • In a small bowl, mix 1/3 cup brown sugar with 2 tsp cinnamon, and set aside.
  • Melt 3 tbsp of vegan butter, then spread it evenly over the dough and sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
  • Tightly roll the dough into a log, then cut it into about 1 1/4-inch pieces to form 9-10 even rolls.
A collage of 4 pictures showing the process steps for rolling out dough, brushing it with vegan butter and sprinkling it with brown sugar and rolling it into cinnamon rolls.

Bake the rolls

  • Preheat the oven to 375° F.
  • Arrange the rolls on a parchment-lined or lightly oiled cookie sheet or pie dish. (Note: If you want beautiful individual cinnamon rolls, bake them separately on a cookie sheet.  If you want them to bake together and frost the top of them, bake close together in a pie pan or an 8″ x 8″ baking dish.)
  • Set the cinnamon rolls in a warm spot for another 1/2 hour to let the dough rise.
  • Bake at 375° F for about 25 minutes, until the tops are slightly golden brown.
Vegan cinnamon buns baked to a golden brown in a pie dish.

Make the vegan cinnamon roll icing (optional)

  1. Mix together 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese, 2 tbsp vegan butter, and a dash of vanilla extract, then stir until combined.
  2. Add 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar until a sticky icing forms, then spread or drizzle it over the cinnamon rolls.

Note: You can use my homemade vegan cream cheese or any store-bought variety that you like.

Someone drizzling icing on top of vegan cinnamon buns.

Sticky buns variation

Cinnamon rolls typically have icing spread or drizzled on top; sticky buns are cooked in a bed of brown sugar and butter, forming a sticky caramel.  There is a debate in my house about which version is better, so I think that you will just have to try it for yourself and see.

Pro Tips

  • The amount of flour needed may vary slightly.  Go by the feeling of the dough more than the measurement.  Add just enough flour so your dough is no longer sticky and you can knead it without it sticking to your hands, but it remains very soft.
  • The warmer the air, the faster your dough will rise.  About 80°- 90° F is an excellent temperature for this. Turn your oven on for about 3 minutes until it is just barely warm, then turn it off.  Place the dough in the oven to rise.
  • You know that your dough is ready to roll out when it has doubled in size.
  • Don’t put more butter and sugar than the recipe recommends on the dough, or it will just fall out and make a mess.

Super easy cinnamon rolls

If this seems like too much work and you want to skip making the dough yourself, you can use premade store-bought pizza dough from the refrigerated section of the supermarket.  Most of these varieties are vegan (check to be sure, of course).

Simply let the vegan pizza dough come to room temperature, then roll it out on a floured surface, and follow the remaining steps for making vegan cinnamon rolls or sticky buns.  It’s not quite as buttery and delicious as the homemade dough, but it’s still very tasty!

A vegan cinnamon roll on a white plate with a fork on the side.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I store them, and how long will they keep?

Store your vegan cinnamon buns in an airtight container.  They will last for about 24 hours at room temperature or up to 5 days in the fridge.

Can I freeze cinnamon buns?

Yes, just put the baked cinnamon buns in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.  Let it sit at room temperature for about 6 hours to thaw, or warm it in the microwave.

Can I make them ahead of time?

One of the great things about this recipe is that you can make up the dough ahead and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days before making your cinnamon rolls. This is great for holidays or when you want to make a special breakfast.  All you have to do is let your dough rise, then roll out your cinnamon buns before baking.

Six vegan cinnamon rolls on a cookie sheet drizzled with icing.

More vegan breakfast ideas

Vegan cinnamon roll recipe

A close up of a vegan cinnamon bun with icing drizzled on top.
Diet
Nut Free Icon
Soy Free Icon
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5 from 2 rating

Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Yield: 10
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 28 minutes
Rise time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total: 2 hours 13 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
Melt in your mouth cinnamon rolls or sticky buns made without eggs or dairy.
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Ingredients

For the dough

  • 3/4 cup plant-based milk of choice
  • 1 packet quick-rise yeast, or 2 1/4 tsp of yeast
  • 1/4 cup vegan butter, sofened
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 1/4 cups flour, plus a little extra for rolling out and kneading the dough.
  • 1 tsp oil

For the cinnamon and sugar filling

For the vegan cream cheese icing

Instructions
 

Make the dough

  • Heat 3/4 cup plant-based milk so it's warm, but not hot. (about 100° F – about 45 seconds in the microwave does the trick) and add it to a mixing bowl with 1 packet of dry active quick-rise dry yeast. Give it a stir and let it sit for a few minutes.
  • Add 1/4 cup vegan butter, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt, and stir again until no clumps of butter remain.
  • Slowly add 2 1/4 cups of flour, stirring until you get a soft dough that you can hold without it sticking to you. (You may need to add another tablespoon or two of flour until the dough is able to be handled without being sticky.)
  • Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 3 minutes, until soft but no longer sticky.  (At this point, you can put the dough in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and finish the rest of the steps when you are ready.)
  • Place the dough in an oiled bowl, then flip it over so the dough ball is coated with a thin layer of oil.
  • Put the dough in a warm spot to rise.  (I usually turn on the oven to 150° F for a few minutes to get a little heat in there, then turn the oven off and put the dough in the oven to rise for about 1 1/2 hours.)

Assemble the cinnamon rolls

  • Once the dough has doubled (usually about 1 1/2 hours depending on how warm it was when rising) punch the dough down and roll it out on a floured flat surface into a large rectangle about 9×14 inches
  • In a small bowl, mix 1/3 cup of brown sugar and 2 tsp of cinnamon and set aside.
  • Melt 3 tbsp of vegan butter and spread it evenly over the dough, then sprinkle it with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
  • Tightly roll the dough into a log shape and cut about every 1 1/2 inches to form 9-10 even rolls.

Bake the rolls

  • Preheat the oven to 375° F.
  • Arrange the rolls on a parchment-lined or lightly oiled cookie sheet or pie dish. (Note: If you want beautiful individual cinnamon rolls, bake them separately on a cookie sheet.  If you want them to bake together and frost the top of them, bake close together in a pie pan or an 8" x 8" baking dish.)
  • Bake at 375° F for 25-30 minutes until slightly golden brown on top.

Make the vegan cream cheese icing

  • Mix together 1/4 cup of vegan cream cheese, 2 tbsp of vegan butter, and a dash of vanilla extract, and stir until combined.
  • Add 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar until a sticky icing is formed, and spread or drizzle it over the cinnamon rolls.

Notes

  • The amount of flour needed may vary slightly.  Go by the feeling of the dough more than the measurement.  Add just enough flour that your dough is no longer sticky and you can knead it without it sticking to your hands, but still remains very soft.
  • The warmer the air, the faster your dough will rise.  About 80°- 90° F is a great temperature for this. Turn your oven on for about 3 minutes until it is just barely warm, then turn it off.  Place the dough in the oven to rise.
  • You know that your dough is ready to roll out when it has doubled in size.
  • Don’t put more butter and sugar than recommended on the dough, or it will just fall out and make a mess.
Serving: 1roll with icing, Calories: 381kcal, Carbohydrates: 59g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Sodium: 596mg, Potassium: 116mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 33g, Vitamin A: 553IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 96mg, Iron: 2mg
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