These easy vegan cinnamon rolls are soft and fluffy, loaded with cinnamon and brown sugar, and have vegan cream cheese icing drizzled on top! These cinnamon buns will melt in your mouth and are sure to be your new favorite breakfast for holidays or lazy Sunday mornings.
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You can use this basic recipe to make your choice of classic cinnamon rolls or vegan sticky buns with just a simple change in the baking process.
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 difficult. 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.
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❤️ 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 insure 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 like canola oil 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 insure 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 top of the rolls. I like to use my vegan cream cheese frosting or vegan icing. (you will only need 1/4 of a batch).
🥄 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 vegan butter, sugar, and salt and stir again until no clumps of butter remain.
- Slowly add 2 1/4 cups of flour and keep 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 the dough is 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 and then flip it over so the dough ball is covered in 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 9x14 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 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 separated 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 the tops.
🥄 Make the icing (optional)
- 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.
Note: You can use my homemade vegan cream cheese or any store-bought variety that you like.
📖 Sticky buns variation
Cinnamon rolls typically have icing spread or drizzled on top of them, sticky buns are cooked in a bed of brown sugar and butter to form 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.
🥄 How to make sticky buns
- Follow the directions for the cinnamon buns the same until you get to the baking step. At this point, line a pie dish with parchment paper. Melt 1/3 cup of vegan butter and mix in 1/3 cup of brown sugar and spread the mixture over the parchment-lined pan. (You can also give it a sprinkle of cinnamon and add 1/3 cup of crushed nuts to this too if you choose.)
- Arrange the cinnamon rolls in the pie dish so they are just barely touching each other and bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes until they are slightly golden brown on the top.
- Allow to cool in the dish for about 10 minutes, then pick up the parchment paper and flip it over on a tray so the sticky side of the gooey rolls is facing up.
👩🏻🍳 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 that your dough is no longer sticky and you can knead it without it sticking to your hands but still remaining 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.
🌟 Super easy cinnamon rolls
If this seems like too much work and you want to skip the step of making the dough yourself, you can use premade store-bought pizza dough that comes in a bag in 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, then 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!
❔ 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 out at room temperature for about 6 hours to thaw or warm 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 will have to do is let your dough rise and then roll out your cinnamon buns before baking.
🌟 More vegan breakfast ideas
- Vegan French Toast
- Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
- Bagels with Homemade Vegan Cream Cheese
- Vegan Blueberry Muffins
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Vegan Biscuits and Gravy
- Vegan Crepes
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
📋 Vegan cinnamon roll recipe
Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
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
- 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:
- 3 tbsp vegan butter melted
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
For the vegan cream cheese icing:
- 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
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 and keep 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 the dough is 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 and then flip it over so the dough ball is covered in 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 9x14 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 separated 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 the tops.
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.
How to make vegan sticky buns instead:
- Follow the directions for the cinnamon buns the same until you get to the baking step. At this point, line a pie dish with parchment paper. Melt 1/3 cup of vegan butter and mix in 1/3 cup of brown sugar and spread the mixture over the parchment-lined pan. (You can also give it a sprinkle of cinnamon and add 1/3 cup of crushed nuts to this too if you choose.)
- Arrange the cinnamon rolls in the pie dish so the are just barely touching each other and bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes until they are slightly golden brown on the top.
- Allow to cool in the dish for about 10 minutes, then pick up the parchment paper and flip it over on a tray so the sticky side of the gooey rolls is facing up.
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.
Nutrition
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Click the stars above or leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you!
Monika says
Amazing rolls!! Thank you for the recipe.
Myra Bawab says
can you please share the gluten free version of this recipe?
Monica says
Unfortunately, this is one of the only recipes on my site that can't be made gluten-free. I have tested it a few times, but it just didn't come out good enough to publish a recipe for it.
Myra Bawab says
ohh, okay
thank you so much for your help and very tasty recipes.
Sarah says
will active dry yeast work instead of rapid rise? having a huge cinnamon bun craving and woule love to make these. thanks!
Monica says
Yes, it should work fine with active dry yeast too. Enjoy! 🙂
S. Tate says
These recipes seem divine......Can't wait to try them!
Monica says
Thanks so much! 🙂