This vegan sticky buns recipe has been a family favorite since I was a kid. Warm cinnamon buns, baked in a bed of butter and brown sugar, form a sticky, gooey caramel topping you just can’t get enough of.

A plate of vegan sticky buns with someone taking one off the plate.

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Why make this recipe

If you like cinnamon rolls, you will love these sticky buns. They are very similar, but cinnamon rolls typically have icing spread or drizzled on top. In contrast, sticky buns are cooked in a bed of brown sugar and butter, forming a sticky caramel when inverted.

We called these gooey rolls when I was a kid, and my mom made them every Thanksgiving morning. They make breakfast or brunch something special, but can turn a boring old day into something special, too.

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 the cinnamon roll flavor.

Helpful tools

  • A medium-sized baking dish or Pyrex pie dish.
  • Parchment to line the bottom of the pan is optional, but recommended.

How to make sticky buns

A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.

Step 1 – 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. Stir it and let it sit for a few minutes.

Step 2 – Add the melted vegan butter, sugar, and salt, and stir again until no butter clumps remain.

Step 3 – 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.)

Plant based milk with yeast added to make vegan sticky buns.
Add the yeast to the warm milk.
The dough for vegan sticky buns.
Add the remaining dough ingredients and mix.

Step 4 – 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.)

Step 5 – Place the dough in an oiled bowl, then flip it over so the dough ball is coated with a thin layer of oil.

Step 6 – 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.)

A ball of oiled dough to make vegan sticky buns.
Form it into a ball, cover in oil, and set in a warm spot to rise.
Punching down the sticky bun dough after it rises.
Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down, then roll it out into a rectangle.

Step 7 – 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.

Step 8 – In a small bowl, mix 1/3 cup brown sugar with 2 tsp cinnamon, and set aside.

Step 9 – Melt 3 tbsp of vegan butter, then spread it evenly over the dough and sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Spreading melted butter on the sticky bun dough.
Brush the dough with melted vegan butter.
Sprinkling cinnamon and brown sugar on the dough.
Sprinkle it with brown sugar and cinnamon.

Step 10 – Tightly roll the dough into a log, then cut it into about 1 1/4-inch pieces to form 9-10 even rolls.

Step 11 – Line a pie dish with parchment paper.  Melt 1/3 cup of vegan butter, then 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.)

Rolling the vegan sticky buns up.
Roll up the dough tightly.
Cutting the dough into sticky buns.
Cut into pieces.

Step 12 – Arrange the sticky buns in the pie dish or medium-sized baking dish so they are just barely touching each other, and bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes, until they are slightly golden brown on top.

Step 13 – Allow to cool in the dish for about 10 minutes, then lift the parchment paper and flip the sticky buns onto a tray so the sticky side is facing up.

Baked vegan sticky buns before you invert them.
Baked sticky buns before they are inverted.

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 on the dough than the recipe recommends, or it will just fall out and make a mess.

Frequently asked questions?

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

Store your vegan sticky 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 sticky 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 sticky buns. 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.
You can also bake the sticky buns for 15 minutes, then allow them to cool and freeze them. On the day you want to eat them, take them out of the freezer, let them thaw, then bake them for about 10-15 minutes, until they are golden brown.

A white plate full of vegan sticky buns.

More vegan baked goods

Vegan sticky bun recipe

A close up of a plate of vegan sticky buns with someone taking one off the plate.
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Vegan Sticky Buns

Yield: 10
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Rise time: 2 hours
Total: 2 hours 40 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
Fluffy vegan cinnamon rolls baked in a sticky caramel sauce.
Print Leave a Review Pin Recipe

Ingredients

For the sticky bun 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, melted
  • 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 sticky caramel

Instructions
 

  • 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 melted 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 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.)
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Line a pie dish with parchment paper.  Melt 1/3 cup of vegan butter, then 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 sticky buns 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 top.
  • Allow to cool in the dish for about 10 minutes, then lift the parchment paper and flip the sticky buns onto a tray so the sticky side 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 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 the recipe recommends on the dough, or it will just fall out and make a mess.
Serving: 1sticky roll, Calories: 291kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Sodium: 242mg, Potassium: 81mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 735IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 45mg, Iron: 2mg
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