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These easy vegan cinnamon rolls are the perfect homemade breakfast to enjoy with family. So simple to make, they are wonderfully sweet and totally plant based too.Make them the night before for a delicious breakfast that everyone will love!
Recipe video tutorial
How to make vegan cinnamon rolls
- Combine the flour, sugar, yeast and salt.
- Add the coconut oil and almond milk to the dry ingredients.
- Stir to combine. It will be wet and a little sticky, but that’s fine.
- Knead the dough until it is smooth and stretchy – my daughter’s favorite part!
- Place in an oiled bowl and cover with wrap.
- Allow to rise until the dough is doubled in size.
- Roll the dough out and sprinkle of the cinnamon filling.
- Roll the dough up and cut into 12 equal sections.
- Place in a greased baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and allow to double in size again.
- Bake until golden brown.
- Drizzle with the glaze and serve.
Tips for making the best cinnamon rolls
- Make sure the kitchen is warm to help the dough rise faster. It helps to have the heat on to assist the rising time. Just make sure it’s not too hot, which can kill the yeast.
- Add the glaze only when you’re ready to eat them. The glaze will harden as it hits the warm cinnamon rolls and you want it to look glossy and soft instead. For best appearance, glaze just before serving.
- Make a pan sauce for a deeper flavor. To simplify the recipe, I like to just use melted coconut oil in the pan. However, you can whisk the coconut oil with some almond milk and brown sugar to make the sauce.
- Cut the rolled dough from the inside out. The first time I made cinnamon rolls, I cut like a rookie from one end to the next. But overtime, I learned that the most even cuts come when you precisely measure and cut from the inside out. The ends will always look wonky though, so don’t fret!
- Create a richer topping by making a thick icing. Instead of the glaze I include below, try mixing together: ¾ cup vegan cream cheese, ¼ cup softened vegan butter, ¼ cup maple syrup, 2/3 cup powdered sugar, ¼ tsp salt.
Frequently asked questions
Once you have baked the rolls, let them cool to room temperature, then place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. If you are planning on storing them this way, I recommend not to glaze them. I then warm them in the oven before serving and add the icing.
You can easily make these rolls the night before for an effortless and delicious breakfast the next morning. Make up the rolls as per the recipe, right up to cutting them and placing in the baking dish. Then, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to allow them to rise.
Take them out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you want to bake them, so that they come up to room temperature, and then carry on with the recipe.
Yes, these vegan cinnamon rolls freeze really well. Bake the rolls, let them cool and don’t add the glaze. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. You can reheat them in the oven from frozen, or let them thaw in the fridge overnight. Add the glaze to the warmed rolls to serve.
The best way to keep your cinnamon rolls moist is to store them airtight. I recommend two layers of plastic or foil to ensure they are airtight and all the moisture stays in the pan or container. You can heat them by wrapping in moist paper towel in microwave for extra soft rolls
Just mix with the milk and honey to activate the yeast for 10 minutes and then add in all the other ingredients.
These vegan cinnamon rolls are such a delicious homemade breakfast treat and they are more than ideal to serve on Christmas morning. I love that you can easily make these ahead of time, and I promise you there won’t be any leftovers!
More vegan desserts to try:
- Chai Spiced Vegan Muffins
- Vegan Peppermint Brownies
- Dairy Free Pudding
- Lemon Bars
- Vegan Sugar Cookies
- Avocado Chocolate Mousse
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Vegan Cinnamon Rolls recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoon coconut oil melted
- 1 cup almond milk warmed
Filling:
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted (plus more for greasing pan)
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons almond milk
Instructions
Prepare the dough:
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Whisk together the melted coconut oil and warmed almond milk and pour over the flour mixture. Stir until the dough comes together and all the flour is incorporated.
- Knead for 3-5 minutes on a lightly floured surface until the dough is smooth and stretchy.
- Place the dough ball in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm place and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Assemble the rolls:
- Turn out the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a rectangle about 14” x 20”.
- Brush the melted coconut oil onto the dough surface. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir until evenly distributed. Sprinkle into an even layer over the surface, getting all the way to the edges.
- Starting at one of the short ends, roll the dough up gently but tightly. Turn the dough so the seam is underneath.
- Cut dough into 12 even segments with a very sharp knife. Place them in a very generously greased 9×13” baking pan, so that they are evenly spaced.
- Cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise again until doubled (about 45 minutes).
- During the last rise, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Once risen, remove the plastic and bake for 25-30 minutes until just starting to get golden on top.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before adding the glaze.
Make the glaze and serve:
- Combine powdered sugar and milk in a small mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Drizzle the glaze on the cinnamon rolls when ready to enjoy.
- Slide a knife around the edge of the pan. Remove the rolls one at a time, pulling them apart.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Can I use olive oil instead of coconut oil?
Absolutely!
Is there a way to make them gluten free??
Unfortunately, I have yet to try a gluten-free version of this recipe!
Are you able to taste the coconut oil at all? I really hate the taste 🙁
Nope – there is no overwhelming coconut oil taste!
I’m so sad, these turned out really hard. I’ve made cinnamon rolls many times before but wanted to try a new recipe and these seemed too small to need 25-30 minutes so I baked for 22 and they still came out hard from the oven 🙁 I’ll try them again another time
I haven’t had an issue with these turning out hard. Could it be that too much flour was added?
I use a scale when I bake so unfortunately no. They weren’t to my liking unfortunately, I’m used to softer rolls. Thanks anyway!
I’m not sure what might’ve gone wrong. I’ll have to do another test to see how if I can figure that out!
That is so kind. I’ll give it a go another time, too! Thank you so much for your responses and I’m looking forward to trying different recipes from your blog 🙂
This is an amazing recipe! My son and husband both loved them and they are dairy free!!! Love!
Thank you! So glad you all enjoyed it!
Wonderful recipe and easy to follow. The cinnamon rolls came out very nicely — and not too sweet. Thanks so much! (I used oat milk with no problems.)
Thank you so much! That’s perfect!
Making these tomorrow, can’t wait!! Two questions: 1) can I use oat milk instead of almond milk and 2) currently not a fan of coconut oil (pregnancy woes!), can I replace it with another vegetable oil for the dough and with butter for the glaze?
Having some issues with this recipe. Have made it twice now and both times they do not rise or get bigger in the oven. I let the dough ball rise and then do the rolling out and cutting and then put them on the tray under plastic wrap and let them sit another 40 minutes but they still barely get any bigger at all and come out crunchy. Not ideal and frustrating cause this recipe looks so good! What am I doing wrong?? Should I make the dough slightly more moist or add more yeast?? :/
I’m so sorry to hear that. Is it too hot where you’re letting the dough rise? Because that can kill the yeast.
Oh that’s good that it’s rising the first time in the bowl. I recommend trying to leave it in longer for an additional 30 minutes to see if that works. And if that doesn’t work it’s possible that the yeast you’re using is no longer active. To test if the yeast you’re using is still active, mix one envelope of yeast with a teaspoon of sugar and 1/4 warm water. Wait 10 minutes and the mixture should bubble and you should smell the yeast. I hope that helps. By the way, what brand flour and kind are you using?
Hmmm, that is really particular. It’s possible you left it too long to rise the second time or it may have something to do with the flour you’re using.