Fluffy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe for Fluffy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls is ready in under 2 hours and full of cozy cinnamon sugar flavor! Made with just 8 ingredients, it's perfect for for brunch or an evening dessert.

Cinnamon sugar is one of my favorite flavor combinations. I've used it in Cinnamon Toast Crunch, French Toast Sticks, Cinnamon Sugar Fig Toast, and Peach Crumble. Today's recipe for fluffy cinnamon rolls may be one of the most classic iterations of this flavor. It's a recipe my grandma is famous for, so today's post is an inspired take on a food I grew up loving!

Ingredients Needed for these Fluffy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

• Butter, like Miyoko's Dairy-Free
• Active dry yeast
• Unsweetened plain almond milk
• Salt
• All purpose or bread flour
• Brown sugar
• Cinnamon
• Optional: Powdered sugar, for glaze

How to Make Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls

1. Combine melted butter with yeast, sugar, and  salt.

2. Next, add flour and knead for 30 seconds inside the bowl, so that a loose ball forms.

3. Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for one hour in a warm place.

4. Roll out dough into a rectangle. Melt more butter in the microwave and brush on top of dough. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.

5. Roll the dough in a tight spiral. Completely this until you have a log shape, with seam side facing the counter. Indent slightly with a knife at the halfway point, and then two times on each half for a total of eight rolls.

6. Slide a piece of unflavored dental floss underneath the roll of dough at the first indentation. Pull the floss up through the dough, crossing into an "X" to slice roll shapes through the log. Alternatively, slice with a sharp knife (though this will compress your spiral). Place in an oiled pie pan or 8x8 dish.

7. Set roll dish on top of oven and cover once more for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once your oven preheats, bake rolls for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. While rolls are baking, feel free to make a cheaters glaze with 1 cup powdered sugar + 1-2 TBS almond milk almond milk. Glaze rolls soon after they come out of the oven and enjoy.

How can I make sure my cinnamon rolls rise?

First, make sure your yeast is relatively fresh. Old yeast that was improperly stored will not produce the necessary reactions needed to bring the best texture to these buns.

Next, be sure to let the dough rise for the entire time allotted (about 1.5 hours in total). Rising lets the dough relax and built up gas. I know it can be tempting to shorten this time, but it really is worth it!

Can I substitute active dry yeast for instant yeast?

Yes! This post from The Spruce Eats has some helpful tips. Here are the conversions you need to know:

• 1 teaspoon instant yeast = 1 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast.
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast = ¾ teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 package instant yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons or 7 grams) = 1 ¼ package active dry yeast (2 ⅘ teaspoons or almost 9 grams).

So in this recipe if you want to use active dry yeast, add 2 and ⅘ teaspoon to Step 1, when we combine the yeast with milk, butter, and sugar. Keep in mind that active dry yeast needs to be "activated" in liquid, so you'll want to let it sit in the milk mixture for 5-10 minutes before proceeding to Step 2.

How to Easily Slice Pretty Cinnamon Rolls

Slide a piece of unflavored dental floss underneath the roll of dough at the first indentation. Pull the floss up through the dough, crossing into an "X" to slice roll shapes through the log. Alternatively, slice with a sharp knife (though this will compress your spiral).

How long do cinnamon rolls last? What is the best way to store them?

These vegan cinnamon rolls will last 4-5 days. The best way to store cinnamon rolls is right in their baking dish, tightly wrapped, on the counter at room temperature. If you live in a very warm area you may consider refrigerating them, but this can dry out the texture.

How to Freeze Cinnamon Rolls + How to Reheat them

To freeze cinnamon rolls, let them cool completely and do not add any icing. Tightly wrap the container in plastic wrap (or reusable food wrap if you have it) and then add a layer of foil. Freeze for up t0 3 months. To reheat, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Unwrap the rolls and sprinkle a few drops of water on top (this will of course help add more moisture back into the dough). Bake for 10 minutes, until aromatic and soft. Add icing just before serving.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for fluffy cinnamon rolls! Please leave a rating + review if you try it, as I love hearing what you think.

Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls

Emily

These Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls are ready in under 2 hours and full of cozy cinnamon sugar flavor! Made with just 8 ingredients, they're a perfect recipe for brunch or an evening dessert.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 8 rolls

Calories 310 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 7 TBS vegan butter
• ▢ 1 packet instant yeast*
• ▢ 1 cup unsweetened almond milk plus 1 - 2 TBS divided
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 and ½ cups all purpose or bread flour
• ▢ Neutral oil for the inside of the rising bowl (or more butter)
• ▢ 6 TBS brown sugar divided
• ▢ 2 TBS cinnamon
• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar for optional glaze

Instructions

 

• In a microwave-safe bowl, heat 3 TBS butter and almond milk in 30-second increments until melted. Set aside to cool slightly. Add melted butter mixture and optional vanilla to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle yeast* on top. Add in 1 TBS of sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt and stir.
• Next add flour gradually, stirring as you go until incorporated. Once cohesive but sticky, knead for 30 seconds inside the bowl so that a loose ball forms.
• Remove dough, rinse out your bowl and lightly oil the inside. Place dough in oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let rise for one hour. I like doing this in an oven that is not on but has a lightbulb for slight heat. It should expand a lot.
• On a clean floured surface, roll out dough into a 8 x 12 rectangle. Melt 3 more TBS butter in the microwave and brush on top of dough. Sprinkle with  5 TBS brown sugar and 2 TBS cinnamon.
• Using the edge of your silicone mat or your hands, start rolling the long end of the dough (the part that's closest to you) in a tight spiral. Completely this until you have a log shape, with seam side facing the counter. Indent slightly with a knife at the halfway point, and then two times on each half for a total of eight rolls.
• Slide a piece of unflavored dental floss underneath the roll of dough at the first indentation. Pull the floss up through the dough, crossing into an "X" to slice roll shapes through the log. Alternatively, slice with a sharp knife (though this will compress your spiral). Place in an oiled pie pan or 8x8 dish. It's OK if the pan is not filled, the rolls will expand.
• Set roll dish on top of oven and cover once more for 15 minutes. Preheat to 350 degrees. The heat from the preheating oven will help with another rise. Once your oven preheats, bake rolls for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. While rolls are baking, feel free to make a cheaters glaze with 1 cup powdered sugar + 1-2 TBS almond milk almond milk. Glaze rolls soon after they come out of the oven and enjoy.

Video

Notes

In you want to use active dry yeast, add 2 and ⅘ tsp. Keep in mind that active dry yeast needs to be "activated" in liquid, so you'll want to let it sit in the milk mixture for 5-10 minutes before proceeding to Step 2.

Nutrition

Serving: 1rollCalories: 310kcalCarbohydrates: 51.8gProtein: 4.2gFat: 9.4gSaturated Fat: 7.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2.3gSodium: 155mgFiber: 1.2gSugar: 21.6g

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