This recipe for Fluffy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls is ready in under 2 hours and is full of cozy cinnamon sugar flavor! Made with just 8 ingredients, it's perfect for brunch or an evening dessert.
Jump to:
- Ingredients Needed for Fluffy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
- How to Make Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls
- How can I make sure my cinnamon rolls rise?
- Can I substitute active dry yeast for instant yeast?
- How to Easily Slice Pretty Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls
- How long do cinnamon rolls last? What is the best way to store them?
- How to Freeze Cinnamon Rolls + How to Reheat
- Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls
- Pin these Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls for later:
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 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 the dough in an oiled bowl, cover it, and let it rise for one hour in a warm place.
4. Roll out the dough into a rectangle. Melt more butter in the microwave and brush it on top of the dough. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.
5. Roll the dough in a tight spiral. Complete this until you have a log shape, with the 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 the roll dish on top of the oven and cover once more for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once your oven preheats, bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. While the rolls are baking, feel free to make a cheaters glaze with 1 cup powdered sugar + 1-2 TBS 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.
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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 build up gas. I know it can be tempting to shorten this time, but it 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 Fluffy 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
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
Ingredients
- 7 TBS vegan butter
- 1 cup unsweetened nondairy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- 1 packet instant yeast*
- 1 TBS organic cane sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2.5 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 and stir. See note below for active dry yeast substitute.
- Next add flour and salt 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 the 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.
- 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 preheated 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 milk. Glaze rolls soon after they come out of the oven and enjoy.
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Notes
Nutrition
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Trina says
These are my go-to cinnamon rolls! Thank you!
Emily says
Thank you, Trina!
Sarah says
I’m drooling...looks so delicious. Can you come over and make me some? 🙂
Emily says
Thanks AS--I wish! 💜
Susannah Weis Frigon says
These look fabulous - must try for these cool, fall-ish mornings.
Emily says
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