Dessert, Recipes

Vegan Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

Move over Cinnabon there’s a new Cinnamon Roll in town. Our Homemade Vegan Cinnamon Rolls have a light and fluffy dough with a gooey and sweet brown sugar filling, and topped with a simple creamy and delicious vegan cream cheese icing. This dessert classic is as easy as it is delicious! 

Is there anything better than a cinnamon roll? They’re one of our favourite dessert recipes to make because they’re as fun to make as they are delicious. We don’t like to say it often, but this may just be the BEST Vegan Cinnamon Roll recipe. Whenever we need to make something special whether it’s for a birthday, a holiday, or weekend brunch, we make these Cinnamon Rolls. Made from scratch with simple ingredients, they’re going to be a family favourite in no time.

Made a soft and fluffy yeast-risen dough that’s rolled with a sweet brown sugar and butter filling. Because this recipe calls for some time for the dough to rest, it’s perfect to make in batches or the night before. Or better yet, prep them fresh in the morning and spend the resting time doing something you love.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe:

  • Super simple to make with only 14 ingredients!
  • Homemade from scratch and better than Cinnabon.
  • The perfect balance of sweet and tart.

Ingredient Notes:

  • Quick Rise Yeast – This is what gives these cinnamon rolls their fluffy texture – yeast and time. We use quick rise yeast for the as it yields the best results in a shorter time frame.
  • Non-Dairy Milk – We almost exclusively use soy milk in our recipes, but you could use any non-dairy milk you prefer or have access to.
  • White Sugar – Note that white sugar is vegan in Canada but that may not be the case everywhere. White sugar can be processed through animal bones. If this is a concern for you, we’d recommend an alternative sugar though we haven’t tested with another sugar.
  • Vegan Butter – If you have access to a vegan butter substitute that you like we recommend using that, we use the Becel Plant-Based Sticks. If you don’t have access to one, you can try cold coconut oil.
  • Flax Eggs – To replace the eggs in cinnamon rolls we like using flax eggs which is a combination of 1 tbsp ground flax seeds and 3 tbsp of water for every egg. Alternatively you can also use an egg replacer or vegan yogurt!
  • All-Purpose Flour – We use an unbleached all-purpose flour.
  • Icing Sugar – Also called powdered sugar or confectioners sugar. If you can’t find this, you can make your own by processing white sugar in a high speed blender until a powder.
  • Vegan Cream Cheese – This replaces dairy cream cheese in the tangy icing you know and love. We like using the Tofutti brand vegan cream cheese.

Top tips for making Vegan Cinnamon Rolls from scratch:

  • If you the yeast doesn’t activate, don’t use it. You activate yeast with warm milk and sugar. If the temperature is too warm it can kill the yeast, if too cold it can slow the rise time. The sweet spot is around 45℃. You’ll know that the yeast is active if after 5 minutes the mixture is foamy. If it’s not, start over.
  • Knead until smooth. You’ll know that the dough is kneaded enough when it’s smooth. So whether you use your hands or a stand mixer, knead until a dough forms and it has a smooth surface. Make an indent with your finger in the dough and if it bounces back it’s ready to rest!
  • Let the dough rest. Time is what gives cinnamon rolls their signature fluffy bite. They should rise at least twice, once after forming the dough and a second time after creating the rolls. You can even let them rest overnight for the second proof if you want to prepare them the day before.
  • Proof in the ideal environment. Depending on when you want to eat the cinnamon rolls should determine what temperature you proof them at. The warmer the temperature the quicker the rise, but the less flavour develops. If making them same day proof in a warm space. If you’re saving them for the next morning, proof in the fridge overnight.
  • Fill from edge to edge. Spread the brown sugar and butter filling from edge to edge to the best results and a delicious eating experience. This ensures it’s gooey in every bite.
  • Let the rolls cool slightly. Before icing them, let them cool for at least 15 minutes so that the icing doesn’t all melt away.

Other vegan desserts you’ll love:

How to make Vegan Cinnamon Rolls:

Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Move over Cinnabon there's a new Cinnamon Roll in town. Our Homemade Vegan Cinnamon Rolls have a light and fluffy dough with a gooey and sweet brown sugar filling, and topped with a simple creamy and delicious vegan cream cheese icing. This dessert classic is as easy as it is delicious! 
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Dessert
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Rise Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 12 rolls

Ingredients

Dough

  • 1 tbsp quick rise yeast
  • 1 cup warm non-dairy milk
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • pinch salt
  • 2 flax eggs, (2 tbsp ground flax + 6 tbsp water)
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour

Cinnamon Sugar Spread

  • 1/2 cup melted butter, , divided
  • 2 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/3 + 2 tbsp brown sugar, , divided

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 4 tbsp vegan butter
  • 1.5 cups icing sugar
  • 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  • On the stove warm your non-dairy milk until it is just warm to the touch. You want the milk temperature to rest in between 40-50C. 
  • To your warmed milk add your yeast and white sugar to whisk until it is all incorporated. Leave that to rest for about 10 minutes. If after 10 minutes it does not start to foam, your yeast is either dead or expired and you should start over with new yeast.  
  • Add 1/3 cup butter to a stand mixer along with your flax egg and beat until your butter has softened. Add your flour, salt, and yeast mixture to your stand mixer and using your dough hook, beat until your dough just comes together. It is okay if it is a little crumbly. 
  • Turn out your dough onto a clean surface and kneed until it comes together into a smooth dough. 
  • Add you dough to a greased mixing bowl and place clear wrap over top. Place in OFF oven to proof for at least 1 hour or until it has doubled in size. Do not turn on or preheat oven while your dough is rising. 
  • Once your dough has risen, place it on a lightly flour surface. Lightly flour the top of the dough and rolling pin and roll into a long rectangle. 
  • Pour 1/4 cup of melted butter on your dough and brush so that it is all covered. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup brown sugar and your cinnamon. 
  • Starting from the long side, tightly roll your dough.  
  • Using a very sharp knife (be careful!) cut your dough into about 1″ slices. You should get about 12 good sized cinnamon buns out of it. 
  • In a baking dish spread about 1/4 cup melted butter on the bottom and sides, as well as sprinkle about 2 tbsp of brown sugar. This will give you a delicious carmelized bottom. 
  • Add your cinnamon buns to your baking dish and cover with clear wrap to rise again. This rise will take about 30 minutes. You can rise it in dark humid place or in your oven that is OFF.
  • Once the cinnamon buns have risen, preheat your oven to 350F. One it has reached temp, bake your cinnamon buns for about 27-30 minutes. You will know they are done once they are golden brown on top. 
  • To make your cream cheese icing add your butter, cream cheese, and vanilla to a stand mixer and beat until your butter is nice and creamy. Then slowly add your icing sugar to your mixer, about 1/2 cup at a time. This will make the perfect creamy icing. 
  • While your cinnamon buns are still warm from baking spread the icing over top. 

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