Stay Healthy Vegan

Vegan Cinnamon Rolls (Fluffy, Gooey, 90 Minutes)

Fluffy, pull-apart, gooey with cinnamon sugar, and finished with a simple glaze — vegan cinnamon rolls require nothing more than swapping dairy milk for plant milk and using vegan butter. The yeast dough is the same technique as conventional cinnamon rolls: activate the yeast, develop the dough, let it rise, roll and fill, cut, and bake. The result is indistinguishable from the original.

Ingredients

Dough:

  • 2¼ teaspoons (1 packet / 7 g) active dry yeast
  • 1 cup (240 ml) warm plant-based milk (not hot — 100–110°F / 38–43°C)
  • ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup (75 g) vegan butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3½ cups (455 g) all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)

Cinnamon filling:

  • ⅓ cup (75 g) vegan butter, softened (not melted)
  • ¾ cup (150 g) packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Glaze:

  • 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 3–4 tablespoons plant-based milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

  1. Activate yeast. Warm plant milk to 100–110°F (38–43°C) — warm to the touch but not hot. Add yeast and a pinch of sugar. Stir and let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy. If it doesn’t foam, the yeast is dead or the milk was too hot — start over.
  2. Make the dough. In a large bowl, combine foamy yeast mixture, remaining sugar, melted vegan butter, and salt. Add flour gradually, mixing with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6–8 minutes until smooth and slightly sticky (not stiff). The dough should spring back slowly when poked.
  3. First rise. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour until roughly doubled in size.
  4. Make the filling. Mix softened vegan butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt into a spreadable paste.
  5. Roll the dough. Turn risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a rectangle approximately 16×12 inches (40×30 cm).
  6. Add filling. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough, going to the edges.
  7. Roll and cut. Roll the dough tightly from the long edge into a log. Use a sharp knife or dental floss (unflavored) to cut into 12 even rolls.
  8. Second rise. Arrange rolls cut-side up in a greased 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) baking dish, spacing them slightly apart. Cover and let rise 30 minutes until puffy.
  9. Bake. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake for 22–25 minutes until golden brown on top. Don’t overbake — they should look slightly underdone in the center.
  10. Glaze. Whisk together powdered sugar, plant milk, and vanilla. Drizzle over warm rolls immediately. Serve warm.

Tips

Yeast temperature matters. Too cold: yeast won’t activate. Too hot (over 120°F / 49°C): yeast dies. Use a thermometer or the wrist test — it should feel warm but comfortable.

Don’t overbake. Cinnamon rolls that are fully firm in the oven will be dry when cooled. Pull them when the tops are golden and the center rolls still look slightly soft — they finish cooking from residual heat.

Soften butter for filling. The filling needs spreadable, softened vegan butter — not melted. Melted butter runs off the dough during rolling. Leave butter at room temperature for 30–60 minutes.

Dental floss for clean cuts. A sharp knife compresses the rolls. Dental floss (unflavored) slipped under the log and crossed at the top cuts clean, round rolls without squishing them.

Make-Ahead Options

Overnight rolls: After step 7 (cutting), arrange in the baking dish, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove from fridge and let sit at room temperature for 30–60 minutes before baking.

Freeze before baking: Freeze unrisen rolls on a baking sheet. Once frozen solid, transfer to a bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight, let rise 1–2 hours at room temperature, then bake.

FAQ

Can I use instant yeast? Yes — instant yeast doesn’t need to be activated first. Mix it directly into the flour and proceed. Reduce the rise time slightly (instant yeast works faster).

Why didn’t my dough rise? Dead yeast (test with warm water and sugar — it should foam in 10 minutes) or too-cold environment. The dough needs warmth to rise — a turned-off oven with just the light on, or near a warm spot in the kitchen.

For a simpler vegan baked dessert, see the vegan apple crumble. Browse all vegan desserts at the desserts hub.