Cinnamon roll or cinnamon bun? Either way you call it, these cinnamon thing-a-ma-jigs are one of the best breakfasts ever, and surprisingly easy to make! Vegan cinnamon rolls aren’t complicated at all, and they taste just as good as regular cinnamon rolls. I think we can all agree that Cinnabon cinnamon rolls are heaven on earth, and probably the only reason why malls are still a thing these days. Am I the only one who has ever gone to a mall JUST to get a Cinnabon cinnamon roll? Just me….? Well, not only are Cinnabon cinnamon buns delicious, but you can also make them at home and save yourself that trip to the mall!

Your basic cinnamon roll recipe is not vegan, but the only vegan ingredients that we need to substitute for vegan cinnamon rolls are butter, milk, and cream cheese, which is pretty easy to do thanks to the awesome vegan substitutions that are out there. And of course, the ingredient that makes cinnamon rolls oh so light and fluffy and delicate is yeast! I wrote an entire article about baking with yeast that you can read up on here, just in case your yeast attempts have been less than stellar. That article has my best tips and tricks with how to bake with yeast and get a fail-proof rise every time!

There seems to be some debate as to whether or not yeast is a vegan food. Yes, yeast is a living organism, but it’s a single-celled organism in the same family as mushrooms. It’s not an animal, but a fungus, so yeast is considered a safe vegan food by most vegans. There are also ways to make your own yeast out of discarded fruit scraps, which makes sense given yeast is literally just mold when you think about it. I hope to share a step-by-step on how to make your own yeast at home within the next few months. In the meantime, let’s chat more about these yummy vegan cinnamon rolls.

It’s so easy to buy a can of refrigerated cinnamon rolls at your grocery store, pop them open and bake them at home, but there’s something about homemade cinnamon rolls that takes breakfast to the next level. It’s honestly not as intimidating at is may seem - probably the most challenging part is rolling the prepared dough out, spreading it with the cinnamon sugar mixture and then rolling it up, but honestly I think the whole process is quite fun! And I bet you’ll love to do it too.

Recipe

Ingredients

Dough:

1 c almond milk, warmed
1/2 c white sugar
1 heaped tbsp active dry yeast
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c vegan butter, melted
3 3/4 c flour

Filling:

3 tbsp vegan butter, softened
1/2 c brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp cinnamon

Icing:

8 oz vegan cream cheese, softened - I use Trader Joe’s brand
1/2 c butter, softened
3 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Directions

Mix the yeast, warm milk, and a pinch of sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer and let activate for about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the sugar, butter, salt, and flour. Knead the dough in the stand mixer until it forms a large ball, about 5 minutes.
Coat the ball and the bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place about 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size.
While you wait, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a separate small bowl.
Sprinkles flour on your countertop, and roll the dough out into a large 16x21” rectangle about 1/4” thick. No need to meet these dimensions exactly.
Spread dough with the softened butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up the dough starting with the longer side, rolling and tucking it together so it’s a tight log, and that the seam is on the bottom.
Using a sharp knife or a piece of floss, slice the log into about 12 large rolls. Place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30-60 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls until golden brown, about 18-20 minutes.
While they bake, beat together the vegan cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread the frosting on the rolls right as they come out of the oven. Enjoy!

Adapted From: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Best Ever Vegan Cinnamon Rolls