Vegan cinnamon rolls are a delicious treat with a soft, pillowy dough flavored with swirls of cinnamon sugar and topped with a luscious glaze.
Their light and fluffy texture and buttery flavor and aroma are divine; as you bake them, they’ll fill your kitchen with an inebriating scent.
Serve vegan cinnamon rolls as a warm and comforting breakfast, brunch, or with a steaming cup of coffee for a cozy afternoon break.
Table of Contents
Dietary Note: this recipe is suitable for a vegetarian and vegan diet. Not suitable for gluten-free.
What are vegan cinnamon rolls?
Vegan cinnamon rolls are made with rolled sheets of yeast-leavened dough and are similar in looks, texture, and taste to regular cinnamon rolls but are made without eggs, milk, and butter.
Because they are so popular, we also made apple cinnamon rolls and a variation without added sugar.
Like our other yeast-leavened dough recipes, such as vegan brioche, Italian croissants, brioche rolls with vegan custard, and Italian cream buns, our vegan cinnamon rolls recipe is easy to make with simple pantry staples.
You’ll love their light, airy, and pillowy texture, moist buttery dough layers, and pleasant cinnamon aroma.
With our vegan crepes, vegan french toast, Italian almond cookies, and vegan biscotti, they are a popular recipe for the winter holidays and the cold winter months, when you can cozy up wrapped in a blanket and enjoy them with a steaming cup of tea or coffee.
With our recipe, you can make about nine rolls, so that’s an excellent recipe for sharing with friends and family.
The steps you’ll find below should be easy enough to follow with step-by-step pictures and a recipe video, but if you have any questions, let us know in the comments below.
While this recipe requires a little more effort than many of our other vegan desserts – think of our super easy chocolate glazed donuts, vegan apple cake, pear cake, vegan lemon cake, apple muffins, and banana nut bread – it’s still easy to do, and you can totally pull it off!
Vegan cinnamon rolls video
Ingredients & Substitutions for Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
For the dough
Non-dairy Milk
We use almond milk.
Substitute any non-dairy milk for almond milk. You can use soy milk, oat milk, rice milk, and cashew milk.
Sugar
We use white sugar for the dough and brown sugar for the filling. You can also use all brown sugar.
Note: Some sugars might not be 100% vegan; if that’s a problem, try to find sugar made from beets or certified organic cane sugar.
Yeast
We recommend using instant dry yeast or active dry yeast.
We recommend instant dry yeast because you don’t need to activate it; you can mix it with the other ingredients immediately.
Either case, read the instructions on your packet when using the yeast.
Instant dry yeast looks like fine granular dust. You can find it in most grocery stores or online.
You can substitute fresh yeast for instant or dry yeast. However, you need 3X fresh yeast compared to dry yeast.
Fat
We recommend using a neutral-flavored vegetable oil such as avocado oil, light olive oil, canola, or sunflower oil for the fluffiest rolls.
Alternatively, you can use dairy-free butter made from oils such as sunflower oil, canola oil, and olive oil.
You can also use vegan butter made with saturated fats like palm oil and coconut oil; however, we tried, and the rolls turned out to be less fluffy and heavier.
Flour
All-purpose flour is best for this vegan cinnamon roll recipe.
We haven’t tried making this recipe gluten-free, so we’re not sure how it would turn out.
Salt
We add a pinch of sea salt to enhance the flavor of the dough. If you are on a low-sodium diet, you can omit salt.
For the filling
Vegan butter
You can use any vegan or dairy-free butter for the filling. It needs to be soft at room temperature.
Brown sugar
We use brown sugar to add sweetness and color to the vegan cinnamon rolls.
Substitute coconut sugar for brown sugar.
Cinnamon
Ground cinnamon is mixed with sugar and butter.
For the topping
Simple icing
Make it with:
- powdered sugar
- dairy-free milk
- vanilla extract of the seeds in a vanilla pod.
Cream cheese frosting
Make it with:
- vegan cream cheese
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract of the seeds in a vanilla pod.
Here’s the full vegan cream cheese frosting recipe.
Butter and cream cheese frosting
Make it with:
- vegan butter
- vegan cream cheese
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
Here’s the full recipe for vegan lemon frosting and vanilla frosting.
Equipment
- You can use a 10×10 inch (25×25 cm) squared baking dish or a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan.
- Dental floss or a serrated knife for cutting the vegan cinnamon buns.
How to Make Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
US cups + grams measurements in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
Start with the dough
To a large mixing bowl, add lukewarm milk, sugar, oil (or lukewarm melted vegan butter), and instant yeast.
Stir and let the yeast bloom for 1 minute.
Tip: the milk should be lukewarm, not hot or cold.
Add flour and salt and mix with a wooden spoon or a silicone spatula until you get a dough ball.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.
Knead vigorously for 5 to 8 minutes until the dough is elastic and smooth.
Note: if you prefer, use a standing mixer for kneading the dough. Add the ingredients in the same order and knead with a dough hook.
Tip: The dough should be as soft as possible without sticking to your hands. So try not to add more flour.
Consideration: As always in doughs, the quantity of flour and water may change slightly depending on the type of flour you use, how old the flour is, altitude, temperature, and humidity of your kitchen.
So if the dough sticks to your hands, add a sprinkling of flour at a time, always remembering that a soft and moist dough is preferable to a hard and dry one.
Proofing
Shape the dough into a ball, and transfer it into a large bowl you previously brushed with oil.
Cover the dough with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, leaving enough space between the dough and the cloth for the dough to rise.
Let the cinnamon roll dough proof for about one hour and a half until it has doubled in size.
Tip: For proofing, especially in the winter, our advice is to let the dough rise in a slightly warm oven, that is, turned on for 1 minute, then turned off and kept with the light on.
The ideal condition for yeast is a temperature of 85°F or 30°C and a draft-free and moist environment. The mild oven temperature and the damp cloth provide that. If your oven is busy, put it next to a radiator.
Cinnamon filling
To a bowl, add softened vegan butter, sugar, and cinnamon.
Incorporate with a fork until the ingredients are mixed, spreadable, and set aside.
If the vegan butter starts to melt, keep the mixture in the fridge.
Shaping and cutting
When the dough has doubled in volume, transfer it to a work surface, trying not to add flour.
Fold the dough five times on itself, then shape it into a ball.
Tip: folding gives the dough structure to the vegan cinnamon rolls, making the dough easier to work with.
Dust the work surface with a small amount of flour, and roll out the dough, first with your hands, then with the help of a rolling pin.
Make a 12 x 16 inches rectangle or 30 x 40 cm.
Make the corners as square as possible.
Spread the filling on the dough with a spoon or a silicone spatula.
Spread it over the rectangle, leaving just a quarter of an inch at the edges.
Roll the dough on itself. Start from the shorter side and form a tight roll.
Stretch the rolled dough with your hands to reach 11 inches (28 cm).
Take a piece of dental floss, wrap it around the roll, and tighten it as if you wanted to tie a knot.
Cut each roll to a thickness of just over an inch (about 3 centimeters) to make 9 rolls.
You can also cut it with a serrated knife, but the floss produces a cleaner and even cut.
Transfer each roll to the baking sheet you previously brushed with oil or vegan butter.
We use a 10 x 10 inches (25 x 25 cm) square pan that fits nine rolls.
Second proofing and baking
Let rolls proof a second time (best if in a warm place) for 40 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C.
Brush the rolls with a little bit of non-dairy milk. When the oven is hot, bake them for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Take the cinnamon rolls out of the oven and let them cool for 15 minutes before devouring them.
One important thing: if you use a low-sided pan like the one in our pictures, the cinnamon rolls will bake in about 20 minutes. If you use a high-sided pan, the rolls will take around 25 minutes.
Serving suggestions
You can serve vegan cinnamon rolls without any topping, sprinkle them with powdered sugar, or topped with icing or frosting.
They are super fluffy, slightly gooey, and melt in your mouth. We recommend serving them with the following:
Simple icing glaze
In a small mixing bowl, whisk powdered sugar, dairy-free milk, and vanilla extract until you have a smooth glaze.
Pour over the vegan cinnamon rolls; it’ll drizzle down to the rolls’ core, making them sweet, gooey, and with an irresistible stickiness.
Cream cheese frosting
In a mixing bowl, beat the vegan cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla extract. You can use a hand whisk or an electric mixer.
Butter and cream cheese frosting
In a bowl, whip your favorite vegan butter with vegan cream cheese. The butter should be softened.
Add powdered sugar and vanilla, and keep whipping until you have a smooth frosting.
Spread the frosting on the vegan cinnamon rolls. Optionally, you can garnish with toasted slivered almonds.
Variation
Apple cinnamon rolls
If you love apple and cinnamon flavors, try our delicious vegan apple cinnamon rolls.
These delicious pillowy rolls are packed with tender and juicy apple pieces and are simply irresistible.
Check out our apple cinnamon rolls recipe.
Cinnamon rolls without added sugar
In this variation, we substitute date paste for sugar and butter.
To make a date paste, blend pitted dates previously soaked in hot water for 30 minutes with a high-speed blender until they turn into a smooth paste.
FOR THE SUGAR-FREE DOUGH
Replace the sugar in the dough with equal amounts of date paste.
For the dough, mix the date paste with the plant milk, oil, and yeast until the date paste is fully dissolved in the liquid.
Then, add the flour and salt and continue as described in the recipe above.
FOR THE SUGAR-FREE FILLING
Thanks to its smooth and spreadable texture and lovely flavor, date paste is suitable for filling our cinnamon rolls. It will replace vegan butter and sugar in one fell swoop.
You’ll need 160 grams (5.6 oz) of date paste to mix with the cinnamon.
Mix date paste and cinnamon, and your filling is ready to be spread on the dough. Continue the recipe as described previously.
These also turned out super cute, tall, and fluffy. Since we’re eating these without frosting on top, we immediately brush them with a bit of water to keep them soft longer. They are perfect for breakfast or as a snack.
And even though there are no refined sugars and much less fat, these vegan cinnamon rolls are perfectly sweet and soft.
Storage & Make Ahead
Make Ahead: you can make the dough in advance, arrange the rolls in the baking pan, wrap it in plastic, and freeze it before the second proofing. They keep for 3 months.
Then, when you are ready to cook it, thaw it in the fridge overnight, take it out of the refrigerator 2 hours before baking, and bake it as described in the recipe.
Room temperature: If you don’t eat your vegan cinnamon rolls right away, then store them at room temperature in plastic bags, airtight, so they don’t dry out. They keep for 2 to 3 days. Warm them in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute before eating to make them fluffy again.
Freezer: You can freeze baked cinnamon rolls for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes before serving them.
More Vegan Desserts
Are you looking for some easy vegan desserts? Here are some delicious ones:
- Vegan apple muffins
- Vegan cake donuts or chocolate glazed donuts
- Banana Zucchini bread
- Vegan pumpkin bread
- Easy vanilla cake
- Vegan lemon cake
Desserts
Easy Vanilla Cake
Desserts
Vegan Lemon Cake
Breakfast
Vegan Apple Muffins
Breakfast
Vegan Pumpkin Bread
More Brunch Ideas
Love Sunday breakfast and brunch? Get inspiration from these easy and delightful brunch ideas:
- Easy vegan pancakes three ways with vanilla, blueberry, or banana.
- Vegan apple cake: 8-ingredient reader’s favorite cake with tender apple pieces.
- 1-bowl banana bread: only 8 ingredients are needed for this easy and airy banana bread.
- Oatmeal pancakes with blended oats and a quick apple compote.
- Quick zucchini muffins with shredded zucchini and chocolate chips.
- Apple cinnamon rolls with sweet and tender apple pieces.
- Tofu scramble: an excellent savory brunch idea.
For many more easy dessert ideas, check out our desserts category page.
Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 10×10 inch (25×25 cm) squared baking dish or a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan.
- Dental floss or a serrated knife for cutting the rolls.
Ingredients
DOUGH
- 1 cup almond milk or any another non-dairy milk
- 2½ teaspoons instant dry yeast or active dry yeast
- ¼ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup canola oil sunflower oil, olive oil, avocado oil, or melted vegan butter
- 3⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
FILLING
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon
ICING
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1½ tablespoons dairy-free milk (oat, almond, soy)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
MAKE DOUGH
- To a large mixing bowl, add 1 cup almond milk (lukewarm), 2½ teaspoons instant dry yeast, ¼ cup sugar, and ⅓ cup canola oil. Stir and set aside for 1 minute.
- Add 3⅓ cups all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon salt and mix with a wooden spoon until you get a dough ball.
- Transfer dough onto a lightly floured worktop and knead for 5 minutes, until the dough is elastic and smooth.
PROOFING
- Shape the dough into a ball, and transfer it into a large bowl you previously brushed with oil.Brush the dough with oil and cover it with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, leaving enough space between the dough and the cloth for the dough to rise.
- Let the dough proof in a warm place for about 1½ hours or until it has doubled in size.TIP: we recommend putting the dough in a slightly warm oven. Turn the oven on for 1 minute, then off, and put the dough in it to proof.
FILLING and SHAPING
- To a small bowl, add ¼ cup vegan butter (softened at room temperature), ½ cup brown sugar, and 4 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with a fork till your have a thick spreadable paste. This is your filling.
- When the dough has doubled in size, transfer it back onto the worktop and fold it of itself 5 times, pulling the edges and bringing them back to the centre of the dough.
- With the help of a rolling pin, roll it out into a 12 x 16 inches (30 x 40 cm) rectangle.
- Spread the filling on the dough, leaving ¼ of an inch (½ cm) around the edge.
- Roll up the dough starting form the short side of the rectangle, forming a log.
- Stretch the rolled dough with your hands to reach 11 inches (28 cm).
- Take a piece of dental floss, wrap it around the roll, and tighten it as if you wanted to tie a knot.Cut each roll to a thickness of just over an inch (about 3 centimeters) to make 9 rolls.You can also cut it with a serrated knife, but the floss produces a cleaner and even cut.
- Transfer each roll to the baking pan you previously brushed with oil or vegan butter.
SECOND PROOFING AND BAKING
- Let rolls proof a second time (best if in a warm place) for 40 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C.Brush the rolls with dairy-free milk. When the oven is hot, bake them for about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Take the cinnamon rolls out of the oven and let them cool for 15 minutes.To make the icing, whisk ¾ cup powdered sugar, 1½ tablespoons dairy-free milk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until you have a smooth and pourable glaze.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you liked these vegan cinnamon rolls, you might also enjoy:
These were lovely. Thank you! The recipe seems very forgiving, and everything came together easily even with a few shortcuts.
Wonderful, Ron, I’m very happy you enjoyed them 💪
Thanks so much for your feedback.
This cinnamon roll recipe is amazing. I have received glowing reviews from everyone I’ve given some rolls to. The instructions are easy to follow, and the result was the most perfect, light, and fluffy dough.
I also froze a few from a batch before the second proof and thawed as directed, and they still came out beautifully!
Thank you for this excellent recipe
I made these today. Followed the recipe and notes in US Customary units, used Miyoko’s brand of vegan butter, and Oatley’s full fat oat milk.
Kneaded the dough for 45 minutes… it never got smooth. Had to add a tablespoon of water at several points for the dough to stay in a kneadable state. After adding flour, the texture never matched the pictures or video.
As a result of the dough being extremely tough, the rise took longer than listed by about 30 minutes, and was extremely difficult to roll out. I regret not kneading it even longer. Had I known this would be so difficult, I would have used my stand mixer.
Dental floss was not strong enough to comfortably slice through the dough without messing up the shape. A serrated knife worked much easier, probably because the dough was way tougher than it should have been.
Flavor was okay, texture was mid. Would sooner recommend finding a different recipe
Hi Nick,
Im sorry the recipe didn’t turn out well. I am sure it will be better next time 🙂
Not sure what went wrong, but 45 mins kneading is definitely too much kneading.
The gluten in the flour would get damaged with that much kneading, resulting in a completely different final product.
For this dough 5 to 10 minutes of kneading is enough.
It’s normal for a rise to take more (or less) than indicated in a recipe as the rise is affected heavily by temperature, humidity, etc.
That’s why most dough recipes (including ours) write “or until it has doubled in size”.
I hope this helps and you’ll have a better result next time.
Keep cooking!
Nico
These are gorgeous! I’d like to attempt pecan sticky buns referencing this perfect recipe. I also cannot have any white or brown sugar, so am hoping to use coconut or maple, pure maple syrup or local raw honey exclusively for sweetening. Any clues as to set such a recipe up?
Hi Gigi,
Thanks for your comment. In the variations section we suggest a cinnamon roll without sugar and without butter (using date paste). Perhaps this could be an option?
https://theplantbasedschool.com/vegan-cinnamon-rolls/#variation
Kindest,
Louise
I ran out of eggs and had five adolescent boys to feed. These came together so quickly. Followed the recipe exactly and they were fluffy and moist and wonderfully doughy like the inside should be.
Awesome recipe, and I am not a vegan!
Fantastic, Stefanie. Phew, I’m happy you were able to feed five hungry boys – what a task 😉
Thanks so much for leaving a comment, I’m delighted you like the rolls. All the best,
Louise
Easy to make, yummy and fluffy! Great recipe.
The only suggestion I have is to start by adding less flour, and keep adding until you get the desired consistency. I used an all-purpose white flour and I ended up needing almost a cup less than what the recipe calls for in order for the dough to be elastic and smooth.
I’ve been obsessed for a few years with making cinnamon rolls that tick all the boxes and finally achieved that last night thanks to this recipe! My cinnamon rolls were perfection, they came out of the oven thick, fluffy, and incredibly soft. The filling was fantastic too, the buttery inside really sets these apart from other recipes. I usually add melted chocolate on top of cinnamon rolls but forgot to this time because the rolls looked and smelled way too delicious to not eat as quickly as possible. I also warmed up a roll this morning in the microwave and it’s still perfect. My only problem is I made these with the intention to share and now I want to keep them to myself! Thank you for providing such a lovely recipe 🙂
Hi Shinee,
This is amazing – I’m so happy you liked the cinnamon rolls, what a glorious breakfast that sounds like!!
Thank you so much for your kind message, and for taking the time to leave a review here.
Enjoy the rolls, and have an amazing week ahead!
Kindest,
Louise
I made these for my family this morning and they turned out beautifully! Thank you for another excellent recipe!
Oh we’re delighted to hear that you liked the cinnamon rolls! You’re so very welcome, thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment! And have a wonderful Sunday. Kindest, Louise
Hello Nico
Another GREAT recipe!! Made these many several times and they always came out perfect and so yummy!!! It’s such an easy recipe to follow with simple ingredients. Thank you for yet a winner recipe!! Keep up the great work you are doing :)))
Such an easy recipe to follow, and they came out better than I could’ve expected!! So light and fluffy, will definitely make again
Hi Erica, I am delighted to hear!! Thanks for making the recipe and for taking the time to comment! Cheers. Nico