Best Vegan Cinnamon Rolls (Oil-Free) (2024)

4.19 from 11 votes

Author: Terri Edwards

Prep: 1 hour hr

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

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Dough

• ▢ 1 cup plant milk
• ▢ 3/4 cup date sugar or another sweetener
• ▢ 1 packet dry active yeast
• ▢ 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour other options below
• ▢ 2 tablespoons baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• ▢ 1/4 cup applesauce
• ▢ 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Filling

• ▢ 1/4 cup date sugar or other sweetener
• ▢ 1.5 table spoons cinnamon
• ▢ 2/3 cup applesauce
• ▢ 6 tablespoons raisins

Icing Glaze

• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar make your own from date sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon plant milk

Making the Dough

• Don’t be afraid of this recipe due to the length of the instructions. I’m trying to be very thorough for those who have never baked before, so I am going to be a little long-winded here to make sure everyone is comfortable with the process. The outcome is so worth the effort, and it’s quite fun I think. If you are really looking for an easy dessert to try for beginners, check out myNo-Bake Chocolate Pie.

• Begin by warming 1 cup of your choice of plant milk toapproximately 110°F. I used almond milk but other plant milk varieties will work just as well. To do this, place the milk in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for approximately a little over 1-minute–for my microwave it was 1:15 minutes. Use afood thermometerto check the temperature.

• After heating, stir in 2 tablespoons of the sweetener of your choice and whisk together well. I usedate sugarfor mine.

• Next, sprinkle one packet of the active dry yeast on top of the milk mixture and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes. No need to stir it,just sprinkle the top. You’ll notice that it will bubble up a little bit (see the photo above), and this is what you want. If it doesn’t bubble up at all, the milk temperature was likely too hot or too cold. You’ll need to dump it and try again.

• While the yeast is being activated, find alarge mixing bowland add the dry ingredients to it–2.5 cups flour, 2 tablespoons baking powder, 1/2 cup sweetener, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons cinnamon–and whisk together well. I sift my flour and baking powder before adding it to the bowl to make sure it is light and fluffy, but this step is optional.

• Once the milk and yeast mixture is ready, add the vanilla and applesauce and whisk together. Then, pour the wet mixture into the larger bowl with the dry ingredients and stir with a large spoon to form a sticky dough.

• At this point, thedough will be very stickyand you’ll likely need to add a couple of tablespoons or more of flour to form it into a dough ball. You will need to use your hands to do this, so make sure to keep flour on them as well.

• Make sure there is a thin layer of flour on the bottom of your large mixing bowl underneath the dough ball to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. Cover the bowl loosely with a dishcloth and allow it to set in a warm dry place to rise. It should takeabout an hourto double in size.While it is rising is a good time to mix up the filling that will be layered over the dough before rolling it into buns.

• Go ahead and preheat the oven to 325°F and line a9"x13" baking dishwith parchment paper to prevent sticking. Set it to the side until needed.

• After the dough has finished rising, it’s time to knead it. To do this, sprinkle some flour on a flat surface and knead with your hands. If you’ve never kneaded dough before, thisshort video clipwill show you how. Knead the dough for approximately 5 minutes (or 15-20 times) dusting with additional flour as needed.

• Using a flouredrolling pin, roll the dough out into a large, thin rectangle (approximately 1/4" thick) or as close as you can get to it. If the dough sticks to your rolling pin, dust the top with a little more flour.

The Filling

• I like to make the filling while the dough is rising and just set it to the side until it is needed after kneading the dough.

• In a medium-size mixing bowl, add date sugar or another sweetener, cinnamon, applesauce, and raisins, and stir together well

Rolling the Dough & Filling Up

• Once the dough has been flattened out into a thin rectangle, spoon the filling mixture into the center of it and begin to spear it around leaving about a 1/2″ edge clear.

• Gently begin to roll the dough up. You’ll notice that the filling tries to squish out, so you will need to lift the roll, as it becomes heavier, up and over each rolling motion to keep the filling in it. If it is rolled too tightly, the filling will be squished out, so keep a firm but gentle hand on it.

• Use a sharp knife to cut the roll into about 12 buns. Don’t press the knife down into the dough but rather use a gentle light sawing motion back and forth. It’s very important that your knife is sharp so the dough won’t get all mashed up. With each cut that separates a new bun, use the flat side of your knife to lift the bun up and place it on your baking dish that is lined with parchment paper. Once it’s placed in the baking dish, use your fingers to form it into a round shape if necessary. Continue doing this until all of the buns are cut and in the baking dish.

• Bake at325°F for approximately 20-25 minutesuntil golden brown on top. Be careful not to overbake. Remove from the oven and allow the cinnamon rolls to cool a bit. Drizzle the icing glaze over the top and serve while they are still warm.

The Icing Glaze

• While the rolls are baking is the perfect time to make the icing. It’s super easy to make with only 2 ingredients.

• Prepare the icing by mixing 1 cup of confectioners sugar with 1 tablespoon plant milk. Whip it together with a whisk or hand mixer until it thickens up into a glaze, making sure to beat out any clumps.

• Before anyone freaks out about using powdered sugar (aka confectioners sugar), there are a couple of things you should know. First, the icing iscompletely optional. Don’t make it if you don’t want to. And, second, it’s super easy to make your ownHomemade Powdered Sugarusingdate sugaror other less refined sugar. If you’re looking for a dessert without any sugar, try mySugar-Free Chocolate Cake.

Pro Tips & Variations

1. Flour-I like to use whole wheat pastry flour to make these cinnamon rolls, but other flours such asspeltand regular wheat flour can also be used.
2. Gluten-Free Options-Though I haven’t tried these with any gluten-free flour varieties, Minimalist Baker has a greatGluten-Free Flour Guidethat should help with substituting in this recipe.
3. Sifting Flour-I do like to sift my flour when baking pastries because it lightens them up even more. I also have found that adding the baking powder to be sifted with the flour gets out any clumps.
4. Rolling-The rolling up of the dough with the filling is the hardest part because the filling wants to ooze out. Just be gentle and lift up and over when making the next rolling motion to help keep it all in. Any filling that seeps out can be used to top the rolls with before baking.
5. Applesauce- If applesauce isn’t available in your area, it’s pretty simple to make your own.
6. Storing-These will need to be kept in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.