Easy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls (2024)

These easy vegan cinnamon rolls are sweet, tender, and filled with cinnamon flavor for a plant-based spin on a classic favorite morning pastry. Simple and fool-proof, you'll wanna keep this delicious recipe on hand! Perfect for weekend brunch and holidays.

I don't think there is a better smell than that of freshly baked cinnamon rolls.

Ah, the sweet and cinnamon and buttery...

Despite vegan cinnamon rolls being among the most wonderful foods, they can be a little bit daunting to make. With the rising and the rolling and the more rising, I mean, come on!

That's why you are going to love this easy vegan cinnamon roll recipe! It is straightforward, simple, and the perfect rainy day activity. Best of all? It uses simple vegan replacements that are nearly fail-proof! No hard-to-find foods with impossible to pronounce ingredients here.

And the results? This vegan sweet bread is light, fluffy, and decadent with the perfect golden crust. Topped with homemade glaze, this recipe will have you licking the plate.

Table of Contents show

Recommended Ingredients And Equipment

Not only is this vegan cinnamon roll recipe super straight forward but it is also made from easy-to-find ingredients. Everything you need should be readily available at your local grocery store.

Here is everything you need.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

Ingredient Notes

Non-Dairy Milk – Any thick, neutral-flavored milk will do. I recommend soy milk but cashew, macadamia nut, and almond milk are great as well.
Active Dry Yeast –You can also use instant yeast if that’s what you have on hand. The two are interchangeable in function. The only difference is that active dry yeast needs to be dissolved in a liquid to activate whereas instant yeast can be mixed right into the dough.
Chickpea Flour –This is used as the egg replacement. I love the chickpea flour eggs because they have a serious binding and leavening powder, similar to that of eggs which gives the bread its structure and lightness. Chickpea eggs are also completely flavorless meaning it won’t affect the taste of the bread itself. Look for chickpea flour near the alternative flours section at your local grocery store.
Vegan Butter – Look for a high-quality non-hydrogenated vegan butter. I recommend either Earth Balance or Miyoko’s.
All-Purpose Flour – I’ve had several people ask me if they can make this recipe gluten-free. I haven’t yet tried using gluten-free flour, so I can’t recommend it. If you’ve tried this recipe with a gluten-free flour blend, let us know how it turned out for you in the comment section below.
White and Powdered Sugar – Check out my guide to vegan sugars for healthier sugar alternatives.

Recommended Equipment

For this recipe, you will need a 9×12 (or similarly sized) pan, mixing bowl, and basic kitchen utensils. It is also nice to have a stand-up mixer for making the dough. If you don’t have one, it can be mixed and kneaded by hand. (<<affiliate links)

How to make Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Step One: Activate the Yeast

Start by activating the yeast in warm milk. Heat 1 cup of soy milk over medium heat until the milk is warm but not too hot to touch (about 100 degrees F).

Stir in the yeast and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to activate. The yeast will start to bloom when it's ready.

Pro Tip: Be careful not to overheat the milk. If it's too hot, the heat will kill the yeast and it will not work. For best results, use a thermometer. For more detailed information on activating yeast, check out this article from Feast and Farm.

Step Two: Make the Dough

Begin by making the chickpea flour egg. Combine the remaining ¼ cup milk with the chickpea flour, whisking it together until it is thick and gooey. Set aside.

Pro Tip: To make sure the chickpea mixture is evenly hydrated throughout, a small blender can be used.

In the large bowl of a stand-up mixer, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, salt, and vegan butter. Using the hook attachment, mix to combine.

With motor running, slowly add chickpea flour and yeast/milk mixtures, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add the remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, and beat to combine. Once the dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl and is soft to the touch, the dough is done.

Alternatively, you can do this in a large bowl with a wooden spoon.

Transfer to a floured surface and kneed the dough for about five minutes. Shape it into a ball and place it in a large oiled bowl. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and place in a warm area of your house for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Step Three: Roll it Up

Once your dough has doubled in size, transfer it back to a floured surface. Roll it out into a large rectangle about ¼ inch thick.

Spread the vegan butter over the entire surface of the dough, leaving the top ¼" of the rectangle clean. Combine the cinnamon and sugar filling and spread evenly over the butter.

Starting at the bottom of the rectangle, roll dough into a tight roll. With your fingers press together the seam. Seam side down, cut the log using a serrated knife into 15 equal pieces, about 1” thick.

Place the vegan rolls evenly into an oiled 9×12 (or similarly sized) pan. Cover and allow the dough to rise for a second time until the rolls double in size again, about 40 minutes.

Step Four: Bake and Frost

During the second rise, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Once the cinnamon rolls have doubled in size, remove the plastic wrap and brush the tops and sides with non-dairy milk. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant.

Pro Tip: To check for doneness, lightly tap the tops of the rolls. They should sound hollow when tapped.

Remove the rolls from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack, allowing them to cool for 10 minutes. While the cinnamon rolls cool, combine ingredients for the glaze and, once they are ready, pour the glaze over the top.

Serving and Storing

Serving - Serve the vegan cinnamon rolls immediately while still warm. They are a delicious part of any holiday brunch alongside a vegan quiche, roasted potatoes, fresh fruit, and a Bloody Mary.

Storing - Tightly wrap leftovers and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Make in Advance - If you want to make this sweet bread the night before, prepare the bread following the instructions below to the point of the 2nd rise. Once the rolls are rolled and shaped in the dish, cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking.

Tips and Tricks

Activate your yeast properly. To do this, make sure your yeast is not expired and the milk is warm but not too hot. Otherwise, the yeast will not activate and you will not get a pillowy rise on the bread.
Add flour slowly. The dough should be soft but not so sticky that you can’t handle it. This recipe calls for 3 ½ cups of flour but you may not use it all. Add it ½ cup at a time until you’ve achieved the desired dough.
Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 ½ – 2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size.
Cut uniform slices for proper baking. Your rolls should be between 1 and 1 ½ inches long.
Don’t skip the 2nd rise. Let your dough rise for an additional 30 minutes for a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Chickpea Egg?

A chickpea egg is a vegan egg replacer made from chickpea flour and water.
Chickpea flour is high in protein, giving it serious binding powers similar to eggs and, when baked, is completely flavorless, meaning it won’t affect the taste of the bread itself (unlike some other vegan egg replacers). For pastries and quick bread, chickpea flour is my go-to egg replacer.

Can I use regular flour instead of chickpea flour?

Unfortunately no. Chickpea flour is uniquely high in protein giving it binding and leavening powers that all-purpose flour simply cannot. You can find chickpea flour in most well-stocked grocery stores in the gluten-free aisle or you can pick some up online.

Do I need to use a stand up mixer?

More Vegan Sweet Bread Recipes

Caramel Pecan Monkey Bread
Vegan Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Classic Lemon Pound Cake
Vegan Pumpkin Bread w/ Brown Sugar Glaze

Get all my vegan bread and pastry recipes for more inspiration.

Easy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

These easy vegan cinnamon rolls are sweet, tender, and filled with cinnamon flavor for a plant-based spin on a classic favorite morning pastry. Simple and fail-proof, you’ll wanna keep this delicious recipe on hand! Perfect for weekend brunch and holidays.

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Rising Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 15 rolls

Calories: 308kcal

Author: Sarah McMinn

Ingredients

Cinnamon Rolls

1 ¼ cup soy milk, divided
4 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast, 2 packages
¼ cup chickpea flour
½ cup vegan butter, soften
3 ½ cups all purpose flour
⅓ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt

Cinnamon Filling

½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoons cinnamon
¼ cup vegan butter, softened

Sweet Glaze

2-3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons soy milk

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Start by activating the yeast in warm milk. Heat 1 cup of soy milk over medium heat until the milk is warm but not too hot to touch (about 100 degrees F). Stir in the yeast and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to activate. The yeast will start to bloom (grow) when it’s ready.
To make the dough, begin by making the chickpea egg. Combine the remaining ¼ cup milk with chickpea flour, whisking it together until thick and gooey. Set aside.
In the large bowl of a stand up mixer, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, salt, and vegan butter. Using the hook attachment, mix to combine. With the motor running, slowly add the chickpea flour and yeast/milk mixture, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add the remaining flour ½ cup at a time and beat to combine. Add flour until the dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl. It should be soft and pillowy to the touch. Alternatively, you can do this in a large bowl with a wooden spoon.
Transfer to a floured surface and kneed the dough for about five minutes. Shape into a ball and place in a large oiled bowl. Cover the dough in plastic wrap, and place in a warm area of your house for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
When the dough is ready, roll out onto a floured covered surface into a large rectangle about ¼ ” thick. Spread the vegan butter over the entire surface of the dough, leaving the top ¼" of the rectangle clean. Combine cinnamon and sugar and spread evenly over the butter.
Starting at the bottom of the rectangle, roll dough evenly into a tight roll. With your fingers press together the seam. Seam side down, cut dough using a serrated knife into 15 equal pieces, about 1” thick.
Place cinnamon rolls in an oiled 9x12 (or similarly sized) pan. Cover and allow the dough to rise for a second time until doubled in size, about 40 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Once cinnamon rolls are ready, remove plastic wrap and brush tops and sides with soy milk. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. To check for doneness, lightly tap the tops of the rolls. They should sound hollow when tapped.
Remove the rolls from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack, allowing them to cool for 10 minutes. While the cinnamon rolls cool, combine ingredients for the glaze and, once they are ready, pour the glaze over the top.

Notes

Serving and Storing- Serve the cinnamon rolls warm with glaze. These cinnamon rolls are a delicious part of any holiday brunch alongside a vegan quiche, roasted potatoes, fresh fruit, and a Bloody Mary. Tightly wrap leftover monkey bread and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Make in Advance - If you want to make this sweet bread the night before, prepare the bread following the instructions below to the point of the 2nd rise. Once the bread is rolled and shaped in the dish, cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking.

Recipe Tips

Activate your yeast properly. To do this, make sure your yeast is not expired and the milk is warm but not too hot. Otherwise, the yeast will not activate and you will not get a pillowy rise on the bread.
Add flour slowly.The dough should be soft but not so sticky that you can’t handle it. This recipe calls for 3 ½ cups of flour but you may not use it all. Add it ½ cup at a time until you’ve achieved the desired dough.
Let the dough risein a warm place for 1 ½ – 2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size.
Cut uniform slices for proper baking.Your rolls should be between 1 and 1 ½ inches long.

Variations - Don't have a stand-up mixer? While a stand-up mixer makes this recipe much easier, you can certainly make this bread by hand. Simply combine the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and knead the dough together on a floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes before the first rise.

Nutrition

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