Easy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls: Sweet and Fluffy Delights!

It’s a feeling everyone looks forward to alllllll the time: waking up in bed, knowing you don’t have to go to work.

Vertical image of baked cinnamon rolls covered in glaze, with text on the top and bottom of the image.

 

Ah, yes…

You don’t have to get dressed, you don’t have to put on any makeup, you don’t have to rush anywhere.

Breathe that sigh of relief. Smile with the thought of this much-anticipated laziness.

Vertical image of rolled raw cinnamon roll dough on a wooden table with a rolling pin in the background.

You can happily stay in bed for as long as you want, warm and cozy underneath all those blankets and perfectly placed pillows.

But what about this hungry tummy, gradually rumbling louder and louder?

Vertical image of unbaked cut cinnamon rolls on a baking sheet.

Welp, you’ll need to get out of bed eventually for breakfast. And what better reason to do it than for freshly baked pastries?

Vertical image of white icing and a spoon in a bowl on a wooden table.

These vegan – yes, vegancinnamon rolls are one of the best lazy morning treats to make. You prep this easy recipe the day before, and let the dough rise in the refrigerator all night.

Vertical close-up image of a cinnamon roll with glaze.

When you wake up in the morning and (eventually) get out of bed, you just have to bake them, drizzle them with frosting, and find sweet indulgence with every warm, fluffy bite.

Enjoy your day off, friend, whenever that day may come. You’ve earned it.

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Horizontal image of a white tray with freshly baked cinnamon rolls with glaze.

Vegan Cinnamon Rolls


  • Author: Raquel Smith
  • Total Time: 10 hours, 30 minutes
  • Yield: 10 rolls 1x

Description

These easy vegan cinnamon rolls are just like the real thing, but with no dairy and no eggs! Fluffy, sweet, and a bit chewy, these are everything you’ve ever dreamed of in a cinnamon roll.


Ingredients

Scale

For the Dough:

  • 1 pound all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons vegan granulated sugar
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 8 ounces non-dairy milk, lukewarm
  • 6 tablespoons vegan margarine, melted
  • Nonstick cooking oil spray

For the Filling:

  • 1/4 cup vegan granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons non-dairy milk

For the Frosting:

  • 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 34 tablespoons non-dairy milk

Instructions

To Make the Dough:

  1. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl (use the bowl of your stand mixer if you have one) and mix to combine. Mix in the yeast. Add the lukewarm nondairy milk and the melted vegan butter and mix to create a shaggy dough using a large wooden spoon.
  2. If you have a stand mixer, mix using the dough hook on low speed for 7-8 minutes, until smooth. If you are kneading by hand, dump the dough onto a lightly floured solid surface and knead for 10-12 minutes, until smooth. The dough should be tacky but not terribly sticky.
  3. Oil your hands with nonstick spray, then remove the dough from the bowl and form into a ball by stretching it from the sides around to the bottom. Spray the bowl with oil, then place the dough in the bowl seam side down. Spray the top of the dough, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap.
  4. Let rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes, until doubled in size.

To Form the Rolls:

  1. Combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and flour for the filling in a small bowl. Grease an 8-by-12-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. When the dough is done rising, use some more of the cooking spray to grease a solid work surface and dump the dough out of the bowl. Use a rolling pin to roll into a large rectangle that is 12 inches by 15 inches.
  3. Use a silicone pastry brush to spread a thin layer of almond milk on top of the dough, then sprinkle the filling all across the surface, leaving a 1/2-inch border on one short side to help the edges seal together.
  4. Roll the dough from the short edge into a tube. When you reach the edge that isn’t covered with the filling, pinch the seam to seal.
  5. With a sharp knife, slice the roll into 10 even pieces and arrange in the baking dish with about 1 inch between rolls.

To Rise and Bake:

  1. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
  2. The next morning, remove the dish from the fridge (the portioned dough should have gotten a bit puffy) and set aside for 30 minutes. While the rolls rest, preheat oven to 350°F.
  3. Remove the plastic wrap. Bake for about 30 minutes, rotating halfway thorough, until golden brown.

To Decorate:

  1. While the rolls bake, combine the ingredients for the frosting, starting with just 3 tablespoons of the non-dairy milk. Stir, then add more milk as necessary, 1 teaspoon at a time. If you accidentally add too much liquid, just stir in more powdered sugar.
  2. When the rolls are done baking, remove from the oven and let sit 5 minutes. Drizzle the rolls with the frosting and serve immediately.
  • Prep Time: 2 hours
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Rolls
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Breakfast

Keywords: cinnamon rolls, vegan, dairy-free, egg-free

Your Lazy Morning Treat

The dough is ready – all you have to do in the morning is bake these easy vegan cinnamon rolls!

They are just like the traditional recipe, if not better. And they’re made without any eggs or dairy. Fluffy, sweet, chewy, cinnamony, and delicious, these are everything you’ve ever dreamed of in a breakfast pastry.

We’ve used both soy and almond milk successfully with this recipe.

Horizontal image of a white tray with freshly baked cinnamon rolls with glaze.

Not really sure where to let the dough rest in a warm place? Here are a few of our suggestions:

  • in a sunny window
  • on top of the fridge
  • on the dash of your car (no joke – we’ve done it)
  • in the microwave with a hot cup of water

But don’t actually microwave the dough…

How do you like to indulge on your days off? Let us know in the comments below.

If you’ve already polished off this tray of cinnamon rolls, you need more sweet breakfast dishes to make! Try some of these other vegan recipes:

Photos by Raquel Smith, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published by Raquel Smith on December 16, 2016. Last updated: July 13, 2021 at 20:02 pm.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Nikki Cervone

Nikki Cervone is an ACS Certified Cheese Professional and cheesemonger living in Pittsburgh. Nikki holds an AAS in baking/pastry from Westmoreland County Community College, a BA in Communications from Duquesne University, and an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University. When she's not nibbling on her favorite cheeses or testing a batch of cupcakes, Nikki enjoys a healthy dose of yoga, wine, hiking, singing in the shower, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.

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