The Best Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
These easy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls are soft, fluffy, and topped with a creamy vegan cream cheese frosting. Perfect for breakfast or dessert, they’re dairy-free, egg-free, and irresistibly delicious!
If you’re on the hunt for the best vegan cinnamon rolls, look no further.
These homemade vegan cinnamon rolls are a family favorite, and my sister even claims they’re better than Cinnabon (I agree!).
After over a year of testing and tweaking, I’ve finally perfected this easy vegan cinnamon roll recipe, YAY!
These rolls are soft, tender, fluffy, and perfectly sweet, with just the right amount of cinnamon filling. And the best part? They’re topped with a luscious dairy-free cream cheese frosting that’s creamy without being too tangy.
With Christmas right around the corner, I knew I had to share this recipe. There’s nothing like waking up on Christmas morning, starting a fire, and making homemade cinnamon rolls while dancing around the kitchen to Christmas music. Ah, it’s the most wonderful time of the year!
Why You’ll Love These Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
- Fluffy & soft texture
- Filled with cinnamon flavor
- Made with simple ingredients
- Vegan, dairy-free & egg-free
- Enjoy for breakfast or dessert
I know that making cinnamon rolls from scratch can feel intimidating. A yeasted dough, rising time, and trying to achieve the perfect swirl. But trust me, it’s not as hard as it sounds. I’ll show you how!
Vegan Cinnamon Roll Dough
- All Purpose Flour – for a long time, I thought bread flour was best for cinnamon rolls, but it didn’t give me that classic cinnamon roll texture. After switching to all-purpose flour, I finally achieved the tender, soft rolls I was aiming for.
- Active Dry Yeast – this helps create light and fluffy rolls. We’ll activate the yeast with warm liquid in the recipe (don’t worry, it’s easy).
- Sugar – just a little helps the yeast do its job.
- Vegan Butter – I recommend Earth Balance Vegan Butter Sticks, but any vegan butter sticks should work.
- Non-Dairy Milk – I use soy milk, but any non-dairy milk should work.
- Salt – to balance the flavors.
Vegan Cinnamon Roll Filling
- Vegan Butter
- Cinnamon – the star ingredient for that classic cinnamon roll flavor.
- Coconut Sugar – I like to use coconut sugar to keep these vegan cinnamon rolls refined sugar-free. Brown sugar will also work.
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- Vegan Cream Cheese – I prefer Trader Joe’s brand, but any dairy-free cream cheese will do the trick.
- Vegan Butter
- Powdered Monkfruit Sweetener or Sugar – for a refined sugar-free option, go with powdered monkfruit sweetener. Alternatively, you can also use powdered sugar.
- Non-Dairy Milk
- Vanilla Extract
Tips for Perfect Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
- Make-Ahead Option: You can make these cinnamon rolls the night before and bake them in the morning for a quick breakfast. Prepare the cinnamon rolls up to the point of shaping them, then cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let them come to room temperature (about 60-75 minutes) before baking as directed.
- Substitutions: If you don’t have coconut sugar, brown sugar works just as well.
- Storage: Store these rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
More Vegan Dessert Recipes
- The Best Healthy Banana Bread (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
- Vegan Chocolate Snack Cake (gluten-free)
- The Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies (gluten-free)
- Chocolate Avocado Pudding
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ★★★★★ star rating below letting me know how you liked it! This helps others find my recipes. I appreciate your support, as always. xo, Megan
The Best Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Filling
- ⅓ cup vegan butter, softened
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 cups powdered monkfruit sweetener , or powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegan cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter, softened
- 1 ½ teaspoons non-dairy milk, oat, soy, almond
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the dough
- In a small bowl, combine the non-dairy milk and vegan butter. Microwave for about 1 minute 30 seconds, until the mixture is warm (like bath water—warm, but not hot). Pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl), then stir in the sugar and yeast. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy on top and smells like yeast.
- Slowly add the flour, ½ cup at a time, while mixing with the dough hook of a stand mixer (or a wooden spoon if mixing by hand). The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl easily—it shouldn’t be too wet or too dry, and it shouldn’t stick to your hands.
- Add in the salt, then knead for 8-10 minutes either by hand or in a stand mixer.
- Transfer the dough to a generously oiled bowl, cover with cling wrap and a tea towel and set it in a warm place. Let the dough rise for 1 ½ hours, or until doubled in size.
Make the filling
- Add the softened vegan butter, coconut sugar and cinnamon to a small bowl. Mix together with a spatula until it turns into a smooth spread.
Assemble the rolls
- Once the dough is doubled in size, transfer to a generously floured surfaced and roll the dough into a 14×9 rectangle.
- Using a spatula, evenly spread the filling over the dough, leaving a ¼-inch border along the edges.
- Roll the dough tightly from the 9-inch side. Using a serrated knife, trim about ½ inch from each end, then cut the dough into nine 1-inch slices for even-sized rolls.
- Place the rolls close together in an oiled or parchment-lined 9x9 baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel, then let rise in a warm place for 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Bake the rolls uncovered for 30 minutes. If the middle of the rolls start to pop up while baking, just use a spatula to push them down. Once done baking, remove from the oven and let the rolls cool for 15 minutes before frosting.
Make the frosting
- Add all the frosting ingredients to a bowl and beat with a stand mixer or hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Spread the frosting generously over the slightly cooled buns, then serve and enjoy!
Equipment
These are the softest, best, vegan cinnamon rolls ever!!!!
I finally decided to try making vegan cinnamon rolls, and I’m so glad I used your recipe! It was easy to follow and the rolls turned out delicious. I made half of the recipe and topped the cinnamon buns with pink vegan cream cheese frosting, yum!! 💗
Aww I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed them, Ling Ling – thank you so much for sharing! There’s nothing like homemade cinnamon rolls, and I love the pink touch you added to the vegan cream cheese frosting – so sweet 💗
This was so delicious its melts in my mouth I’m sure to have these again !
I’m so happy you loved them, Jerry! Thank you for sharing!
Excellent recipe. The best I’ve ever made. Thank you!!
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you so much for sharing, I hope it’s a recipe you’ll keep coming back to 🤍 Wishing you a wonderful day