Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
These vegan and gluten-free gingerbread cinnamon rolls are warmly spiced, structured with tight swirls, and topped with a dairy-free cream cheese frosting. Perfect for the holidays!
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 ½ cups oat milk
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- 3 ½ cups gluten-free bread mix, I use Bob's Red Mill
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- 2 ¼ oz packets of instant rapid rise yeast
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Gingerbread Filling
- ¼ cup softened vegan butter
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz vegan cream cheese
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1-2 tbsp oat milk, to thin, as needed
Instructions
- A note from Megan: Please read the full blog post, recipe, notes, and tips before beginning!
- Warm the liquids: Add the oat milk and vegan butter to a bowl and microwave until warm to the touch but not hot - it should be about 110°F in order to activate the yeast.
- Mix the dough: In a large mixing bowl, add the gluten-free bread flour, coconut sugar, instant yeast, baking powder, and salt and give it a stir. Then, pour in the warm milk mixture and mix for 3-5 minutes until a smooth, firm (not sticky) dough forms. Set aside while you make the filling.
- Make the gingerbread filling: Mix together the softened vegan butter, coconut sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice until a smooth, spreadable paste forms.
- Roll the dough: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface (you can use any gluten-free flour here). Roll into a 12×16-inch rectangle. Spread the gingerbread filling evenly on top of the dough, leaving a small border around the edges.
- Shape the rolls: Using a pizza cutter, slice the dough lengthwise into even strips, about 1 inch wide. Roll each strip into a swirl and place into a greased baking dish (I used a 6-inch square pan). I find this method much easier than rolling the dough into a log and slicing with a knife - it keeps the swirls neat and structured.
- Let the rolls rise: Cover and place the rolls in a warm spot to rise for 1 ½ hours, until slightly puffed.
- Bake: Bake uncovered at 350°F for 25-27 minutes, until set and lightly golden on top. If the tops begin to brown too quickly, loosely cover with foil.
- Make the cream cheese frosting: Once the rolls are done, set them aside to cool slightly while you make the frosting. Beat together the vegan cream cheese, maple syrup, and vanilla bean paste until smooth. Taste and adjust as needed - add more maple syrup for sweetness, or even a pinch of gingerbread spices.
- Frost & serve: Generously frost the rolls with the vegan cream cheese frosting. Serve warm and enjoy! I like to garnish them with some crushed graham crackers (I use these gluten-free ones) and whole star anise pods.
Notes
- Use a gluten-free bread flour (not all-purpose GF flour): This recipe was created using this gluten-free bread flour. I haven't tested it with other flours, so I highly recommend you use the same flour that I used. This is what keeps the rolls sturdy with tight, defined swirls.
- The dough should be firm, not sticky: This is intentional and makes the dough much easier to work with. Since this dough is firmer and not very sticky, you don’t need much extra flour when rolling it out. Adding too much flour will actually dry out the dough - yikes!
- Warm your liquids properly: When you warm the milk and butter, you want it to be around 110°F. If the mixture is too hot, it can kill the yeast. If it's too cold, the dough won’t rise properly.
- Use a pizza cutter when shaping: This is my secret to getting clean, tight swirls. Instead of rolling the dough into a large log, use a pizza cutter to slice it into strips and roll each strip individually. It’s easier and much neater!
- Don't over-bake: Over-baking will dry the rolls out. If the tops begin to brown too quickly or the filling starts to ooze out, loosely cover the pan with foil and continue baking.
- Frost while slightly warm: Spreading the cream cheese frosting on the rolls while they're still slightly warm allows it to melt into all those beautiful swirls.
- Reheating: To reheat, pop a roll in the microwave for a few seconds to bring back the tender texture. Reheating is especially important after day 1, as gluten-free bread tends to dry out quickly.
- Substitutions: You can swap the coconut sugar for brown sugar; the vegan cream cheese for regular dairy cream cheese (if you're not vegan).
- Not gluten-free? You can make my soft and pillowy vegan cinnamon roll dough, then use the gingerbread spiced filling and cream cheese frosting from this recipe!
Serving: 1roll, Calories: 418kcal, Carbohydrates: 67g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 2g, Sodium: 1119mg, Potassium: 50mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 88IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 286mg, Iron: 3mg
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