The Easiest Vegan Cinnamon Rolls (10-Ingredients!)

Who doesn’t love sweet, gooey vegan cinnamon rolls? These vegan cinnamon rolls are buttery, fluffy, soft, and drizzled with a thick frosting glaze that you won’t be able to resist. They’re deceivingly easy to make and perfect for holidays and weekends! 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe 

• The best, easy trick for cutting cinnamon rolls. If you’ve ever made homemade cinnamon rolls, the recipe probably called for a serrated knife or even dental floss to cut the cinnamon rolls without squishing the cinnamon filling out. Instead, I’ve figured out the best way to cut cinnamon rolls without the fuss. 
• No second rise! This vegan cinnamon rolls recipe requires just 1 rise and is ready start to finish in just 2 hours. 
• Overnight option! If you’re making these cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning or other holidays with family and friends, you can prep them the night before, leaving your mornings easy and stress free! 

Key Ingredients and Substitutions 

• Vegan butter: Any vegan butter will do, so feel free to use your favourite brand. If your butter is salted, you may be able to omit the added 1/4 teaspoon salt.  
• Non-dairy milk: Use an unsweetened or lightly sweetened milk like almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk. A lightly sweetened vanilla nondairy milk would likely work fine, too! 
• Instant yeast: Make sure to use instant or quick rise yeast instead of active dry yeast. Active yeast requires activation and is more finicky. 
• Sugar: I like to use granulated cane sugar in the cinnamon roll dough and brown sugar in the cinnamon sugar filling. If you only have cane sugar on hand, you can use it in the filling as well. Lastly you’ll need powdered sugar to make the glaze topping! If you don’t have any on hand, you can actually make your own at home by blending 1 tablespoon corn starch and 1 cup granulated sugar until a fine powder consistency. 
• Flour: All-purpose flour is the key to the lightest, fluffiest cinnamon rolls. I haven’t tested a gluten-free version of these rolls and unfortunately can’t recommend it! 

How to Make Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Make the Dough

1. Warm the butter and milk. In a small pot or small saucepan over medium heat, melt the vegan butter. Once melted add in the nondairy milk and heat until warm to the touch (similar to bath water). 
2. Sprinkle the yeast on top. Evenly sprinkle the yeast over top the melted butter and milk mixture and let sit for 10 minutes to activate the yeast. 
3. Add sugar. After 10 minutes, add in the granulated sugar and stir to combine. 
4. Make the dough. In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour and salt. Add in the warm yeast mixture and mix to form a dough. Knead for 3-5 minutes using either your hands or the stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment until the dough is soft and tacky (not sticky). If the dough is sticky, add additional flour as needed. 
5. Let the dough rise for 1 hour. Wash out the bowl, spray with cooking spray, then add the dough back into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set a time for 1 hour and leave the dough in a warm, draft-free area to rise until it doubles in size. 
6. Prepare the filling. Using the stand mixer or a hand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and cinnamon together until light and fluffy. 

Roll and Bake

7. Roll the dough into a long, large rectangle. Once the dough has risen for about 1 hour and doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll it out using a rolling pin. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling evenly over the dough. 
8. Slice the dough into 12 long strips. Using a pizza wheel cutter, slice the dough into 12 long strips, then roll each one up snuggly into a swirl. 
9. Bake. Transfer each vegan cinnamon roll to the prepared sheet pan and bake for 24-26 minutes, or until they are a deep golden brown. 
10. Prepare the glaze. While the cinnamon rolls bake, stir together the powdered sugar, nondairy milk, vanilla extract, and optional vegan butter in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. 
11. Glaze and enjoy. Pour the simple glaze over top the hot cinnamon rolls immediately, then enjoy! 

Ideas for Serving

These delicious vegan cinnamon rolls are the perfect pair for your morning coffee. Serve with one of our popular homemade latte recipes like this Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso or a Cinnamon Roll latte for the ultimate cinnamon roll breakfast.

If you’re looking for a few sides to serve, you can’t go wrong with fresh fruit, vegan sausages or bacon, or even a Green Goddess Smoothie if you’re looking for a healthy kick! 

Check out all of our favorite Vegan Breakfast Recipes here to find more delicious sides to try. 

How to Store

To store leftover cinnamon rolls, allow them to cool completely then transfer them to an airtight container and store at room temperature for 2-3 days. 

If you’d like to store them for longer, place them in the refrigerate for up to 5 days. 

Cinnamon rolls reheat best in the microwave in 20 second bursts until hot or in the toaster oven until warmed through. 

Recipe FAQs 

Can I make this vegan cinnamon roll recipe the night before?

Yes, if you’d like to prep ahead and make these cinnamon rolls the night before, you have two options: prep just the dough in advance, or make the cinnamon rolls in advance and refrigerate just before baking. 

If you’d like to prep just the dough, follow the recipe through step 5 and allow to “rise” overnight in the refrigerator. The next morning, pick back up with recipe step 6 and roll out the dough as usual. 

If prepping the full recipe in advance, follow the recipe through step 8. Place the rolled vegan cinnamon buns on a baking sheet and tightly cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, allow the cinnamon rolls to come to room temperature while you preheat the oven, then bake! 

My cinnamon roll dough is really sticky. How do I fix this? 

If your cinnamon roll dough is sticking to your hands or the work surface, add additional flour a tablespoon at a time until no longer sticky. 

How do I get the dough to rise?

If you leave the dough in a warm, draft-free area of your home or kitchen, it should naturally double in size over an hour or two. If your dough doesn’t appear to be rising, your house may be too cold. 

To combat this, place the covered dough in the oven with the oven light on. The light warmth from the oven should do the trick. Alternatively, you can place the dough in your Instant Pot on the “yogurt” setting. It’s the perfect place to proof dough! 

Do you have a vegan cream cheese frosting recipe?

Yes! If you prefer your cinnamon rolls topped with vegan cream cheese frosting, use my delicious cream cheese icing recipe in my Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes.

Similar Vegan Cinnamon Roll recipes to Try Next:

• Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls
• Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls
• 30-Minute Salted Caramel Cinnamon Rolls
• Vegan Double Stuffed Biscoff Streusel Cinnamon Rolls
• Cinnamon Roll Loaf

And lastly, if you make this recipe, let me know how it goes with a comment below, and make sure to take a photo and tag me on Instagram!

The Easiest Vegan Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

---

★★★★★

5 from 5 reviews

• Author: Liv B
• Total Time: 2 hours
• Yield: 12 rolls

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Who doesn’t love sweet, gooey vegan cinnamon rolls? These vegan cinnamon rolls are buttery, fluffy, soft, and drizzled with a thick frosting glaze that you won’t be able to resist. They’re deceivingly easy to make and perfect for holidays and weekends!

---

Ingredients

Dough:

• 3 tbsp vegan butter
• 1 cup non-dairy milk
• 1 packet instant/ quick rise yeast (2 1/4 tsp instant/ quick rise yeast)
• 3 tbsp cane sugar
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt

Filling:

• 1/3 cup softened vegan butter
• 5 tbsp brown sugar (or cane sugar works too)
• 3 tsp cinnamon

Simple Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp nondairy milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• optional: 1 tbsp softened vegan butter

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Melt the vegan butter in a pot on medium heat, then add the nondairy milk and heat until warm to the touch (no more than 100 degrees F).
2. Evenly sprinkle the yeast over top. Set a timer for 10 minutes and let it sit without touching it.
3. Add the sugar and stir to combine.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, add the flour and salt and whisk to combine. Add the yeast mixture and mix to form a dough, then knead about 3-5 minutes until it is a soft dough but isn’t super sticky to the touch.
5. Wash your bowl (or just grab another one) and spray with a bit of cooking spray, then add the dough back into the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set a timer for 1 hour and leave it on your counter or a warm, draft-free area to rise until doubled in size. If it takes less time or a bit more to double, that’s okay!
6. To make the filling, use a hand mixer to beat the butter, sugar and cinnamon until light and fluffy.
7. When the hour is up, preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a long rectangle with a rolling pin. Spread the filling evenly over the dough.
8. Use a pizza wheel to slice 12 strips of dough the long way and then roll each one up snuggly into a swirl.
9. Space apart on your prepared sheet pan. Bake in preheated oven for 24-26 minutes, until they are a deep golden brown.
10. While it bakes, stir together the powered sugar and nondairy milk to make a frosting. Pour over finished cinnamon rolls immediately and enjoy!

• Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 28 minutes