Vegan Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
These are the softest, fluffiest, most delicious vegan cinnamon rolls on the planet. Springy, cinnamon sugar covered dough topped with tangy, vanilla-infused cream cheese frosting. Breakfast perfection.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Rise Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 12 Cinnamon Rolls 1x
- Category: Dessert for Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough
5 - 5 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (1 envelope)
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups nondairy milk
1/3 cup vegan butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup plain nondairy yogurt
For the Filling
1/4 cup vegan butter (softened)
2/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Frosting
4 oz vegan cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup vegan butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon nondairy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
pinch of salt
Instructions
- Prep: To the bowl of stand mixer add 2 cups of all purpose flour, granulated sugar, yeast and salt. Whisk together. Add nondairy milk and vegan butter to a small saucepan. Heat on the stove over medium-low, whisking frequently. Only heat until the butter has melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla. The mixture should be warm but not super hot as this will kill the yeast.
- Combine Ingredients: Pour the warm butter mixture into the flour mixture. Scoop in the nondairy yogurt. Fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat on a low speed, gradually increasing to medium. Beat for about 2 minutes or until combined. At this point, switch out the paddle attachment for the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer.
- Knead: Add in another cup of flour and let the machine run until it has been incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Repeat with the fourth and fifth cups of flour, sprinkling them in a little at a time. Allow machine to knead dough for 8-10 minutes. The dough will begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl, forming a ball when it is ready. If the dough still looks wet, continue to add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until dough comes together.
- First Rise: Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface and knead a few times with your hands. Place dough in an oiled bowl (flip the dough a few times so it is completely coated) and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Place the bowl in a warm place where it will be undisturbed to rise until it has doubled in size. This will take about 1 hour.
- Cinnamon Sugar Topping: Uncover the dough and transfer it onto a well-floured surface. Roll it out into a rectangle that is roughly 12 x 18 inches. No need to measure! Spread the softened butter over the dough. Go right up to the edges and use more vegan butter if necessary. Mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top of the buttered dough. Spread lightly with your hands to even it out a bit and make sure every area is covered.
- Trim Dough: Your rectangle will likely have very straight long sides and slightly rounded short sides. If necessary, use a pizza cutter to trim the rounded edges off of the dough. This will likely be about 1 inch of dough on either side. This will give you a perfect rectangle to work with.
- Cut Strips: Using the pizza cutter, cut the dough into 12 equal-sized strips. If the short side of the dough rectangle is facing you, these strips will be cut horizontally. If the long side is facing you, cut your strips vertically. To get really accurately-sized strips, start by cutting the rectangle in half. Follow by cutting each resulting rectangle in half and then dividing each of the four sections into three strips. This method produces the roundest rolls and most perfect spirals!
- Roll Strips: Once you have your 12 strips cut, begin rolling. Taking one end of the strip, begin rolling up the dough until you have a spiral. Place finished rolls in a 9 x 13 inch pan lined with parchment paper as you work. Continue until all rolls are in the pan. Cover pan with a clean kitchen towel and leave to double in size, about 1 hour.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C). Place cinnamon rolls on center rack of preheated oven and bake for 27-30 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before frosting and serving.
- Frosting: While the cinnamon rolls cool, prepare the frosting. In a large bowl beat together the vegan cream cheese until smooth. Add the vegan butter and beat to combine. Add the powdered sugar, nondairy milk, vanilla bean paste and salt to the bowl and continue to beat until the frosting comes together.
- Serve: When you are ready to serve the cinnamon rolls, scoop a generous amount of frosting over the top of each roll. Serve cool or still slightly warm from the oven. Cinnamon rolls are best served the day the are baked. Do not frost until ready to serve.
Notes
*Cinnamon rolls will keep unfrosted in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. They can also be frozen for up to 1 month.
*Making the dough requires some patience. Cinnamon roll dough is very sticky until it has been properly kneaded. Allow the dough to stay in the bowl of the stand mixer until it begins to pull away from the bowl and the bowl looks relatively clean. Add a little more flour at a time if needed.
*The rolling method outlined in this recipe is slightly unconventional. I prefer it as I believe it makes for the most perfect spirals and really round rolls. If you’d prefer the traditional method, roll out your rectangle with the long side facing you. Roll the dough away from you into a tight roll. With the seam side on the bottom, cut the roll into 12 equal pieces using a sharp knife or dental floss.
*The best time to serve cinnamon rolls is 15-30 minutes after they have come out of the oven. They are still warm and gooey and the frosting won’t just melt off the top. Wait to frost rolls until you are ready to serve and only frost the rolls you are serving.
*Overnight Method: You can prepare these rolls the day before you intend to bake them. Once they are rolled up in a pan and have completed their second rise, cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Bake as directed in recipe the following day.
Find it online: https://censoredbaker.com/vegan-cinnamon-rolls/
