I once drove 2 hours before work at 5:30 in the morning in the pitch black just to get a cinnamon roll at an Amish bakery. That’s how much I love cinnamon rolls, and apparently how unwilling I am to make them myself. Go figure.
Why doesn’t anyone make cinnamon rolls? They’re complicated, difficult and time consuming. That’s why.
But these cinnamon rolls are different:
7 ingredients
No complex steps
No difficult methods
Practically fool proof
Just straightforward, fluffy, gooey goodness in cinnamon-roll form.
Oh yeah, and they’re vegan. Holy friggin’ delicious.
I was able to keep the ingredients to a minimum by narrowing down what you really need in a cinnamon roll and forgetting the rest. And then I went a step further and tested the true need for “scalding the milk” and letting them rise a second (sometimes third) time.
Turns out? Not necessary. And they turned out JUST AS DELICIOUS as bakery fresh cinnamon rolls. This, my friends, is my new go-to cinnamon roll recipe and it just so happens to require 7 ingredients and one lazy morning’s preparation. Behold, the World’s Easiest Cinnamon Rolls.
When I pulled these beauties out of the oven I was mesmerized. I couldn’t believe how fluffy and perfect they looked despite minimal ingredients and time.
Although a glaze isn’t really necessary or within the 7-ingredient limit, it’s an easy last-minute addition that will send them over the top. In other words, highly recommended for pure cinnamon roll bliss.
These rolls are:
Fluffy
Soft
Sweet
Tender
Cinnamon-y
Easy
& Satisfying
In other words, perfection. Hooray for easy cinnamon rolls, finally!
The World's Easiest Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
DOUGH
- 3 Tbsp vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
- 1 packet instant yeast* (or use rapid-rise yeast // 1 packet yields ~ 2 1/4 tsp)
- 1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
- 1 Tbsp organic cane sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour*
FILLING
- 3 Tbsp vegan butter (such as Earth balance // melted)
- 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
- 1/2 - 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon (to taste)
TOPPING
- 2 Tbsp vegan butter (such as Earth balance // melted)
Instructions
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DOUGH: In a large sauce pan (or in a bowl in the microwave at 30-second increments), heat the almond milk and vegan butter until warm and melted, never reaching boiling. Remove from heat and let cool to 110 degrees F (43 C) or the temperature of bath water. It should be warm but not too hot or it will kill the yeast.
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Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle on yeast. Let activate for 10 minutes. Then add 1 Tbsp sugar and the salt and stir.
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Next add in flour 1/2 cup (68 g) at a time, stirring as you go (you may not add it all). The dough will be sticky. When it is too thick to stir, transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute or so until it forms a loose ball (be careful not to overmix). Rinse your mixing bowl out, coat it with avocado or olive oil, and add your dough ball back in. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size (see photo).
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FILLING: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a thin rectangle. Brush with melted vegan butter and top with sugar and desired amount of cinnamon.
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Starting at one end, tightly roll up the dough and situate seam side down. Then with a serrated knife or a string of floss, cut the dough into 1.5 - 2 inch sections and position in a well-buttered 8x8-inch square or comparable sized round pan (you should have about 10 rolls as original recipe is written).
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TOPPING: Brush with vegan butter (melted) and cover with plastic wrap. Set on top of the oven to let rise again while you preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).
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Once the oven is hot, bake rolls for 25-30 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes and then serve immediately.
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Optional: Frost with dairy-free cream cheese frosting or a simple mixture of 1 cup (112 g) organic powdered sugar and 1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) almond milk.
Notes
*You can use regular yeast, but it will require more time to let them rise properly.
*I have not tried making this recipe gluten-free. However, some of you have tried using gluten-free blends with some success (scan the comments for tips). At this time I haven't tested this recipe gluten-free and can't guarantee the results if substitutions are made.
*I have not tested this recipe with other sweeteners, but it may work! Let me know in the comments if you have success.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without frosting.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 of 10 rolls)
- Calories: 243
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated fat: 3g
- Sodium: 174mg
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 1.4g
- Sugar: 5g
- Protein: 4.2g
Hi. I just did them, following all instructions.
But they didn’t got soft. A bit crunchy the exterior almost as a cookie.
I’m wondering what did I do wrong :(
Thanks
Hmm, and the ingredients weren’t altered? What size of pan did you use? Wondering if they got spread rolled too thin and then the pan was too large so they spread?
Thanks for answer.
The ingredients didn’t got altered.
It might be that was too thin the dough when I spread it.
Or that was too much space between each, when I baked them?
How thin should be?
And shouldn’t be space between one and other at the baking time?
And again thank you very much for the pronto answer 💕
Greetings.
Of course! The dough rolled out should be ~ 1/4 inch thick (or less). As for the rolls once formed, yes they should be touching in the dish (no space between).
Q: What brand of butter did you use? That might’ve contributed to a crunchy texture somehow…In this recipe we found Earth Balance buttery sticks to work best…
Hi! Can I substitute the almond milk for water?
Hi Naomi, You could, but the texture and flavor won’t be as good as if you used almond milk!
This was My first shot at making cinnamon rolls, Nd it was really fabulous! I used regular non-vegan ingredients, and it was perfect – regular ful fat milk, regular butter, etc. Easy to follow, clear steps. Thank you!
If you just substitute 1 for 1 with all purpose gluten free flour, you can make some pretty tasty cinnamon scones, lol! Not quite a failure but not quite a success, I’ll have to try with the actually gluten free recipe.
Thanks for sharing, Katie! You can also try our take on GF cinnamon rolls here!
Delicious soft cinnamon rolls! I doubled the cinnamon, used coconut oil for the dough, regular butter in the filling, and baked them in a glass round pie pan. They turned out perfect:). Excellent recipe!
Made this recipe just as written and I can honestly say these are the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever made. These rose perfectly and were fluffy and flavorful. I’m newly vegetarian, and trying many vegan recipes. My husband , however, is neither and I can say there were some vegan desserts I’ve tried that he wouldn’t eat again if I made them. He ate almost the whole pan of these himself and would have if I didn’t grab a few for myself. I will only use this recipe for cinnamon rolls going forward. Thank you!
So glad you and your husband enjoyed them, Diane! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
I made these cinnamon buns yesterday, followed the recipe as is (except for the icing- I had to use up left over icing from a cake my daughter made) and they are amazing! Thanks for sharing!
this is an absolutely incredible recipe! i’ve made this twice, and both times the result has been fluffy, beautiful, golden brown cinnamon rolls! nobody could tell they were vegan. thank you so much for this!
Yay! So glad you enjoy these cinnamon rolls, Stella! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
I made these today and all I can say is that they are mindblowing! ❤️ They are moist, fluffy, sweet and o gosh soooo simple! I added blueberries too and they turned out amazing and delightful!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Sonia. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Has anyone used fresh yeast for this recipe? Fresh yeast is all that’s available to me here. I’m not sure how much how much to use.
hi! one packet is usually 25 grams, so i would use 25 grams of fresh yeast :-)
Can I use active dry yeast and does it have t be organic cane sugar?
active dry yeast should work (just let it activate a little longer), and the sugar doesn’t have to be organic!
Thank you for your recipe! I think something is off about the conversion of the topping vegan butter from US to metric (2.4 Tbsp become 134.4 g).
Thanks so much for catching that, Stephan! It has now been updated.
Hi, I’m on the quest for a ‘healthy’ yet delicious cinnamon roll. Back to your website after the amazing granola! This recipe has great reviews. Do you think it would work with oat flour? (I’m avoiding wheat @ present) Would I have to add some xanthan gum or something to it? I really hope you can help! Thank you!
So I’d suggest maybe these instead?
How do you think this recipe would work with coconut butter? I see a lot of people mention coconut oil, but I know coconut butter is a bit different.
I honestly don’t think it would work.
These are amazing! They turned our exactly as you said they would: soft, sweet, tender and satisfying.
Ever since I found your website, I’ve been baking a lot more and my family loves it. I spend a lot more time now in the kitchen with my five year old making different recipes. Your recipes are easy to follow and every one that I’ve tried so far had turned out exactly as it should. Thank you so much. You’ve literally changed my life.
Thank you so much for your kind words and lovely review, Kadiann! We are so glad you are enjoying our recipes! xo
Just made these for my coworker/friend and her vegan wife. I, of course, had to taste test before delivering, and woooow these are fantastic!! I hope they make it to them. I might have to taste test a few more :p
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Yum yum!!!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Jessica!
I can’t tell you how many times I have made these. For every special occasion or holiday my son requests cinnamon rolls. Sometimes I will measure out the ingredients the night before and then in the morning throw all of the dough ingredients into a bread machine. I have also made the cinnamon rolls the night before, let them proof on the counter and then put them in the refrigerator before going to bed. Then just pop them in the oven in the morning. It’s such an easy recipe!
I top with a cream cheese frosting while they are still warm. This has become my go-to cinnamon roll recipe. Thanks!
Wow – so kind! Thanks for sharing, Hope!
Could I make these with coconut oil instead of vegan butter?
It doesn’t provide the same flavor and fluffiness / tenderness. But yes, it should work.
Hi there, can I make these the night before or will they overproof? Thx!!!
That should work well! You can proof them on the counter, or if the temperature is quite warm I’d suggest covering and proofing in the fridge.
So I have made these three years running for my wife for Mother’s day; her grandfather used to bring cinnamon rolls over when she was young, and they would dip them in coffee. As such I thought it was a nice way to carry a nice memory forward and make a new tradition at the same time. When my daughter is old enough, I will enlist her help too. Anyway the question: the recipe says you can freeze so you can make ahead, but it doesn’t say if I need to thaw them prior to popping them in the oven, or if I can just throw them in frozen. Thanks again for a very easy to follow recipe for this non-baker/sentimentalist!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing Brian!
If you want to eat them the next day, where do you keep them? (fridge; room temperature, …). Recipe is great though!!
I’d say room temp for 2-3 days. Then in the fridge on day 3 or 4.
I am NOT a baker and these were so incredibly easy to make that I’ve now made them TWICE! My husband loves them so much. Thank you for turning me around on baking!
Made this today and it is delicious!!
I substituted the sugar in the dough for 2tbl honey. Otherwise everything else was the same except the baking time was about 20 minutes. . It is delicious. Light fluffy and moorish! Yum yum yum!
absolutely love love love love this recipe. very much adore that all your recipes are vegan friendly, it goes such a long way for us!
I used vanilla soy or oat milk, because these are the only two nondairy milks I use (both have worked fine for me)
I made this a few days ago; I thought they were great as did the other vegan and non-vegan people who ate them.
I made some alterations. As Tania, in the comments, suggested, I increased the amount of sugar in the dough to 1/4 cup. I also added and extra tablespoon of sugar to the filling and used 20ml of cinnamon vs the max of 15ml which was suggested. I find cinnamon rolls never have enough cinnamon! I used soymylk instead of almond, because I didn’t have almond on hand.
I also screwed up and accidentally boiled the mylk, but only for a second or two. I don’t think it negatively effected the recipe, or at least not in anyway that I noticed.
In the future I want to try to put the glaze from this blog’s sticky buns on these cinnamon buns. If I do this, I will comment about it.
Thanks for the recipe Dana!
i made these today for the second time and they’re just as amazing as i remember them being.
i do love how easy they are to make! i only ended up needing 2 cups of flour (1 cup spelt, 1 cup AP) i also used coconut sugar in lieu of cane sugar.
they are heavenly! thanks!!!
These turned out great. I wasn’t sure exactly how much flour I should put in to maintain the stickiness… I ended up putting in 2.5 cups of flour, the dough wasn’t quite sticky anymore, but still turned out great. I used active dry yeast rather than quick rise or whatever, and followed the same instructions – let it rise only an hour. Yum!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Jenny. We are so glad you enjoyed these! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Do you know of any milk alternatives? I have a tree nut allergy so I can’t use the one listed.
Oat milk would be a good alternative. Hope that helps!
Hi, has anyone used coconut milk instead of almond milk?
Thanks!
if it’s from a carton, yes! i don’t know how well canned coconut milk would work, though.
Do you think this work with flax milk?
We haven’t tried it, but some readers have mentioned it doesn’t work. Hope that helps!
I absolutely love this recipe! I’ve been making it for the last three years and now my friends always ask me to bring cinnamon rolls to our gatherings :)
I’ve changed the recipe a bit: I used regular butter and the filling I make is honey plus cinnamon because it makes the center soft and sweet (it also allows the rolls to stay fresh for a few days).
Thanks a lot :)
Thanks so much for sharing! We are so glad you enjoyed these! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Thanks for the tip! How much honey did you add?
I tried thos recipe with Ripple Milk. Don’t waste your time or money. I’m not sure why the Ripple Milk didn’t work but the dough was hard & was more like cookie dough consistancy than dough. Also, I added 1\2 cup flour at a time & it was brutal dough after 2 cups. I didn’t even add the 3rd cup.
I made this recipe again. I did NOT use ripple milk this time. They were awesome!!!
Thanks for the update, Kris! Glad you enjoyed them this time!
What milk do you recommend? I’m allergic to nuts.
oat milk and soy are the only ones I use and its worked out amazing!
Best recipe by far. I adapted a little and used normal milk and butter as I am only allergic eggs but the dough was so fluffy still. Thank you x
Best recipe by far. I adapted a little and used normal milk and butter as I am only allergic eggs but the dough was so fluffy still. Thank you
So easy to make. I used the dough hook on my mixer rather than by hand. I might try brown sugar in the filling next time, but it was still delicious. Going to put on the cream cheese frosting next time to. This was a trial run before I made them for Easter !
Do you know if you can make the cinnamon rolls a day ahead, refrigerate over night and bake and glaze I n morning? My kids love them and I’d like to pack freshly baked for lunch.
Hi Teena, you can let proof & put them in the fridge overnight before baking. Hope that helps!
If I want to freeze them, do I let them rise after the rolling and cutting before I freeze? Or or roll and cut, put into pan and then freeze immediately without rising?
Yes, cut and place in a dish, then freeze immediately. Then let thaw in the fridge overnight, covered. And let rise on top of the oven (or in a sunny spot) while it’s preheating and bake as instructed.
I can’t wait to try this! One question – can I use oat milk in place of almond milk. We have been making the switch to oat milk since almonds use sooo much water. Thank you!
That should work!
The bobs red mill gluten free flour works magic!! This is my favorite cinnamon bun recipe yet! They taste so great I’m definitely making again.
I followed the recipe as is, and the amount of sugar listed is waaaaaaaaay off. The dough itself needs at least 1/4 – 1/2 cup of sugar. We’re making dessert here, people—NOT dinner rolls.
thank you great recipe
Hello,
I would like to make this for a weekend breakfast. Is it possible to make the dough Friday afternoon, and once risen 0lace in refrigerator until morning? Then, roll out to place filling and bake? Thanks!
To prepare 1 day ahead- once the cinnamon rolls are formed and in the pan, cover and refrigerate. The next day, set the pan on top of the oven while they rise and double in size. Then proceed with baking as instructed. Hope that helps!
Can I use coconut oil instead of butter?
Yes – check the other comments for tips!
I made the recipe as posted and this will definitely be my new go to cinnamon roll dough. It baked up beautifully and even after refrigeration and a quick reheat that dough stayed soft. So many others get extremely hard the next day.
So glad it worked out for you, Heather! Thanks for sharing! xo
Learn from my mistake and follow the recipe portions exactly! I’m still laughing!
I made this as specified the first time and it was absolutely fantastic. So I thought I’d add some more filling this time. More melted butter, more sugar, and more cinnamon. Sounds good right? DO NOT DO THIS. Folks, when I rolled this thing up the filling started to seep out the sides, the front, all over my counter top, and even down my cabinets! There’s a reason she gives the measurements she does!
It still turned out delicious but man what a mess, LOL!
10/10 recipe as written! :)
Does it need to be cane sugar? I have a whole bag of coconut sugar in my cabinet and want to know if that will taste relatively the same. ive never used coconut sugar before so im unsure.
We haven’t tried it with coconut sugar, but think it would work! Some other commenters have done so successfully.
Most excellent!!
We had become addicted to the cinnamon rolls in the freezer section of the grocery store, in a plastic bag, not vegan. As we embraced our plant based and eco friendly diet, the premade rolls had to go.
I made this , and put on a baking sheet in the freezer, the in my own container. The night before I placed in a pan and overnight thawed, then baked as directed ,. YUM!! Big hit with the family who said they were even better than the ones we use to have!! I will definitely make again soon the same way, so that they are ready when we want!
Also, I used my bread machine to make the dough while I ran other errands, and I used flaxseed milk as I am not a fan of almond milk ( too low on protein). Very very good recipe!!
Thank you for making vegan eating yummy!
Delicious and easy! Only major departure: I had to leave them in for 45 minutes to get them baked all the way through, perhaps because of a lazy oven. I made the dough with a mix of refined coconut oil and Miyoko’s vegan butter (by far the tastiest on the market), and with an almond-coconut milk blend. I ended up using about 2 1/4 cups flour and letting them rise for 90 minutes. I served with a different vegan cream cheese recipe (1/4 cup+ vegan butter, 1/3 cup vegan cream cheese, 1 scant cup powdered sugar). Fabulous recipe for a decadent morning.
Update: I’ve since made this a few times and had the dough fail to rise. I’ve started proofing the yeast with the sugar, instead of adding the sugar after, because it makes it much easier to tell if the yeast is still active – it bubbles if it is. It’s a bummer to wait an hour for the dough to rise only to find out the yeast has gone stale!
These are amaaaazzzing — I let them hang out rising for as long as I can stand it (both the first time and after I roll them and put them in the pan, before turning the oven on and I put them somewhere else they’ll be proper warm, though).
Now after the 4-5th time making them I know exactly how to place them in the dish to let them expand evenly, and to wait at least a couple hours both times and they get soooo big and maybe a dash more ferment-y but I enjoy that .. seriously though this is the easiest and most perfectly delicious I had to reiterate like three times to my girlfriend that these weren’t in any part store-bought lol.
Thanks for making it so simple and perfect you’re crushin’ it
Absolutely fantastic!! Husband loved them. Can’t wait to make these again & again. Only needed 2.5 cups of flour for the dough and I doubled the icing to live on the edge. ;) Thanks!!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Ash!
Hi! We don’t eat much sugar. I grow stevia. And our mennonites make a liquid stevia with real plants. But I’m in the mood for cinnamon rolls. Haven’t had them in over 10 years. My husband and I were fully raw vegan, then moved to a cold climate n became steamed n raw vegans then went broke n ate cheap pizza. We don’t eat pizza anymore except one I make with oatmeal crust and all organic. We are mostly vegan but we now get the best fully raw organic milk, butter, cheese,n yogurt from our local mennonites. It’s the most amazing milk ever. Mr Pasteur didn’t know what he was talking about. Anyways I looked up an organic recipe and found this one. After I make it I’ll let you know what I used n how it turned out. Recipes with frosting truly has to be made a certain way to turn out right if it’s made with stevia. Unless I go ahead and try it with cane sugar or organic honey or sorghum maybe. Oh and Messiah ate curds and honey. :) Thank You so much for the recipe.
I’m happy to add another endorsement for this recipe. A a couple of observations:
– I didn’t need nearly the full 3 cups of flour. 2.5 was more than enough, and I might stop at 2 next time.
– I saw someone else say that baking until they start to brown is too much, and I’d agree. They hadn’t browned after 25 minutes, so I baked for another 5, and they weren’t quite as tender as I would have liked. Next time I think I’ll pull them out after 25 minutes even if they haven’t browned at all.
Having said that, they were delicious and I’ll definitely make them again!
This recipe is fantastic!
I made them last night…let them rise a bit in the 8” pan then put them in the fridge to bake today.
I pulled them out of the fridge, let the oven heat up and brushed the melted butter over top and baked them 30 mins.
Drizzled the almond milk & powdered sugar overtop just before serving.
So good, thank you!
Why isn’t my dough doubling in size? This is my second try, and after an hour, it remains the same tiny ball! Butter and milk at recommended temperature, yeast is instant at recommended proportions, covered, and stored in a warm spot. HAAAAAALP!!!!! I’m dying for these buns!!
It sounds like your yeast may have been old..
I only wish the instructions would have been separated when it comes to adding the sugar and salt to the yeast/milk/butter mixture. I didn’t read it clearly, and added the sugar right away. My yeast didn’t double in size. I’m baking them now, but I’m pretty sure they’re going to be a mess. I’m a TERRIBLE baker, but I will try again!!
I have made the dough, but 3 cups of flower were to much! The dough was very though. Not nice and soft.
Maybe I did something wrong.
Hope you have the answer.
Angela
Sorry to hear that, Angela! Every dough reacts differently, which is why I suggest to stop adding it when it gets too dry. Only add as much as it takes, which may only be 2 cups!
Ok, these are awesome! So simple and easy to make with ingredients I ALSWAYS have at home! And they are delicious! I’ve already made them a few times and usually prepare the dough Saturday night and bake them Sunday morning. I cannot find vegan butter anywhere around here so I use odorless coconut oil and it comes out really great. Yesterday I tried a new version, inspired by Jamie Geller’s halva buns. I spread 1/2 cup of tahini on the dough after rolling it out, sprinkled it with coconut sugar and topped it with halva. As a topping I mixed tahini with water and date syrup (Silan). It was super delicious!!
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with this recipe, Kerstin!
I make these all the time and love them! The only difference is instead of brushing the top with butter before baking, I use some more cinnamon mixture (cinnamon, butter, sugar) and it tastes amazing!
Great! We’re glad you enjoyed them!
Can you make this the night before and bake in the morning?
Yes, see comments above!
Based on other recipes I have made, I was quite surprised to see that there was not brown sugar in the filling. I went ahead and used brown sugar, earth balance, Cinnamon and flour to help it bind. I also found the 2.5 cups of powdered sugar for the icing to be excessively sweet, I went with 3/4 cup powdered sugar, added a bit of maple syurp and almond extract. Came out great.
I made these tonight for Christmas Eve. They were wonderful! Absolutely delicious!!! Nothing at all was lost from them being vegan. I used the cream cheese frosting recipe that you linked and it was really good, as well. Next time, though, I will cut the frosting recipe in half. It was definitely way too much (although I enjoyed eating a lot of it out of the bowl, heehee!)
Thanks!!
Has any one made these, let proof & put them in the fridge overnight before baking? What a wonderful way to wake the family on Christmas Day!
Yes, that will work! We just bake them the night before and they’re still super delicious the next morning, but both ways work!
I have a simple, non-controversial question: can you prepare the cinnamon rolls (and place into the pan) the night before you want to bake them? I was hoping to be able to pop them in the over in the morning without all the prep!
Yes, you can!
I have a simple, non-controversial question: can you prepare the cinnamon rolls and place in the pan the night before you want to bake them? I was hoping to be able to pop them in the oven in the morning!
Can I make the dough overnight and bake the rolls in the morning?
Yes!
Hi! What a great recipe! I have had to go gluten and dairy free for health reasons. I tried making it with cassava flour and used only about 2/3 the flour and had to add some water to keep it moist. I added a teaspoon of cardamom and a teaspoon of matcha. They took longer to cook and we’re still a little gooey inside. But a good first attempt to play with this recipe since I can’t do my Christmas cinnamon rolls or cardamom braid bread anymore. Thank you!
#singlemumstheword
Am I able to make these the night before? I’m always worried they won’t do well overnight in the fridge. Would like to prepare ahead of time and bake in the morning. Thanks!:)
Just saw you recommend baking the night before the reheating!
Yes! See comments above!
Has anyone ever made this with Rice Flour? It’s a healthier alternative to white flour. I tried making a batch for the first time today and I think the dough was a little moist . . . When it baked, it definitely didn’t look like a cinnamon roll haha
It was crumbly and came out like a biscuit.
Hi! I made this using vanilla hemp milk. Followed ingredients and instructions and added some brown sugar to the filling. They turned out great, however, tasted very yeasty though. Could the sweetened milk have contributed to this? Or possibly too warm of environment? I placed a towel over the bowl and put on top of my stove (off of course). I’m new to baking with homemade doughs so I don’t quite grasp the “science” of it. Some doughs are called to set for an hour, others hours and some overnight. Any clarification or helpful suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you!!
Hello!
I was wondering if I could prep the night before by making the rolls and leaving them in the fridge then bake in the morning.
Thanks for any and all help!
Just seeing the previous comment!
Yes! See comments above for tips!
I would like to do the prep work the night before and bake them in the morning to take to work. Should I put them in the refrigerator? Or can I leave them covered overnight, wake up and preheat the oven, and just pop them in there?
Yes, that should work but I would honestly just bake them the evening before. They’re still super delicious the next morning!
I’m making these right now (GF). Used half Pillsbury, half Bob’s Red Mill GF flours. Hardest part was rolling up dough into a log without it breaking. Put cut rolls onto cookie sheet that had melted butter and crushed walnuts. Also walnuts inside roll.
Probably won’t be crispy outside, chewy inside, but should be delicious anyway.
Please, people, stop asking dumb questions. Be adventurous. Take some risk. Try something new. Think outside the box. You’re adults. Use the brain God gave you.
Hello! Have you ever prepped these the night before but baked them in the AM? Apologies if this was asked/answered already in the comments (there were too many to go through them all!)
Look forward to trying these for Christmas morning!
Hi Liz! If you use Control>F on your keyboard, you can run through and search a keyword! I would probably go ahead and bake them at night, then reheat in the morning. They’ll be just as good!
Ctrl+F…so clever! ;-) I’m debating prep PM/bake AM or make PM/reheat AM and I think you just convinced me – bake the night before and re-heat in the AM it is. Thank you!
I made these for my family (all non-vegans) and they loved them so much, they’ve asked me to make them again for Thanksgiving breakfast! I was nervous using yeast for the first time, but it seriously couldn’t have been easier. Thank you for all of the fool-proof recipes, they never seem to fail :)
I have tried this recipe, and several other vegan recipes for cinnamon roll (my yeast is frothy so activated) but my dough will not rise!! (it does get sticky but i just add small amounts of flour to stop stickyness) i dont know why, HELP :(
Hmm are you over-kneading your dough, perhaps?
WOW. First time making cinnamon rolls, and these turned out INCREDIBLE. I was a bit unsure how they would turn out, but I was pleasantly surprised. I love cinnamon rolls, and I’m trying to cut out dairy from my diet, so it’s awesome to know I have this wonderful recipe when I have a craving for something sweet. I will definitely be keeping this recipe handy. I highly recommend this recipe!!
I have made these SO many times! My dad, who is an avid meat eater, says these are the BEST cinnamon rolls he has ever had!
Hey I’ve made these before and they were amazing! For this thanksgiving I wanted to make two batches the night before and just stick them in the oven in the morning. How would you do this? Or is it even possible?
Thank you we use soooo many of your recipes as my at home staples, as a mom all your quick and easy recipes have saved me!
Check the comments above! This is possible.
Thank you! These vegan cinnamon rolls are awesome. I followed recipe exactly and even used vegan ingredients because this IS a vegan blog. :) YUM!
Whoop! We’re glad you enjoyed them, Dory!
I am excited to try this recipe!! Thank you!
We hope you love them, Shade!
Made this exactly as it is. Except that I used regular milk and regular milk.
It took longer than I thought it would but it was
Delicious!!!
I have been vegan for 20 years and made these Cinnamon Rolls for the 2nd time and they come out good every time. I follow the recipe usually like written, because I always believe that someone already tried it out. Works for me ! I do change the milk sometimes and this time I used oat milk, since I had it and the rolls came out great. Thanks
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Kerstin!
These really stand by their name as the world’s easiest cinnamon rolls! I ate three that same night lol I scaled back the amount of oil though because it seemed like a lot when I was putting it on and they came out just fine! I have others in the freezer and they serve as a nice winter snack when I come home from my long cold day at school lol
Is there a vegan alternative to vegan butter which is not coconut oil or margarine? A mixture of sunflower and almond oil, maybe? Thanks!
Absolutely a hit,
I made double batch using olive oil (coconut oil to grease the pan), soymilk and brown sugar (all organic) instead of the suggested ingredients and I added vegan chocolate chips in the sugar-cinnamon filling and on top of the rolls and they came out amazingly fluffy!
Thanks a lot!
I’m making these for the second time today, they are currently proofing. The first time was so good and I was dying for more! I followed everything except I use vanilla unsweetened almond milk but I don’t think that makes too much of a difference. Also made more frosting because I am obsessed haha!
I absolutely love these! I made them a couple of times and they are a real crowd-pleaser, especially with the frosting. Since I live in Germany, I wasn’t sure about the instant yeast. But I found out that the stuff you can buy as “dry yeast” is pretty much what you want and will do the trick.
It was really good! Oy turned out nice and soft, went really well with the cream cheese frosting. I did have to add extra liquids though.
I subbed coconut oil for the earth balance and used powdered sugar because I made these trying to get rid of the stuff in our pantry lol.. They came out great!
Awesome, Ana! Glad you enjoyed them :D
I think I might have accidentally portioned out an extra cup of flour because I had so much leftover. Thanks the instructions on realizing the dough is done when you can’t stir it anymore and that it’s sticky.
After proving it, it rolled out nicely, but I (having literally never baked anything not from a box before) didn’t like the way it rolled and balled it up again to re-roll it- a mistake! lol! It would not roll out after that so I proved it a second time, and was able to roll/stretch it out to a rectangle, but it was not a lovely as it was the first time I tried.
Anyways, they still turned out lovely! Probably a bit more bready than if I had not goofed. My non-vegan parents liked them (but they may also be just saying that to make me feel good!)
I hope I’ll make them again (correctly next time)!
Hi Dana!!! I’ve made these a ton of times and they never last in our house because they’re SO GOOD! Question: can I freeze them??
You can freeze them BEFORE baking. And then thaw slightly and then bake until fluffy and golden brown.
Can I double this recipe and put it in a 9×13 pan?
Yes!
If I use coconut sugar instead is it the same measurement ?
Hi! We haven’t used coconut sugar in this recipe but others have! Scan the comments above for tips. Good luck!
I have used coconut sugar and it comes out great, its not as sweet, but that is what I like
Yo can I refrigerate these after they’ve risen to bake the next morning??
Totally asking for a friend not an emergency at all
Jk pls help
Hey Chad! Yep, just pop them in the oven in the morning!
Would I be able to let these rise overnight?
Hi Mel! Yes! Just pop them in the oven in the morning.
I made them twice now. First time, was a bit unsuccessful but the second — YUM! They were perfect. I used 2-1/3c flour and I found it to be the best amount.
Thanks Dana!
Recipe says 1 1/2 tsp of Cinnamon, but in the description it says 1/2 – 1 tbsp of cinnamon… wondering which measurement is correct/preferred?
Hi! Sorry – Use 1/2 – 1 tbsp (to taste) We will update!
Amazing! Everything one could ask for!
Unsweetened almond milk is crazy expensive in Lima, so I used the cheap sweetened soy milk and worked just as fine.
Everyone (non vegan) at home loved them! And I’m making my second batch in less than 24 hours ?
Thanks so much for the recipe!
Got all the way to rolling them out before discovering I was out of cinnamon (whoops!) so I spread them with raspberry jam instead – they’re sitting on top of the oven now waiting for it to heat up, so fingers crossed they turn out okay!
Update: They turned out amazing with the jam! Not quite what I’d planned, but will definitely make again when I get more cinnamon :)
Super easy to make and so delicious. I am so tempted to eat them all at once. They are also super budget and student-friendly.
I only got to 1.5 cups of flour before my mixture matched the description, so I was worried- but it worked! Also, I only used 2 Tbsp to brush the dough when adding the cinnamon sugar and only 1 Tbsp to brush before baking. More would have been excessive.
This recipe is a bit time consuming, but easy. Still baking, but they look perfect and I’m sure they’ll be delish!
(Oh, also, I used plain, unsweetened soy milk.)
Wonderful! I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out perfectly. I did rush the icing a bit and it just melted into the buns which turned out to be a good thing. I will be making these again for my vegan children. The only downside is that they only make 9.
Whoa! These turned out great: moist and fluffy, just as described. I subbed dairy-free milk with water. And I used coconut sugar instead of cane sugar. So if you want to save a buck, you don’t have to use milk for this recipe. What I noticed is that in many baking recipes you don’t have to use milk at all – just water, hence saving you money in a long run.
Tasted just like French bread with a cinnamon filling to me. I would probably add more sugar to the dough next time. I also regret having used brown sugar for the filling, but was all I had. It imparted its own flavor and kind of masked the cinnamon-ness of the rolls. I kept the yeast, margarine/Earth balance and almond milk mixture (I only had cashew milk) in the oven which I turned on then quickly off just to heat it up and give them a warm place to grow.
Very easy! Whipped up the dough and let it rise while we took our daughter to swim lessons. When we got home I quickly rolled them out and popped them in the oven. So great! And the house smells so good too! 5 stars! I just used regular yeast and rice milk because that’s what I had on hand and they turned out great.
You need to triple the cinnamon filling amount to have any taste, otherwise its pretty boring. Dough is a great base though.
Sounds wonderful! But I was wondering if oat milk would work as well instead of almond milk as I am allergic…
Hi Emma! That should work!
Can I use coconut oil instead of vegan butter?
Yes – check the other comments for tips!
This is my go-to cinnamon roll recipe. I love everything about it. So delicious and loved by everyone who eats them. Thank you!
Can the dough be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen to be baked later? Maybe even a couple at a time instead of the whole batch at once? Thanks!
Hi Nancy! That should work!
Looks like I’m not alone loving this recipe! Super straightforward and so tasty! Definitely making this recipe a part of our Christmas morning tradition – thanks!
Yum! Took about 90 min to male with rising, baking. Seriously awesome!
Made it for Christmas brunch. Delicious. I would post a pic, but it’s gone!
So this is my 5th time making the cinnamon rolls and it’s the first time I made them overnight put in refrigerator and baked this morning. They were just as delicious! I have been making cinnamon rolls every Christmas morning for the last 15 years but since I’ve came across this recipe a few years ago, this is all I’ve made. This time I made them with bread flour and I have to say these are by far the fluffiest and moistest ones ive done so far. They are all gone. The next challenge for me is to try and double the recipe. Dana if you read this how do I go about going that. Thanks for this amazing and delicious recipe. Merry Christmas!
Christmas morning, 2017. The dough is rising for Cinnamon Buns. :) This is the third time I’ve made them and they’re delicious. My granddaughter specifically asked me to make these again. They live down the road, and once the buns are baked I’ll be hiking down there through the snow with warm cinnamon rolls and gifts for a beautiful beginning to the day! (www.smallbones.ca)
Can you permanently the dough and bake in the morning?
Hi Nicole! Yes you can!
Unreal, these are so sweet and gooey. They’re surprisingly easy and I’m not a very good baker. Thank you for the recipe!
Dumb question from an amateur: when it says to start rolling from one end, does that mean roll from the shorter side of the rectangle, or do I roll from the long side?
Guys! I’m making these for Christmas morning! Can I make today and freeze them? How do I go about it?
Hi Brooke! Yes you can but they are definitely best fresh. You could always make them the night before, place them in your baking dish, covered + refrigerated and bake in the morning! That way, they are super fresh but still made-ahead. Hope this helps!
Right on, Lisa. Unfortunately only some people get it. And even if they get it, many still don’t change their eating “habits”. I’m glad you mentioned “Dairy is Scary”. I am so happy this is a vegan recipe site and I’m anxious to try the Cinnamon Rolls–I will make them ahead and bake them Christmas morning, like it was suggested. We have a phenomenally successful Cinnamon roll store in Berkeley called “Cinnaholic” that sells only Vegan Cinnamon Rolls. I’m glad it’s 2 hours away ’cause I’d be there daily ;-)
Can these be prepped ahead of time then baked the next morning?
Yes!
These look amazing! Can you use coconut oil in this recipe in place of vegan butter?
Hi Neda! Yup that’ll work!
These look fabulous! I was wondering if I could make them the night before and let them rise in the refrigerator overnight like you say to do in your Overnight Honey Wheat Cinnamon Rolls?
Thanks in Advance!
That’s what I’m planning on doing. I’ll probably do all the steps until they are in the baking dish then stick in the fridge. In the morning, take them out, let them warm and rise for a while (with rolls you can usually tell they are ready when they all squish together), then bake. Haven’t tried it with this recipe, but this is what I normally do when I prep baked stuff the night before. The fridge just makes the yeast slow way down so it can’t over-rise. Good luck!
Hello! I’d love to make these in advance and then serve for Christmas morning. Do they keep in the fridge ? Or do they freeze? I am horrible at baking .. no idea how to do anything :)
Thank you !
Hi, I want to make these cinnamon rolls but I’m allergic to yeast….Could I use baking powder instead? If so would you know how much I should use in place of the yeast. Thank you for your time. Looking forward to making them for Christmas Morning 2017.
Sheri
Does anyone have advice on what to use to make them gluten free? I found this recipe on a gluten free website and now I’m sad that’s not the case. I cannot have gluten but would like to make these for Christmas morning.
There is a separate GF recipe on the site (haven’t tried it yet, but will soon!):
https://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-gluten-free-cinnamon-rolls/
Do you think that the cinnamon rolls could be put in a dish and kept in the fridge for a day or two before baking them? I was thinking of making these in advance before christmas and bake them the day of.
Thank you! Xo
Hi Louis! That should work!
I was just wondering if you can substitute the white flour for whole wheat flour, thanks
I’m curious if I made these at night would they be ok to bake the next morning? If yes can you please tell me exactly what to do to keep them fresh overnight until I bake them. I typically make cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning breakfast but it’s been in the past canned ones we have started a whole new journey for health recently so I just need a little advice. Thanks in advance!
Hi, I want to make these for Christmas morning, so I’d like to prepare them the night before. Do you think that would be okay? Should I only make the dough the night before, then roll them out the next morning? Or could I make the entire dish the night before and put it in the oven the next morning?
If anyone has tried this, please let me know the results and how you did it! Thanks!!
Made these tonight…knock out of the park delicious. Dough is soooo soft and melt in your mouth. Yum!!
So so fluffy & easy to make !! Underestimated the cinnamon but otherwise a dream of a cinnamon roll experience !!
These cinnamon rolls were amazing! I made them yesterday evening, and all I had to do when I woke up on Thanksgiving morning was to pop them in the oven! They were so delicious!
My one advice would be to double the filling recipe because their can never be too much cinnamon! :)
I can’t wait to try more of your awesome recipes!
Is it possible to make the dough the day before and keep it in the fridge over-night?
Any advice for making these the night before, so I can just pop these in the oven the next morning? I tried looking through the comments for any tips, but there were sooooo many. Any advice would be wonderful!
How long will the cinnamon rolls keep in the refrigerator? I am in the middle of making them and I can’t wait to eat them!
Hi Madeleine! They should last for a few days in the fridge!
I’m not sure where I went wrong, but my cinnamon rolls turned out bland and flavorless. They didn’t even have the typical gooey, cinnamon-y goodness that you normally get. Wish I could love this recipe, but it’s not one I’ll try again, unfortunately. I’m just baffled since the other reviews are all SO POSITIVE!
do you think I could prepare these up until baking and leave them in the fridge overnight in the baking dish to bake in the morning? i made an overnight cinnamon rolls recipe a while ago but i want to use this vegan recipe now. thanks!
lol i just saw the comment above, never mind! :)
Hi Melanie! Yes you can!
I’ve made these several times and they are delicious but I am just wondering can I make the dough in advance? Like say the night before and then pop in the oven before work to bring to girls at work as a treat? Thanks for your help!
Hi Brittany! Yes you can!
Is it possible to make part of this recipe ahead of time? For example, could I do most of the prep the night before then do the baking in the morning? I’d like to take these with to brunch but I don’t want to have to get up early tonight make them…
Hi Antonia! Yes you can!
Made these for my boyfriend who’s allergic to eggs dairy and nuts. Substituted the almond milk for soy milk. He loved them! (and so did my parents who were skeptical of vegan cinnamon buns) Great recipe and super easy for someone who rarely bakes!!
I will be making these this week , how can I store these? thanks!
Hi Iris! Store in an air tight container either in the fridge or on the counter!
Made this for my husband and kids they loved it! Thanks for sharing. I didn’t have any vegan butter, replaced with coconut oil and they turned out great.
The recipe that turned me onto your blog. I was craving cinnamon rolls but didn’t have many ingredients on hand. Then I saw this one that contained… Almond milk? I always have almond milk! I’ve made these a couple of times now and (so long as I don’t kill the yeast), they come out better than more traditional recipes I’ve tried! I’m a fan! (Of both the rolls and your blog.)
I also tend to share a lot of your recipes with my friends. One of friends should be avoiding eggs (but doesn’t all of the time…), one of my friends is dating a girl who is a vegan, and the other one is just like me and likes to try new ways of doing things. So, thank you so much for all you do!
I made this tonight for tomorrow’s breakfast. They smell so good and look amazing! I can’t wait until breakfast time. I will let you know how they turned out taste-wise in the a.m. :D.
Just made these, and they were delicious!
I made these this morning with Soy milk cause I’m allergic to nuts, and Sainsbury’s Free From margarine, as my vegan friend was coming over for breakfast, and wow, I was so impressed! My other flatmates (all non-vegans) demolished them as well, and said they were really good! I also found a nice glaze – if you use soy milk and brown sugar, then the glaze goes kind of caramel like which goes really well with the cinnamon. Will definitely be making these again!
Hi
I was wondering if these could be prepared the night before and kept in the fridge overnight to be baked first thing in the morning?
Many thanks
I’ve been a vegan for a while now and have been looking for a good, easy, sweets recipe that I could make with common household ingredients and when I made these cinnamon rolls- I was beside myself. My family isn’t vegan or vegetarian, but they absolutely LOVE these. I made mine with soymilk instead, and they turned out even better than when I used almond milk. Such a treat! Thank you for this wonderful minimalist recipe!
Hello!
I’d like to make this delicious recipe but is there any way to substitute vegan butter? I can’t get it in where I live…
Thanks in advance.
Hi Rico! You could use coconut oil or vegetable oil (use 3/4 cup oil to replace 1 cup of butter).
Hello, Minimalist Baker. I am new to your site; it’s wonderful. Am aspiring to a healthier life, am almost vegetarian/vegan, but will never refuse non-veg foods prepared with love… Love is the most important thing, and hurting family and friends will not help anything or anyone, our animal friends included… Which is why I am writing.
I love what Farm Girl wrote in June 2017 and wanted to say thank you. It’s good to know there’s loving farmers. She made my day.
This recipe is awesome, even if you substitute milk and butter. I like to make the recipe in the evening (all the way up to putting them in the pan) and then cover and place in the fridge overnight for the second rise. Then, in the morning, I take it out and put it on top of something warm while the oven heats up. Try using brown sugar and adding some raisins or other dried fruit/nuts in place of the white sugar.
Hi!! Im making these this weekend for a brunch, so excited. Just wondered if it’s okay to serve them/eat one at room temp? Or how do they hold up the next day?
Let me know!
Hi Jodi! You can serve them at room temp!
Thank you so so much!!!
I made these for a potluck one day at work and everyone loved them, thank you so much! I also made them for Thanksgiving and my nieces and nephews enjoyed them as a treat while we watched movies.
I’ve made these 3 times so far and they were amazing each time, so fluffy and soft. 2 out of 3 times I used active yeast, and in the third time I used active dry yeast. Every time i followed your recipe exactly- just added a different amount of yeast so it would equal to yours. However, I want to make them again with instant yeast that can be mixed with the other ingredients right away. Do I still need to let them activate for 10 minutes (the second step)? Or shall I just skip that and add everything to the bowl at once? Thank you very much for this recipe, it is my favorite so far.
Hi! You will still need to let it activate!
I hv made these several times and they are a big hit. I like it cause I don’t hv to scald milk. I make them with real ingredients though, not vegan.
After baking how do I store them? Should I leave them covered and an air tight container on the counter or in the fridge?
Hi! Yes an air tight container and either in the fridge or on the counter is fine!
hi, can you prepare the dough a day before and leave them rising overnight?
This was one of the best recipes I’ve made in a long time. Easy to follow and the results were great. Cinnamon rolls have always been one of my favourite sweet treats and now I have the perfect recipe to use for them. Thanks!!
Hi! :) Can i somehow make these cinnamon rolls gluten-free? Will it be fine if i use gluten free flour?
Hi! Some have tried it with gluten free flour and although the flavor was excellent the texture was quite stiff and flaky. The trick was not overworking (practically NO kneading) and to use less flour than you think you need. Read some of the other comments to get tips from others who have tried it! Hope that helps!
Hello, Would it be possible to use unrefined coconut oil instead of the vegan butter for this recipe?
Hi Tara! That should work!
thanks =)
For gluten free version, try Bob’s Red Mill pizza crust flour. It already comes with the yeast packet and the texture is spot on:)
Thank you for the recipe. I made it and it’s the best cinnamon buns recipe ever. Easy, simple, fast and delicious.
I want to try this but don’t have any sort of milk, would water work just as well to dissolve the yeast?
Hi! You could, but the texture and flavor won’t be as good as if you used almond milk!
Best cinnamon bun recipe I’ve seen so far!
I used regular milk and it turned out great :) Thank you!
Does it matter what plant-based milk you use? I want to make these but my brother is allergic to nuts so he won’t be able to eat them. Could I use soya milk?
Hi I have never used yeast before and couldn’t find any rapid rise yeast- with regular yeast is it ok to just sprinkle on top as well?
Hi! You can use regular yeast it will just require more time to rise properly!
Thankyou so much – these were delicious!!!! Used normal butter and coconut sugar! Next time may try coconut oil too! Can’t believe how delicious they turned out. Struggling to not eat the whole tray!!!!
HELP! in in NZ and i the closest to vegan “butter” I’ve found is an oil spreadable margarine which i use like butter, use for icing etc. Will this be practical to use in this recipe you think?
Hi Samii! I think that the spreadable margarine should work!
Amazing no modifiers needed!
these were not very good. they turned out tasting plain and unflavourful. they also didn’t rise very much.
Love this recipe but just some clarification: “1 packet instant (or rapid-rise) yeast* (2 1/4 tsp)”
Does this mean the recipe requires 2 1/4 depending on which yeast? I measured 1 pack instant yeast = 1 1/4tsp. So do I need to use another pack? Thank you! Love your work!
Hi Lilly! Yes, the recipe requires 2 1/4 tsp!
I have never made cinnamon rolls before but am excited to try these! Is there a way to make them (without baking them) the night before and then baking them in the morning so that they would be warm? Thanks!
Check the comments above for tips!
I just made these and am waiting for them to cool before I slather the icing on and devour them. They look so great! I made one substitution: instead of only white/all-purpose flour, I used 1 cup white, 1 cup whole wheat pastry, and 1 cup bread flour.
Also, this recipe truly was the easiest cinnamon roll recipe I’ve ever made. I actually started my day with a different recipe from another website, but was so frustrated and confused after the first few steps that I abandoned ship and started making this one. THANK YOU! Oh and I love the videos! They really help with things that can be more complicated (e.g., rolling dough).
Just finished making these, they are delicious!! They are slightly biscuity on the outside but i think i just baked them for too long haha…. I iced them just with the classic icing sugar and water in stead. Looovvveeee these!! Xx
I followed the recipe step by step divided by 2 changing it by a gluten free flour mix that I made with my grinder :
1/2 cup millet
1/2 cup white rice
1/4 cup tapioca
1/4 cup sorgho
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 cup corn starch
And I changed the filling by chocolate flakes and nutspread.
I am in heaven right now.
Thanks for sharing your good ideas
A guy from a vegan family in France.
1/4 cup
I am obsessed with this recipe! It was my first time baking with yeast and the cinnamon rolls turned out so well I’ve been making them pretty much once a week since. So easy, so delicious!
I’ve made this before (and it’s wonderful and so easy!), but I’m wondering if you think leftovers would freeze well (without the icing)?
Oops! I see the answer above!
Hi Michelle! You can freeze them BEFORE baking. And then thaw slightly and then bake until fluffy and golden brown
Dana,
My husband and I made these today and, WOW, they’re amazing! I’ll definitely be passing this recipe on. :)
Just made this for Father’s Day, and it smells and tastes delicious, but I think I swayed too far from the original instructions bc they turned out fairly hard on top after baking , not doughy. To be fair, I didn’t have unbleached all purpose on hand so I used a gluten free blend. I also used coconut milk (from carton). I also made the dough really late in the night, so after it sat out for an hour for the first rise, I popped it in the fridge where it sat overnight in a glass bowl with lid (no Saran wrap) & baked in am. I also didn’t have quick rise yeast, just reg. Hah! I clearly strayed too far… im giving this 5 stars bc it was very simple and easy and I have no doubt it will turn out delicious next time. I will definitely give this another go!
I Just loved it
I made it and it was my first baking dish still it turned so awesome an my house is smelling like bakery with sweet cinnamon smell…!!
thank you sooo much
Hello, great recipe By the way! I am doing this for a science project and was just wondering how long you can keep it before they go off?? X thankyoooo Ellie xxoo
P.s. I would love it if you checked out my site!
Hi Ellie! They should keep for 3 days!
Can these be frozen? How do they do? Any tips?
Hey Allie! You can freeze them BEFORE baking. And then thaw slightly and then bake until fluffy and golden brown
I made this recipe and absolutely loved it!! I used regular unsalted butter, and 2% milk. Also I used an entire stick of butter in the initial milk/ butter pot warming step and then followed recipe to the letter. The rolls were flaky, buttery, not too sweet, and a great texture! Will totally keep this recipe on file. Thank you!
Hi! Do you know if is possible make the dough without yeast? Thanks!
I don’t think so..not for this one anyway!
I want to try these gluten free, so is a specific flour blend I shoukd use
So….admittedly I have never baked before. I thought this would be an ambitious goal for someone like me, but as Cinnamon Rolls have a special place in my wife’s life (her Grandpa used to bring them to her and her sister growing up) I thought it would be a really nice tradition to establish for her (and my) first mother’s day. But since we had Sunday brunch plans, I got up early on Saturday and started working on these delights. They came out at least as good, if not better than I had hoped! In the future, I would likely forego the rapid rise yeast and let the thing proof overnight so that the only thing I would need to do in the morning would be to roll it out, flavor it, roll it, cut it and bake it! An hour will be way more palatable next year when my daughter and I undertake this special tradition for Mom. Thanks for all the hard work, and making an utter novice, such as myself king for a day (from a baking perspective) as I attempt to recognize the most important women in my life!
Wow!!! This is literally the easiest cinnamon bun recipe I have ever came across!! And it’s definitely the best!!!!! So yummy!!!!
I did half with cinnamon and sugar and the other half with chocolate (Ferrero Rocher) and nutella… It came out soooooo yummy
OMG!!! I made these today and they turned out AMAZING! My husband and I can’t get enough. I used unsalted grass-fed butter in place of the earth balance, coconut milk in place of the almond milk and coconut sugar in place of the cane sugar and they taste legit like something I would buy at Cinn-a-Bun! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe. I’ll be making this many times again in the future :)
Can you make this and leave it in a pan in thr fridge overnight to cook in thr moening or does that mess up the recipe?
You could make up until the baking stage, cover and set in fridge overnight, Rob!
I just made these and followed the recipe exactly. They were perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing. They are cafe quality! My cousin isn’t vegan and she loved them as well. Thank you!
Spelt has Gluten. All wheat has Gluten. The recipe note where it says you haven’t made it Gluten-free but others have used spelt or whole wheat may ENDANGER people. I AM BAD. Please be safe.
If I want to make these ahead of time, at what step should I make them until? I need them for tomorrow.
Hi! I would recommend making them up to the point before baking! Refrigerate your cinnamon rolls overnight and then pop them in the oven, bake and you’ll be good to go! They are best fresh!
I made mini cinnamon rolls using half the recipe. I used a mix of spelt white and wheat flour along with coconut sugar instead . The weren’t as fluffy looking as yours but they came out super soft and moist! I love them, and a coworker of mine asked for seconds so that was reassuring. I’m working on my second batch now!
I just made these this morning and they were AMAZING!! My mom-vegan family thouroghly enjoyed them and were suprized when I told them that they were vegan (:
I didn’t have the vegan butter so I used coconut oil. When melting to spread over the rolled out dough I only used 1tbsp. I also used organic coconut sugar instead of the cane sugar. I used about a tablespoon more than it called for, mostly just because I didn’t sprinkle it evenly enough haha. But all in all DELICIOUS and I will definitely be making these again!!
As a big cinnamon roll fan, I’ve been looking for the perfect vegan recipe for quite sometime and I am so happy I finally found it.
I made these this afternoon and let’s just say my family devoured them within seconds. The rolls were light, fluffy and absolutely perfect.
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon in the ingredients,
1/2 tbsp in the method!!
I used a sweetener instead of sugar and it was perfect!
Just made these for Easter and they turned out so good!!! I made the rolls the night before and put them in my fridge overnight, took them out in the morning to proof for 1-2 hours and baked them with success.
You have saved me from the cold, Spartan life I thought I had committed to when I went vegan
Can these be done overnight? If so, how could I make that happen!!
Hi Telma! When making them the night before, I haven’t tried them that way myself, but have heard that for most readers that works fine. I would just recommend making them, covering them and refrigerating them and then baking them first thing in the morning. Don’t let them sit too long in the fridge – overnight max. Hope that helps! happy baking!
I used oat milk and coconut oil and they turned out really great. I only had Pastry flour on hand so I kneaded it a little longer and it took about 1.5 hours to rise but they turned out really great!
I also made a vegan frosting..
1 cup vanilla hemp milk
2 TBS flour
1 Tsp Vanilla
8 TBSP coconut oil
1 cup of coconut sugar
and cinnamon to taste
I heated the milk and flour together while stirring (making sure not to boil)and then when the milk thickened I let it cool. In a large bowl I mixed together the coconut oil, sugar and vanilla and cinnamon and when the milk was room temperature I mixed it all together and iced the cinnamon rolls right out of the oven. Yummy!
Love love LOVE this recipe. It’s foolproof and I’ve made it so many times now I don’t need to refer back to this page! I don’t hold back on the sugar and cinnamon though- a bit naughty haha
I’ve tested out a few different recipes (non vegan) and the dough never turns out quite as good as this recipe. Thank you!
Heaven in rolls haha. They are perfect!
I just over-oiled the bowl when rising the dough so it was too moist, but taste and texture were perfect however!
I’ve put hazelnut-chocolat spread instead of butter-sugar-cinnamon, turned out so great!
Thanks for this recipe!
Do you have a gluten free cinnamon roll recipe?
Not yet!
Do you think this can be made subbing with brown rice flour?
Hmm haven’t tried it. If you do, report back on how it goes!
I love how simple this recipe sounds. So, I am gonna bring those cinnamon buns to the potluck dinner tonight. Thanks so much!
Perfect post shoveling snack at the March 2017 Snowstorm
These are –
Easy
Yummy
Gooey
Yummy / easy
These look DELISH! Would it be possible to substitute coconut oil for the vegan butter?
If you’re not vegan I would just go for real butter. Otherwise, coconut oil should do.
Here’s a few suggestions to an already awesome recipe:
* The sugar blend I make also has a little ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Also, as I roll up the dough, I brush another layer of melted smart balance.
* Add a little lemon juice to the vegan frosting, and double it!
We made these last night, using milk and earth balance. We let them rise the second time in the refrigerator overnight and baked them in the morning. They were AWESOME!
Do you have a similar recipe for raisin Danishes? Or have you experimented with any dried fruit or jam in this recipe that you’d recommend?
Not yet! I think dried fruit would be a great addition to these. Raisins perhaps?
Bold claim ‘world’s easiest’ but I’m delighted to say you deliver!
Having tried twice before to make these and being sourly disappointed and annoyed (time rape) I had given up. But then after waiting around for the bakery to open having avoided the traffic I thought I should give it another crack! I tried your recipe and it worked!! A big hit, healthier and uncomplicated. High five you!! Thank you for awesome deliciouslyness and an amazingly smelling home!!
I used oat milk which worked just fine and in a second batch I used nutella with the sugar and cinnamon.
Turned out great! Thanks!
HI there,
is it possible to leave these in the fridge overnight and bake them in the morning or will that cause them to rise too much?
Hi! Check the comments as others tried this and had success! Good luck!
Please please please correct the gluten free part – spelt and whole wheat are NOT gluten free!
hi! is there any way i could make this recipe the night before & bake it in the morning? i know it’s a long shot, just have to leave the house early in the morning with cinnamon buns in hand!
Is there a specific reason you use that vegan butter? I’d like to try this recipe with coconut oil instead.
Hello, we are gluten and nut free has anyone tried these with oat milk and gluten free white flour? Going to give it ago tomorrow. Will comment with results
I’ve made these many times and love them! I wanted to prep them on a Friday and baked them off to serve them for breakfast on Sunday. Do you think they’ll be ok? Should I use regular yeast (instead of instant) and put them in the fridge to rise until I’m ready to bake? Or do you think it’s better to completely make and bake them on Friday and just reheat them on Sunday morning? Thanks so much!
I’ve made these twice in the past week! I think I’ve made up for missing Cinnamon Rolls due to being Vegan for the last thirteen and a half years. Thanks SO much for sharing this recipe
I made these and everyone in my house love them! The last time i made them i added a little bit of light brown sugar and used maple syrup on top. These recipes never disappoint, always making us question why anyone would make this with dairy and gluten if it tastes this good without it?’
I made these, OMG they are amazing! And without too much effort #winning!
I used regular milk/butter and they turned out phenomenal. Gosh, you are good @minimalistbaker ?
I made these using coco palm sugar instead of the regular sugar and added in 1/2 cup of shredded zucchini & 1/2 cup of shredded carrots to give them some added nutrients. Also I tripled the cinnamon but we LOVE cinnamon! They came out AMAZING!
THESE ARE SO GOOD. OMG. I just made these for the first time (first cinnamon rolls since being vegan for about a year) and they turned out absolutely fantastic! I subbed Coconut Oil for the Earth Balance and used a little less for brushing on (3.5 tbsp instead of 5). I also subbed quinoa milk for almond milk, and it worked fine! I did the icing sugar to top it, just with a mix of veggie milk and icing sugar and they are fantastic! Thanks for the awesome recipe, I will definitely be making again!
I mean if you want to a cow to spend the rest of her life having her babies stolen away and hooked up to a machine the rest of her life just for her to have her hanging down while people slit her throat just for the sake of profit, go ahead. Use real plain milk. :)
Can you use margarine instead of vegan butter?
Hi! That should work!
Hi there! I am so excited to make these today on this snowy day. I’m just wondering if they freeze well?
Hi! They are best fresh, but you can freeze them! Check out this article!
100% success!! I am so happy these came out perfect, with no eggs or butter! They are fluffy and very tasty. I added more sugar to the dough and removed some from the brush-on part.
Thank you, this recipe is a keeper.
Had anyone tried making these with a liquid sweetener? (Agave, maple, honey?). Let me know, thanks so much!
Can coconut oil be used to sub the vegan butter?
Hi! I would recommend up to 1/2 substitution with coconut oil. I wouldn’t recommend omitting the butter altogether though! Good luck! :D
Thank you so much for this recipe! My daughter and I made these. They were light, fluffy and delicious! I am so proud of myself because I’ve never been a good baker. Your recipe gave me confidence!
you were like WHOAGINA? Seriously ? XD
Awesome! I made it exactly as the recipe but multiplied by 1.5 so I’d have half as much more. They were light, fluffy, and rose perfectly. This will be my go to cinnamon roll recipe for now on.
This recipe is delicious! The cinnamon rolls came out of the oven looking scrumptious! I made my own icing by combining a cup of powdered sugar with some soy milk. I had to substitute soy milk for almond milk due to my fiancee’s allergies to free nuts. I had to add extra soy milk to achieve the right consistency. I also added a tablespoon of earth balance and approximately a half tsp. Of cinnamon to the icing. It added a delicious cinnamony flavor to the cinnamon rolls. Thanks for the awesome recipe, Dana!
Worked really well – thank you!
SO excited about this recipe! I don’t currently have an 8×8 square pan but rather a 13″ cast iron circle pan, a 9×13 square, and an 8″ circle. Which would work best? Thanks!
Hi! Your 9×13 pan will work!
Just made them, they are dope and so easy to make, dont think its possible to mess them up! Thanks for sharing the recipe :)
Absolutely delicious
Oh good lord! Dana, these are INCREDIBLE and also easy! Subbed with plain milk and butter but followed the measurements and recipe as written and they have turned out lovely BOTH times I have made them….yup, made twice in the space of 4 days! Gluttonous? Oh for sure….but with something this good, who cares! Thank you for this brilliant recipe x
I’m making these right now and they’re not rising at all. They’ve been left to rise for about 40 minutes and I’m not seeing any change at all. I used whole wheat flour and non- vegan ingredients. Does anyone know why this is happening?
Excited about this recipe and the video was really helpful, thanks very much!
This was a great recipe.These were easy to make and tasted delicious! This is a beautiful looking design and the content is so clear and well written. Great job and everything here! Thanks for the recipe :)
For the love of cinnamon rolls – make a double batch of these! So easy I see alot of these in my future.
We made these cinnamon rolls when we woke up. We had to substitute cane sugar for coconut sugar and used a separate icing recipe. They turned out delicious!! We were amazed that we could make such a lovely, vegan dish from such a simple recipe! Thank you, Minimalist Baker!
Thanks again for another wonderful, easy recipe! We replaced all sugar with maple syrup and it turned out great, also used spelt flour. Kids loved them:) Thanks
Could I make the dough in my bread machine? I do understand I would have to remove it to let it rise the second time.
Hi! You sure can! I don’t have a bread machine but others left comments saying that they had success with their machines!
Do I have to use the specific brand of butter mentioned here or can I use any vegan butter that I have?
Hi! You can use any brand that you have on hand! Happy baking!
I’m really interested in making these, but there is like a 0% chance I’ll be awake early enough to make them before my kids wake up and demand breakfast. Would it work to let the second rise occur overnight in the refrigerator so they can be more ready to go? I’m imagining letting them warm up for 30 minutes while the oven pre-heats before baking, so there’s a maximum of one hour before they are ready after getting out of bed. Has anyone tried this?
I made these with half almond flour and half regular organic all purpose flour and they rose beautifully and tasted delicious.
These look amazingly delicious and easy peasy ! Can you help me modify the recipe using a blend of coconut flour and garbanzo bean flour? Do you think they would work?
This is a wonderful recipe! I am vegan and refrain from artificial sugar, thus I made these with papaya puree. I simply substituted the coconut sugar 1:1 with papaya puree. About a quarter of a large papaya will do with about a teaspoon of xantham gum added.
I used the leftover papaya puree (2 tbs) for the glaze along with six dates, 1 cup of coconut milk, and 1/4 cup of water.
Additionally (and aside from the papaya), I had to add more coconut milk (1/4 cup) to my dough because 3 cups of flour was too much. Perhaps because I used active dry yeast?
If using the papaya, I would suggest possibly adding applesauce to sweeten the dough a little more; I haven’t tried this, but I plan to soon. They were delightful without the applesauce, but for sweet tooths, I think it would be better. Great job Dana!
Grammer correct use
Hi !!! Can you used active dry yeast in this recipe ?
I made this with coconut milk because my daughter can’t have nuts so almond milk is off limits for us. It was amazing, and everyone loved it. I added more cinnamon though. I think that even 2 teaspoons wasn’t enough. I’m making them again tonight, thanks so much for the recipe!
Hi, I hope someone can enlughteb me on the type of yeast required fir this recipe. Whst is intended by “instant (or rapid rise) yeast”? I live in Ireland so I’m not familiar with the products available in the US. Would “essicated beer yeast” used for pizzas, bread, focaccias and some baked cakes be equivalent? I have a sachet of essicated beer yeast and the instructions say it’s not necessary to mix it with water, just add it to flour with 2 teaspoons of sugar. Then, I have another product for pizzas and focaccias (doesn’t say cakes), this one is actually a raising agent. So again not sure if it’s right for the rolls (probably not…). Thanks!
Hi! Hmm I am not sure if either of those will work for this recipe. Try and get your hands on some instant/rapid rise yeast! You can purchase it online, so if you cannot find it in store, that may be your next best option. Happy baking!
I just made it, but added chopped walnuts & raisins. I used half coconut & half almond milk. Came out fabulous. I had too much to fit into the 8×8 pan so I put extra into muffin tin. Came out really nice. Used icing made with confectioners sugar & coconut milk. That didn’t blend well. It tasted good though.
These were amazing! This was my first time making cinnamon rolls, and they came out very well. But you say it serves 10? I beg to differ – my bf and I ate almost the whole pan! There goes the vacation diet… :D
Thanks for the recipe!
These are the BEST cinnamon rolls! They are devoured in no time when I bring them for my coworkers, and none of them can believe they’re vegan! I replace half of the flour with whole wheat pastry flour and it works out great. Thank you so much for this recipe :)
Thanks for the recipe! They were great.
I’ve made this twice already. The second time I let it rise a little bit longer as my house was cold and it came out even better! I used the powdered sugar glaze as I didn’t have any vegan cream cheese, and I think next time I may incorporate orange or lemon juice into the glaze. Thank you so much for this recipe! It’s a perfect vegan substitute for Alton Brown’s overnight cinnamon rolls that I used to toil over! This is much easier and just as delicious!
Do you think that I can juste do the cinnamon rolls, but cook them the next day? And how long can we keep the cinnamon rolls after there cook? Are there gonna be as good the next day?
Thank you so much for this wonderful and easy recipe. My daughter and I have made it twice–so far, and found that by placing the bowl of dough by our small gas fireplace, we cut the rising time by about half…which is great as we can hardly wait for these buns to be ready. Again, thanks so much and happy new year!
Thank you for this recipe. I found that the flour amount is VERY generous. Ive made it twice now and find I leave about 3/4 c out and the dough ball is anything but sticky. I also substituted brown for white sugar and was much more generous with the cinnamon and margarine–I mean, if youre gonna eat this stuff, why not make it decadent? The first time I made it, I went exactly by recipe and it was good but the sweetness was shallow and didnt have the depth of flavor that brown sugar has (along with generous margarine). All that extra fat and sugar makes for the frosting to be VERY OPTIONAL… Thank you though. So appreciate who you are and all you do!
Thank you for this fabulous recipe! I am on a very low fat vegan diet, so I subsituted apple butter for oil based butter in exact amounts and the result is perfect! I am in heaven!
Ever since Bob Evans took their cinnamon roll off their menu, I’ve been missing it. And being vegan now felt like I was limited. I made this for Christmas brunch. I tweaked a little and added some brown sugar to the cinnamon mix. I also made my own icing with 1/2 c earth balance, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla, juice from half a lemon, 3 tablespoons of plain almond milk, and 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar.
The cinnamon rolls are perfect. Firm on the outside, gooey in the middle. It’s everything I’ve wanted!
I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU !!!!!!!!!!
THANKS FOR EXISTING !
forgot to rate before posting :-)