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I finally did it. I finally made the perfect vegan cinnamon rolls. This is a recipe I’ve wrestled with for years! I could never get them quite as fluffy and gooey as I wanted — until now!
The secret? A combination of aquafaba and tangzhong yields the pillowy, melt-in-your-mouth texture you might remember from eating Cinnabon as a kid. Combine that with a sweet cinnamon filling and a tangy vegan cream cheese frosting, and we’ve arrived at the pinnacle of vegan desserts — or breakfasts. (Cinnamon rolls are an anytime snack, in my book.)
These cinnamon rolls are sure to impress vegans and non-vegans alike. I swear, you could feed them to an entire room full of people who “don’t like vegan food” and they would all say that these are the best cinnamon rolls they’ve ever had.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
- Bread flour. I highly recommend using bread flour (and not subbing in all-purpose flour). The extra protein (i.e. gluten) in this type of flour provides extra structure to the dough, which helps it rise and become extra fluffy!
- Active dry yeast. For rising the dough. Instant yeast can be used as well (follow the same instructions).
- Soy milk. Like the bread flour, the protein content in soy milk is another key ingredient to achieve the right texture. I haven’t personally tested these with another type of plant milk, but most kinds should work. (With the exception of canned coconut milk.)
- Vegan butter. For the dough and the vegan cream cheese frosting. Make sure to use a brand you like and trust! Personally my go-to is the plant butter from Country Crock.
- Aquafaba. The liquid from a can of chickpeas. This is our egg replacer. In a pinch you can substitute in extra soy milk.
- Sugar.
- Brown sugar and cinnamon. This combination is the foundation of the classic cinnamon roll flavor.
- Powdered sugar, vegan cream cheese, and vanilla extract. For our cream cheese frosting. Vegan cream cheese is thick and tangy which is balanced out by the sweetness of the sugar. A little vanilla adds depth of flavor to our frosting.
- Salt. All sweet treats need a little bit of salt for balance.
How to Make This Vegan Cinnamon Roll Recipe
Make the Tangzhong
In a small pan, whisk together water and flour until there are no lumps. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring often, until it has thickened into a paste. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
Make the Dough
Whisk together lukewarm soy milk and yeast and allow to proof for 5-10 minutes, or until foamy.
Add the aquafaba, sugar, cooled tangzhong, and softened vegan butter. Whisk together to break up the tangzhong and butter a little.
Add in the bread flour and salt and mix together to form a shaggy dough. (If using a stand mixer, do this step with the paddle attachment.)
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding extra flour as needed. (If using a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook attachment to knead. You may only need 6-8 minutes in the stand mixer.)
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic or a damp kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until at least doubled in size.
Shape the Cinnamon Rolls
When the dough is almost done rising, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Generously grease or butter a 9×13″ baking pan or pair of cake pans.
Turn the risen dough out onto a clean work surface and roll it into a large rectangle.
Spread the softened butter across the dough. Then sprinkle the cinnamon & brown sugar mixture evenly across the dough, patting it down gently with your hands.
Starting from the long side, roll the dough into a log. Try to keep it tight as you roll.
Cut the rolls using dental floss or a sharp knife. First, I like to trim off a little from each end of the log. (There tends to be less cinnamon-sugar on the ends.) Then cut the log into 12 cinnamon rolls. It’s helpful to score the log before cutting to make sure the rolls will be uniform in size.
Transfer the rolls to the prepared pan(s). Cover and allow to rise for another 30-45 minutes, or until almost doubled in size.
Bake & Frost the Cinnamon Rolls
About 10-15 minutes before the rolls are done rising, begin preheating oven to 350°F.
Bake the risen rolls in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
While the rolls bake, make the Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting. In a large mixing bowl, beat together softened vegan cream cheese and vegan butter until smooth. Sift in the powdered sugar, then add in vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Beat until smooth and fluffy.
Once the rolls are done baking, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for about 10 minutes before frosting. (If they’re too hot, the frosting will immediately melt off anyway.) Enjoy!
Equipment & Useful Tools
- Stand mixer. Not necessary but cuts down on the amount of elbow grease needed.
- Danish dough whisk. If making the dough by hand, this is an excellent tool to help it come together faster.
- Rolling pin. A quality rolling pin will make your life so much easier when rolling out this dough.
- 9×13″ baking dish or two 9″ cake pans. Both of these options will work perfectly, it’s just a matter of preference. You’ll be able to fit all 12 cinnamon rolls in a 9×13″ pan or you can split the recipe and put 6 in each 9″ cake pan.
Sarah’s Recipe Notes
- Properly measure your flour: Fluff up the flour before scooping it into your measuring cup and level it off with a flat edge for an accurate measurement. This ensures your cinnamon rolls have the right texture and consistency. Packing the flour too firmly in the measuring cup will result in overly dense, dry cinnamon rolls.
- Ensure soy milk is correct temperature. In order for the yeast to rise properly, your soy milk has to be the right temperature. You’re going for lukewarm, meaning between 105-110°F. It should feel warm, not hot, to the touch. Anything over 115°F will kill your yeast and your vegan cinnamon rolls won’t rise!
- All ingredients at room temp! This is super important for making sure your cinnamon rolls come out right. If any of the ingredients are cold, it will affect the outcome of this recipe. For example, if you have leftover aquafaba in the refrigerator, take it out and let it come up to room temperature first.
FAQ
You know when you pop open a can of chickpeas and pour out that viscous liquid? That’s aquafaba! It’s one of the most fascinating and useful ingredients for vegan cooks.
Aquafaba does a fantastic job of mimicking eggs and egg whites. Because of its combination of carbs and protein, it can be used to emulsify, bind, and thicken certain recipes. For this recipe, we’re using it in conjunction with the tangzhong in order to give our cinnamon rolls structure and fluffiness.
Tangzhong, or a water roux, is a simple paste made of flour and water that is used to give bread extra moisture prevent it from going stale as quickly. It’s used in recipes such as steamed buns and Japanese milk bread.
To make tangzhong, all you have to do is cook flour in water until the starch in the flour begins to gelatinize. When added in to the rest of the dough, you get a final product that’s softer, like a fluffy, sweet, edible pillow.
Technically yes, but it’s highly recommended to use bread flour. Your vegan cinnamon rolls won’t come as soft and fluffy if you use all-purpose flour and then we’ll all be sad!
There’s no good 1:1 substitution for bread flour that can be used in this recipe. For gluten-free and vegan cinnamon rolls, check out this recipe from The Loopy Whisk.
Make sure to proof your yeast. The yeast mixture should be foamy before you move on to the next step. If it doesn’t appear to be bubbly and active after a few minutes, it might be dead. This can happen if your yeast is very old/expired, stored improperly, or if you added it to soy milk that’s too hot. The liquid should be lukewarm to the touch.
Making Overnight Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
If you want to prepare these a day in advance, it’s super easy to do! Just roll them up and cut them as usual and arrange them in your pan lined with parchment paper.
The parchment paper is recommended for the overnight process because as the cinnamon rolls sit, some of the cinnamon sugar filling may seep out to the bottom of the baking dish. This can caramelize quickly and stick to the bottom of the pan without the layer of parchment there.
Cover them well and put them in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, simply let them come to room temperature and rise for 30-45 minutes, or until very puffy and just about doubled in size. Preheat the oven near the end of that time. Then you can bake as normal!
Storage & Reheating
If you have leftover cinnamon rolls, you can store them in an airtight container on the counter for a day or two. You can also stick them in the refrigerator. In the fridge, they’ll last for about 5 days.
However you store your leftovers, make sure to heat them back up in the microwave so they regain their fluffy and gooey deliciousness!
Freezing Vegan Cinnamon Buns
After letting the cinnamon rolls cool down to room temperature, you have a few choices for how to freeze them. You can either cover the entire pan and put it in the freezer, transfer them to an airtight container, or wrap them one by one.
When you’re ready to dig in, let the cinnamon rolls defrost at room temperature and then reheat in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes. You can also microwave them once defrosted.
It’s best to freeze them before adding the frosting and to frost them once they are totally defrosted and warmed up.
More Vegan Dessert Recipes
- Easy Double Chocolate Vegan Banana Bread
- Vegan Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Cookies for Two
Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
Video
Equipment
- 9×13" baking pan, or two 9" cake pans
- plain dental floss or knife to cut the cinnamon rolls
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Tangzhong
- 1/4 cup bread flour
- 2/3 cup water
Dough
- 3/4 cup plain soy milk lukewarm (about 110°F)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast 1 standard packet
- 1/3 cup aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas) or sub extra soy milk
- all of the tangzhong from above
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons vegan butter softened at room temperature
- 4 1/2 cups bread flour (540g) plus extra for kneading
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
Filling
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup vegan butter softened
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting (double if you like a LOT of frosting)
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1/4 cup vegan butter softened
- 4 oz vegan cream cheese softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Make the Tangzhong
- In a small pan, whisk together water and flour until there are no lumps. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring often, until it has thickened into a paste. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.1/4 cup bread flour, 2/3 cup water
Make the Dough (Stand Mixer Instructions)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together lukewarm soy milk and yeast. Allow to proof for about 5 minutes, or until foamy.3/4 cup plain soy milk, 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- Add the aquafaba, sugar, cooled tangzhong, softened vegan butter, bread flour, and salt. Mix with the paddle attachment on medium speed until a shaggy dough forms, clearing the sides of the bowl.1/3 cup aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas), all of the tangzhong, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 6 tablespoons vegan butter, 4 1/2 cups bread flour, 1 teaspoon fine salt
- Switch to the dough hook attachment and knead for 6-8 minutes on medium-low speed, until the dough is elastic. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky, but not overly wet or sticky. It should clear the sides of the bowl, though it may stick a little to the bottom. If dough is overly wet or sticky, add extra flour 2 tablespoons at a time, kneading after each addition.
Make the Dough (By Hand Instructions)
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together lukewarm soy milk and yeast. Allow to proof for about 5 minutes, or until foamy.3/4 cup plain soy milk, 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- Add the aquafaba, sugar, cooled tangzhong, and softened vegan butter. Give them a quick whisk to begin to break up the tangzhong a little.1/3 cup aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas), all of the tangzhong, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 6 tablespoons vegan butter
- Add bread flour and salt and mix until a shaggy dough forms. A Danish dough whisk or a wooden spoon are the best tools to use here.4 1/2 cups bread flour, 1 teaspoon fine salt
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes, until elastic and fairly smooth. The dough should be soft and a little tacky, but it shouldn't stick to your hands. If dough is too wet/sticky, sprinkle on extra flour about 2 tablespoons at a time as needed, kneading to incorporate between additions. A bench scraper can be useful to keep your work surface clean.
Let the Dough Rise
- Lift the dough out of the bowl and shape into a ball. Lightly oil a bowl (you can use a new one, or the same one you mixed your dough in).Place the dough ball in and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic or a damp kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until at least doubled in size. (It can take up to 2 hours if your kitchen is very chilly.)
Shape the Cinnamon Rolls
- When the dough is almost done rising, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon and make sure your butter is softened. Generously grease or butter one 9×13” baking pan, OR two 9” cake pans. (Or line with parchment.)3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 1/3 cup vegan butter
- Lightly flour your work surface. Turn the risen dough out and roll it into a large rectangle, roughly 14×20” in size. (It doesn’t have to be too precise, as long as it’s about that size.)
- Spread the softened butter across the dough. Then sprinkle the cinnamon & brown sugar mixture evenly across the dough, patting it down gently with your hands to help it adhere to the butter.
- Starting from the long side, roll the dough into a log. Try to keep it as tight as possible while rolling.
- You can use plain dental floss or a sharp knife to cut the rolls. I find using the floss trick helps me get slightly neater rolls. First, I like to trim off a little from each end of the log. (There tends to be less cinnamon-sugar on the ends. You can bake the scrap dough separately in a little ramekin if you like.) Then cut the log into 12 cinnamon rolls. It’s helpful to score the log before cutting to make sure the rolls will be uniform in size.
- Transfer the rolls to the prepared pan(s). Cover and allow to rise for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until almost doubled in size.
Bake & Frost the Cinnamon Rolls
- Near the end of the rising time, begin preheating oven to 350°F. Place the rack in the middle of the oven.
- Bake the risen rolls in the preheated oven for 25-28 minutes, or until golden brown. (If they seem to be browning a little too fast, you can loosely tent them with a sheet of aluminum foil.)
- While the rolls bake, make the Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting. In a large mixing bowl, beat together softened vegan cream cheese and vegan butter until smooth. Sift in the powdered sugar, then add in vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Beat until smooth and fluffy. (Note: If you like a super thick layer of frosting, I recommend doubling the recipe.)1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup vegan butter, 4 oz vegan cream cheese, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, pinch of salt
- Once the rolls are done baking, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for about 20 minutes before frosting. (If they’re too hot, the frosting will immediately melt.) These are best enjoyed warm!
Overnight Instructions
- You can prepare the cinnamon rolls ahead of time and bake them the following morning. To do so, I recommend lining your baking dish with parchment before placing the shaped cinnamon rolls inside. Cover the rolls tightly and refrigerate overnight.
- The following morning, remove from the refrigerator and allow to finish rising on the counter for up to 1 hour (until very puffy) before proceeding to bake according to instructions above. (I don't recommend preparing the rolls more than a day prior to baking, because the cinnamon sugar mixture will start to draw moisture from the dough and become a puddle on the bottom of the pan.)
Notes
- Extra frosting: Double the frosting recipe if you like a super thick layer of frosting on your cinnamon rolls. (This is what I do.)
- Simple icing: If you’re not a fan of cream cheese frosting, you can make a simple icing/glaze by combining: 2 cups powdered sugar (sifted), 2 tablespoons melted butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 3-4 tablespoons plant milk.
- Best vegan cream cheese: My favorite affordable option is the one from Simple Truth. If I don’t mind splurging, I enjoy the one from Kite Hill.
- Yeast: Instant or active dry yeast can be used in the recipe; just follow the same instructions. Instant yeast may rise slightly faster.
- A note on milk: Soy is my preferred milk to bake with because its protein content is similar to that of dairy milk. The recipe will still work with other plant milks. (But don’t use canned coconut milk.)
- Useful tools: Stand Mixer | Danish Dough Whisk | Bench Scraper
Made these today and they were everything I could have hoped for!!!
I made these the other day at night and did the overnight method and they turned out amazing thank you for sharing this recipe!! By the way, what brand of butter did you use for the icing, I used Miyoko’s so I was curious. Thanks again, Sarah! (:
AMAZING! Everyone loved them! I did lukewarm soy milk instead of aquafaba and added Califia Farms whipped cream in between rolls before baking and it helped keeping them extra moist.
I used the pizza cutter method and rolled one at a time and I ended up with 9 (totally user error) and still turned out perfect!!! Highly recommend and this will be my go-to recipe now. Thank you Sarah!!!
Forgot to add I used Miyoko’s butter and Kite Hill Plain Cream cheese
These really are the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever made (or tasted). Thank you so much! 🙂
Wondering if you can freeze these ahead of time and how long would they keep? I imagine the moisture couldn’t be drawn out if they were frozen
They turned out amazing! We will definitely be making these frequently. Thank you for sharing 🙂
It was the first time ever that I made a cinnamon roll recipe, but it was really easy to follow and the result was *the best cinnamon roll I’ve ever eaten* *-*
Thank you for this incredible recipe!
p.s.: I subbed the aquafaba for plant milk (I used cashew milk) and it worked perfectly!
These are so yummy!
But I was wondering if I could halve the recipe—do you think that would work?
This is the 5th or 6th time we’ve made this recipe. It is absolutely delicious AND foolproof – literally one of the best bread recipes we’ve made, and has become a favorite not just of ours, but of family and friends. They always give us the credit, but it really should got to you, Sarah. Thanks for the amazing recipe! Love from NYC <3
These are so amazing and impressed all my non vegan family members on Christmas Eve morning. So worth all the steps!
Loved this recipe! I’ve been looking for a good cinnamon roll recipe since going vegan and this is absolutely it. I think it’s better than the omni one I used to use. Easy to follow, easy to make, and incredible payoff! Enjoyed by my whole family, where no one else is vegan. Thank you for sharing!!
Can confirm, these are the best! I made them for Christmas morning breakfast and I think this is going to be our new yearly tradition! Thanks for the great, easy but impressive recipe.
There is an error in the recipe. It calls for 540g of bread flour or 4 1/2 cups. 540g of flour is actually 2 1/4 cups. The recipe turns out a very large quantity of very dry dough using 4 1/2 cups, I can tell you.
The recipe is correct. King Arthur actually has a conversion table on their website (https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/ingredient-weight-chart) that breaks this down. Bread flour is ~120g per cup, so 4.5 cups would be ~540g. We’ve also tested this to make sure it’s accurate, which it is if you measure your flour properly. We appreciate being notified if there’s ever an error in one of our recipes, but we can assure you that this measurement is correct.
Yup. I was in error, not the recipe. The recipe is correct. Sorry for the confusion, and thank you for such a wonderful recipe. I use it almost weekly as the best cinnamon bun recipe I have ever found — when done as written. 😉 And I have tried a lot of them.
No worries. Thank you for being kind. Glad you love the recipe!
Holy. Buns.
These were SO good! I think it was maybe my second time making cinnamon rolls but they turned out delicious! I just ate the last one (its monday and I made them on Thursday. The microwave brought the dry little guy back to life! I used plain oat milk instead of soy and I definitely recommend a danish whisk, easier to mix with and easier to get all the bits of dough out.
I made another recipe two days after I made these (a faster one) but this one was definitely superior and I think the tangzhong was partially to blame.
Oh the only “gripe” I have is that the web page kept reloading for some reason on my phone and theres a lot of info in it so that was kind of a pain but now I know to reference it on my computer next time.
If you make these be sure you have lots of time… like 5 hours to a whole day off.
Theyre totally worth the work. Thanks for the recipe! 🥰