Easy Gooey Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

A slightly more nutritious version of this beloved sweet, this quick and easy vegan cinnamon rolls recipe contains spelt flour, yet makes super soft and gooey buns. Ready to bake in about 2 hours. A brown sugar glaze drizzled on top makes for a delicious sweet indulgence with a cup of coffee or for Sunday brunch.

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Easy Gooey Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Who can resist a warm gooey cinnamon roll? Cinnamon and sugar enveloped in a soft, fluffy dough and baked to perfection is akin to magic. Considering how irresistible they are, I can’t believe it’s taken this long to share my vegan cinnamon rolls on here. Alas, it’s finally come to fruition.

I’m not going to pass these off as super healthy, but in all my experimentation,  this is the version that I am happiest with (and I hope you are, too). They’re satisfying, super gooey, and a tad healthier than traditional cinnamon rolls.

This recipe uses a simple sugar glaze for the topping instead of powdered sugar. However, feel free to glaze these buns with whatever you want-there are plenty of delicious recipes for vegan cream cheese glaze for example. 

A portion of spelt flour for flavour and nutrition

My vegan cinnamon rolls are made with a portion of spelt flour, however, whole wheat flour or more all purpose flour can be used in exchange. As such, they contain more fiber than traditional rolls, yet they’re still really soft and gooey thanks to a secret ingredient.

Why my vegan cinnamon rolls are different (and better)

These vegan cinnamon rolls are super easy to make and certainly reminiscent of traditional brioche-style versions.  Sweet roll dough uses egg yolk, melted butter and milk to create that unmistakable texture. But, this recipe uses none of those.

Olive oil (my secret ingredient) makes for a soft and supple dough that also happens to be a tad healthier. Yes, these vegan cinnamon rolls are made without butter or eggs, but they are so good!

Topped with an optional brown sugar glaze, they become extra gooey and totally indulgent.

6 Tips to make the perfect gooey vegan cinnamon rolls

1. Use fresh yeast  – with any bread or sweet roll recipe, make sure your yeast is active. When in doubt, purchase a new package of yeast. It’s best to store your yeast (once opened) in the fridge to prolong it’s life.
2. Crumple the Parchment Paper – parchment paper with load of wrinkles in it will take the shape of your baking dish much easier. As such, crinkle a large piece of parchment into a small ball, then smooth it back out before placing it in the dish.
3. Knead by hand or use a stand mixer – I prefer kneading dough by hand, although, you can easily prepare and knead the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer.
4. Rest the dough before rolling –  dough often stretches and springs back when it’s being rolled out. Allowing it to rest for about 5-10 minutes relaxes the gluten-strands and will make rolling out the dough much easier.
5. Use a serrated knife –  when portioning the rolls, a serrated knife will make this job easy; it won’t tug, squish or pull on the dough as much.
6. Drizzle sugar glaze once the rolls are cool – it’s best not to glaze the cinnamon buns when they’re still hot. Letting them cool  to room temperature will help the sugar glaze set up and make a gooey topping for these buns.

Instant Yeast for quick vegan cinnamon rolls

This recipe uses instant yeast to reduce the rising and proofing time. Instant yeast (sometimes called rapid rise yeast) reduces the rising time by roughly half that of active dry yeast.

Both can be used interchangeably. However, if you’re short on time, you can use instant yeast in place of active dry for any recipe. Just be sure to adjust the amount of yeast by about 1/4 (25%) to prevent your cinnamon rolls from over rising.

It should be noted that a longer rising/proofing time can be a good thing, especially when it comes to developing flavour. However, there is no need to have a longer proofing time for this recipe. As such, use active dry or instant yeast to your liking.

Want more recipes like this one?

If you love my easy gooey vegan cinnamon rolls recipe, why not check out some of my other favorites?

Vegan Cinnamon Rhubarb Oat Crumble

Fluffy Vegan Cinnamon Spelt Pancakes

Cranberry Citrus Oat Muffins

5 from 2 votes

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Easy Gooey Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

A healthier version of this beloved sweet, this quick and easy vegan cinnamon rolls recipe contains spelt flour, yet makes for soft and gooey cinnamon buns. A simple brown sugar glaze drizzled on top of the warm cinnamon buns makes these super delicious.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Swedish

Keyword cinnamon rolls, healthy, vegan

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Proofing Time 2 hours

Total Time 3 hours

Servings 8 servings

Calories 388 kcal

Author Heidi Richter

Ingredients

For the Cinnamon Rolls

• 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) of warm almond milk (100’F)
• 2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups spelt flour or whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

For Cinnamon Sugar Filling

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the Glaze

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or vegan butter
• 1/4 cup almond milk

Instructions

1. Line a 10″ round pan with parchment paper. set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the warm almond milk, yeast, olive oil, sugar and vanilla. Let stand for 5 minutes or until the yeast has bloomed (foamed).

3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flours and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the milk mixture and stir until rough ball forms. 
   

4. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes. If the dough becomes sticky, add more flour to the surface and your hands. Form the dough into a ball and place back in the mixing bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.

5. Punch down the dough and turn out onto a floured surface. Roll the dough into a 12″x18″ rectangle (approx 1/4″ thick). In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar, then sprinkle evenly over the surface of the dough. Use a rolling pin to gently press the sugar mixture onto the dough to help it adhere.
   

6. Starting at the short end, roll the dough in on itself, using a scraper if the dough sticks to the surface.  With a serrated knife, cut the roll into 8 equal slices and arrange them in the prepared pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

7. Preheat the oven to 350’F bake the proofed rolls for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze.

8. In a medium saucepan, over medium-high heat, stir together the glaze ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool (stirring occasionally) until the glaze ribbons off the spoon.
   

9. Drizzle the glaze over the warm cinnamon buns and serve.

Recipe Notes

whole wheat flour can be used in exchange for spelt flour in a 1:1 ratio.

Nutrition Facts

Easy Gooey Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Amount Per Serving (1 cinnamon bun)

Calories 388 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Sodium 363mg16%

Potassium 80mg2%

Carbohydrates 70g23%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 31g34%

Protein 7g14%

Calcium 82mg8%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. This is an approximation of the nutrition offered in this recipe, and is created using a nutrition calculator. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your preferred calculator.

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