Author: Grab yourself a napkin because you might be drooling a little while reading this recipe. I've got Easy Vegan Cinnamon Buns for you today, and this recipe is a game changer. I hacked this recipe so these Easy Vegan Cinnamon Buns are as easy as possible to make. No yeast. No rising. Only 10 ingredients. No weird ingredients. Freezable. Completely addictive ← you have been warned.
I figured out a way to make tender, moist, pull apart, vegan cinnamon buns without messing around with yeast. Sure, these cinnamon buns have several steps to prepare them (that's the nature of cinnamon buns I'm afraid), but I made sure to include lots of pictures of each step so that you can see for yourself that every step is actually pretty easy.
And then you get to eat these ↓↓↓
Drooooooool...
Not only are these vegan cinnamon buns easy to make, but they will keep fresh for several days. I even tested freezing them finished with icing and all, and you know what? I left them on the counter to thaw and they came back perfectly to fluffy, tender, icing glazed life. YUM! Learn how to make delicious (yet simple!) vegan cinnamon rolls with this easy recipe. My Vegan Cinnamon Buns are perfect for breakfast or any time of day!
To Make Easy Vegan Cinnamon Buns:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add in the vegan butter cubes and use a pastry cutter or fork to cut the butter into the flour until you reach a grainy texture.
Pour in the plant-based milk and combine to make a shaggy dough.
Either in the bowl or on a clean work surface use your hands to knead the dough together incorporating any leftover dry ingredients until it all comes together into a nice ball. Let the dough rest in the bowl for 10 - 15 minutes before proceeding. Resting allows the dough to get stretchy which is a must for gorgeous pull apart cinnamon rolls!
Once the dough has rested, lightly flour a clean work surface and roll the dough with a rolling pin until you get a rectangle about 19" x 14".
Pour the melted vegan butter over the rolled out dough and use a pastry brush or the back of a spoon to spread evenly over the dough. In a small bowl mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the melted butter.
Starting from a longer side of the dough rectangle, use your hands to gently roll the dough up.
Once rolled, use a sharp knife to cut 12 cinnamon rolls by gently sawing with the knife.
*I like to mark out each bun by lightly scoring the surface of the roll before doing the final cuts, to ensure even sized cinnamon buns.
Place the cinnamon rolls in the baking dish, swirl side up, and bake for 24 - 28 minutes until puffed up and lightly golden. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
If making the icing (and you should make the icing), combine the powdered sugar, vegan butter, vanilla extract, and lemon juice or plant-based milk in a small bowl.
*I like using lemon juice to add a little bit of tang to the icing- similar to cream cheese frosting, but if you want an all sweet icing opt for plant-based milk.
Spread the icing roughly over the still warm cinnamon buns. The icing will melt into the cinnamon buns a little. YUM!
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Easy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
Servings: Cinnamon rolls
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Ingredients
For the vegan cinnamon bun dough:
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegan butter,, cut into small cubes
- 1 ¼ cup plant-based milk, (such as soy or almond)
For the cinnamon sugar filling:
- ¼ cup vegan butter,, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
For the icing (optional):
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 teaspoons lemon juice or plant-based milk*
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F (200C). Line with parchment paper or grease a 9"x 12" baking dish. *Make sure you use a 9" x 12" pan or equivalent. For the cinnamon rolls to stay soft they need to expand into each other. If they have too much room around each roll, they can end up getting crispy. I used the one from this baking set.
- Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add in the vegan butter cubes and use a pastry cutter or fork to cut the butter into the flour until you reach a grainy texture. Pour in the plant-based milk and combine to make a shaggy dough.
- Either in the bowl or on a clean work surface use your hands to knead the dough together incorporating any leftover dry ingredients until it all comes together into a nice ball. Let the dough rest in the bowl for 10 - 15 minutes before proceeding for the best dough texture. Resting allows the dough to get stretchy which is a must for gorgeous pull apart cinnamon rolls!
- Roll the dough: Once the dough has rested, lightly flour a clean work surface and roll the dough with a rolling pin until you get a rectangle about 19" x 14".
- Cinnamon sugar filling: Pour the melted vegan butter over the rolled out dough and use a pastry brush or the back of a spoon to spread evenly over the dough. In a small bowl mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the melted butter.
- Roll your cinnamon rolls: Starting from a longer side of the dough rectangle, use your hands to gently roll the dough up. Once rolled, use a sharp knife to cut 12 cinnamon rolls by gently sawing with the knife. I like to mark out each bun by lightly scoring the surface of the roll before doing the final cuts, to ensure even sized cinnamon rolls.
- Bake: Place the cinnamon rolls in the baking dish, swirl side up, and bake for 24 - 28 minutes until puffed up and lightly golden. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
- Optional icing: Combine the powdered sugar, vegan butter, vanilla extract, and lemon juice or plant-based milk together in a small bowl. *I like using lemon juice to add a little bit of tang to the icing- similar to cream cheese frosting, but if you want an all sweet icing opt for plant-based milk. Spread the icing roughly over the still warm cinnamon rolls. The icing will melt into the cinnamon rolls a little. YUM!
Notes
Store leftover cinnamon rolls covered at room temperature for 2–3 days. For longer storage, freeze them (with or without icing) in an airtight container. If frozen with icing, let them thaw completely at room temperature before serving (no reheating or the icing will melt). Make Ahead:
You can prep the cinnamon rolls in advance by assembling and cutting them, then placing them in the baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to bake, let them sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes, then bake and frost as directed. Freezing & Reheating:
For best results, bake the cinnamon rolls, let them cool completely, and freeze them in the baking dish without icing, tightly covered. When ready to serve, thaw at room temperature, then warm in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 10–15 minutes until soft and heated through. Add the icing after reheating so it melts gently over the warm rolls. They stay soft, fluffy, and totally delicious!
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕Bon appetegan!
Sam.
Jess says
Yum!!!! I'm planning on making these this week as I am rostered on for the community outreach program through our school (Meals for those in need). Would they freeze ok if frosted, do you think?
Thank you for sharing the vegan deliciousness!!!
x
Sam Turnbull says
Yep! They freeze well with frosting and all 🙂
Danielle says
These are amazing! Great call with suggesting the lemon juice for the icing! Every recipe I make of yours never disappoints, thanks for another great dish!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww you're most welcome, Danielle! Thrilled you love it so much 🙂
Kellie says
Could I use coconut oil in place of butter for the dough?
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, but it won't have that buttery taste. Make sure the coconut is cold and solid and keep everything cold so that it doesn't get melty. Enjoy!
Kyla says
LOVE them. I can be a little lazy when it comes to baking but when I saw the simple list of ingredients and no yeast I knew I had to make them! It’s 11:30pm and I just ate one warm from the oven~ Delicious! My kids will love them for breakfast tomorrow! Thank you
Sam Turnbull says
Oh what a lovely late night treat! So thrilled you loved them so much, Kyla 🙂
Sally says
I tried this but they didn’t rise at all? What did I do wrong?
Sam Turnbull says
Do you think you might have forgotten to add the baking powder? That's what makes the buns rise.
Samiksha says
Can we substitute all purpose flour for wheat flour ?
Sam Turnbull says
For substituting whole wheat flour I recommend you check out this article.
Samiksha says
If we are making this in a microwave how log to do we keep it and at what temperature ?
Sam Turnbull says
I wouldn't recommend making these in a microwave.
Aimee B. says
OMG!!! These are AWESOME! I made a half batch and the house smells as amazing as they taste. I did mine in my toaster oven at 375 for 20 minutes. My frosting ended up being more of a glaze, but still tasted good. I think next time I'll just pick up a can of frosting at the store and smear it on, lol! Thanks so much for the wonderful easy recipe. 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Aimee!! Thrilled you loved them so much 🙂
Chelsea says
I've made these a few times. Love this recipe! They never last very long 😉
Sam Turnbull says
Haha, awesome! Thrilled you loved them, Chelsea 🙂
Jessica S. says
I'm not too fond of making dough, so I had been reluctant to make this recipe. Today I made it and used it to make a Mardi Gras King Cake. It turned out grand! The dough was easier than I had anticipated, the dough looked just like your picture and I'm very happy with my results! Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So thrilled you found it easier than expected 🙂
MAKAyla says
Could i use whole wheat flour ?
Sam Turnbull says
When substituting whole wheat flour the results will change and it isn't a 1 for 1 sub. I recommend following this guide.
Doey says
So I added too much non-dairy milk and then ran out of flour. Have you seen that meme “make up tutorial with 8 easy steps for smoky eyes” and the DIY result is what looks like a bruised goth? The equivalent of that happened with my cinnamon rolls but they were still yum! 😛
Sam Turnbull says
Haha, glad you enjoyed them!
Jo says
These were fantastic - even my omni hubby loved them (and the kids wolfed them down!)
We added some mixed dried fruit, yum. Thanks for the great recipe.
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Awesome!!!
Kelly says
As most have already said, these are delicious! I doubled the frosting and ate 2 (yes, I can be a bit of a glutton), and thoroughly enjoyed both. One of my kids came in and when I told her they were vegan, she took a tentative bite, and then dove right in, exclaiming she couldn't believe a vegan cinnamon roll could taste that good.
We have also really been enjoying your tofu bites. Thank you for the great recipes!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww that's so wonderful, Kelly!!! Delighted you loved them so much 🙂
Allison says
I made these last night and they are amazing!!! I seriously wasn’t expecting it bc I’ve been trying to perfect my biscuit making lately (I have a recipe not yours and they key I guess is to not overwork the dough) so I felt like I was overworking it when I made the buns and was expecting the worse from myself haha but they turned out amazing and I love how they delicately break apart, not tough or super chewy. Even a day later we’re eating them cold from the fridge and they’re still so so good! Just wanted to thank you for all the work you put into these tried and true recipes. <3
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Allison!! I'm so delighted you enjoyed them so much 🙂
Toni Leigh Black says
What kind of gluten free flour can I use?
Amanda says
I made these last night, I needed a little more milk than the recipe called for. But it came together great. These are by far the most delicious cinnamon rolls I’ve made. They’re so buttery and soft. AMAZING. vegan and non vegan approved. This is a keeper.
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed them, Amanda!
Penny Roberts says
Can these be made gluten free and what flour do you recommend for gluten free.
Thanks Penny
Sam Turnbull says
I'm not an expert in gluten-free baking, so I don't really know, but I have heard good things about Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1. Enjoy!
Lorrie says
Sam, these came out so good. I made them for a New Years Eve party and my family was begging for more. I have made them twice in 1 week. This is definitely a favorite!! Thank you so much.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!!! That's so amazing!!! Thrilled you and your family love them so much 🙂
Annie Coleman says
Sam these look amazing and I will be making them, thanks so much for this one.
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Annie 🙂
Meg says
These are super freaking delicious! Much less time consuming than yeast-raised cinnamon rolls (which are, indeed, yummy) but a hundred times better than biscuit-mix cinnamon rolls. I snacked on one immediately after removing them from the oven, and my family loved (what was left of them) later on. Perfection! I'm definitely a Sam Fan.
Sam Turnbull says
Aww shucks, thank you so much, Meg!!! Melt my heart 🙂