Easy Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls - no yeast!

For my fellow pumpkin lovers, this one is for you! These easy vegan pumpkin cinnamon rolls are the perfect treat on a chilly autumn day. Soft, moist, pumpkin-infused dough, swirled with buttery brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice, and topped with a simple vegan cream cheese icing. I mean, does it get better than that!? It does! These rolls are also pretty easy to make, requiring no yeast at all! Perfect for a make-ahead breakfast or dessert, a fantastic addition to Thanksgiving Day, Halloween, or any day you feel like a special treat (aka every day). 😉

Traditionally cinnamon rolls require yeast to make the dough. Yeast is totally vegan, but I know a lot of people are too intimidated to work with it since it requires so much time and effort-- activating the yeast, kneading, rising, re-rising... So instead I made these easy vegan cinnamon rolls using my sneaky technique of using baking powder instead of yeast. Baking powder makes these rolls rise beautifully but doesn't require any extra fuss! My kinda recipe.

I originally shared this no yeast technique for my fan-favorite classic easy vegan cinnamon buns recipe, so I thought it was time to share a new pumpkin-inspired version.

The added pumpkin in these rolls not only adds delicious pumpkin-y flavour, but it also makes the rolls super moist, tender, flakey with a slight biscuit texture. When combined with the pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar, and cream cheese frosting, the result is the most perfect pumpkin-infused autumn treat.

Make these and enjoy them still warm out of the oven, or make them ahead of time. They keep well for a few days, or you can also freeze them. If you wish to serve them fresh but get most of the work done, the vegan pumpkin cinnamon rolls can be prepared, cut, and placed in the baking dish, and kept covered in the fridge for up to two days. When ready to bake, let them warm to room temperature for 20 - 30 minutes, then bake and frost following the recipe. YUM!

How to make easy vegan pumpkin cinnamon rolls:

Make the pumpkin roll dough:

Bowl method: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. 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. Add the pumpkin pureé plant-based milk and combine to make a shaggy dough.

Food processor method: in a large food processor add the flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice, and pulse to combine. Add in the vegan butter cubes and pulse until the butter is mixed into the flour. Add the pumpkin pureé plant-based milk and pulse several times, stopping to scrape the sides to make a shaggy dough. It's ok if there is still some loose powder.

Note: if using a food processor, you will need a large one. I use my 16 cup Breville food processor.

Turn the dough onto 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 a 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 buns!

Make the 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".

Pumpkin spice 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 pumpkin pie spice, then sprinkle the mixture evenly over the melted butter.

I like to use my homemade pumpkin pie spice mixture, but you can also use a store-bought one.

Form the rolls: Starting from the long 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 rolls in the baking dish, swirl side up, and bake for 28 - 33 minutes until puffed up and lightly golden. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Note: Make sure you use a 9" x 12" pan or equivalent. For the cinnamon buns to stay soft they need to expand into each other. If they have too much room around each bun, they can end up getting crispy.

For the icing: Combine the powdered sugar, vegan butter, vanilla extract, and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Spread the icing over the rolls (it's ok if it's messy). Then sprinkle with a few pinches of pumpkin pie spice. Enjoy!

Enjoy easy vegan pumpkin cinnamon rolls while they are still slightly warm for the most scrumptiousness, but once they are cooled they are still delicious as well! I love mine with a nice cup of coffee.

Bon appetegan!

Sam Turnbull.