Soft & Fluffy Easy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls (Overnight Option)
These unbelievably vegan cinnamon rolls are honestly the best cinnamon rolls you will ever eat! Even non-vegans LOVE them! Soft, fluffy, sweet, and cinnamon-y, and they’re incredibly easy to make with a straight forward method and an overnight option too. You’ll be a vegan cinnamon bun pro in no time!
Why you’ll love these AMAZING vegan cinnamon rolls
This is the only vegan cinnamon roll recipe you’ll ever need. Seriously, they’ve been fully approved by even non-vegan eaters, who have noted that they’d prefer these to the classic! These cinnamon rolls are truly my favorite vegan breakfast recipes to make (next to the ultimate vegan French toast, super fluffy vegan buttermilk pancakes, and vegan baked oatmeal recipe!).
This post is packed with all of the tips, tricks, and troubleshooting questions to ensure that your vegan cinnamon rolls are undetectably healthy, dairy-free, low in sugar, lower in fat, and refined sugar free!
These vegan cinnamon rolls are:
- Soft, tender, and fluffy
- Just like the classic cinnamon buns you remember as a kid! The taste and texture are identical!
- Full of gooey cinnamon sugar filling
- Super easy to make
- Stress-free using the overnight option
- Perfect for Christmas breakfast or holiday brunch
- Approved by all eaters (meaning some were vegan, some were not, some were dairy free, some were not!)
With a super gooey and sweet cinnamon filling, and the creamiest cinnamon roll icing, any vegan skeptics will be absolutely speechless when they try these cinnamon rolls!
In fact, that’s why this is the base recipe for my delicious vegan pumpkin cinnamon rolls, banana bread cinnamon rolls, and gingerbread cinnamon rolls!
I even made a JUMBO giant cinnamon roll cake (with maple brown butter no less!!) after this recipe too 🙂 It’s HEAVEN!
Ingredients and substitutions:
- All Purpose Flour: I have worked with bread flour with this recipe- either works! If you are gluten free, please see my unbelievably gluten free vegan cinnamon rolls or my Paleo vegan cinnamon rolls!.
- Active dry yeast: you can also use rapid-rise yeast. Just be aware that your proofing time will be quicker. I use the active dry yeast from the packet, but I’ve provided gram measurements for anyone who has jarred yeast.
- Dairy-free milk: I like oat milk, Forager Project’s soy milk, or cashew milk, but use your favorite dairy-free milk! Almond milk and coconut milk also work great.
- Sugar: You can use granulate sugar, coconut sugar, or brown sugar (especially for the filling!). Be sure that that the granulated sugar that you’re using is vegan!
- Vegan butter: I really love Miyoko’s for this. Earth Balance or Flora Plant butter is a great option if you’re nut free. You can also use coconut oil, such as Edward & Sons!
- Unsweetened dairy free yogurt: this replaces the eggs found in traditional homemade cinnamon rolls. You can also use applesauce as well!
- Vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon
- Powdered sugar (for the icing)
As you can see, there are no funky ingredients in these rolls! In fact, they’re actually pretty low in sugar compared to most homemade cinnamon rolls, and are entirely refined sugar free. I personally love using coconut sugar here because it’s not as processed as regular sugar and yields a more caramelized flavor for these gooey cinnamon rolls.
In terms of equipment, you really don’t need much to make cinnamon rolls:
- A medium and a large bowl (one for mixing, one for rising) and/or a stand mixer
- Rolling pin
- Rectangle or round pan
- Spoon or pastry brush (I prefer the brush for spreading the filling because it yields a more even filling, but you can use a spoon if that’s all you have on hand!)
- Twine or floss or a pizza cutter (you’ll see why I like to use a pizza cutter in the below sections!)
How to make easy vegan cinnamon rolls (overview)
For the full written instructions and ingredient measurements, see the bottom of this post in the recipe card. You can also hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of this post! Here, we’ll go over a brief overview of the steps, along with providing visuals for a better understanding of the recipe.
I promise you that making gooey and soft rolls that are undetectably vegan and healthy is not as hard as you think. It just takes some patience (ever head of the saying that bread is a labor of love? It holds true for cinnamon rolls too!).
Here’s how to make vegan cinnamon rolls:
- Bloom the yeast: Make sure that your dairy free milk is 110F. Use a food thermometer to check: you won’t be able to detect this with just your hands! Too hot, and the yeast will be deactivated, and too cold and the yeast just won’t activate at all. There is no real trick to fixing this later on in the recipe, so it’s best to get it right the first time! Then you’ll mix in a spoonful of flour and sugar, along with the yeast. Cover and set in a warm area until it smells yeast-like. Make sure to use a wooden spoon, as sometimes metal reacts with yeast and will cause it not to activate!
- Make the dough: You can use a stand mixer with a dough attachment or mix by hand! Either works! I still like to knead the dough slightly even after using a stand mixer. I think adding a bit of love helps the dough a bit 🙂 And helps to achieve that super soft texture!
- The first proof: Place the dough into a clean and oiled bowl and cover. You can use plastic wrap or a clean kitchen dish towel, like I do. You can set this in the oven with the light on (and the oven off) or in a warm area in your kitchen. Let the dough rise until it’s doubled in size. Then we’ll roll out the dough!
- Roll out the dough and spread the cinnamon filling: Lightly flour a clean surface and a rolling pin. This helps to prevent any stickiness the dough creates. It will be much easier to roll on a floured surface! Then roll out the dough to be a long rectangle, about 12″ by 18.” Spread the softened vegan butter to the edges, and sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar filling.
- Roll the cinnamon roll dough: Roll the dough length wise and tightly. Then use a piece of thin twine, string, or unflavored dental floss to slice about 12 cinnamon rolls. Place the rolls into your baking dish and prepare for the next rise!
How to tell if your yeast is properly bloomed:
If you’re making cinnamon rolls for the first time, then you might be wondering what it looks like when yeast is ready to be used in your cinnamon roll dough.
The key is using warm milk with a touch of sugar, and stirring in the yeast. Let it sit for a few minutes (about 10 minutes), and the yeast should bubble and foam, like below. You’ll also notice a yeast-like smell that’s similar to beer.
Why use a pizza cutter instead of floss for slicing cinnamon rolls:
I’ve used both methods for making cinnamon rolls, and I just adore using a pizza cutter. While you can get really clean and nice slices with the floss, you have even LESS of a chance of squishing the spiral and getting an even more beautiful roll with the pizza cutter.
It takes slightly more time, as you’re slicing each individual roll. But in my mind, it’s worth it!
Why use vegan heavy cream with cinnamon rolls:
So I’ve tried this recipe with and without heavy cream added to the bottom of the pan just before baking. I LOVE the heavy cream version. The rolls are even softer and more plush and melt in your mouth.
To me, it’s worth it if you want to make these vegan cinnamon rolls really stand out. However, rest assured that this recipe is really just as delicious without if you don’t have access to the heavy cream.
For vegan heavy cream, I recommend using Plant Crock or Silk. You can also use coconut cream!
Can I make these gluten free cinnamon rolls?
Not this particular recipe, but try this super quick and easy gluten free vegan cinnamon rolls recipe here! They taste just like the classic!
Cinnamon Roll Tips & Tricks
Making homemade vegan cinnamon rolls seems like a daunting process at first, and while these are easy, there is always a chance for error no matter what recipe you make. So I want to ensure that you go into your cinnamon roll baking process equipped with all of the right tips!
- Make sure that all liquid ingredients that are not heated are room temperature: This mainly is speaking to the applesauce. If you refrigerate your applesauce, simply allow the sauce to come to room temperature before beginning. Cold ingredients when met with hot ingredients will mess up the texture and result of these cinnamon rolls
- Add the glaze or cream cheese icing when the rolls are still warm: This just makes the rolls extra gooey and sweet. They turn out to be essentially like a cinnabon- but WAY better in my opinion! You’ll never know these vegan cinnamon rolls are healthy!
- What to do if your yeast isn’t activating: A good sign that the yeast isn’t activating properly is right at the start. You should see a foamy mixture sitting on top of the liquid when you first activate the yeast. If you don’t and if it doesn’t smell yeast-y, scratch the mixture and start again. However, if you’re already in the process of making the dough and you’re noticing that the dough isn’t rising properly during the first proof, you can try to get it to rise by placing a damp warm towel over the bowl and ensuring it’s in a warm environment. A warm environment is key. A little extra dampness can go a long way too! Here’s another great post that goes into detail about how to determine if your yeast is good.
- Check out my guide for troubleshooting yeast: I have a comprehensive and exhaustive guide in my vegan brioche bread that goes over what to do if your bread isn’t rising! This applies to vegan cinnamon roll dough as well 🙂
- Want chocolate cinnamon rolls? I used this recipe to create a small batch chocolate cinnamon roll recipe that is INCREDIBLE!
Can I make a smaller batch of these?
Yes, absolutely! I actually have a small batch vegan cinnamon rolls recipe that makes just four 🙂
How to make overnight vegan cinnamon rolls
If you’re like me, then you probably have zero desire to go through an hour process in the morning of making some healthy cinnamon rolls. It’s the weekend, and you just want something easy!
Not a problem at all. This recipe is easily made the night before, so you can wake up Christmas morning for the easiest holiday breakfast. All you’ll need to do is prepare the cinnamon rolls by following Steps 1-10 below in the recipe card.
After the second proof, simply keep the rolls covered and place them in the fridge overnight. The next morning, when you’re ready to make your rolls, place the vegan cinnamon rolls into the oven (the oven is turned off), and turn on the oven light. Let the rolls warm for 20-25 minutes in the oven.
Then remove the rolls from the oven, and preheat the oven to 350F, while the rolls rest near or on top of the oven (they still need to be in a warm environment). Once the oven is preheated, bake per the instructions and ice!
You are just going to love these vegan cinnamon rolls! I just know they’re going to become your new favorite cinnamon roll recipe, vegan or not.
If you make them, let me know how they turn out in the comments section below and leave a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ so that others may find the recipe.
As always, I love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there!
Happy Baking!
Watch how to make vegan cinnamon rolls:
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If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!
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Soft & Fluffy Easy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls (Overnight Option)
- Prep Time: 120
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These unbelievably vegan cinnamon rolls are honestly the best cinnamon rolls you will ever eat! Even non-vegans LOVE them! Soft, fluffy, sweet, and cinnamon-y, and they’re incredibly easy to make with a straight forward method and an overnight option too. You’ll be a vegan cinnamon bun pro in no time!
Ingredients
Vegan Cinnamon Rolls:
- 4 1/4 cups (540 g) + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour, divided (plus more for flouring surface)
- 1 packet (8 g) activated yeast
- 1/2 cup (90 g) granulated sugar or coconut sugar, divided
- 1 1/4 cup (270 mL) dairy-free milk, unsweetened, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (57 g) salted vegan butter, melted and room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (87 g) unsweetened applesauce or dairy free yogurt, room temperature
Vegan Cinnamon Roll Filling:
- 1/2 cup (113 g) vegan butter or coconut oil, softened
- 3 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup (150 g) brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) vegan heavy cream
Dairy Free Icing:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup (113 g) vegan butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Please read through all instructions before beginning. The overnight option and gluten free option are down below in the notes section.
- Prep: Grease a medium sized bowl with olive oil or coconut oil, and set aside. Make sure the vegan butter for the dough is melted and cooled.
- Activate the yeast: In microwave-safe bowl, heat the dairy-free milk until it reaches 110F- use a food thermometer to accurately measure the temperature. Any cooler or hotter, and the yeast won’t activate properly. Add in 1 tbsp coconut sugar and the extra 1 tbsp flour. Gently whisk together, then sprinkle yeast, mix with a spoon lightly, cover, and let activate for 10 minutes in a warm area.
- Make the dough: When activated, pour the mixture into a large bowl or a stand mixer with the dough attachment. Add in the remaining sugar, applesauce, melted vegan butter, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until combine. Then add in about half of the flour and mix on medium speed until the flour starts to incorporate into the wet mixture. Add the remaining flour, and mix on medium speed until a shaggy dough forms. Lightly flour a clean surface and place the dough onto the surface, sprinkling some extra flour on top or kneading.
- First proof: Knead the dough lightly, for 2-4 minutes, until it forms a smooth dough ball that’s not sticky. Then place the dough into the greased medium bowl, cover with a cloth or wrap, and place into a warm area to let rise for 1 hour. It should be double in size. If it’s at least 80F outside, you can place the bowl outside, otherwise you can place it in the oven (which is turned off) and turn on the oven light.
- While the dough is rising: grease a large casserole dish with oil and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon, and set aside.
- Make the vegan cinnamon rolls: After the dough has doubled, lightly punch down the dough. Lightly flour a clean surface, and place the dough in the middle. Sprinkle a little extra flour on top of the dough and flour the rolling pin. Roll the dough out to be a large rectangle (12 in x 18 in). Lightly spread the dough with vegan butter to the edges of the dough. Then sprinkle on the coconut sugar cinnamon mixture evenly. Don’t add the vegan heavy cream just yet. That will be AFTER the second rise. Roll into tight rolls and away from you. Slice the roll into 12 even cinnamon rolls. To easily slice, you can use a piece of thin twine or unflavored floss. See notes section for pizza cutter option. Place into the oil-greased dish.
- Second proof: Cover again with a clean towel or wrap, and place over or by the oven while the oven preheats to 350F. Let the cinnamon rolls rise for 30 minutes while the oven is preheating.
- Bake the cinnamon rolls: When ready to bake, pour the vegan heavy cream into the crevices between the cinnamon rolls (see photos in blog post). Place the cinnamon rolls into the oven and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the icing.
- Make the dairy-free frosting: in a medium bowl or stand mixer, cream the vegan butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and cream again until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Serve and enjoy! Spread the frosting onto the vegan cinnamon rolls and serve warm. If you have any leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container and place them in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, simply warm them on a baking sheet with parchment paper at 350F for 5-7 minutes.
Notes
If making a day ahead of time, complete Step 7 through the second rise, then cover the cinnamon rolls and place them in the fridge overnight. When ready to bake, allow the rolls to sit in the oven (not started) with the light on for 20-25 minutes. Then, remove the rolls from the oven, and allow the cinnamon rolls to rest over or by the oven as it preheats.
Pizza cutter option: I sometimes like to roll the cinnamon rolls individually. To do this, I slice each roll into 1.5″ strips using a pizza cutter, and roll the rolls individually.
Gluten free vegan cinnamon rolls: Please see this post for our favorite gluten free vegan cinnamon rolls!
Alternative icing: Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cup dairy free cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Cream the cream cheese and the powdered sugar together until smooth.
- Spread onto cinnamon rolls and enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll with icing + made with vegan butter
- Calories: 362
- Sugar: 35.2 g
- Sodium: 96.1 mg
- Fat: 4.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 72.4 g
- Fiber: 3.3 g
- Protein: 7.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
unsure about the heavy cream listed under “filling”, I don’t see any photos or it in the video, is it just to make them extra moist (right before you bake them?)? Recipe looks awesome, about to make it for my mom’s birthday, but half-ing the recipe, your recipes are always a hit!
Hi Magda! Check out step #7 for instructions on how to add the heavy cream. 🙂 Thanks so much for being here!
These are incredible! I used the yogurt substitute, but I’m going to try applesauce next , and add Apple Butter to the filling. A local bakery does this and they are my favorite cinnamon rolls ever.
Hello, excited to try this recipe! If I wanted to add egg instead of yogurt how many would I use? Thanks!
Hi Diana! Oh I’m so sorry, I can’t tell you how the results would come because I haven’t tried it! I’m so sorry! It might be better to use another recipe all together, but typically 1/3 cup dairy free yogurt = 1 egg. So sorry I couldn’t help more!
Hi, can i use 1 egg instead of dairy free yogurt?
So I’ve never tested this because I’m truly vegan- I’m so sorry! I would stick to the dairy free yogurt if you can!
Omg fabulous! I was very unsure about the cream but gave it a go and boy, it made them soft and fluffy.
Absolutely superb. I did it by hand… such a lovely bouncy dough!
These are just GORGEOUS!!! So so happy you tried them 🙂 Thank you so much for the review!! Enjoy!
This is THE BEST cinnamon roll recipe I’ve ever had. My standards for baked goods are impossibly high, and I’m so grateful for this recipe!!! I used oat milk instead of heavy cream because that’s what I had and it’s such a great addition! Perfectly flakey and doughy.
Omgsh. They are GORGEOUS!! So so happy you loved them!! Thank you so much for the review!! Enjoy 🙂
These were fantastic! I used to make some really good cinnamon rolls prior to going vegan 11 years ago. I’ve tried a few vegan recipes, but haven’t been thrilled. These hit all the marks. I made my own have cream by blending cashews with water and used brown sugar with the cinnamon. I debated cream cheese icing, but decided against it. it was perfect with the regular icing. Definitely a keeper 🙂
Totally worth the effort and they came out great! I wouldn’t mind a tip on how to make a tight roll though😁
This is awesome 🙂 Thank you so much for being here!! And yes! So I actually roll them individually- you can see how I do it in this video here! I find that individually slicing and rolling them helps to create a much better tight roll!
I want to try these again because they were soooo good. But the first time around, I had to add soooo much flour because it was super sticky. I honestly didnt think they were going to turn out from how much I had to add. What did I do wrong? I used regular unbleached flour and Active Dry Yeast.
Oh no!! So it can be sticky but it should be able to knead with just a little flour (or the stand mixer just continues to knead it without additional flour!). Those are the perfect ingredients though! It may have been the vegan butter…which one did you happen to use?
My FAVOURITE vegan cinnamon bun recipe! They come out soooo good 🙂
Oh you’re the best 🙂 Honestly, mine too!! I’m so so happy you loved them too!! Thank you for the kind words!!
Just made these and it was a fairly easy recipe to follow! I, unfortunately used a casserole dish that was too small for the full batch and the middle ones didn’t cook through and the ones that did exploded everywhere :'( i had to dig them out and rebake them. My sugar-loving optimistic husband said it can be a cinnamon roll casserole instead LOL. I also made the cream cheese icing following your recipe as well (with soy instead) and it looks great on the buns (the ones that did cook through).
Okay LOVE the idea of a cinnamon roll casserole 😂That does sound AMAZING!! But they look BEAUTIFUL!! Thank you so much for sharing!! So happy you both loved them 🙂 Thank you for being here!
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe a second time. When I added the full 540g of flour, it was too dry and never came together. I would love your advice on what I did wrong.
Oh no! You’re sure you didn’t miss the vegan butter added to the dough? It’ll feel dry until the butter is added then it is sticky and tacky until fully kneaded!
so fluffy!!! I used the method where you cut first and then make the rolls and it gave me better shape than the other times I have tired. also the coconut cream in the end, really amazing taste. I made the mistake of putting too many in one pan and they got stuck, but I baked them a little longer to cook properly!
This is amazing 🙂 Thank you SO much for this awesome review!! Enjoy!!
Hi Britt!
Oh my goodness this recipe is a keeper! I made these today with Einkorn flour and they came out delicious! Thank you very much!!!!
This is so awesome 🙂 WOW! Thank you so much for the awesome review!! And LOVE using Einkorn flour, so glad it worked for you too, that’s AWESOME!
Hi! Which dairy-free yogurt do you use? I’m thinking of using Silk Vanilla Dairy Free, Soy Milk Yogurt. Do you recommend vanilla or plain?
I love Silk or Forager Project!! Either one of those is great!
The cinnamon rolls came out amazing as always! This was my first time doing the icing w butter (I usually use cream cheese frosting) and my butter icing almost curdled? Idk what I did wrong it was room temp and I used the stand mixer to whip and mix in the powdered sugar
So happy you loved them!! But that can sometimes happen depending upon the vegan brand you used- you can also always add in more powdered sugar if it’s not correcting!!
Amazing recipe! It’s so easy to follow and the result is just unbelievable. It was my first time making cinnamon rolls and I could not believe how perfect they turned out. The dough is so fluffy and balanced, I’ve never found anything like it in vegan bakeries in Italy. 10/10!
Oh this is AWESOME!!! Thank you so much for the kind review 🙂 Sono così felice che ti piacciono!! Enjoy!
I literally never write reviews but felt compelled for this lol. Everytime I make these people tell me they taste like or better than cinnabon. Nobody can ever believe theyre vegan either.
I do mine with dairy free yogurt instead of applesauce (vanilla or cinnamon flavor) and I use coconut condensed milk instead of the heavy cream. These go SO HARD and have become a staple in my baking arsenal.
Oh my goodness this is the best!! Thank you SO much for this review, wow!! So glad you all love them 🙂 And brilliant call on the coconut condensed milk, I’m definitely going to try that!! Happy holidays 🙂
So, usually I don’t leave comments on recipes, but I made these for the second time today – they’re absolutely scrumptious and perfectly fluffy, btw – for my boyfriend. He’s not vegan, but willing to try anything I make. We went hiking and had some as a snack, and he kissed me for the first time ❤️ Absolutely 10000000 out of 10 recipe, I’m definitely making them again and again lol
I am getting ready to make these cinnamon rolls for the first time. I just noticed that Step 5 says to preheat the oven to 350 degrees and Step 8 says to preheat to 375 degrees. Can you please confirm what temp you bake them at? Thank you!
Oh my goodness that’s actually a really confusing step I’m so sorry! I didn’t explain that clearly! So I meant in step 5 if you didn’t have a proof setting, you can preheat the oven to generate some warmth in the kitchen and place the bowl near it. Step 8 should actually just be 350F (I further tested these and liked them better at 350F!) so I just adjusted it to reflect that more clearly (so sorry!)! I hope that helps!
Hi Britt! I really want to try this recipe , but before I do, can you let me know if I can use your “cashew heavy cream” recipe as the heavy cream in this cinnabon recipe? And if I can use your cream cheese recipe as well in this recipe? It would be very much apprecitated. Thanks!!
Hi Monika! Yes you can!! Enjoy 🙂
you mentioned heavy cream in your ingredient but dont mention it in your video. confusing
Hi Camille! The video is in the process of being filmed and updated- so sorry for the confusion! The written recipe is always most up to date 🙂
Can you use regular butter for these too?
I can’t guarantee it will work, as I’m truly vegan, but I know others have made it with success!
I love these cinnamon rolls so much I came back for the second Christmas in a row to grab the recipe. Unfortunately, I find it nearly impossible to read with all the ads. I can hardly read 5 words before the screen reloads or jumps due to ad movement. I’m not anti-ad, but the way it is set up on this recipe makes it incredibly inaccessible. Just thought you should know.
Oh I’m so sorry Nicole- I’m definitely taking this into consideration and will review with my team what we can do better! Thank you for letting me know! I hope you can still enjoy the rolls this year too!
Hi. i love using this recipe often but i no longer have a stand mixer to knead the dough. how would i go about this by hand ? thank you! happy holidays
Oh you can totally do it by hand! Simply just use a silicone or wooden spatula to mix the ingredients together and knead 🙂