Vegan Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
Deliciously gooey homemade apple pie cinnamon rolls that are secretly vegan and dairy free! Full of baked cinnamon apples, these easy cinnamon rolls are the perfect fall breakfast!
What makes these apple pie cinnamon rolls amazing:
One of my favorite flavors of fall is of course apples covered in cinnamon and baked to gooey perfection. That’s exactly what these secretly vegan apple pie cinnamon rolls achieve.
These apple cinnamon rolls are so gooey, fluffy, and soft, and filled with caramelized sweet and cinnamon-y apples coated in a deliciously sticky filling and glaze.
And yet, these rolls are secretly healthier: they’re lower in sugar than a standard cinnamon roll, not to mention entirely vegan and dairy free!
Plus! If you’ve never made cinnamon rolls before in your life, please do not worry! I’ve got you covered with step-by-step instructions so that you’ll be a pro in no time 😉
Ingredients for Vegan Apple Cinnamon Rolls
For how amazingly gooey and soft these vegan apple pie cinnamon rolls are, you’ll be even more amazed by how simple the ingredients are:
For these apple cinnamon rolls, you’ll need:
- Flour
- Yeast (I used activated yeast, but you can also use rapid rise- the rise times in the directions will just not be accurate then. These rolls will take you shorter!)
- Coconut sugar
- Dairy free milk (I recommend Oat milk)
- Unsweetened apple sauce
- Apples
- Vegan butter
- Coconut oil
Please note that I have not tested these healthier cinnamon rolls with gluten free flour yet! I do, however, have Paleo vegan cinnamon rolls if you are looking for a gluten free option 🙂
That being said, these apple cinnamon rolls are completely dairy free, refined sugar free, eggless, soy free, and nut free, so this vegan cinnamon roll recipe is free of almost all of the Top 8 Allergens!
How to make apple pie cinnamon rolls vegan
While making vegan cinnamon rolls, especially even apple pie cinnamon rolls, might seems complicated, these apple cinnamon rolls are actually quite easy. They just take some patience and following the steps properly!
I have a very in depth guide on how to make the basic part of these vegan cinnamon rolls, so if you have any specific questions, definitely go check that post out.
The full directions for these apple cinnamon rolls are found below in the recipe card (scroll to the bottom or hit the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the post). But for a quick and basic run-down of these apple cinnamon rolls:
- Activate the yeast by combining the hot dairy free milk, a little coconut sugar, a little flour, and the yeast.
2. Once activated, add in the remaining ingredients and make it into a dough. You’ll need to knead it a little bit on a clean surface.
3. Grease a clean bowl with olive oil or coconut oil and allow the dough to rise.
4. Once risen, roll the dough into a rectangle and assemble the cinnamon rolls!
5. Slice the apple pie cinnamon rolls using a flavorless piece of floss or a really sharp knife.
6. Place the cinnamon rolls into a greased dish then allow them to rise a second time while the oven preheats.
7. Bake the cinnamon rolls then drizzle with a glaze!
What icing should I use for these apple cinnamon rolls?
You have quite a few options here for how you’d like to ice your apple pie cinnamon rolls!
I personally love a simple glaze that’s made of powdered sugar, dairy free milk, a little vanilla and a dash of cinnamon.
However, you can also use the vegan cream cheese icing that I used on my vegan pumpkin cinnamon rolls!
You could also swirl in a few tablespoons of Paleo vegan caramel sauce with the simple glaze to create caramel apple cinnamon rolls.
Make ahead option for these apple cinnamon rolls
If you’re like me, and you don’t feel like spending 3 hours on a Saturday morning making breakfast (I feel you!), I like to prepare these apple cinnamon rolls the night before just before you’re ready to bake them.
To do this, simply follow the recipe card below up until Step 11 (so you complete Step 10). Then you’ll cover the cinnamon rolls and place them in the fridge to sit over night.
When you’re ready to bake, simply remove the cinnamon rolls from the fridge and place them on or near the oven as it preheats so that they can get a second rise.
Bake the cinnamon rolls per the directions and then serve with a glaze!
I hope you love these vegan apple cinnamon rolls as much as I do! If you make them, let me know down below in the comments section, as well as giving them a rating so that others make find them as well!
As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there!
Happy apple pie cinnamon roll baking!
More healthy vegan apple recipes:
Protein Packed Vegan Apple Pie Overnight Oats
Gluten Free Vegan Apple Cinnamon Bread
Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!
Vegan Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 14 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Deliciously gooey homemade apple pie cinnamon rolls that are secretly vegan and dairy free! Full of baked cinnamon apples, these easy cinnamon rolls are the perfect fall breakfast!
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough:
- 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided (plus more for flouring surface)
- 1 packet activated yeast
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 1/4 cup coconut milk, unsweetened
- 1/4 cup vegan butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
Cinnamon Roll Filling:
- 2 cups chopped apples (I recommend Gala)
- 1/4 cup vegan butter, melted
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 4 tbsp ground cinnamon
Cinnamon Roll Icing:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp dairy free milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Grease a medium sized bowl with olive oil or coconut oil, and set aside.
- In microwave-safe bowl, heat the coconut milk and melted vegan butter or coconut oil together until it reaches 110F- use a food thermometer to accurately measure the temperature. Any cooler or hotter, and the yeast won’t activate properly.
- Pour the heated mixture into a large bowl, and add in the coconut sugar and 1 tbsp flour. Whisk together, then sprinkle yeast, mix with a spoon lightly, cover, and let activate for 10 minutes in a warm area.
- When activated, add in the remaining flour, applesauce, and vanilla extract, and knead the dough together.
- Knead the dough lightly, for 2-4 minutes, then place the dough into the medium bowl greased with olive oil, 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 or start preheating the oven to 350F and place the bowl near or on top of the oven.
- After an hour, 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 (8 in x 12 in).
- Lightly brush the dough with melted vegan butter or coconut oil, and add on top the chopped apples. Sprinkle cinnamon and coconut sugar over the dough evenly.
- Roll the cinnamon rolls length-wise into tight rolls and away from you.
- Use a piece of flavorless floss or a very sharpa nd thin knife to slice the roll into 12-14 cinnamon rolls, and place into an olive or coconut oil-greased dish (any size that you have, you can use a round pan or a square one).
- 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. See note for make ahead option.
- Place the cinnamon rolls into the oven and bake for 32-35 minutes, or until golden.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the icing.
- To make the dairy free icing, mix the powdered sugar with the dairy-free milk and vanilla extract. Smear onto cinnamon rolls.
- Enjoy! 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 10 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.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll with icing
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 27.4 g
- Sodium: 89.9 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 59.5 g
- Fiber: 2.8 g
- Protein: 4.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: apple cinnamon rolls, apple pie cinnamon rolls, vegan cinnamon rolls, healthy cinnamon rolls, dairy free cinnamon rolls
