GOOEY Vegan Small Batch Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls – Gluten Free Option
Ever just want one (or two) cinnamon rolls? These GOOEY small batch brown butter cinnamon rolls are the perfect solution. Soft, fluffy, and so easy and quick to make with nutty browned vegan butter throughout the dough, filling, AND frosting. Plus you don’t need any eggs nor dairy to make 6 perfectly delicious cinnamon rolls (and yes there’s a gluten free option as well!).
Gooey and Deliciously Sweet Cinnamon Rolls for 6!
Ever just want one or two cinnamon rolls? Yeah, this recipe solves that 🙂 These fluffy and soft vegan small batch cinnamon rolls are a dream to make and only yield four perfectly swirly buns filled with sweet and gooey cinnamon sugar.
I actually based the recipe off of my classic vegan cinnamon rolls, swapped in browned vegan butter for the regular, and modified the instructions to yield the best cinnamon rolls (vegan or not!) in even less time (only 75 minutes to make these, start to finish!).
The dough is so easy and love to work with, as it’s a brioche-based dough. However, we’re not using any eggs nor dairy here so the cinnamon rolls are entirely vegan- and yes, there’s even an amazing gluten free version too that’s even easier!
In fact, I loved the brown butter in this recipe so much, I made a vegan GIANT cinnamon roll cake with maple brown butter- it is HEAVEN!
And if you really love cinnamon rolls, you have to try my small batch chocolate cinnamon rolls, small batch lemon blueberry cinnamon rolls and small batch lemon sweet rolls!
Topped with some creamy dairy free browned butter cream cheese frosting, these small batch cinnamon rolls will quickly become a weekend staple for you…and you might even need to make more than just four because they’re that good!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Ease: These small batch cinnamon rolls can be made by hand or using a stand mixer, but either option works! And the ingredients are so simple- we’re not even using any eggs!
- Taste and texture: While these rolls are quick and easy to make, we’re not sacrificing any flavor or texture. Think of the best cinnamon roll recipe you’ve ever had, then times that by 10 because that’s what vegan browned butter does. These cinnamon rolls are just as soft, fluffy, and sweet as your favorite- or maybe even better! These small batch cinnamon rolls just melt in your mouth and are so pillowy and sweet. You’ll maybe want another batch to be honest!
- Quick to make: Because we’re using quick rise yeast, these unbelievably vegan cinnamon rolls are much quicker than using regular active dry yeast. And the gluten free option is even quicker! You can even make them as overnight rolls as well.
- Customizable: The best part about these small batch cinnamon rolls is actually the fact that not only can you make these cinnamon buns gluten free, but I also have an option to make an even smaller batch of cinnamon rolls- just for two!
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Ingredients & Substitutions:
- Flour: We’re just using all purpose flour here- no need for bread flour! However, if you’re gluten free, you’ll need both millet flour and tapioca flour (or tapioca starch- same thing!). I have those notes in the recipe card below.
- Vegan butter: I like to use Miyoko’s salted vegan butter here. It’s delicious! If you’re nut free, however, Plant Crock is a great vegan butter that does brown. Earth Balance and Violife will NOT brown here, so if you’re going with the browned butter version, don’t use these brands. However, these brands will work if you’re NOT using vegan browned butter.
- Sugar: You can just use granulated sugar here. I like to use Florida Crystals, as it’s certified vegan. If you want refined sugar free, you can use coconut sugar or maple sugar.
- Dairy-free yogurt: This is our vegan egg replacement for our enriched dough! It’s so easy and honestly even more convenient than using an egg, so if you’re not vegan and want to experiment, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. If you don’t have yogurt, you can use applesauce as well.
- Dairy-free milk: Any non-dairy milk will work here. You can use soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, or your favorite! The key is to use warm milk. You don’t need it to be 110F, but warm to the touch is perfect for creating a good environment for the yeast to grow.
- Instant yeast: This is what I love about this recipe- it’s so quick, thanks to quick rise (or instant) yeast. You don’t need to proof the yeast before using it in this recipe (for either the regular version or the gluten free version) because they instantly activate when mixed with liquid. Just whisk the yeast into your flour and begin! The dough will also rise much more quickly as well.
- Vanilla extract: This is our flavor enhancer and really helps to create a lovely taste in the dough. For extra deliciousness, you can add in a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste!
A note on browning vegan butter:
- Patience is key: Vegan butter tends to bubble up more than regular butter when browning. It’s okay to take it off heat a few times, stir and let the bubbles settle to see where you are in the browning process.
- Not all vegan butters brown: The more chemically based the butter, the less it will brown. Earth Balance doesn’t brown at all, and it smells terrible when overcooked. Miyoko’s, however, does brown beautifully and is the best one to brown so far. Plant Crock browns decently, while Violife does not brown at all really (and is similar in result to Earth Balance).
- Let the browned butter cool down to a solid for the filling and frosting: You’ll want it to be similar in texture and temperature to room temperature butter that you would use for frosting.
How to make gluten free small batch cinnamon rolls:
Of course, I love my gluten free readers and want to make sure you can also enjoy these small batch cinnamon rolls! So the way to modify this recipe so that it’s gluten free is so easy.
The recipe is actually based off of my amazingly easy vegan gluten free cinnamon rolls.
I’ve included the measurements you need in the notes section of the recipe card below, as well as instruction differences. It’s so simple though- essentially you’ll make the dough in the same way as the regular version. And guess what? You don’t need any xanthan gum!
Then you just skip the first rise, so the gluten free small batch cinnamon rolls are actually even quicker than the regular version of these cinnamon rolls for four!
And the result is just as fluffy and lovely 🙂 You’re going to love these rolls!
How to make cinnamon rolls for two:
Don’t need four cinnamon rolls, and instead just want an even SMALLER batch of cinnamon rolls? Not a problem.
Here are the measurements you need for the regular version of two serving cinnamon rolls:
The dough:
- 2/3 cups (100 g) all-purpose flour, divided (plus more for flouring surface)* see notes for Gluten Free
- 1/8 packet (3 g) quick rise dry active yeast
- 1 tbsp (15 g) granulated sugar or coconut sugar, divided
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp (45 mL) dairy-free milk, unsweetened, warmed
- 1 tbsp (15 g) unsweetened applesauce or dairy free yogurt, room temperature
- 1 tbsp (15 g) salted vegan butter, melted and room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
The filling:
- 1 tbsp (15 g) vegan butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp (35 g) brown sugar
And here are the measurements for small batch gluten free cinnamon rolls for two:
The dough:
- 1/2 cup (65 g) tapioca flour or starch
- 1/3 cup (55 g) millet flour
- 2 tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp (5 g) psyllium husk powder
- 1 tsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch
- 3/4 tsp (3 g) instant yeast (quick rise yeast)
- 1/3 cups (68 mL) dairy-free milk, lukewarm
- 1 tbsp (23 g) dairy-free yogurt,* room temperature
- 1 tbsp (15 g) vegan butter, melted but not hot
- 1/2 tsp (5 mL) apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Then use the same filling as above!
Icing options:
For these cinnamon rolls, I went with a browned butter cream cheese icing (that’s dairy free and vegan of course!). Because you don’t need a lot, I simply used the remaining browned vegan butter and added in two tablespoons of vegan cream cheese then whisked it together.
Add in powdered sugar along with vanilla bean paste (or extract), and whisk! Then spread atop warmed cinnamon buns fresh out of the oven.
If you don’t want to use cream cheese icing, however, you can just do a simple powdered sugar glaze or swap in an equal amount of vegan butter for the vegan cream cheese!
These cinnamon rolls would also be delightful with a few spoonfuls of vegan ganache as well 🙂 Or this peanut butter frosting!
Want to make overnight small batch cinnamon rolls?
I totally get it. Waking up and just having to bake the cinnamon rolls is really where it’s at. To make overnight small batch cinnamon rolls, you’ll want to basically make the cinnamon rolls the night before up until they’ve almost doubled in size as their cinnamon roll shape.
Then cover the casserole dish and let them chill in the fridge overnight. Yeast needs a warm environment to produce gas, so the cold air in the fridge will halt any more rising. This is why I like to rise them before the fridge, because I feel that if you don’t, the next day they honestly need even MORE time to rise because they have to come to room temperature naturally in order for the yeast to begin again.
In the morning, though, simply place the dish near the oven while it preheats, then bake! Simple as that 🙂 And yes, you can do this for the gluten free small batch cinnamon rolls as well!
Expert Baker’s Tips:
If your dough isn’t rising:
This means that either your dough is not in a warm enough area or the yeast is bad. When it’s cold outside, it’s definitely harder to rise dough, because our kitchens are naturally cooler. I like to turn the oven to 110F on for just a few minutes to create a warm environment. Then keep the light on in the oven, turn off the oven, and place the bowl in there to rise.
If your dough still isn’t rising, you’ll need to start over because the yeast is bad. You can actually proof instant yeast like regular dry active yeast before integrating into your dough. If the yeast foams after a few minutes, it’s good to go!
Use a small baking dish:
It doesn’t have to be a small casserole dish- you can use a 6″ round cake pan or even ramekins if you want to bake the cinnamon rolls individually! If you’re using a rectangular pan, try to keep it no bigger than 5×7.”
Can I double this recipe?
Absolutely! You can easily double the ingredients to make a small batch of 8 cinnamon rolls instead.
Use the slice and roll method for perfect swirls:
I first started talking about this in my gluten free cinnamon rolls, and now recommended it for all of my cinnamon roll recipes. Instead of rolling the entire dough, you’ll use a pizza cutter or large knife, and slice the dough into long strips. Then roll each cinnamon roll individually!
Use a kitchen scale for the best results!
I say this in all of my dessert and baking recipes, but it’s so important to use a kitchen scale, especially for the gluten free recipes. It will give you the most accurate bake and leave less room for error. When you use cups, though I provide those measurements, you could accidentally scoop too much flour, which will alter the recipe. Try to sue the kitchen scale if you can!
You’re just going to absolutely love these vegan small batch cinnamon rolls! Cannot wait to hear what you think in the comments below, and let me know which you tried (the gluten free or the regular!)! Happy baking 🙂
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GOOEY Vegan Small Batch Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls – Gluten Free Option
- Prep Time: 15
- Resting Time: 30
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Ever just want one (or two) cinnamon rolls? These GOOEY small batch brown butter cinnamon rolls are the perfect solution. Soft, fluffy, and so easy and quick to make with nutty browned vegan butter throughout the dough, filling, AND frosting. Plus you don’t need any eggs nor dairy to make 6 perfectly delicious cinnamon rolls (and yes there’s a gluten free option as well!).
Ingredients
Browned vegan butter (see notes for NO brown butter option):
- 1/2 cup (113 g) salted vegan butter (I recommend Miyoko’s)
Cinnamon Roll Dough:
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) bread flour
- 1 1/3 tsp (8 g) yeast
- 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup (120 mL) dairy free milk, heated to 110 F
- 1/3 cup (84 g) dairy-free yogurt
- 1/4 cup (60 g) vegan butter, room temperature
Cinnamon Filling:
- 1/4 cup (57 g) browned vegan butter, room temperature
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (110 g) brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Icing:
- 4 tbsp vegan cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 tbsp browned vegan butter vegan butter, melted
- 1 cup (130 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Prep: Measure out all ingredients. Grease and line a small casserole dish (about 7×5″) or a 6″ cake pan with parchment paper.
- Start by browning the vegan butter: If you’re not using browned vegan butter, see recipe notes. If you are, then start by melting the vegan butter in a medium saucepan on the stove at medium heat. Stir continuously until melted, then bring the heat up to medium-high. Let the butter bubble and brown, stirring every 30 seconds or so until the flecks of solids begin to brown (about 3-4 minutes). Because vegan butter bubbles so much, you’ll need to occasionally remove the butter from the heat, stir and let the bubbles settle to see how far along you are. Once the butter is browned and aromatic, pour the butter into a separate heat-safe bowl, and set aside to cool down closer to room temperature, about 5-10 minutes.
- Make the dough: Either in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough attachment or in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Then add in the warmed dairy free milk, dairy free yogurt, browned vegan butter, and vanilla extract. Either turn on the stand mixer to medium speed or begin to mix the dough with a wooden spoon then knead the dough in the bowl until a smooth ball forms, about 10 minutes.
- Rest: Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rest in the bowl in a warm area (about 85F or warmer) until NEARLY doubled in size (about 20-30 minutes).
- Make the cinnamon filling: Combine all cinnamon sugar filling ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Shape the cinnamon rolls: Mix the cinnamon and brown sugar together in a small bowl and set aside. Flour a clean surface and rolling pin, and place the dough in the middle. Roll the dough to be about 10″ by 12-15″. Smear the dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture. I like to slice the dough into individual strips before rolling, but you can also just roll the dough and slice it into 6 cinnamon rolls with either floss or a knife. To roll them into strips, slice the dough in half so have two strips of roughly 4.5 x 15.” Then slice them into half again so you have six strips of 1.5×15.” Then roll each strip tightly and place the rolled cinnamon roll into your prepared baking dish.
- Rest the rolls: Cover the baking dish and rest the rolls by the oven while it preheats to 350F. Let the rolls double in size.
- Bake: Place the cinnamon rolls into the oven to bake for 30 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden. Let the cinnamon rolls cool for 10-15 minutes before serving, as they’ll be really hot!
- Frost and serve: Whisk together the cream cheese and remaining browned butter together, then add in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread on top of your cinnamon rolls, and enjoy!
Notes
Browned vegan butter: I only recommend using Miyoko’s or Plant Crock here if you’re doing the browned vegan butter version. Earth Balance and Violife will not work, however, they will work for the regular butter version. If you’re just using plain vegan butter (not browned), simply skip the browning step, and use the measurements written in the ingredients section for the dough, filling, and frosting.
GLUTEN FREE MEASUREMENTS:
Dough:
1 cup (130 g) tapioca flour or starch
3/4 cup (110 g) millet flour
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
2 tbsp (10 g) psyllium husk powder
2 tsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp (5 g) instant yeast (quick rise yeast)
2/3 cups (135 mL) dairy-free milk, lukewarm
2 tbsp (45 g) dairy-free yogurt,* room temperature
2 tbsp (30 g) vegan butter, melted but not hot
1 tsp (5 mL) apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
For gluten free instructions: For Step 2 of making the dough, whisk together the millet, tapioca, sugar, psyllium husk powder, arrowroot starch, and instant yeast. Then add in the dairy free milk, yogurt, vegan butter, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. I recommend using a stand mixer here as it’s easiest. Then skip the first rise and go immediately to shaping the dough in Step 4. Follow the remaining steps of the recipe as is.
Overnight option: Make the cinnamon rolls up until you’ve finished Step 5, where you let the cinnamon rolls double in size. I like to let the cinnamon rolls ALMOST be doubled in size (they’ll be about 1.5 they’re size before) and cover the dish to rest in the fridge overnight. Then before baking, remove the dish from the fridge and set near the oven while the oven preheats. Then bake!
Hi! I so wanna make these but I’m not vegan.
Could you please tell me if I can use normal whole milk for this recipe? Also what shall be the active yeast measurement for this recipe as I don’t have instant yeast with me… 🙁
Hi Padmaja! I can’t guarantee that the recipe will work with regular dairy products, as I haven’t tested this myself, but you’re more than welcome to try! I know a lot of readers have used dairy products in my recipes with success!
I made the gluten free version today and these were the best gf cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had! They were so fluffy yet firm, perfectly sweet, and delicious! Thank you, Britt!💫
can I use King Arthur Gluten free flour?
Hi Ginger! For the GF version, I wouldn’t recommend swapping in a 1:1 flour! I haven’t had success when I used a gf flour blend, and found it varied WAY too much between brands when I went to input different brands into the recipe in my tests, which is why I ended up making my own blend of millet and tapioca. Hope this helps!
The best Vegan Cinnamon Roll. Amazing and delicious!!! Wow
Hi Sol! This is AMAZING to hear! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and for being a part of the community!
Quick question, is this recipe for two or four rolls? And did I read it is the same amount of yeast for both quantities? About 1/3 of a packet? I made the large batch and they were divine! Thx
Great question!! Yes, same for both! When it gets to that small of a portion, it’s okay to use the same amount- otherwise it won’t rise properly! Enjoy 🙂
Soooo good! Made these for an impromptu end of year celebration with friends and everyone loved them! I know I hate it when people talk about all the modifications they made, but maybe this time it just speaks to how great this recipe is! I needed five so I multiplied everything by 5/4, and I only had active dry yeast so I increased the yeast by 1.25x and activated it in the warm milk with a pinch of sugar before adding. I also opted for an icing with confectioners sugar, water, and lemon juice. These were so soft and pillowy, especially warm from the oven. Would definitely make again!
Hi! I’m not vegan, but I like looking at vegan recipes because I can’t have dairy. I was wondering if I could use an egg in replacement for the yogurt? If so, how much egg should I use? Thank you!
Hi Kelly! The recipe is actually naturally dairy free- it’s always using dairy free yogurt (like a coconut milk yogurt or cashew milk yogurt). So if you feel comfortable using a dairy free yogurt, that’s what the recipe was designed for! You could also swap in applesauce. Unfortunately, I haven’t baked with eggs in YEARS so I can’t give a proper recommendation- I’m so sorry!
I made the regular version today and it was so good!! First time making cinnamon rolls :). I want to try the GF version and I was wondering, instead of the DF yogurt, can I also use applesauce in it’s place? If yes ,is it a 1:1 ratio?
Hi Ann! So happy to hear it, that’s wonderful!! For the GF version, you can use applesauce, but they rise a bit better with the yogurt! It is a 1:1 ratio 🙂
Love this small batch recipe. What brand of yogurt do you use? Can’t wait to try it.
I used Forager Project! They’re great 🙂 Enjoy!!
I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I’ve tried these 3 times and every single time they won’t rise. My yeast is fine, it’s only this recipe I can’t get to work. Milk is always 105-110, butter isn’t cold, I’ve tried yogurt and applesauce with neither working. I’m so frustrated! I’m using the regular recipe (not GF). I’ve measured out all the ingredients with a scale. 😩
Hi Krysta! I’m so sorry this isn’t working for you! It sounds like your area isn’t warm enough- or your area doesn’t have enough moisture too. During the winter, it’s sometimes best to put the rolls in an OFF oven with the light ON to help create the ideal setting. If your oven has a proof setting, even better! You ideally want the area to be 85-90F or slightly warmer even. Sometimes putting a warm damp cloth on top of the bowl helps lock in extra moisture, especially during the winter months. Yeast really love heat and moisture, so those are the keys if your yeast seem to be activating properly!
Just THANK YOU for this very easy, very reliable and really fluffy recipe! It was a goal to do this and thanks to you I can do it without being afraid (yes it’s weird I know). Everything is super clear and I must say that your video helped me a lot too. Anyway thank you thank you, I’m so happy to finish the year 2023 with delicious rolls!
It’s literally the best cinnamon rolls recipe one could possibly find! They come out soooo delicious and they are melting in your mouth!
This is so wonderful!! So happy to hear it!! Thanks so much for the review 🙂 Enjoy!
So good! My partner loved them
So happy to hear it!! Thanks so much for the review 🙂 Enjoy!!
Hi Britt, Thank you so much for the small batch and vegan options! They are the best cinnamon buns I ever tasted. Now, I want to try the big batch to share with friends but am confused about the amount of yeast. They seem to be 3g in both the small and normal batch. Or did I get it wrong? I have dyslexia, so tried to read multiple times. Sometimes it doesnt help. All the best.
Hi Ana! Oh I’m so happy to hear you loved them!! That’s so wonderful! And I’m so sorry for the confusion!! Are you looking at the link to the normal sized batch of vegan cinnamon rolls or referring to the measurements I wrote in the post? In the post, I put 3 g for weight in both the cinnamon rolls for 2 and the cinnamon rolls for 4 because normally kitchen scales can’t measure that little of an amount if you just do 1-2 grams. So it’s okay if you use 3 grams here! So sorry for the confusion!
Also if there’s any way for me to make the recipes more accessible to you, please let me know! I know that there is a possibility for dictation of the recipe card, and I will definitely look into that!
This recipe is amazing! Does the dough freeze well?