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What could be cozier than kicking off Christmas morning with gingerbread cinnamon rolls that are crazy-soft, fluffy, and slathered in luscious spiced cream cheese icing? The dough is a riff on the original cinnamon snails I built my popular food truck on. I mean, that's even the name of my dang blog, so yeah, these are a bit of a holiday obsession of mine.
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They're soft, spiced, sticky, and scandalously good. Like if your morning coffee got invited to a rum-soaked gingerbread flavor rave. There's rum and fresh ginger in the dough, a brown sugar-cinnamon-ginger situation going on in the middle, and an icing that could make a snowman cry actual tears of joy (don't worry, we'll mop it up with a roll and probs eat it afterwards).
If you've made my vegan cinnamon rolls or the vegan pumpkin cinnamon buns that I made in honor of fall, this is the next big thing on your holiday table. Who needs the damn gingerbread-scented candle when you have something that smells divine (and is edible too)?
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🥰 Why you'll adore this gingerbread cinnamon roll recipe
✊ Vegan AF: Yeah, these fluffy rolls are 100% cruelty-free, baby. Just like my other vegan Christmas recipes, there's no eggs, or whole milk theft from cows required to get that rich, buttery flavor.
🕒 Holiday-Level Flavor, Lazy-Day Effort: You don't need to proof overnight or juggle 12 separate bowls. You can whip these up half-awake and still end up with the best cinnamon rolls of your life.
🛒 Easy Ingredients, No Wacky Stuff: No mystery ingredients from the North Pole required (I made a list. I checked it twice).
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all of my vegan recipes, hundreds of recipe testers baked these up like champs and sent me photos that looked straight outta a food mag.
I'm on my knees staring weirdly into your eyes, asking you in a soothing voice to be my taste-testing partner in crime. Sign up for the recipe testing crew and get early access to new recipes before they're published.
😋 Gingerbread Cinnamon Roll Ingredients
The Milk
This recipe works best with unsweetened soy milk or oat milk. This keeps the dough soft, moist, and ready to rise above all the heat life throws at it (350°F to be specific). The protein in soy or oat milk helps gluten formation. If you're not into those though, you can get away with using a different milk of your choice.
Rum
It adds this deep, caramelly taste we're after. Don't worry, the alcohol cooks off, you're not about to fail a breathalyzer from your Christmas brunch! Heads up though, not all booze is vegan (yep, they sneak weird stuff in there), so hit up barnivore.com if you wanna double-check your bottle.
Instant Yeast
Instant yeast is the most forgiving to use in this and doesn't over-ferment if you end up forgetting the dough for an extra 30 minutes on your counter. Only got active dry yeast? It will work too.
Oh, and if you want to learn the secrets of raised dough, grab the recording of my Supreme Vegan Donut Bonanza, where we make donuts so fluffy they could float away (straight into your mouth, that is.)
Bread Flour
Bread flour is really where it's at for cinnamon buns in general. More protein means your dough gets that swole, chewy texture and those big, fluffy air pockets. All-purpose flour still gets the job done if that's what you've got, but don't expect the same fluffiness offered by bread flour.
Dried Ground Ginger
My go-to is Burlap & Barrel's Buffalo Ginger because it's wayyyy more aromatic and spicy than your average supermarket variety.
Vanilla Extract
Use legit vanilla extract, not that artificial garbage that smells like your pre-teen daughter on her way to the school dance, where you have to hold your breath in the car. You can use vanilla powder as a sub (the same one from my bombolini, Hong Kong French toast, and Karioka recipes).
Vegan Butter
I use Earth Balance Buttery Sticks or Trader Joe's vegan butter, but if you wanna hit peak vegan monstrosity, make your own with my Vegan Dairy Crash Course. Refined coconut oil can sub, but obviously without as much buttery flavor.
Gingersnap Crumbs
These are optional, crumbled on top as a garnish. Nabisco Original Gingersnaps are my day-ones. You'll only use a little here, so take the extras and turn 'em into a crust for my vegan pumpkin chiffon pie or vegan pumpkin cheesecake.
Gingerbread Cookies
Totally optional, but if you want these to be identifiably gingerbread-adjacent, slap some vegan gingerbread cookies on top!
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
60+ stunning holiday classics designed to win over even the most anti-vegan guests.
📖 How to make Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
Alright my ginger-spiced darlings, apron up! If you want the TL;DR version, the recipe card's below. But if you're here for the extra-run-time director's cut of this recipe, stay with me.
Step One
Yeast Meets West:
Warm the plant-based milk and rum in a small saucepan over medium heat for about 90 seconds, until the mixture feels warm, but not hot.
Remove from the stove, stir in the sugar and yeast, and let it rest for 10 minutes until it becomes foamy.
Step Two
Make a Whisk Foundation:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, fresh ginger, ground ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
Step Three
Butter Call Saul:
Add the proofed yeast mixture to the dry ingredients along with the molasses, vanilla extract, and room temperature vegan butter. Stir until a shaggy dough forms.
Step Four
Dough You Want to Build A Snowman:
Knead the dough in a stand mixer or on a floured surface for 8-10 minutes, until it's smooth and elastic. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Step Five
Filling Me Softly:
While the dough rises, prepare the filling by mixing vegan butter, brown sugar, ground ginger, and cinnamon in a small bowl until smooth.
Step Six
Napdoughleon Dynamite:
Once the dough has risen, punch it down and roll it out on a floured surface into a 12 x 16 inch (30 x 40 cm) rectangle. Spread the filling evenly, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border along one long side.
Step Seven
The Logfather:
Starting from the opposite long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log. Trim the ends and cut into 10 equal pieces.
Step Eight
Fiddler on the Proof:
Place rolls in a greased 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish, cover, and let rise again for 30 minutes.
Step Nine
Roastbusters:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake for 25-28 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and slightly firm when touched.
Step Ten
Glaze Anatomy:
While the buttery rolls bake, make the icing by whisking together powdered sugar, plant-based milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, molasses, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Step Eleven
Frost in Translation:
Drizzle the icing generously over the warm rolls and use a brush or spoon to get it into all of the crevices so it seeps into the layers.
Step Twelve
Gingerbread Dead Redemption:
If you are going for extra credit, sprinkle crushed gingersnap crumbs over the rolls and place a gingerbread cookie on each while the glaze is still slightly tacky. Serve warm.
💡Serving Ideas
Are you looking to rock out a full Xmas dessert spread? Don't freak out -your boyo's got you. Make a vegan yule log, vegan panettone, vegan sweet potato pie, or if you are looking for something hella easy, some vegan apple crisp to go along with these heavenly gingerbread rolls.
👉 Top tips
- Knead Until Smooth: The cinnamon roll dough should be soft and a lil tacky like it's tryna hold your hand, not glue itself to you. Knead for 8-10 minutes till it's smooth and ready to live its best yeasted life.
- Let the Dough Rise Warm, Not Hot: Your yeast wants warmth, not to feel trapped in a volcano where it will perish and die. Keep it around 100°F so it can puff up without breaking a sweat. If your kitchen feels like a windswept Arctic tundra, slide the bowl into a slightly warm (but turned off) oven and let that baby rest.
- Cut Rolls Cleanly: For a clean cut, use unflavored dental floss, okay? I'm begging you. If you grab mint-flavored, you're one pull away from inventing toothpaste-flavored holiday cinnamon rolls (yuck!) Loop it under the roll, cross the ends, and pull tight for perfect spirals.
- Avoid Overbaking: If your rolls are golden and smell like actual joy, go ahead and take them outta the oven. They'll keep setting a little as they cool down, so pull them out before they go from "dang" to "dang… what happened?"
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Use 2 ¼ teaspoons of instant yeast. That's the same amount that is typically in one packet of yeast.
Couple possible crimes here, detective: milk too hot, skipped bread flour, didn't knead enough, or ghosted your dough during proofing. Overbaking or an oven hotter than the surface of the sun will also leave you with cinnamon fossils instead of cloud rolls.
To freeze, arrange the cooled rolls in an airtight freezer-safe container, separating layers with parchment paper. Freeze for up to 2 months for the best flavor and texture.
Place a roll in a nonstick pan over low heat, add a few drops of water to create light steam, and cover with a lid. Warm for about three minutes per side until soft and heated through for best results.
✌️You'll love these vegan gingerbread recipes too
Vegan Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Equipment
- stand mixer (optional)
Ingredients
Dough:
- ¾ cup unsweetened plant-based milk
- ¼ cup rum
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 3 ¼ cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons molasses
- ¼ cup vegan butter room temperature
- ½ teaspoon salt
Filling:
- 6 tablespoons vegan butter room temperature
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried ground ginger
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon
Gingerbread Bun Icing:
- 2 ½ cup powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup vegan cream cheese room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened plant-based milk
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon dried ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Decorations:
- 12 Gingerbread Cookies
- ¼ cup gingersnap crumbs
Instructions
- Warm the plant-based milk and rum in a small saucepan over medium heat for 90 seconds, until the mixture is just warm to the touch but not hot. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes, until foamy.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, fresh ginger, ground ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
- Add the proofed yeast liquid to the dry ingredients along with the molasses, vanilla extract, and melted vegan butter. Stir until a shaggy dough forms.
- Either knead in a stand mixer or transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- While the dough rises, prepare the filling. In a small bowl, mix the softened vegan butter, brown sugar, ground ginger, and cinnamon until smooth.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down and transfer to a floured surface. Roll it into a 12 × 16 inch (30 × 40 cm) rectangle. Spread the filling evenly over the surface, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border on one long side.
- Starting from the opposite long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log. Trim the ends, then cut into 10 equal rolls. Arrange the rolls in a greased 9 × 13 inch (23 × 33 cm) baking dish. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake for 25-28 minutes, or until golden brown and slightly firm to the touch.
- While the rolls bake, make the icing by whisking together the powdered sugar, cream cheese, plant-based milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, molasses, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls.
- If desired, top with crushed gingersnap crumbs and place a gingerbread cookie on each roll while the glaze is still tacky before serving.
Notes
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Marj says
Officially writing this down on my Noche Buena menu. Thanks for sharing Adam!