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These vegan cinnamon rolls are as close to perfection as it gets. There’s a darn good reason why my somewhat well-known restaurants, food trucks, and this blog itself all have the name Cinnamon Snail. With a super soft-dough, warm swirls of cinnamon sugar, and a dreamy glaze, this recipe is a big step up from the already very yummy version I shared in my cookbook!
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I started experimenting with making cinnamon rolls vegan way back in 2008, long before I launched my food truck. My wife and I had a stand at our local farmer’s market, selling these cinnamon rolls, alongside our vegan apple cider donuts and vegan apple fritters.
A friend visiting our stand who had just returned from Denmark told me that they call cinnamon rolls “kanelsnegl” there, which translates to cinnamon snail (because of the snail shell spiral pattern). I thought that was adorable, so the name stuck, and we eventually named our whole little food biz after it.
While you can get these done from start to finish in under two hours (don’t worry, it’s mostly waiting time), for even better flavor and convenience, you can ferment the dough overnight in the fridge, and I provide instructions for that too! It’s the kind of recipe you’ll want to bake on repeat, whether it’s for brunch or the star of your fancy teatime spread.
So strap on your cutest apron because I am going to unlock the secrets of true bakery-quality buns for ya!
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🥰 Why you’ll adore this vegan cinnamon rolls recipe
🍞 Simple Ingredients: Made with ingredients like flour, sugar, cinnamon, and plant milk, these rolls are way easier to whip up than they are to stop devouring.
⏱ Variable Proofing Time: This vegan cinnamon roll recipe has been formulated to work great if you are short on time. I’ve also included details to help you save setup time in the morning by retarding the dough overnight in the fridge if you are a think-ahead type of baker.
✊ Vegan AF: Like all my vegan donut recipes, these are proof that fluffy, gooey rolls don’t need a single drop of dairy or egg to be absolutely ridiculously good.
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all of the vegan breakfast recipes I share, this one’s been verified by a massive team of recipe testers from all around the world. It also happens to be one of the vegan recipes I perfected over the course of dozens of years, serving up many thousands of them professionally!
🧈 Ingredients for vegan cinnamon rolls
The Flour
Because it has more gluten, I like to make these with bread flour, but all-purpose flour works fine in them if you don’t have any.
Before you ask—YES, you can get away with making these buns with a gluten-free flour mix if that’s your thing. They just will not be quite as fluffy and lovely as with regular flour.
Vegan Milk
I have tested these with soy milk, almond milk, and oat milk, all with good results and outcomes that are pretty indistinguishable from one another. My one suggestion is to either use unsweetened milk or, if you can’t get one, to slightly cut back on the amount of sweetener in the recipe to make up for that.
Vegan Butter
Vegan butter provides richness and moisture to the dough and gives the cinnamon filling its juicy, yummy body. You can make your own vegan butter, following the recipe I share in my vegan dairy crash course, or use any store-bought butter you like. I have also pulled them off beautifully with refined coconut oil, although they sorta lack the yummy butter flavor that makes these better than most non-vegan buns.
Sugar
I like to use “evaporated cane juice” (don’t get it twisted—it’s a granulated sweetener, not a liquid) as my primary baking sugar. But you can use just about any sugar you like.
I 100% don’t mess with xylitol because it’s deadly poisonous to dogs, and since I live with 4 rescues (and a rescued wallaby named Doyle), xylitol is something I just crossed off my list and never looked back.
I also think the following are super gross tasting and shouldn’t be touched with a ten-foot pole: monk fruit, stevia, aspartame (Splenda, etc.). I mean, hey, if you like those, have at it. Just please don’t share those gross-tasting buns with me, I am begging you.
Instant Yeast
Instant yeast speeds up the rise time, helping the dough double in size more quickly than active dry yeast. It’s also a little more forgiving to over-fermentation, which is why it’s sorta a foolproof choice I use in my Korean donuts and my Moroccan msemen too.
If you only have dry active yeast, that will work here too, but you will need to keep an eye on not letting the dough more than double, or the yeast will exhaust itself, and the buns will not bake up as fluffy.
Kinda Optional, but Strongly Advised
I know what you might be thinking, but nutmeg ain’t just for topping vegan eggnog with, dear mommy. A small amount of ground nutmeg in the dough is a subtle secret to the classic bakery flavor and aroma of these buns.
Vanilla powder is also a great alternative to regular ol’ vanilla extract so that the buns and their glaze are speckled with little black bits of vanilla bean. It’s the same ingredient I use to make my coconut panna cotta, eggless chocolate chip cookies, and my Filipino suman recipe.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Variations
Dairy-Free Cinnamon Buns with Vegan Nutella
Add a hefty half a cup of my vegan nutella to the filling and sprinkle in some chopped toasted hazelnuts. Once they’re baked, glaze with vegan royal icing and top with candied hazelnuts.
Pandan Ube Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
Add freshly made pandan juice or pandan extract to the dough. Steam the rolls instead of baking, like I do to make putu ayu cakes, resulting in a soft, moist bun. Glaze the steamed buns with ube glaze (you can follow the method for making that from my karioka recipe).
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Topped with vegan cream cheese frosting, my vegan pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe on the blog has all the details on making these perfectly spiced, autumnal buns.
📖 How to make vegan cinnamon rolls
Even if you've never made cinnamon rolls, you're gonna nail this baking project on your first shot by following these step-by-step photos! Or scroll down to the bottom of this page for the easy-to-print recipe card.
Step One
Moo-ve Over, Milk!
In a small saucepan, warm the plant-based milk and sugar over low heat until warm to the touch. Once warmed, remove from the heat, and sprinkle in the yeast, letting it bloom for 10 minutes until foamy.
✅ It’s essential not to let your milk exceed 110°F (45°C), so that you don’t kill your yeast.
Step Two
You Are Very Kneady:
Pour wet ingredients from the saucepan into a medium bowl or stand mixer bowl. Add the flour, nutmeg, vanilla, vegan butter and salt.
Mix until the dough starts forming. Knead by hand or with a mixer fitted with a dough hook for 5–8 minutes until the dough feels smooth and just a bit elastic.
Step Three
Butter Late Than Never:
Roll the dough into a smooth ball and place it into a lightly greased bowl, covered with a damp cloth. Let the dough rise in a warm area for 1–1 ½ hours until doubled in size.
✅ If you prefer, place the dough ball into an airtight container large enough for the dough to double inside of and place it in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, take the dough out for 60 minutes before you are ready to roll it.
Step Four
Spready Krueger:
While the dough ferments, in a small saucepan, melt the vegan butter over medium heat and stir in the sugar and cinnamon, cooking until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
Step Five
Rick Roll:
Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Roll it out on a lightly floured work surface into a 20 x 12-inch (50 x 30 cm) rectangle.
Spread the cinnamon sugar filling evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges.
Step Six
Captain’s Log:
Starting from a long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log. Slice the log into 10 equal pieces and arrange the slices in a lightly greased baking pan. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for 25–30 minutes until puffed up.
✅ You can either place the rolls right next to one another in a baking pan as shown in the photos above, or you can bake them on a parchment lined baking pan with space in between them. - This yields a different style cinnamon bun thats less messy and more self contained. I've included different instrucitons for hitting this style of bun with a thin glaze BEFORE the icing, because that's how I like 'em and used to serve them on our food truck.
✅ While you can get away with cutting this with a knife, using strong thread or unflavored dental floss to loop and cut the dough will keep the buns more perfectly round.
✅ Some people use plastic wrap for covering their baking dish, but I hate to waste non-biodegradable plastic. You don't need to turn this planet into a landfill to have delicious vegan cinnamon rolls.
Step Seven
Your Fave Actor, Oven Diesel:
While the buns are doing their second rise, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown. If your oven has uneven heat, rotate the pan halfway through baking.
Step Eight
Glazed and Confused:
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, plant-based milk, agave or maple syrup, and vanilla powder or extract until smooth and thick.
✅ If are baking the rolls spaced out on a baking sheet, also mix up the pre-glaze in a separate bowl. This will help seal all the edges of the individually baked buns.
Step Nine (optional)
Glazer Tag:
If you baked the buns spread out from one another on a baking sheet (rather than snug up against one another) in a greased baking pan, and are using the pre-glaze, use a basting brush to get the thin glaze into all of the little nooks and crannies. Allow the glaze to set before applying the icing.
Step Ten
Ice, Ice Baby:
Let the homemade cinnamon rolls cool slightly, then drizzle the icing over the top.
For extra coverage, use a brush to coat every nook and cranny. Or use vegan cream cheese frosting if that's what you prefer. Serve warm, jump into the air, and do a clap because you love ‘em so much!
👉Top tips
- Avoid Overheating the Milk: When warming your plant-based milk for the dough, keep it just below a simmer, ideally around 105–110°F (40–45°C). Hotter than that can kill the yeast, resulting in flat, dense rolls that don’t rise and make children cry.
- Use Bread Flour for Extra Fluffiness: For especially soft, cloud-like rolls, use bread flour instead of all purpose. The higher gluten content helps create a stretchy dough that rises beautifully and holds together better, so you’ll get that satisfying, soft pull with each bite.
- Don’t Let Skin Form: When initially bulk fermenting your dough, cover the bowl snugly with a damp cloth or plate to keep it from drying out. After rolling and cutting, be extra careful to cover your rolls to avoid them coming into contact with cool, drafty air. You want to prevent a skin from forming on the outside of the formed buns, which can affect the texture by deterring expansion as they bake.
- If Your Oven Has Uneven Heat: If your oven has hot spots, rotate your buns halfway through baking to help them cook evenly and prevent burning on one side. Placing a baking sheet on a higher rack, or having a baking stone on a lower rack, can also deflect some of the intense heat, keeping the bottoms from burning and the tops from drying out too quickly.
- PLS Don't Look Like Freddy Krueger: Make sure not to handle the melted vegan butter and sugar mixture while it’s hot. Sugar burns suck. Let it cool a bit before spreading it onto the rolled-out dough so you don't melt your whole face off, OK?
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
The dough should be smooth, slightly elastic, and not too sticky to the touch. If you press your finger into it, the indentation should slowly bounce back.
If the dough didn’t rise, it’s likely that the yeast was either too old or the liquid was too hot, killing the yeast. Be sure to proof the yeast in warm (not hot) milk before mixing it into the dough.
To get the perfect gooey center, ensure the dough is rolled tightly without gaps, and allow the rolls to proof properly before baking so they rise to their full potential.
Yes, you can use all-purpose flour, but the texture may be slightly less fluffy and tender. Bread flour has a higher gluten content, which helps create a chewier, airier roll.
But I get it. Sometimes you just need to get your bun fix on and don't want to have to go out to the store. So do what you gotta do, m'lovely.
Dry cinnamon rolls could be a result of overbaking or not enough liquid in the dough. Make sure to measure your ingredients properly, and check the rolls for doneness a little earlier than the recipe suggests if needed, especially if your oven has uneven heat.
✌️A freak about vegan cinnamon buns? You'll love these donuts too
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Learn to make award-winning vegan donuts in this super-fun cooking class with Chef Adam Sobel!
The Softest Vegan Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
- 3 ¼ cup bread flour (or all-purpose flour if unavailable)
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg optional, but encouraged
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
Filling:
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon
Optional Pre-Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened plant-based milk
Cinnamon Bun Icing:
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened plant-based milk
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar or maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla powder or vanilla extract
Instructions
- To make the dough, warm the vegan milk and sugar over medium-low heat until the mixture reaches a maximum of 110°F (45°C). Once the milk mixture is warm, remove from the heat. Sprinkle in the yeast and let it sit for 10 minutes until the yeast begins to foam.
- Transfer the contents of the saucepan to a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer if you have one) along with the flour, nutmeg, vanilla, vegan butter and salt to the bowl. Mix until the dough starts to come together, then knead by hand or with a stand mixer using the dough hook attachment for 5-8 minutes until the dough is smooth and slightly elastic.
- Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm area for 1-1 ½ hours, until it has doubled in size.
- For the filling, stir the vegan butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release any air. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 20 by 12 inches (50 by 30 cm).
- Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a small border on the edges. Starting from the long side, roll the dough tightly into a log. Slice the log into 10 equal pieces.
- Arrange the rolls in a lightly greased baking pan, cover with a damp cloth, and let them rise again in a warm location for 25-30 minutes until they puff up. *Alternately, you can place each bun onto a baking sheet lined with lightly greased parchment paper, leaving a couple inches of space between each bun. This is a way to form and bake them where the buns remain individual rather than becoming a pull-apart thing.
- While the buns proof, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Once risen, bake the rolls for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown. If your oven has uneven heat, make sure to rotate the pan in the oven and perhaps switch it to another rack in your oven at the halfway point.
- While the rolls bake, prepare the icing by whisking together the powdered sugar, plant-based milk, agave nectar or maple syrup, and vanilla powder or extract until smooth. If you are making the optional preglaze (I use it only if I am baking the rolls spaced out on a baking sheet), mix that up in a separate bowl.
- If you are using the preglaze, use a basting brush to get the glaze into all of the little nooks and crannies. Allow the glaze to set before applying the icing.
- Allow the rolls to cool slightly before drizzling the icing over the top. Serve warm.
Notes
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Holly says
These cinnamon rolls turned out great! I opted for prepping the dough the night before and letting it rise in the fridge. The recipe was really easy; the hardest part was waiting! I pulled them out of the oven *just before* I considered them done so I wouldn’t accidentally dry them out. Highly recommend!
Karin Van Zeist says
These are the best cinnamon rolls I have ever made. Pretty easy to make and everybody loves them. I am the only Vegan in my inner circle. Vegan just taste so much better.
Kimbi Walton says
Super delicious and definitely makes the house smell welcoming. The directions are clear and easy to follow.