March and April were a couple of the hardest months we’ve had since becoming parents of two. We were struggling to stay afloat and not sleeping much. I started to feel depressed/anxious on and off (which worried me a bit, given my past struggles), and was at a loss for how to write about what I was going through. For a while, I lost the motivation to do many of the things I normally enjoy. The past few years have been amazing and intense and emotional and exhilarating and exhausting. The phrase “burning a candle at both ends” comes to mind. My kids are my world and being a mother is my favourite role in life, but it’s so damn hard sometimes. That’s just the honest truth. Some days you just survive. But then there are those daily moments that take my breath away…make my heart burst with love and my eyes well with tears, and it’s like…oh yeah. THIS. This is it. This is what makes it all worth it a million times over. Grateful doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel.
Thankfully, we seem to be in a better phase right now: we’re all getting more sleep, and the kids have been much happier. I’m soaking it up! My motivation has also returned and inspiration seems to be everywhere lately. Despite the incessant rain of late, things are feeling fresh and new again. My birthday is coming up in a week, so the timing couldn’t be better.
If you’ve been following me on Insta Stories, you may have seen the development of these cinnamon rolls over the past couple weeks. Cinnamon rolls for DAYS, you guys!! Working off my Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls recipe from way back in 2010, I made a classic cinnamon roll—vegan styles, of course. Why the heck didn’t I have one already? I do not know. My goal was to make the recipe foolproof without sacrificing that amazing cinnamon roll experience we all know and love, and based on my taste testers’ reactions I’d say it’s a big crowd-pleaser. (One of my pals said they remind her of her grandmother’s cinnamon rolls!) Don’t be put off by the number of steps; I wanted to provide a lot of detail so you wouldn’t be left hanging (that’s the worst). Also, be sure to see my notes on how to prep these the day before (you know I tested that, too), so you can wake up and bake fresh cinnamon rolls with minimal bleary-eyed fiddling in the kitchen. I know what we’ll be enjoying on Mother’s Day, and I can’t wait to celebrate with our crazy little fam…
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Classic Cinnamon Rolls
Yield
12 rolls
Prep time
Rest time
1 hour, 45 minutes
Cook time
Total time
Fluffy cinnamon rolls topped with a sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting; these are great to whip up for special occasions or laid-back weekend mornings. There are quite a few steps, but don’t panic! I promise, as long as you read everything over before you begin, you'll be fine—they're actually quite easy to make. Even though this recipe technically requires about 2 hours and 45 minutes total time, only 30 to 40 minutes of that are active. The remainder is rest and bake time, during which I encourage you to kick up your feet and relax! See my tips below for how to make these the night before, too. I adapted this recipe from my Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls (2010).
Ingredients
For the yeast:
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) warm water
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) sugar
- 1 packet (8 g) quick-rise instant dry yeast
For the dough:
- 2 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons (430 g) all-purpose white flour, plus more for kneading
- 1/3 cup (67 g) vegan butter
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) unsweetened almond milk
- 1/3 cup (73 g) cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) fine sea salt
For the cinnamon sugar filling:
- 1/2 cup (110 g) cane sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (10 g) cinnamon
- 1/4 cup (50 g) vegan butter, melted
For the pan sauce and frosting:
- 1/4 cup (50 g) vegan butter, melted
- 2 1/2 tablespoons (25 g) unpacked brown sugar or cane sugar
- Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
Directions
- Set aside a 9- by 13-inch casserole dish.
- For the yeast: In a small bowl, add the warm water. Make sure it’s not too hot; it should feel like warm bath water (approximately 110°F/45°C). Stir in the sugar until mostly dissolved. Now, stir in the yeast until dissolved. Set aside for about 6 to 7 minutes so the yeast can activate (it’ll look foamy when ready).
- For the dough: Flour a working surface for later. Add 2 cups of flour into a large mixing bowl.
- Melt 1/3 cup butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove the pot from the burner and stir in the almond milk, 1/3 cup sugar, and salt. The mixture should be lukewarm—if it’s any hotter let it cool off for a minute. Stir in all of the yeast mixture until just combined.
- Pour the wet yeast mixture over the flour and stir with a large wooden spoon. Stop mixing once all of the flour is incorporated and it looks a bit like muffin batter, about 15 seconds.
- Add in the remaining 1/2 cup and 3 tablespoons flour. Mix with a spoon for several seconds. Lightly oil your hands and roughly knead the mixture until it comes together into a shaggy, sticky dough. It’ll probably stick to your fingers (even with the oil), but that’s normal. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface.
- Knead the dough for about 3 to 4 minutes until it’s no longer sticky to the touch; it should be smooth and elastic. While kneading, sprinkle on a small handful of flour whenever the dough becomes sticky to the touch. Don’t be afraid to add some flour; I probably use between 1/2 and 3/4 cup while kneading. Shape the dough into a ball.
- Wash out the mixing bowl and dry it. Oil the bowl (I love to use a spray oil for ease) and place the ball of dough inside. Flip the dough around so it gets lightly coated in the oil. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the oven with the light on (or simply in a warm, draft-free area). Let the dough rise for 60 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the cinnamon sugar filling. In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon and set aside.
- Make the pan sauce: In a small pot, melt 1/2 cup butter (you can use the unwashed pot from before). Remove half of the melted butter (eyeballing it is fine) and put it in another small bowl (this will be spread onto the rolled-out dough before adding the cinnamon sugar). With the scant 1/4 cup melted butter remaining in the pot, stir in the 2 1/2 tablespoons of brown sugar until combined (this is the pan sauce). Pour the pan sauce into a 9- by 13-inch casserole dish and spread it out.
- After the first dough rise, re-flour your working surface and grab a rolling pin. Roll the dough into a large rectangle, approximately 20 by 14 inches.
- With a pastry brush, spread the remaining melted butter onto the dough, covering the entire surface. Sprinkle on all of the cinnamon sugar filling, leaving a 1/2 inch around the edges without any sugar.
- Grab the end of the dough (short side of rectangle) and roll it up, rolling as tightly as possible. Place it seam-side down once it’s rolled up. Use a serrated knife to slice 1 1/2 inch–thick rolls. You should have 10 to 12.
- Grab your cut rolls and place into the prepared pan, cut-side down, a few inches apart from one another. Cover the pan with plastic wrap, place into the oven with the light on, and allow them to rise for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting.
- After the second rise, remove the rolls from the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Remove the plastic wrap. Bake the rolls for 23 to 26 minutes at 350°F (180°C), until lightly golden in a few spots. Remove from oven and allow the rolls to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Frost the rolls with the cream cheese frosting. Slide a butter knife around each cinnamon roll and lift it out. (Alternatively, you can pop them out first and frost each roll individually.) Serve immediately and enjoy!
- If you have leftovers, you can wrap them up and chill them in the fridge for up to 48 hours. I like to reheat unfrosted rolls in the oven on a baking sheet for 5 minutes at 350°F (180°C). The oven returns them to their amazing gooey-soft state! Alternatively, you can freeze the cooled unfrosted rolls (wrap them in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by tinfoil) for a week or two. To reheat, simply unwrap and pop them frozen onto a baking sheet and into the oven for 10 to 12 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until warmed throughout. The edges get a bit crispy, and it’s oh so good!
Tip:
Want cinnamon rolls prepped for breakfast the next day? Simply follow the recipe until you complete the second rise. Place the wrapped dish in the fridge overnight. In the morning, remove the dish from the fridge and let the rolls sit in the oven with the light on for about 20 minutes. After that, remove the dish from the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Remove the plastic wrap, and bake as directed. They can be prepped up to 18 hours in advance. Just be sure to cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap while in the fridge.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Keep your eyes peeled for a step-by-step cinnamon roll video coming soon! Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you don’t miss it.
And as an aside, to anyone out there battling the bad flooding happening throughout Eastern Canada, our hearts go out to you!
Hey Angela,
Super impressed you’ve done anything work related at all with two littles. Did you try using sprouted spelt in this recipe during your testing? Was thinking of using 50/50 with white.
Hi Sarah, I haven’t had a chance to try a 50/50 spelt/white trial yet, but I do think it could work. Since spelt tends to be a “wetter” flour when mixed, you might need to use more spelt flour if the dough is too sticky. A good place to start might be searching for spelt cinnamon rolls online and seeing if those look okay, heh.
They look so delicious! Would love to try them sometime!
Thanks, Annie! If you give them a go, I hope they’re a hit. :)
Yum!! What type of Vegan butter and cream cheese do you recommend?? Thank you!
Hey Shereen, I tested these with Melt, Earth Balance, and homemade vegan butter–all worked great! And as for vegan cream cheese, I used Daiya brand, but any will work fine as long as it’s unflavoured/plain. Hope this helps!
Cinnamon rolls are life! Totally making these over the weekend!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Too true! Enjoy, Paige :)
Oh, these look wonderful! Can’t wait to try them, thanks for sharing.
I hope you love them, Heather!
Hi,
will it work with oil / coconut oil?
no vegan butter in Israel :(
I haven’t tried this recipe with coconut oil yet myself, but I’ll try to do that in the future and report back. If you give it a go in the meantime, please do let us know how your rolls turn out! I’d love to hear back.
I like coconut oil but personally I find its taste a little too strong in foods. I wouldn’t add too much of the oil in these rolls
Can these be made using gluten free flour?
Hey Diane, I haven’t tested it out myself, so I’m not sure how it would go or what to recommend. If you decide to experiment, please let us know how the rolls turn out! And if I test anything in the future, I’ll report back, too. :)
Angela,
These Cinnamon Rolls looks so amazing. I’ve made vegan cinnamon rolls before but never with a cream cheese frosting! I’m going to give these a try, or make my husband make them for me this weekend. :)
Also, thank you for sharing your honesty about life and parenting. I am right there with you. My twins are 9 and I have a 18 month old. I told myself that after having twins, one kid will be a piece of cake! Yeah, not so much! This little guy doesn’t sleep well and keeps me super busy. Some days are so overwhelming, especially while I’m trying to blog and create recipes. I can say that it does get better. My 9 year olds are fantastic. I’d say around the age of 5 life got so much easier with them. :)
Hey Nora, Twins–I can only imagine! It’s funny you said things got easier around 5 years of age. My mom has been telling me 4/5 is the magic age…haha. Mommy’s little helper kicks in? I already notice things getting a bit easier with Adriana now that she’s moving closer to 3. Two to 2.5 was probably the hardest so far. Good luck with your 18 month old…we found 16 months was when things started to get really challenging with our first; it’ll be interesting to see how Arlo is around the same age! They all have such unique personalities. We can already tell that he’s more active/squirmy/into things than his big sister was. ;) Okay I’m rambling now, but just wanted to say thanks for your support. We got this!
Oh my goodness, can’t wait to try! You will make my cinnamon roll-loving son’s day!
I hope he just loves them, Connie!(and you too, of course, heh)
WOW – these are simply stunning and I’m sure they taste amazing as well!
The photos are also beautiful as always!
Izzy | Pinch of delight
Aw, thanks Izzy! I hope love them if you give the recipe a go.
These are seriously the best vegan cinnamon rolls I’ve ever seen!!! Oh my gosh…I can’t stop looking at your pictures, they look so perfect…I think I can even smell that lovely spiced aroma.
xo
Thanks, Gemma :) If you get a chance to try the recipe, I hope you enjoy them!
Hi! Can you substitute coconut oil for vegan butter?
Hi there Corinna, This isn’t something I’ve tested yet, but I’ll try to do so in the future and report back. :) If you decide to give it a try before then, though, please let us know how it goes! I’d love to hear back.
These cinnamon rolls look amazing! Thank you for sharing. And thank you for being honest about motherhood, I can only imagine how difficult keeping up with all of this with two littles at home. You seem to be doing an incredible job!
https://jonandaudadventure.wordpress.com/
Thanks so much for the kind words, Audrey! If you get a chance to try the cinnamon rolls, I hope you love them :)
Looking forward to trying these out with my crew, <3
Thank you for being so transparent re: your ongoing parenting struggles. Life is hard, parenting is so hard. I feel acutely aware of how precious this time with littles is, and yet it's still so hard to manage all the conflicting interests.
hope the good sleep continues <3
Thanks, Laura. I appreciate it! I hope the cinnamon rolls are a hit when you get the chance to make them :)
These look like perfection! Will be trying these out this weekend – you can never have enough cinnamon rolls in your life :)
I agree, Aimee! Definitely no such thing as enough cinnamon rolls ;) I hope you love this recipe!
I’ve had some pretty big lows with my three kids (hello, 3 kids, 3 and under). Take it a day at a time, and always look for ways to reduce, do less, minimize.
But it’s SO nice to see you back and a great new recipe! My mom made cinnamon rolls, but I never have done it from complete scratch myself. I bet my kids would love helping with these. Pizza is always such a fun (and sometimes messy/trying) time for us. And one of them always helps with some aspect of each step, particularly punching the dough down.
These look amazing, Angela! They would be perfect for a Sunday morning breakfast :)
My daughters, sisters and I love your cookbooks! You are truly gifted and inspired. I have been making cinnamon rolls for 50 years and can share some ideas…
I start with milk instead of water, 2 cups, so you do end up with more rolls to freeze or give away. To that I beat in 3 fresh eggs.Not vegan, so maybe not useful to you so far, but pretty nutritious! When it comes to filling, I use straight cinnamon, no sugar, plus some raisins scattered over the dough before rolling up. Instead of frosting I pour a butter & brown sugar mixture (melt 1 stick butter, 1cup brown sugar, add 1/2 cup water & bring to a boil) into the baking pans, sprinkle with walnuts and then place the rolls side by side in the pan. Instead of plastic wrap I put the pan inside a clean, recycled grocery produce bag. (Same bag can be used to cover the rising dough in the bowl). These buns freeze well and they endear you to friends and family!
With gratitude and admiration,
Claire
Thanks so much for sharing, Claire! And thanks for the cookbook love and kind words, too. :)
Just made these for my family and they were gone within minutes! These look and taste like the real deal, yet they have a vegan twist which I love! I even found a vegan creamcheese recipe on the web which I made to use in the frosting…it turned out amazing. Have you ever thought of creating your own vegan creamcheese recipe? The storebought ones are pricey. Thank you for creating and sharing such wonderful recipes!
I’m so happy to hear the recipe was a hit, Rosie! I haven’t tried making a homemade version before, but I would like to try in the future. Glad yours was a hit!
Oh. My. Goodness. These are the best cinnamon rolls I have ever made! And I’ve made my fair share, trying to find the perfect recipe. These are better than Cinnabon! And I’m a die hard for them.
The steps Angela gave were a bit overwhelming originally to read but as I went through it made sense and was super helpful. I followed step by step and they turned out just like her photos! My brother kept saying that through the process that it looked the same as hers. True sign of a good recipe!
I give 5 stars for these soft, delicious cinnamon rolls!
Thanks, Amanda! I’m so happy to hear you loved them :)