These Vegan Cinnamon Rolls are super delicious and easy to make. They have a soft and fluffy vegan bread dough made with the Tangzhong method, and are filled with a cinnamon sugar and candied pecan mixture. They are finished with a vegan glaze for the perfect vegan cinnamon roll!
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Table of contents
- Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
- Super Easy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
- How to make Vegan Cinnamon Roll Dough
- Extra Light Olive Oil - the secret to a super fluffy vegan dough
- How to get a clean cut on Cinnamon Rolls
- Sample Schedule for Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
- FAQ for Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
- For more recipes using Filippo Berio, Check out:
Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
Hi hi! I am just popping in to share the recipe for these Vegan Cinnamon Rolls! I have been sitting on the recipe for a wee bit and decided it is just far too good to keep to myself and I should probably just share it here now!
These Vegan Cinnamon Rolls are SO GOOD. I don't have too much vegan baking experience (it is usually just a happy accident), so I was a little cautious going into this, but oh my, they turned out so well! The dough has a Tangzhong base, which gave me a great foundation to work on, then relied on bread flour for strength where eggs and milk would usually do the heavy lifting.
I filled the Vegan dough with a simple cinnamon sugar mixture, then added a wee layer of candied pecans just for texture and flavour. These Vegan Cinnamon Rolls are so soft and fluffy and come together quickly - I hope you love them!
Super Easy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
These Vegan Cinnamon Rolls are super easy to make. The dough comes together super fast and because it doesn't have butter etc in it, it is just as easy to roll out at room temperature as it is cold.
- Make the Candied Pecans - These Vegan Candied Pecans are super easy to make - you just cook toasted nuts on the stove with some sugar and oil until the sugar caramelises. I like to toast my nuts in the oven first to add a depth of flavour. The pecans are finely chopped for the filling of the cinnamon rolls.
- Mix the Vegan Cinnamon Roll Dough - This dough uses the Tangzhong method, so starts with a paste made of milk and flour which is cooked on the stove. The rest of the ingredients then go in and it hangs out in the mixer for a bit before being left to rise
- Assemble the Vegan Cinnamon Rolls - The next step is to roll out the dough, and top with the cinnamon sugar filling and the candied pecans. Then they get rolled up, sliced, and popped into a pan to rise and then are baked.
- Finish with glaze - These Vegan Cinnamon Rolls just have a super simple glaze made from plant based milk and powdered sugar. You can make it as thin or thick as you like depending on preference!
How to make Vegan Cinnamon Roll Dough
I relied heavily on the Tangzhong method when making this vegan cinnamon roll dough. The Tangzhong method is an Asian Technique, and involves cooking part of the flour and water in a bread recipe to form a thick paste, or a roux. The process of making the Tangzhong gelatanises some of the starch in the flour. This means the flour is able to absorb a lot more water, and also holds onto it throughout the dough making process.
This gives an incredibly soft bread which stays soft a lot longer than other bread does. Tangzhong (which is a Chinese word) cooks the liquid and flour together, while the Yudane method (which is Japanese) involves adding boiling liquid to the flour and leaving it to set overnight. The benefit of using a roux means that the bread dough can stay 'lean' - so very little added fat etc but still stay extremely tender and soft.
This works perfectly as the base for a vegan dough as the strength from the Tangzhong means that there is no need for dairy or egg in the dough. The dough is super super light and fluffy, so does need to be dealt with differently than a traditional brioche (it is much more puffy), but it works so, so well!
Please note that if you are keeping these strictly vegan you will need to make sure your sugar is also vegan!
Extra Light Olive Oil - the secret to a super fluffy vegan dough
I used my favourite Filippo Berio Extra Light Olive Oil in the place of butter in these rolls! This oil is a staple in my kitchen - it is super light tasting so is extremely versatile. I use it whenever a recipe calls for a neutral oil, and it also works great in frying. It is super light tasting so really lets the cinnamon and cardamom in the dough shine through.
I just popped the oil in directly with the rest of the ingredients to mix when making the dough. It also came in handy when greasing the bowl for rising - just a light wipe of oil with your hands or a paper towel helps to stop the dough from sticking.
How to get a clean cut on Cinnamon Rolls
There are a few ways to cut cinnamon rolls - for a firmer dough I usually use a sharp bread knife. While that will work for these vegan cinnamon rolls, the dough is super soft and puffy so I use unflavoured dental floss.
To cut rolls with dental floss, I find it is easiest to cut the roll into sections first (in this case 3 sections), then cut each up. You want to place the log of dough over the floss rather than dragging it up the log, or it will catch on the underside.
Then you just cross the ends over each other and pull, and it gives you a perfect swirly cinnamon roll! Make sure your pecans are finely chopped for this too to avoid them catching on the floss.
If you only have flavoured dental floss I honestly don't think it's going to make a massive difference - thread or some thin string or fishing wire would work great too!
Sample Schedule for Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
I made these Vegan Cinnamon Rolls all in the same day. However, there are a few ways that you can do this to make them ahead of time. I often get asked if you can do the second rise for cinnamon rolls overnight and while you can, it is not my favourite. I find that the chances of over proofing your rolls are much higher, and the filling tends to leak. You then also have to still let them sit at room temperature while you heat up the oven. Here are the two ways I would do it:
- Fridge rise first rise, room temperature second rise - I often use a cold rise for my first rise with dough. As I said earlier this dough isn't like a butter based dough which will firm up and be easier to roll when cold, but the fridge means you can make it on your schedule. You can either do the first rise in the fridge during the day (I would give it 10-15 minutes on the counter then a minimum of 3 hours in the fridge), or you can do it overnight.
- Room temperature first rise, room temperature second rise - This is what I did when making these. The dough is super soft and puffy so only takes about an hour to do the first rise and about 30 for the second.
The candied pecans can be made well ahead of time and stored in an airtight container until ready to use. Remember to always go by how your dough is behaving rather than time on the clock!
FAQ for Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
No sorry. They really, really need the gluten.
The dough heavily relies on the gluten in the recipe for structure. Bread flour provides that. It is also called 'high grade' or 'strong' flour in other countries. You can add in
'vital wheat gluten' if you don't have bread flour in your country, but I haven't tried it before so I am not 100% on the ratio sorry.
I haven't tried without but I would say yes, you do need the mixer. The dough is soft and stretchy, and needs the mixer to help develop strength.
I used Oat milk - I got the 'extra creamy' one!
Yep! You sure can.
This is a little tip I borrowed from King Arthur - it stops the filling from leaking out!
I used a 10" skillet, but a 9" round cake pan or a 9" square pan would work great too. I cut mine into 9 pieces but you can do what you like here.
Nope, just sub whole milk for the plant based milk if you like!
If you don't have it, you can just leave it out of the dough. Cinnamon inhibits yeast, so don't replace it with that in the dough. You can replace the cardamom with 1 tsp cinnamon in the filling.
For more recipes using Filippo Berio, Check out:
- Garlic and Rosemary No Knead Focaccia
- Mini Chocolate Cake
- Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Small Batch Dairy Free Brownies
Made this recipe and love it?
If you made this recipe then I would LOVE for you to leave me a review below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram if you make it!
A note on salt and oven temperature
It is important to note the type of salt that is called for in a recipe. I use Diamond Crystal salt throughout my recipes - if you use a different sort of kosher salt or regular table salt you will need to adjust accordingly as some salt is 'saltier' than others. Morton's salt is twice as salty, so you will need half the quantity. Same goes for a regular table salt. I am working to get gram measurements throughout my recipes for salt but still getting there.
All oven temperatures are conventional unless otherwise stated. If you are baking on fan / convection, you will need to adjust the temperature. An oven thermometer is a great investment to ensure that your oven is the correct temperature.
Why is this recipe in grams?
I post my recipes in grams as it is the most accurate way to bake. Cups are not only inaccurate but they vary in volume worldwide. There is no way for me to provide one cup measure that works for everyone. However, posting in weight fixes this issue. If you would like the recipe in cups you are welcome to convert it yourself via google, but please do not ask me to do it for you as I am not comfortable providing a recipe using a method that I have not tested. Baking with a scale is easy, accurate, and also makes cleanup super simple. Here is the scale that I use if you would like a recommendation! Here's to accurate baking! If you would like to scale this recipe or convert for another pan size, use my calculator!
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Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
- Author: Erin
-
Prep Time: 2 hours -
Cook Time: 30 minutes
-
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
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Yield: 9 servings -
Category: Cinnamon Rolls -
Method: Baking -
Cuisine: American - Diet: Vegan
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Pin RecipeDescription
These Vegan Cinnamon Rolls are super delicious and easy to make. They have a soft and fluffy vegan bread dough made with the Tangzhong method, and are filled with a cinnamon sugar and candied pecan mixture. They are finished with a vegan glaze for the perfect vegan cinnamon roll!
Ingredients
Candied Pecans
- 125g pecans
- 50g light or dark brown sugar
- 15g Filippo Berio Extra Light Olive Oil
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
Tangzhong
- 20g bread flour
- 95g oat milk
Vegan Cinnamon Roll Dough
- All of the Tangzhong
- 150g oat milk or other plant based milk, cold
- 30g light or dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ tsp (6g) instant yeast
- 270g bread flour
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- ½ tsp (3g) kosher salt
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 35g Filippo Berio Extra Light Olive Oil
Filling
- 100g brown sugar
- 1 tbsp (10g) cinnamon
- 1 tsp (2g) cardamom
- 30g Filippo Berio Extra Light Olive Oil
- 10g bread flour
- Pinch of salt
- All of the candied pecans, finely chopped
Glaze
- 200g powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 15-30g plant based milk (adjust based on glaze consistency preference)
Instructions
CANDIED PECANS
- Preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c. Spread the pecan halves out on a baking sheet, and toast for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown (you can snap one open to check they are toasted throughout). Leave to cool.
- Line a small baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or some parchment paper. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, oil, and salt.
- Add the toasted pecan halves and cook, stirring frequently and adjusting the heat as necessary, until the sugar has melted and the nuts are evenly coated in the sugar mixture. Tip out onto the prepared baking sheet and spread the nuts out with a spatula so they aren’t clumped together.
- Once the nuts are cool, chop very finely either with a knife or by blitzing in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Store in an airtight container until ready to use. Can be made ahead of time.
TANGZHONG
- Combine the milk and bread flour in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens into a paste. Remove from heat and transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer.
VEGAN CINNAMON ROLL DOUGH
- Add the cold milk to the Tangzhong mixture and mix to combine, checking with your finger that it is not hotter than lukewarm (the cold milk should cool the hot tangzhong enough). Add the sugar, yeast, flour, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and oil. Transfer to the mixer and fit with the dough hook.
- Mix on medium to high speed for 10-12 minutes, until the dough is soft, smooth, and stretchy, and is clearing the sides of the bowl. Don't freak out. It's a sticky dough. Set a timer and walk away from the mixer if you need to. If it really isn't clearing the bowl, you can add more flour 1 tsp at a time. Different flours are more or less thirsty which can show more on a sticky dough so just go by how the dough feels. I haven't had to add more flour but you may need to add just a teeny bit to bring it all together.
- Lightly oil a medium bowl. Using lightly oiled hands, turn the dough out onto a surface and shape into a ball. You can use flour on the surface instead of oil if you like.
- Transfer the ball of the dough to the prepared bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm spot for 60 to 90 minutes, until the dough has doubled in size and is very puffy.
ASSEMBLY
- Line a 10" round or 9" square pan with parchment paper. Combine all of the filling ingredients except the pecans in a small bowl to form somewhat of a paste.
- Turn out the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a rough square (this helps with keeping it square as you roll it out - if you start with a square your chances of ending with one are much higher)
- Roll out into a 12"x12" (30cmx30cm) square, squaring off the sides as you go with a bench scraper.
- Evenly spread the combined filling ingredients over the surface of the dough. Pat with your hands to help spread it out.
- Sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly over the surface of the dough.
- Starting from one edge, roll up the dough into a tight log. Lay it seam side down.
- Trim the ends if desired, then, using unflavoured dental floss, cut the dough into 9 even cinnamon rolls. I like to section it into 3 first and then divide each section further into 3 more rolls. To cut with dental floss, place the floss underneath the part of dough you want to cut, ensuring it is sitting straight, then cross the ends of the floss over each other and pull to cut.
- Arrange the buns evenly in the prepared pan. Lightly
- Lightly cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the rolls are puffy and when lightly pressed with a finger, an indentation is left that doesn't spring all the way back. This should take 30 to 45 minutes.
- While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c.
- Bake the cinnamon rolls for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown on top. If you like you can measure the internal temperature - it should be tracking around 190°f / 90°c for baked rolls (make sure you insert the thermometer into the dough not the filling)
- Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 15 to 20 minutes before drizzling with the frosting.
GLAZE
- Place the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Add the vanilla. Start with 15g plant based milk and mix to combine, then continue adding more milk until your desired glaze consistency is reached. Drizzle over the baked cinnamon rolls.
Store leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature. Refresh briefly in the microwave if desired.
Notes
Please note that if you are keeping these strictly vegan you will need to double check your sugar is vegan as not all brands are.
Keywords: Vegan, Cinnamon Rolls, Dairy Free, Candied Pecans, Cinnamon Buns
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