Classic Cinnamon Rolls (Vegan)

Cinnamon rolls were one of the first things I ever baked that made me go, "holy crap I'm talented!" They're actually very straightforward to make, and they taste like a warm hug from someone you love. When my very first attempt at vegan-izing my old cinnamon roll recipe produced practically flawless results, I knew there was no reason to turn back from veganism. Not now, not ever.

So! Let's get onto the recipe so you too can realize what a talented vegan you are.

I have additional notes on ingredients used after the recipe.

Makes 12 cinnamon rolls

Takes about 2 hours total (1 hour active)

ROLL INGREDIENTS:

- 1 cup warm milk of your choice (110 degrees F)

- 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

- 4 cups all-purpose flour

- 1/2 cup granulated sugar

- 1/3 cup (76 grams) vegan butter, melted

- Egg substitute equivalent to 2 whole eggs (I used Ener G)

METHOD

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk, and let stand for about 10 minutes until the surface of the milk becomes foamy.

2. Mix in the remaining ingredients. If you're using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment until everything just comes together. If you don't have a stand mixer, I would recommend using a large spoon or fork, not a hand mixer.

3. Cover your hands in flour and knead the dough until it comes together in a ball. This shouldn’t take too long, about 3-5 minutes.

4. Cover the bowl and leave it in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size (around 1 hour).

FILLING INGREDIENTS:

- 1 cup packed brown sugar

- 2 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

- 1/3 cup (76 grams) vegan butter, softened

- 3 tablespoons flour

METHOD CONTINUED

5. Once the dough has doubled in size, preheat the oven to 400.

6. In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for filling until it looks crumbly but thoroughly combined.

7. Roll out the dough into a rectangle, until it is about 1/4 inch thick.

8. Distribute the filling evenly over the rolled-out dough.

9. Roll the dough in on itself, lengthwise, then cut into 12 equal pieces. (That is to say, you want a long, thin roll of dough prior to cutting, not a short, fat one)

OPTION 1. For bread-like cinnamon rolls, place the cut rolls into a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish (or equivalent size), leaving a little space between each roll. Cover and let rise for another 10 minutes before moving on to the next step.

OPTION 2. For super gooey cinnamon rolls, place the rolls into a lightly greased 12 x 7.5 inch dish (or equivalent size) and move straight onto baking, no additional proving.

10. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 10 - 13 minutes, until golden brown, or an instant read thermometer (avoiding the filling!) reads about 201 degrees F.

ICING INGREDIENTS:

- 1/2 cup (113 grams) vegan butter, softened or melted

- 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese, softened (ideally at room temperature)

- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (sifted, if you're too fancy for lumps)

- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD - THE FINALE

11. While the rolls are baking, mix all icing ingredients together until well blended. Pour over cinnamon rolls after you take them out of the oven, while they are still warm.

It really doesn't get any better than a cinnamon roll and a cup of coffee, does it? HEAVEN.

Anyhow - onto my thoughts about "vegan" ingredients.

First off - butter! My preferred vegan butter is Miyoko's - hands down, without a doubt. It tastes amazing and works great for every use of butter in this recipe. It's fairly expensive though, and I know it's not available everywhere. Earth Balance is my fall back, as it's more widely available, and it's also suitable for folks with nut allergies, while Miyoko's contains cashews. If neither are available, I would say go with whatever vegan option at your store most closely resembles a stick of butter in order to get the best results, though I have made the recipe using a spread, and it still turned out pretty darn good.

Secondly - milk. I tend to use soy milk, because I find it a full-bodied substitute for normal milk, but you can seriously use whatever you have / prefer. Just make sure it's unsweetened and unflavored, or things might get weird.

Third - eggs. Eggs are the hardest thing to replace in non-vegan recipes, in my opinion, as unlike butter or milk, they might be serving a number of different purposes in the chemistry of the recipe. I've always used Ener-G Egg Replacer and water for this recipe, but I imagine you could substitute it with the cornstarch and water or aquafaba, if that's what you have on hand.

Fourth - sugar. If you live in America, chances are pretty high that the standard sugar you find in supermarkets was processed using the bones of animals. How crazy is this country?! Anyhow, if you can afford it, I would recommend cooking with organic sugar because that circumvents this disgusting little problem.

Fifth - cream cheese. I am a serious Miyoko's fan girl, so I use their products when I can get my hands on them. Tofutti and Daiya also make vegan cream cheeses which are pretty solid. Or, if you can't find any of them, just use more butter! It'll still be delicious, I promise.

I think that's it? I'm here to help with any questions you may have!

#cinnamonrolls #vegancinnamonrolls #veganbaking