Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Homemade vegan cinnamon rolls topped with warm glaze are the perfect lazy Sunday treat.

gluten-free, vegan

Ingredients:

Dough
4 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon active dry yeast
1 ⅔ cup room temperature water

Filling
2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
¾ cup coconut sugar
1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
pinch of fine sea salt
pinch of vanilla powder (optional)

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2-3 tablespoons almond or other plant-based milk
pinch of sea salt
pinch of vanilla powder (optional)

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, salt, yeast, and water. Stir together until you have a sticky dough. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and set the bowl in a warm spot for up to 18 hours.

Make the filling and form the cinnamon rolls. In a small bowl, stir together the coconut sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla powder, if using. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.

Sprinkle flour on your work surface and flour a rolling pin. This dough is sticky, so keep some flour on hand. Scrape the dough out onto your floured surface. Shape it into a log of even thickness that’s about 12-14 inches long.

Start rolling out the dough into a rectangle. You want the dough to be an even thickness and about 14 inches wide and 11 inches tall when you’re done.

Brush the entire surface of the dough with the melted vegan butter. Sprinkle the coconut sugar mixture evenly over the top, patting and rubbing it in with your hand a bit.

On the long (14-ish inch) side, start rolling up the entire piece of dough, making a nice cinnamon-swirled log. Then, cut the log into 12 even rolls.

Arrange the cut rolls in the 9×13 baking dish in (4 rolls along the 13 inch side). Cover the baking dish with a clean towel and let the rolls rise in a warm spot for 40 minutes, or until they have increased to 1 ½-2 times their original size.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Once the no knead cinnamon rolls have risen a second time, uncover them and slide them in the oven. Bake the rolls for 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown and one of the middle rolls sounds hollow when you tap it.

Let the rolls cool for at least an hour before glazing.

Make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, plant-based milk (start with 2 tablespoons), salt, and vanilla (if using) until completely smooth. Add more milk if you need to.

Drizzle the glaze over no-knead cinnamon rolls and enjoy!

This easy vegan cinnamon roll recipe is inspired by The First Mess.