Vegan Cinnamon Rolls with Maple “Cream Cheese” Frosting

Vegan cinnamon rolls that are fluffier than a brand new pillow, packed with brown sugar and cinnamon butter then smothered in vegan cream cheese frosting!

The SOFTEST of rolls!

Vegan cinnamon rolls, and not just ANY vegan cinnamon rolls! The FLOOOFIEST of cinnamon rolls. After eating half of this entire tray, I had to donate the rest to my husband to take to work because I JUST NEEDED THEM GONE!⁣

Cinnamon rolls have been a pretty important part of my culinary history since I first tried them at my friend’s American thanksgiving in California. There’s something so luxurious about that enriched dough which pulls apart so softly to reveal the fragrant brown sugar cinnamon mixture!

And what’s better than the frosting! It has to be cream cheese! I’ve done my best to make these vegan cinnamon rolls taste even better than the originals and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

Don’t be daunted by the fact that these are a yeasted dessert. They’re really super easy to make. Oh, and a top tip: instead of slicing the rolls with a knife, try using dental floss (unflavoured of course) or some very fine threat or fishing twine. Shimmy the thread under the rolled up dough and then cross the two ends over each other and pull in opposite directions to slice! Hey presto – perfect cinnamon rolls!

What do they taste like??

This recipe is unlike most vegan cinnamon rolls in that it’s not INSANELY sweet – it also doesn’t have that chemical vibe you get from SOME commercial cinnamon rolls! Ok, they’re covered in frosting, yeah, but it’s all balanced with a kick of salt and the most deliciously gentle texture. Stick a batch on tonight and your house will smell like heaven for about a week.⁣

How long do they keep?

I’m glad you asked! Because these cinnamon rolls are yeasted, they really are best eaten within 24 hours of making them – sort of like a fresh donut! Don’t leave them to go stale – even if you’ve had your fill! Take them to a neighbour and share the love – that’s what I did!

Need more cinnamon?

I’ve got your back!

• Cinnamon Raisin Babka
• Vegan Caramel Monkey Bread
• Vegan French Toast

Please keep in mind…

I love sharing my food with you – it seriously gives me so much joy! As a result, I put a huge amount of time and energy into creating these recipes. This recipe right here is my lil baby and I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. As such, I won’t give advice on any ingredient swaps, substitutions, omissions or changes to the method described above (how dare you talk about my baby like that!)

But seriously, if this recipe doesn’t do it for you and you want to customise it – that’s cool – no probs. Put that finely honed chef’s intuition to good use and tailor the recipe to suit you! Regardless of whether you make any changes or not, let us know how you get on in the comments below.  

Vegan Cinnamon Rolls with Maple “Cream Cheese” Frosting

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cinnamon rolls, Cinnamon Rolls with Maple “Cream Cheese” Frosting, vegan cinnamon rolls

Servings: 16 rolls

Calories: 611kcal

Author: Richard Makin

Equipment

• No specialist equipment

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 480 ml oat milk (full fat, at room temperature)
• 120 g vegan butter (melted, I used Miyokos but any will do)
• 50 g caster sugar
• 1 x 8g sachet of quick yeast
• 700 g plain flour
• 1 tsp fine sea salt

For the Filling

• 185 g vegan butter (room temperature)
• 155 g soft dark brown sugar
• 30 g granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon

For the Frosting

• 60 g vegan butter (room temp)
• 150 g vegan cream cheese (violife is a great choice)
• 3-5 tbsp maple syrup (adjust to taste)
• 350 – 500 g sieved icing sugar

Instructions

To Make the Dough

• Combine the vegan milk, vegan butter and sugar in a large bowl. Due to the melted butter, the mixture should be around body temperature so dip your finger to test – if it feels cool, give it a super quick zap in the microwave or in a pan to warm it up very slightly.
• Sprinkle the yeast over the surface and leave to bloom for one minute.
• Add the flour and salt, mix to combine until a sticky mess, then cover and leave for an hour. Note: when I say sticky mess, I mean sticky mess! You won’t be able to handle it at this point but it’ll be much nicer to work with once proved.
• Meanwhile make the filling.

To Make the Filling

• In a medium bowl mix the vegan butter with the remaining filling ingredients until smooth. The consistency should be a nice paste, not melty and liquidy, so if it’s too warm and runny, leave it in the fridge for ten minutes to firm up a bit.

To Assemble

• Preheat the oven to 180c. Grease a deep rectangular baking tin or roasting tray with some vegan butter.
• Once the dough has proved for an hour, lightly dust a surface and turn out. Dust the top of the dough with flour and push out any large air bubbles with your finger tips before patting into a rough oblong.
• Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rectangle about 60cm x 30cm. Spread the dough with the cinnamon filling mixture right to the edges and roll up along the width to form a big long snake.
• Slice the rolled dough in half once and then divide each half into 8 discs so you have 16 swirls in total. Lay the rolls onto the prepared baking tin and cover with cling film. Leave to rise for 25 minutes at room temp.
• Once risen, place in the oven for 25-35 minutes or until each bun is lightly golden on top.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely while you make the frosting.

To Make the Frosting

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the maple and beat to combine. Gradually add the icing sugar until you have a nice smearable thick frosting – you may not need the full amount depending on how wet your cream cheese is. The aim is to get it super thick so keep adding icing sugar until you hit perfect texture!
• Top the fully cooled rolls with the frosting and serve.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Cinnamon Rolls with Maple “Cream Cheese” Frosting

Amount Per Serving

Calories 611 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Sodium 349mg15%

Potassium 91mg3%

Carbohydrates 108g36%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 71g79%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 934IU19%

Calcium 78mg8%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Tried this recipe?Mention @schoolnightvegan or tag #schoolnightvegan!