With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, cinnamon rolls have been on my mind. Growing up, my father used to make cinnamon rolls every thanksgiving morning. But these vegan cinnamon rolls are quite different than my fathers, for one they are vegan. No butter or eggs here. These are an enriched yeasted no-knead dough that come out fluffy and delicious every single time. The best part is these vegan cinnamon rolls are minimal effort, all you need to do is wait… very patiently.
Using a Tangzhong
What makes these vegan cinnamon rolls different than most is the use of a tangzhong, which yields a softer, fluffier roll. This method starts by cooking a small amount of flour and milk that results in a thick slurry that is then added into the dough. It allows the flours to absorb more liquid which results in the rolls to be moister. These cinnamon rolls will also stay soft and fresher longer with the tangzhong. You could also make this dough without the tangzhong, but the extra step is really worth it. If you would like to read more about tangzhong, King Arthur has written a great article that you can read here.
This dough is quite a high hydration dough, so the overnight rest is essential. Letting it sit in the fridge overnight allows it to become much more manageable and it will roll out like a dream. If you try to skip the overnight rest, it will be a sticky mess. This dough is lightly sweet with the addition of agave nectar. It uses aquafaba to make it eggless, as an enriched dough includes eggs.
What is Aquafaba?
Not sure exactly what aquafaba is? It is the liquid from a can of chickpeas and can be a 1:1 replacement for egg whites. Aquafaba can whip, and create foam but it also makes a great binder. So next time you use a can of chickpeas, save the liquid! You can freeze it, so it will store until you are ready to use it.
Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
- V
- VG
- DF
Nutrition per portion
Ingredients
- Tangzhong (starter)
- 3 tbsp (23g) All Purpose Flour
- ⅓ cup plus 2 tbsp (108g) Oat Milk or Any Other Non-dairy Milk
- Dough
- ¾ cup (168g) Aquafaba at Room Temperature
- ⅔ cup (150g) Oat Milk, or Any Other Non-dairy Milk, Heated to 105-110 degrees
- ⅓ cup (100g) Agave Syrup
- 4 cups (568g) All Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp Instant Yeast
- 2 tsp Kosher Salt
- ½ cup plus 2 tbsp (128g) Melted Coconut Oil
- Filling
- ½ cup (110g) Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon
- 2 tbsp (28g) Melted Coconut Oil
- Pinch of Salt
- Icing
- 1 cup (120g) Powdered Sugar
- 1-2 tbsp (15-30g) Oat Milk or Any Other Non-dairy Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- Pinch of Salt
Method
Make the Tangzhong:- In a small heat proof bowl, whisk together the flour and milk for the tangzhong. Microwave, whisking every 20 seconds, until mixture thickens to stiff, smooth, pudding-like consistency that forms mound when dropped from end of whisk into bowl, 40 to 80 seconds.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the flour, yeast, and salt and mix on low speed until incorporated.
- In a liquid measuring cup, add the milk, aquafaba, agave syrup and melted coconut oil and whisk to combine.
- With the stand mixer on low, slowly add in the milk mixture, followed by the tangzhong, and mix until no dry spots of flour remain and the dough looks smooth, about 1-2 minutes. You may have to scrape the bottom of the bowl to fully incorporate everything. The dough will be sticky and wet, have faith this transform overnight.
- Scrape the dough into an oiled bowl, cover in plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes perform a series of 6-8 folds. If you have ever made sourdough bread, these folds are the same method. Start by grabbing a section of the dough and gently pulling up and folding back onto itself in the middle. Rotate the bowl and continue until you have folded all the dough back onto itself. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and repeat this series of folds another 3 times, every 30 minutes for a total rise time of 2 hours, and 4 foldings.
- Place the covered bowl in the fridge overnight, or up to 48 hours.
- When ready to make cinnamon rolls, take the dough out of the fridge and give it a quick knead on a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour the top and cover in plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, let rest for an hour.
- Grease a 9x13 pan or two 9 inch cake pans.
- Make your filling by combining the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Mix to combine and set aside.
- Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 16" x 12" rectangle, brush the dough with the melted coconut oil and sprinkle the filling evenly over the top. Press in lightly.
- Starting at the long-side roll the dough into a tight spiral. Pinch the seam closed and lay seam side-down to help seal the log. Using a sharp knife, cut into 12 equal rolls.
- Transfer the pieces into the prepared pan(s) and cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350° degrees, remove plastic wrap and bake for 25-30 minutes until rolls are lightly brown.
- Let cool for 10 minutes, and dollop icing on to the top and spread. Let rolls cool for another 10 minutes, and serve.
My dad also always used to make cinnamon rolls on holiday mornings, and I’d like to carry on the tradition! His were always orange flavored, would you use orange juice or just orange extract to flavor the icing? Also could the second prove be overnight?
Hi Celia!
I would suggest using orange juice instead of the milk in the icing, and omit the vanilla extract. Also to get extra orange flavor you could add some orange zest into the icing and the dough!
I haven’t tested the second prove being overnight, but let me know if you try and it works out. You could also roll out and shape the rolls after the 2 hour rise time, the dough will just be sticky and difficult to handle. But assemble them and place in the prepared pan, then put them in the fridge overnight. The following morning, take them out and let them come up to room temp and bake!