I could not be more excited to share these Gluten-Free Vegan Cinnamon Rolls! They’re:
- perfectly fluffy
- sweet and buttery
- just as delicious as the traditional version!
I’ve posted so many vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar free baking recipes, but one thing I was really keen to master was Cinnamon Rolls.
I wanted to make something as close to the real thing as possible, so I needed to create a cinnamon roll using alternative ingredients, but with all of the following qualities:
- Moist and fluffy
- Soft and pillowy
- Chewy, but not too chewy
- Rich and buttery, but not greasy
- Sweet and sticky
- Fragrant and full of cinnamon flavour
“Is this even possible?” I thought to myself as I worked on my fifth (very) experimental batch.
It took me countless attempts to create the perfect Gluten-Free Vegan Cinnamon Rolls – there has never been a recipe that’s taken me longer.
I experimented with various combinations of rice, buckwheat, chickpea and tapioca flours. I made versions with and without yeast, with and without oil, considered aquafaba and apple sauce…all the while I also wanted to make the recipe as simple and user-friendly as possible.
What ingredients do these Gluten-Free Vegan Cinnamon Rolls require?
- Yeast – I experimented with a yeast-free version, but decided that adding yeast was essential for optimum taste and texture
- Coconut oil – in both the dough and the filling for a melt-in-your mouth texture and buttery flavour
- Coconut sugar – for a gorgeously sticky, toffee-like filling without refined sugar
- Gluten-free bread flour – crucial for a perfectly doughy, soft and fluffy cinnamon roll. See recipe notes for instructions on how to make your own
- Baking powder – yes, we’re already using yeast, but adding baking powder creates extra fluffiness
- Cinnamon – a generous amount, but not too much!
If you like, you could add raisins, chopped dates, chopped walnuts or pecans. But be very careful not to over-stuff the cinnamon rolls as this will make them harder to roll and cut!
Top tips for how to make perfect Gluten-Free Vegan Cinnamon Rolls:
- Don’t use expired yeast!
- Make sure that the plant-based milk you add is heated very gently until lukewarm – this means just warmed, but definitely not hot as this will make the yeast ineffective
- Make sure you roll out the dough on a well-floured surface
- It’s better to keep the dough on the thick side, as this is essential for creating thick, fluffy pillows of cinnamon roll rather than thin, hard and crumbly sheets of dough
- Make sure you create a perfectly neat rectangle of dough, otherwise the rolls on the ends of the log will be uneven and won’t look or taste as nice
- Make sure you sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling right to the very edges of the dough to make sure it gets evenly distributed throughout each roll (but leave a little margin on one side – see recipe instructions for details)
- Use cling film to roll the dough into a log shape – it works the same way as a sushi mat!
- Make sure to roll it very gently away from you – don’t squash it or stretch it out
- Make sure to cut the log into evenly-sized cinnamon rolls using a sharp knife (or a piece of string) and to make sure the rolls aren’t too thin otherwise they won’t be fluffy!
- Use a smaller baking tin than you think you need to make sure the rolls are stuck together before baking to make them rise properly and keep them soft and fluffy inside
- As you’re not using normal wheat flour, there’s no need to leave the dough to prove in two batches – just make the cinnamon rolls and leave the rolls to prove once
- Be patient and make sure you leave them to prove until doubled in size – this should take around an hour, but may take longer depending on the temperature of your room and the brand of yeast you use
- Bake at a relatively high temperature (200 degrees Celsius/390 degrees Fahrenheit)
- Do not overcook them
How can I make a frosting for these Cinnamon Rolls?
Here are two vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar free frosting options! Pick your favourite:
- Coconut cream cheese frosting
- Cashew buttercream frosting – add some extra lemon juice for tangy flavour!
Do these Gluten-Free Vegan Cinnamon Rolls keep well?
These cinnamon rolls taste best when fresh out the oven, but keep covered in the fridge for up to a few days – best reheated in the oven or an oven toaster.
I really hope you’ll give these Gluten-Free Vegan Cinnamon Rolls a try! For more vegan, gluten-free + refined sugar free sweet breakfast recipes, check out my:
- Blueberry Banana Bread Muffins
- Apple Muffins
- Carrot Muffins
- Apple Bread
- Blueberry Muffins
- Fluffy Pancakes
- Chocolate Muffins
- Blueberry Banana Bread
If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.
These Gluten-Free Vegan Cinnamon Rolls are perfectly fluffy, sweet and buttery, and just as delicious as the traditional version!
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 50 g (1/3 cup) coconut sugar (or sub normal sugar)
- 10 g (0.35oz) yeast - the amount you need will vary depending on the brand so check instructions on packet
- 60 g (1/4 cup) coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup
- 300 g (2 1/2 cups) gluten-free bread flour**, plus more for rolling
- 4 teaspoons baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
- 200 ml (4/5th cup) any kind of plant-based milk heated very gently until lukewarm
Mix together all the ingredients in a small bowl
- Prepare the yeast according to the instructions on the packet - make sure to check the instructions and use the amount of yeast required for 300g (2 1/2 cups) flour
- Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave
Once melted, add the salt, maple syrup, bread flour, baking powder, milk and prepared yeast, and mix well until a firm dough forms - don’t worry about over-mixing
- Lay out some cling film on a smooth kitchen surface or chopping board and sprinkle with a generous amount of flour
- Place the dough on the cling film and use a rolling pin sprinkled with flour to roll it out into a rectangular shape measuring 24cm (9 1/2 inches) by 20cm (8 inches) - it should be about 1.5cm (1/2 inch thick)
Sprinkle the filling mixture over the rectangle of dough, making sure to go all the way to the edges, but leaving a 1.5cm (1/2 inch) margin on one side
Turn the dough rectangle to make it vertical with the filling-less margin at the top
Use the cling film to very gently roll the dough away from you until you end up with a log shape - don't squash it or stretch it out
Remove the cling film and use a sharp knife (or a piece of string) to slice the log shape in half, then each half into half, and each quarter into half, until you end up with 8 evenly-sized rolls
Use a spatula to carefully place the rolls about 1cm (1/4 inch) apart in a baking tin lined with greased baking paper - I used a 23cm (9 inch) square baking tin
Cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm room for about 1 hour, until doubled in size - it could take longer depending on the temperature of the room and the brand of yeast you use
- Once the rolls are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (390 degrees Fahrenheit)
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until an inserted skewer comes out clean
These cinnamon rolls taste best when fresh out the oven, but keep covered in the fridge for up to a few days - best reheated in the oven or in an oven toaster
See notes for frosting options***
*You could add some raisins, chopped dates, chopped walnuts or pecans. But be very careful not to over-stuff the cinnamon rolls as this will make them harder to roll and cut!
**To make you own gluten-free bread flour, use 300g (2 2/12 cups) gluten-free flour + 3 teaspoons Xanthan Gum
***Frosting options:
- Coconut cream cheese frosting
- Cashew buttercream frosting - add some extra lemon juice for tangy flavour!
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