Gluten-Free Vegan Cinnamon Rolls - Rhian's Recipes (2024)

TheseGluten-Free Vegan Cinnamon Rolls areperfectly fluffy,soft and pillowy. They're rich and buttery but not greasy, and sweet and sticky but not sickly. They're also refined sugar free and perfectly fragrant.

I attempted this recipe around 20 times before I finally landed on this version. I experimented with yeast-free and oil-free versions and used loads of different flours. The following combination of ingredients turned out to have the best results:

• Yeast - I experimented with a yeast-free version, but discovered that yeast was essential in this recipe for optimum taste and texture.
• Coconut sugar - for a gorgeously sticky, toffee-like filling without refined sugar.
• Ground almonds - combined with gluten-free flour to create a fluffy texture.
• Baking powder - yes, we're already using yeast, but baking powder was also essential for fluffiness.
• Xanthan gum - crucial for a doughy, bread-like texture.

Tips for making these

• Don't use expired yeast.
• The amount of yeast you need and the way it needs to be prepared will vary on the type and brand of yeast you are using - check the instructions on the packet.
• The maple syrup (or other sweetener) and salt in the dough are both essential for the yeast to be activated.
• Make sure that the plant-based milk you add is heatedverygently until lukewarm - this means just warmed, but definitely not hot as this will make the yeast ineffective.
• Add the milk to the dough a small amount at a time so that you don't add too much.
• 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 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).
• Lightly press the cinnamon sugar filling into the rolled-out dough, otherwise the sugar might fall out and create a mess when you roll up the dough.
• 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.
• Once you have put the rolls into the baking dish, be patient and make sure you leave them to prove until doubled in size - this should take around 1 hour, but may take longer depending on the temperature of your room and the brand of yeast you use.

How to make this recipe

• Mix together all the ingredients for the cinnamon sugar filling.

• Mix together all the ingredients for the dough in a glass mixing bowl.

Tip: Add the milk a small amount at a time so that you don't add too much.

• Cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm room for about 1 hour, until risen slightly – it could take longer depending on the temperature of the room and the brand of yeast you use.

• Lay out some cling film on a smooth kitchen surface or chopping board and sprinkle with a generous amount of gluten-free flour - I like to lay it out the cling film on a sheet of baking paper for easier clean up.
• 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 ½ inches) by 20cm (8 inches) – it should be about 1.5cm (½ 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 (½ 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 place the rolls in a baking dish - I used a 21cm (8 ¼ inch) circular baking dish.

Tip: Make sure to place them close together so they are touching each other, as this will help them become soft and puffy.

• Cover again with a damp cloth and leave in a warm room for another 1 hour, until doubled in size – it could take longer depending on the temperature of the room and the brand of yeast you use.

• Bake in the oven for around 25 minutes, until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Frosting options

You can see my Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting post, which includes two different recipes for vegan cream cheese frosting - one cashew-based, one coconut cream-based.

How long do these keep for?

These Cinnamon Rolls taste best when fresh out of the oven, but keep covered in the fridge for up to a few days - best reheated in the oven, the microwave or an oven toaster.

Substitutions you can make

• You can replace the coconut oil in the filling with coconut butter or vegan butter.
• You can replace the coconut sugar in the filling with normal brown sugar.
• You can replace the maple syrup in the dough with any other liquid sweetener, or normal sugar.
• You can use any type of plant-based milk in the dough.

Ingredients you can add to the filling

• Raisins.
• Chopped dates.
• Chopped walnuts.
• Chopped pecan nuts.

Tip: But be very careful not to over-stuff the cinnamon rolls as this will make them harder to roll and cut!

More vegan breakfast recipes

• Blueberry Banana Bread Muffins
• Apple Muffins
• Carrot Muffins
• Apple Bread
• Blueberry Muffins
• Fluffy Pancakes
• Chocolate Muffins
• Blueberry Banana Bread
• Chocolate Zucchini Bread

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog,I’d really love to hear anyfeedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes onInstagram! Thank you.

Watch how to make this recipe

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