These jumbo vegan cinnamon rolls are a Christmas tradition in my house, and I have to say, they’re probably what I look forward to most around the holidays. They’re just so soft and fluffy with the perfect amount of sweetness and crunch from the brown sugar filling all topped off with a light cream cheese frosting. The recipe is adapted from these amazing Orange Scented Olive Oil Sticky Buns by FiveandSpice over at Food52 which calls for olive oil in the dough. It keeps them incredibly soft and moist, almost like focaccia.
This recipe is pretty easy and the dough comes together really fast. It does take some time for them to rise so I would start working in the morning. Trust me though, these are fun to make. After that first rise, the dough is so soft and easy to work with. You probably won’t even need any flour to roll it out.
I probably should of put my hand next to these to show the scale, but these guys are BIG. I love using a cast iron skillet because this dough rises a lot and it gives them enough room to reach their fluffiness potential. The dough has a 90 minute initial rise and then another 1 hour rise before they go in the oven. Alternatively, you can get them all ready in a baking dish and do that last rise in the refrigerator overnight. It’s great on Christmas morning because everything is all ready to go.
One tip for getting those perfect clean cut swirls is using kitchen twine to cut your rolls. Just cut about a food of twine and slide it under your dough log. Cross both ends over each other and pull in opposite directions and repeat for the rest of the dough. I found this video that explains how to do it.
Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, VeganDifficulty: Easy9-12
servings15
minutes40
minutes90
minutesThese easy jumbo vegan cinnamon rolls are made with olive oil which keeps them so soft and and moist for the perfect holiday dessert or everyday treat!
Ingredients
- For the dough
1 3/4 cup warm water
1 tsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp granulated sugar
3 tsp salt
4 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup olive oil
- For the filling
5 tbsp vegan butter
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
- For the cream cheese glaze (optional)
1/4 cup vegan butter, softened
1/4 cup vegan cream cheese (I like Violife)
1 1/2 – 2 cups confectioners sugar
1-2 tbsp plantbased milk
Directions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm water, yeast and sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes or until foaming and bubbly.
- Add in 2 cups of flour and mix for 2-3 minutes, then add in the remaining flour, continuing to mix until a sticky dough forms. It may need 1-2 tbsp more flour, but try to use as little as possible.
- Drizzle in the olive oil with the mixer on a low speed. It will seem really sloshy and wet at first, but continue kneading for 5-6 minutes and a smooth, slightly sticky dough should form. Transfer the dough ball to a large oiled bowl and cover with a warm, damp towel. Allow to rise in for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until doubled in size.
- While the dough rises, make the filling. Place vegan butter in a mixing bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, until softened. Whisk in brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Once the dough has risen, punch in down and roll it out into a rectangular slab, about a 1/2 inch thick. Use a spoon or spatula to spread the filling in an even layer over the dough. Starting at the wider end of the rectangle, roll tightly into a log. Using a sharp knife or cooking twine (see above) cut the dough into 9-10 pieces and place into a heavily greased skillet or baking dish with plenty of room to rise. (Note: Only 7 rolls fit into my skillet so I put the other two in a loaf pan to bake). Cover and let rise for 45 min to 1 hour. Alternatively, cover in plastic and let rise overnight in the refrigerator.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F and bake the rolls for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.
- As they bake, make the glaze. In the bowl of a mixer with a whisk attachment, beat together softened vegan butter and cream cheese. Sift in confectioners sugar and whisk until smooth. If it seems too thick, add in plantbased milk.
- Pour the glaze over the cinnamon rolls and serve fresh. Enjoy!
