Sugar Glazed Cinnamon Rolls (that happen to be vegan too!)

by Denman Rooke

Ever since I was a child, homemade cinnamon rolls have been a family tradition, especially around Christmas. They always remind me of being with family and friends, gathered around the table.

When my wife and I became vegans around 2010, we quickly realised we needed to update our baking skills to include alternatives to milk, butter, and eggs. And while we aren’t 100% vegan anymore, we still like to cook a lot of vegetarian and vegan dishes. For us, eating less meat was an ecological choice. Current levels of meat and dairy consumption are completely unsustainable.

So when it came to cinnamon rolls, this meant a new recipe. After some research, we found good options and adapted them to use easier ingredients. Many vegan recipes call for some expensive alternatives, but we like to keep it simpler with easy to find, affordable options.

And after polishing the recipe, I have to say, this recipe was better than non-vegan ones I’ve made. Which is perfect, because these should be shared around a table with friends and family of all food persuasions. So even if you’re not vegan, or just vegan curious, give these a try!

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Cinnamon Rolls

Serves 10

Ingredients

- 1 sachet of dried yeast (2¼ tsp)

- 240ml oat milk (or other non-dairy milk)

- 110g coconut oil (unrefined)

- ¼ tsp salt

- 400g plain flour

- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon

- 65g sugar

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oat milk and 3 Tbsp coconut oil until warm and melted. Remove from heat and let cool to 43° C. Too hot will kill the yeast.

2. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle on yeast. Leave for 10 minutes, then add 1 Tbsp sugar and the salt, and stir.

3. Add the flour ~70g (½ cup) at a time, stirring as you go. The dough will be sticky. When it is too thick to stir, transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until it forms a loose ball. Transfer to a mixing bowl, coated with coconut oil. Cover and leave in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour.

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a thin rectangle. Brush with 3 Tbsp melted coconut oil and top with 4 Tbsp sugar and ½ - 1 Tbsp cinnamon.

5. Tightly roll up the dough, seam-side down. Then, with a serrated knife, cut the dough into 5cm sections and position in a well-oiled 20 x 20cm pan. Brush with remaining 2 Tbsp of coconut oil (melted).

6. Once the oven is hot, bake rolls for 25-30 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

7. Optional: Frost with vegan sugar glaze

Sugar Glaze (for Cinnamon Rolls)

Yields: ~350ml

Ingredients:

- 300g (1½ cups) icing sugar

- 2½ Tbsp oat milk

- 1 tsp coconut oil

- ¼ tsp vanilla extract

- ⅛ tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Add all above ingredients to a food processor or blender and process until smooth and creamy.