There are so many ways to achieve the fluffy, flavorful and delicious cinnamon roll treats, while being vegan! Vegan cinnamon rolls are one of my favorite things to whip up when I have a few hours on hand that I’m not sure what to do with. Forget lighting up a yummy candle when you can get to work on baking these fluffy little cinnamon bun master pieces.
I love cinnamon rolls, but who doesn’t love them with a twist? Vegan Cinnamon Rolls are such an amazing indulgence, but to infuse them with Earl Grey takes off a little of the overwhelming sugary edge, but also gives them a nice complexity that feels just a touch more fancy. These Vegan Cinnamon Rolls are a great way for kids and adults to enjoy time together, and really don’t take too long at all (other than waiting for them to proof). Let’s get to it!
A key component to every cinnamon roll is activating your yeast to get those fluffy and delicious layers. Start off your yeast in the infused Earl Grey mix with some sugar to make sure it has a great opportunity to multiply (such a funny thing to think about).
This wet dough is a great and versatile recipe to work with. The key to success is letting it rest enough so that it has the opportunity to rise high! Make sure you proof this dough twice to get those beautiful pillowy pieces. Don’t mind the Asian bowl that it happens to be in for me 🙂
Fluffy, irresistible Earl Grey Vegan Cinnamon Rolls! So easy, sweet, and just require a little patience. You can definitely customize these babies to your liking – feel free to substitute cream cheese frosting if that’s your thing. I love baking them in a non-traditional Pyrex glass dish because a) they make it easy to store after b) minimalism! For some reason after this last move I realized I didn’t have cake tins or baking tins, which is completely okay! These also bake beautifully in cast iron pans (and look ultra cook) but it adds another item to clean.
The drizzle is the best part – let the vegan cinnamon buns cool for a bit (but not too much) and then hit them with this buttery drizzle so that it has the opportunity to soak into each bun. Have fun with the drizzle, nothing is more satisfying to see! This recipe makes 6 vegan cinnamon buns, but you can scale up or down to feed all of those around you. These make for a great treat on a Sunday or special occasion like Mother’s Day!
Vegan Earl Grey Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 Tablespoon Active Dry Yeast
- 1 1/2 cups of All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Teaspoon of Pink Salt
- 1/2 Cup of Vegan Butter
- 1/2 Cup of Non Dairy Milk
- 2 Tablespoons of Loose Leaf Earl Grey or 2 Earl Grey Teabags
Earl Grey Vegan Butter Sauce
- 1/2 Cup of Sugar (your choice - I used yellow sugar)
- 2 Tablespoons of Earl Grey Loose Leaves or 2 teabags
- 1/2 Cup of Soy Milk / Non Dairy Milk
- 1/4 stick of Vegan butter
Instructions
- Steep earl grey leaves / tea bag in the non dairy milk for 10 minutes. Make sure the water is warm but not piping hot, and add your yeast and sugar. Leave it alone for 10 minutes, it should foam up like the photo and that way you'll know it's activated!
- Mix dry ingredients - flour and salt, and create a well in the middle.
- When the yeast is done its thing, add to the middle of the dough along with the melted vegan butter and combine gently, fold it together using a spatula until you feel like it's ready to be kneaded just a few times.
- Butter a bowl with your vegan butter and let the dough rest inside. I like to cover my bowl with a beeswax wrap and leave it inside an oven that's turned off. Let it proof for an hour (or more if you have the time). It should double in size and start to develop gluten strands. A yeasty joy!
- While proofing, mix together your cinnamon and sugar mixture and set aside.
- When the dough is done proofing the first time, remove it from the bowl, knead it a few times (it should be pretty soft) and roll it out to a rectangular shape.
- Brush vegan butter onto the dough, leaving 1/2 an inch without butter. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture over every spot you can manage (except the edge!)
- Carefully roll the dough long side, and cut evenly with a serrated knife. I first cut it in half and then into threes for the six buns.
- Place it into your buttered baking sheet (I use a pyrex because it's easy) and cover to rise the second time. This is when the cinnamon rolls get cozy! I proof them for about an hour, you can do half if you're a little less patient. Preheat the oven for 350 degrees.
- Place the buns in the oven (haha) when ready. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
- While the buns are baking, mix together vegan butter, sugar, and earl grey stepped non dairy milk to create your drizzle. If the consistency is too thick, add more milk. It's easier to thin out than thicken up after the fact, so work slowly!
- Remove buns from oven, and drizzle liberally! I like to add a few earl grey leaves just for fun and flavor, but you can skip that part if you like.
- Enjoy!
