These yummy vegan cinnamon rolls with orange buttercream frosting are the perfect way to kick off the weekend! And they’re easier to make than you think!
Happy New Year….kind of?
Happy New Year….maybe? After two false starts I am a little skeptical. 2022 just doesn’t seem like the year to rush in with green smoothies and air fried tofu and lofty resolutions. I mean, don’t get me wrong, those are all great. But I’m feeling more like gooey cinnamon rolls than fresh kale at the moment. Better for anxious snacking while I send my kids back into the lion’s den of school each morning. So here we go—ooey gooey cinnamon rolls….with orange buttercream frosting to take them to the next level!
Vegan Cinnamon Rolls with Orange Buttercream Frosting
These yummy vegan cinnamon rolls are based on my recipe for my maple dinner rolls! A half batch of that dough is just the right amount for a pan of 12 cinnamon rolls. The dough is rolled out and filled with a cinnamon sugar mix, rolled up and sliced, and then left to rise one more time. Pop them in the oven and bake for a half hour, and then cover with orange buttercream frosting! Yum!
Made with Aquafaba
Aquafaba is my secret weapon in making a really delicious bread dough. It gives the dough moisture and a great texture, perfect for sweet rolls like dinner rolls or cinnamon rolls.
Cream Cheese Frosting vs. Buttercream
I just don’t love vegan cream cheese. While it’s great in a dish that really masks it’s flavor (hello, cream cheese peppermint patties!), as a frosting it’s just not my first choice. Topping the cinnamon rolls with a really simple buttercream works better for me! I add a little splash of fresh orange juice to take the flavor to the next level!
Make Ahead Option
Cinnamon Rolls taste best fresh out of the oven. But when making them from scratch, they take a little bit of time, and it can be hard to make them for breakfast if you’re not an early riser. You’ve got a couple of options. a) you could wake up at 5am and make them….but that’s no fun. b) you could bake them the day before, then warm them up in the morning and top them with frosting! Or c) You can make the dough the night before, prep the rolls, and after the second rise you can put them in the fridge. Simply take them out the next morning, allow them to come to room temp, and bake them.
More Vegan Breakfast Recipes You Will Love
- Eggnog Latte Granola
- Vegan Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Drool-Worthy Vegan Cinnamon Donuts from A Virtual Vegan
- Strawberry Compound Butter — Dairy Free & Vegan!
- Apple Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal
Let’s Make Vegan Cinnamon Rolls with Orange Buttercream Frosting
Are you ready to make these tasty vegan cinnamon rolls? Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work! Be sure to plan ahead—these are easy peasy to make, but require some inactive rising time—about 3 hours start to finish!
Cinnamon Rolls with Orange Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1 teaspoon active rise yeast
- 1 cup warm tap water (about 100º F, see notes)
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons vegan butter melted
- 3 Tablespoons aquafaba from chickpeas see note
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour (about 460 grams)
- drizzle of neutral oil to prevent sticking (I use avocado oil)
For the Filling:
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons vegan butter melted
- zest of one large orange, divided (reserve for the juice for the buttercream)
Orange Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon orange juice (from reserved orange)
- 2 Tablespoons vegan butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- zest of one large orange (reserved from the filling)
Instructions
For the dough:
- Place the yeast and the sugar in the bowl of your mixer. Pour the warm water and over top of the yeast/sugar mix and let sit for about 10 minutes, or until the yeast looks puffy.
- While it's proofing, pour the aquafaba in a separate small bowl. Whisk with a small hand whisk until it is foamy (but you are not going for the whipped meringue like foam, just a lot of bubbles).
- Once the yeast has proofed, add the foamy aquafaba, salt and melted butter. Using the dough hook attachment, turn the mixer on and give it a few spins before starting to add the flour. Add the flour 1/2 c at a time and continue kneading until the flour is all incorporated and the dough is soft and smooth. It will be soft and slightly sticky. If you press your finger in the dough it will hold the indentation of your finger for a few seconds but it will puff back out.
- Remove the bowl of your mixer from the mixer itself and drizzle a little bit of oil over the dough. Turn the ball around a few times to coat with oil so it won't stick. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and place in a warm spot for the dough to rise for an hour. I love using my oven that has been slightly preheated and then turned off for quick rising.
- While the dough is rising, mix together the ingredients for the filling mixture except for the butter—sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and half of the zest of one orange. Melt the butter and set aside.
- After the dough has risen and doubled in size, turn it out onto a clean work surface dusted with flour. Shape the dough a bit in your hands, and then with a rolling pin, working the dough out into a large rectangle, about 10 by 5 or 6 inches.
- Spread the melted butter out across the rectangle of dough. Sprinkle the filling mixture evenly across the entire piece of dough.
- Starting along one of the long edges, roll the dough tightly into a "log."
- Cut the log in half. Then cut each half in half again. Cut each quarter into 3 pieces, for a total of 12 small rolls.
- Arrange the rolls into an oven safe dish—I like to use a 9x12" casserole dish.
- Allow to rise at room temperature on the countertop, uncovered, for 30 more minutes. While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350º.
- When the rolls have risen and the oven is preheated, bake the cinnamon rolls for 30 minutes.
- While the rolls are baking, make the frosting. In a small bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Add the powdered sugar, orange juice, and vanilla, and mix together. The sugar may start off clumpy, but tends to dissolve as it sits for a minute. If it is too thick, add more orange juice, one teaspoon at a time.
- Once the cinnamon rolls have finished baking, remove them from the oven. Using a rubber spatula, spread the frosting over the top (if you don't want it to melt too quickly you can wait 5 minutes for the cinnamon rolls to cool before frosting).
- Sprinkle with more orange zest, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- You can use a thermometer to measure the temperature of the water, but I find that tap water that is hot enough that I can just tolerate running my finger under it is about 100º. Very scientific!
- Aquafaba is the liquid from a can of beans. I like the liquid from chickpeas best!
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