There’s something wonderfully cozy about…
Fluffy, soft, and warmly spiced, these vegan cinnamon rolls are proofed until tender, layered with a buttery cinnamon-sugar filling, and finished with a simple lemon icing that you just “swirl over” with a spoon.
Ingredients
Dough
1 packet dry yeast
260 ml lukewarm soy milk
1 tbsp sugar (for the yeast starter)
500 g flour
60 g sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp apple sauce
1/2 vanilla bean (seeds from inside)
Filling
80 g vegan butter, melted
100 g sugar
50 g brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
Glaze
125 g powdered sugar
a little lemon juice (only enough to make it drizzle/flow)
Extra
Some soy milk or flour as needed (if the dough is too stiff or too loose)
Instructions
Start the yeast (15 minutes)
Mix lukewarm soy milk with dry yeast and 1 tbsp sugar.
Leave for 15 minutes until it looks active and slightly foamy.
Make the dough
In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, apple sauce, and vanilla seeds.
Add the yeast mixture.
Knead until you get a smooth dough.
If too firm: add soy milk a little at a time.
If too soft/liquid: add flour a tablespoon at a time.
Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
Prepare the filling
Melt vegan butter.
Stir in white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon until thick and spreadable.
Shape the rolls
Roll out the dough into a rectangle.
Spread the filling evenly over the dough.
Cut into 8 strips.
Place the strips upright in a baking dish (like little towers), with the cut side facing up.
Let rise again for 30 minutes.
Bake
Preheat oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat / Ober-Unterhitze).
Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden and fragrant.
Glaze
Mix powdered sugar with a little lemon juice.
Drizzle by swirling over with a spoon (don’t overdo it—just a light coat).
If you tell me what baking dish size you use (and whether it’s one tray or a deeper pan), I can adjust the “8 strips upright” placement so they fit perfectly.