Tis the season for sweet treats and holiday flavors and these vegan Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect recipe for that. They’re made of a lightly spiced dough, packed with a gingerbread-inspired filling, and topped with a simple vanilla icing.
These Gingerbread Cinnamon rolls are ultra soft and decadently spiced, making them a festive and flavorful pastry! Perfect to accompany a cup of coffee and some holiday tunes, they’re a spicy and sweet twist to the classic cinnamon roll you won’t regret trying.
For these Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls you’ll need:
- Yeast – I use active dry yeast in this recipe, but instant yeast also works. If using instant yeast you can add all the ingredients together without activating in the warm milk first.
- Brown sugar – We want all the molasses flavor we can get in this recipe so brown sugar is a must!
- Non-dairy milk – I prefer unsweetened soy milk because soy has a higher protein content, which helps the structure of the dough, but theoretically any non-dairy milk should work.
- Avocado oil – Any neutral oil will work if you don’t have avocado oil on hand. Melted vegan butter can also be used, but if you go this route make sure the butter is at room temperature so you don’t kill the yeast.
- Salt
- All-purpose flour – You can sub for bread flour if you want a fluffier textured dough, but it’s not necessary to achieve a delicious cinnamon roll!
- Ginger
- Nutmeg
- Allspice
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Vegan butter- I always use Miyoko’s butter, but any will work. If you use something more akin to margarine keep in mind it could cause the filling to ooze as it’s a thinner texture than butter.
- Molasses – Light molasses is best for baking sweets as it’s not as bitter, but use what you prefer.
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
Notes:
Troubleshooting yeast:
If your yeast doesn’t look foamy after 10 minutes that means it’s dead. Either your milk was too hot or the yeast is too old! Start over with cooler milk, max 110℉. If you’re using lukewarm milk and the yeast still doesn’t activate, your yeast is bad and you’ll need to replace it.
Can you use a spice blend instead of individual spices?
Yes! Pumpkin pie spice can be used instead in a pinch for about the same results. I recommend using 1 tsp – 1 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice.
What if you don't want a runny icing?
If you want a thicker icing for these Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls, add a couple more tablespoons of butter for a buttercream-like consistency instead.
Can you make these ahead of time?
You can prep this the night before if you don’t want to do both rises the day you want to bake. To do that, after assembling your rolls, cover them with a tea towel or a lid and keep them in the fridge. Take them out of the fridge and let your rolls come to room temp before baking (about 30 minutes to an hour).
How long are cinnamon rolls good for?
As with any cinnamon roll, these are best fresh but will keep covered at room temperature for about 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5. If eating leftover cinnamon rolls, I recommend reheating them slightly to get that freshly-baked taste.
Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 c unsweetened soy milk
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2¼ tsp active dry yeast
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2¾ c all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp avocado oil
Filling
- ¼ c brown sugar
- ¼ c vegan butter room temperature
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Vanilla Icing
- 1 tbsp vegan butter room temperature
- ⅛ c unsweetened soy milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 c powdered sugar
Instructions
First, make the dough:
- In a small bowl, stir together the warm milk and the brown sugar, then add in the yeast and let sit until frothy (about 5-10 minutes).
- While the yeast activates, add your dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to combine.
- Mix the avocado oil into the yeast mixture until combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead the dough until soft (about 5 minutes) then transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel.
- Let the dough rest in a warm spot until it has doubled in size (about an hour).
Next, make the filling:
- Combine all filling ingredients in a small bowl and mix until smooth.
Then assemble:
- Lightly dust a cutting board or work surface with flour then roll out the dough until you have a large rectangle that's about ¼-inch thick.
- Spread the filling out over the dough, leaving about a ¼-inch border to avoid overflow, then tightly roll the dough into a log.
- Cut into 9 equal-sized pieces then place in a greased 8x8 baking dish.
- Cover your rolls and let rise again until nice and puffy, about 30 minutes.
Now it's time to bake:
- Preheat your oven to 350℉ (180℃) and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
- While baking, make your icing by whisking together the icing ingredients until smooth.
- Once cooked through and golden brown, let cool for at least 10 minutes. Then cover with icing and enjoy!