Hot Cross Cinnamon Buns (vegan)
These vegan hot cross cinnamon buns combine the classic flavors of hot cross buns with buttery cinnamon rolls! They’re soft, fluffy and pillowy and the perfect treat for Easter breakfast or brunch. No eggs, and no dairy are needed!
Ingredients you’ll need
The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Bread flour or all-purpose flour. Both work beautifully but bread flour creates chewier and taller cinnamon rolls whereas all-purpose flour creates slightly cakier hot cross bun cinnamon rolls.
Ground cinnamon and nutmeg in the dough and filling for that classic hot cross bun flavor.
Raisins or sultanas. You can also use other dried fruit such as currants, mixed peel or even dried cranberries!
Vegan block butter. These cinnamon rolls contain more butter than classic hot cross buns which makes them softer and richer. Spreadable vegan butter will also work but it’s softer than block butter so you may need to add more flour to your dough.
Alternatively, check out my vegan brioche hot cross buns or double chocolate chip hot cross buns!
Preparing the dough
You can make the dough for these hot cross cinnamon rolls in a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl.
If you’re using a stand mixer, add all ingredients to the bowl with the dough hook attachment. Knead for 5-10 minutes or until the dough is soft and stretchy.
If you’re making the dough by hand, mix all the ingredients in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for around 10-15 minutes or until the dough is smooth.
When your dough has come together, add your raisins/sultanas and knead until they’re evenly distributed! Here are some tips for the best dough:
- If you want extra plump raisins, soak them in hot water for 5 minutes beforehand, drain and pat dry. Once your dough comes together, add the raisins to the dough but make sure you don’t knead for too long, otherwise the raisins will break down.
- Try to avoid adding too much flour to your dough. Too much flour will make your rolls dry! I suggest adding just enough flour so the dough isn’t sticky but is firm enough to roll.
- For the best results, knead the dough until it passes the windowpane test. This builds a stronger gluten network and encourages the buns to rise taller.
First rise for the dough
Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for at least 1 hour. The dough is ready when it has doubled in size!
The length of time will hugely depend on the temperature of your home, your yeast and the consistency of your dough (older yeast and drier dough will rise slower). While your dough rises, prepare your cinnamon filling!
Assembling the cinnamon rolls
Once your dough has rested, transfer it to a lightly floured work surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large rectangle around 14×17-inch (35x45cm) large.
Spread the hot cross bun spice mixture on top so it’s close to the edge.
Starting from the long side, roll the dough into a tight tube. Then use unflavored dental floss or a very sharp knife to cut the log into 12 rolls.
Second rise and baking the cinnamon rolls
Place the rolls in a lined baking dish and allow them to rest for 1 hour or until they are puffy again.
These cinnamon rolls take about 30-35 minutes to bake. They’re ready when their surface is evenly golden brown and if you gently press one of the center rolls, it’ll bounce back.
Tips for decorating and serving
These hot cross cinnamon buns are wonderful with a soft cream cheese frosting. You will make one frosting then divide it into two; one to cover the rolls, and one for the cross. The cross frosting has a little extra sugar to thicken it for piping.
If you don’t have access to cream cheese, you can also top your buns with:
- Simple vanilla buttercream
- Dairy-free yogurt and a drizzle of pure maple syrup
- Whipped coconut cream or dairy-free cream
If you don’t want frosting of any sort, you can brush the top of your cinnamon rolls with apricot jam just like traditional hot cross buns!
Expert Tips
Yes! You can either:
1. Make the dough the night before, chill it in an airtight container and assemble the cinnamon rolls the next day OR
2. Assemble the cinnamon rolls and let them do their second rise in the fridge overnight
I prefer the first method because dough is easier to shape when it’s cold! With the second method, dough can sometimes overproof in the fridge which means it inflates and deflates. Once the dough is shaped, there’s no way to fix it.
For a quicker Easter brunch, check out my whole wheat pancakes or blueberry coffee cake.
For extra flavor, you can also:
– substitute 1/2 cup of the milk with orange juice
– add 1/2 teaspoon allspice to the dough, at the same time as the other spices
– add mixed fruit peel or orange zest to the dough, at the same time as the raisins/sultanas
– sprinkle additional raisins/sultanas on top of the cinnamon roll filling (after Image 8 above), then roll up the dough
More vegan Easter recipes
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Hot Cross Buns Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Cinnamon Rolls
- 4 ¼ cups (530g) bread flour, or all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 ¼ cups (315g) dairy-free milk, warm
- ½ cup (115g) vegan butter, room temperature (note 1 for spreadable butter)
- 3 tablespoons (40g) granulated sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons instant dry yeast, (note 2)
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or 1/2 teaspoon if using unsalted butter
- ¾ cup raisins, or sultanas (note 3)
Hot Cross Bun Filling
- ⅔ cup (125g) packed brown sugar, or coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup (75g) vegan butter, slightly melted and cooled
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Cream cheese frosting + cross (note 4 for alternatives)
- ⅔ cup (160g) vegan cream cheese
- ¼ cup (55g) vegan block butter, room temperature
- 1-2 cups (100-200g) powdered sugar / icing sugar, as needed
Instructions
Prepare the cinnamon roll dough
- Add all the ingredients (except the raisins) to a large bowl or stand mixer and mix until it comes together. Knead the mixture for at least 5-10 minutes until it forms a soft and stretchy dough. If kneading by hand, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead. If your dough is a little dry, add a splash of milk. If your dough is a little sticky, mix in some flour.
- Add the raisins to the dough and knead until they're evenly distributed.
- Place the dough in a clean bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let the dough rest in a warm spot for at least 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
Prepare the filling:
- Add the slightly melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg to a small bowl. Mix until a smooth paste forms and set aside.
Assemble the cinnamon rolls:
- Grease or line a 9×13-inch (23x33cm) baking pan with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle about 14×17-inch (35x45cm) large. Spread the cinnamon mixture on top of the dough, close to the edge. Starting from the long side, roll the dough into a tight tube. Use a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss to cut 12 rolls out of the dough.
- Arrange the rolls in your prepared baking tray. Place a tea towel over the rolls and set aside to rise for at least 1 hour. The rolls are ready when they are puffy again.
Baking the rolls (note 5 for extra soft cinnamon rolls):
- When the rolls are puffy again, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Bake the rolls for around 30-35 minutes. The rolls are ready when they are golden brown or if you gently press one of the middle rolls, it bounces back (and doesn't feel soft). Place the baking pan on a wire rack to cool.
Make the frosting and serving:
- Add the cream cheese and butter to a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until smooth and there are no lumps. Add around 1 1/2 cups (150g) of sugar and beat until combined. For the cross, remove about 1/2 cup of the frosting and place in a small bowl. Add 1/2 cup of sugar to the smaller bowl and mix until smooth. Add more sugar if you want a thicker frosting
- When the rolls have mostly cooled, spread the thinner cream cheese frosting on top. Spoon the thicker frosting into a piping bag with a round nozzle. Pipe a few straight lines down the middle of the buns, then repeat in the other direction to create crosses.
- The rolls are best eaten the day they are baked. Alternatively, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, or the fridge for up to 3 days. Please reheat the rolls before you serve them as they'll firm up in the fridge.
Notes
- Spreadable vegan butter will work but it’s softer than block butter so you might need to add more flour to your dough.
- Instant yeast doesn’t need to be bloomed beforehand. If you use active dry yeast, please mix it with a dash of milk (from the recipe) and a pinch of sugar beforehand. Wait until the yeast mixture bubbles then combine it with the rest of the dough ingredients.
- For extra juicy raisins/sultanas, soak them in hot water for 5-10 minutes, let them dry and cool slightly then add it to the dough.
- Alternatively, you can top your cinnamon rolls with a simple vanilla buttercream, a generous coating of apricot jam (just like classic hot cross buns), dairy-free yogurt or whipped dairy-free cream.
- For extra gooey cinnamon rolls, pour around 1/2 cup (115g) of warm vegan heavy cream over the cinnamon rolls just before baking.
This post was originally published in April 2019 and updated in March 2021.
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Hello if we use active dry yeast can you share how much yeast and how much milk we should combine before adding to the recipe as suggested in your notes. (Also what does note 4 about the canned coconut cream refer to in the recipe – I can’t find that) Thank you,
Hi Lorraine, I’m in the middle of updating this recipe but I would mix 2 1/2 teaspoons of active dry yeast with around 3 tablespoons of warm milk (taken away from the larger milk amount). And the coconut cream is a possible cream cheese substitute. I hope that helps!
Thanks for all your recipes Anthea. Happy New Year!
My pleasure Angela! And you too xo
Cinnamon scrolls are my favorite and I was in the lookout for a health(ier) and vegan recipe. I made this and I was in love with how the dough smelled, looked, and felt even before baking. I used coconut sugar and it turned out good. I accidentally messed up the filling part – bad at following cooking instructions – but it still turned out really good. Can’t wait to make it again! And again.
Aw I’m so glad you enjoyed these Danah! And isn’t the smell the best?! I’m oddly the same with cooking instructions too haha, so no judgement there! Thanks so much for your comment xo
Just made these and they are delicious. Very light (used Vegan butter) and full of flavour. This recipe is definitely a keeper
That’s amazing to hear Anna!! Thanks so much for your feedback!
Love this idea Anthea! And you’re so right, a white chocolate topping totally beats a tradition cross! I’ll have to make these ?