Vegan Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Vegan apple cinnamon rolls with layers of a brioche-like dough, fresh apple pieces and cinnamon sugar. These rolls combine the classic vegan apple pie with cinnamon rolls and are perfect for Autumn/Fall and Thanksgiving.
Ingredients you’ll need
The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Notes about the ingredients
Bread flour or all-purpose flour. Either flour works well for this recipe. Cinnamon rolls made with bread flour are often fluffier, more elastic and rise quicker. In comparison, cinnamon rolls made with all-purpose flour are cakier. In this helpful post by Kitchen Seer, you can see that bread made with bread flour rises a little more.
Apples. I prefer using sweet snacking apples like Pink Lady, Fuji or Honeycrisp. If you prefer a more tart filling, use Granny Smith apples. I recommend chopping the apple finely as larger chunks can remain uncooked and crispy after baking.
Vegan block butter. Spreadable vegan margarine will also work in this recipe but you may need to add a little more flour to your dough.
Tips for preparing the dough
You can prepare the dough for these vegan apple cinnamon rolls in a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl!
If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook attachment and knead the dough for around 5-10 minutes or until the dough is soft and stretchy.
If using a large bowl, mix all ingredients using a wooden spoon. Then transfer the dough onto a floured surface and knead for around 10-15 minutes until the dough is smooth and cohesive.
Initially, the dough will feel very sticky. Over time, it’ll become less sticky as kneading the dough will strengthen its gluten structure. At the beginning, try to avoid adding flour to the dough as this can result in dry cinnamon rolls. If your dough is still sticky after some time, feel free to add some flour. For the best results, knead the dough until it reaches the windowpane stage.
First rise for the dough
Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let the dough rise for at least 1 hour or until it has doubled in size!
The rising time will depend on the temperature of your home and the consistency of your dough (drier dough rises slower).
If you’re making these cinnamon rolls in Autumn/Fall, your home may be a little cool. If so, make sure your dough is resting in a warm place such as in the oven with the light on.
While your dough rises, prepare your cinnamon filling and apples!
Assembling the cinnamon rolls
Once your dough has rested, transfer it to a lightly floured surface and roll it into a large rectangle shape. My rectangle was about 14×17-inch (35x45cm) large.
Spread the cinnamon-sugar mixture on the dough so it’s close to the edge. Then sprinkle the apple pieces on top!
Starting from the long side, tightly roll the dough into a tube.
Then use a very sharp knife or unflavored dental floss to cut the log into around 12 rolls. I prefer dental floss as it is less messy! When you ‘slice’ your cinnamon rolls, a few apple pieces may fall out. This is absolutely fine! Just stick them back into your cinnamon rolls later.
Second rise and baking the cinnamon rolls
Arrange your vegan apple cinnamon rolls in your prepared baking dish and cover with a tea towel. Once again, allow them to rest in a warm humid spot.
The rolls are ready to bake when they look puffy again. If you gently poke one, it should spring back slowly.
These cinnamon rolls take about 30-35 minutes to bake. They are ready when their surface is evenly golden brown and if you gently press one of the center rolls, it’ll spring back. If you’re in doubt, use a toothpick to collect some dough in between one of the center rolls and it should be cooked rather than raw.
Decorating and serving apple cinnamon rolls
These cinnamon rolls are lovely with either:
- Vegan cream cheese frosting (listed in the recipe below)
- A simple vanilla buttercream (listed in the notes of the recipe card below)
- Maple glaze, such as from my vegan sticky buns recipe
- Dairy-free yogurt and a drizzle of pure maple syrup
Expert tips and shortcuts
You can take the filling to the next level by adding:
– Ground nutmeg, ground cardamom or even ground ginger!
– Chopped pecans or walnuts
– Other fresh fruit such as blueberries or strawberries
– Raisins or sultanas. You may soak them in orange juice for extra flavor! Or check out my hot cross bun cinnamon rolls for another variation!
For a custard version of these rolls, check out my apple custard cinnamon rolls!
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
For a quicker cozy dessert, check out my apple quick bread or cinnamon quick bread.
You may also like my pumpkin cinnamon rolls, and gingerbread cinnamon rolls!
More vegan apple recipes and desserts
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Ingredients
Dough
- 4 ¼ cups (530g) bread flour, or all-purpose plain flour, plus more if needed
- 1 ¼ cups (315g) dairy-free milk, warm
- ½ cup (115g) vegan butter, room temperature (note 1)
- 3 tablespoons (40g) granulated sugar, brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons instant dry yeast, (note 2 for other types of yeast)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- Pinch of salt, if using unsalted butter
Apple Cinnamon Filling
- ⅔ cup (125g) packed brown sugar, or coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup (75g) vegan butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 x (~360g) medium-size apples, finely chopped
Cream Cheese Frosting (note 3 for alternatives)
- ⅔ cup (160g or 5 ounces) vegan cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup (55g) vegan block butter, room temperature
- 1-2 cups (100g-200g) powdered sugar / icing sugar, or to taste
Instructions
Making the dough:
- Add all the ingredients to a large bowl or stand mixer and mix until it comes together. Knead the mixture for at least 5 minutes until it forms a smooth, stretchy and tacky dough. If kneading by hand, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead. If your dough is a little dry, add a dash of milk. If your dough is sticking a lot to the sides of the bowl or your hands, add a little flour.
- 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.
Preparing the filling:
- Add the softened butter, sugar and cinnamon to a small bowl. Mix until a smooth paste forms and set aside.
Assembling the apple cinnamon rolls:
- Grease or line a 9×13-inch (23x33cm) cake pan with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a rectangular shape about 14×17-inch (35x45cm) large.
- Spread the cinnamon mixture onto the dough close to the edge. Sprinkle the apple pieces on top.
- Starting from the long side, tightly roll the dough into a tube. Use a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss to cut 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 4 for extra gooey 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). Set aside to cool on a wire rack.
Frosting and serving:
- Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Add more sugar for a firmer frosting. Chill in the fridge until needed.
- When the rolls have cooled completely, spread the cream cheese frosting on top.
- The scrolls are best eaten the day they are baked. Alternatively, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Warm up the rolls before enjoying them again!
Notes
- You may use spreadable vegan margarine but will need to add a little more flour to your dough. Alternatively, you may use coconut oil instead but I recommend increasing the milk and adding a generous pinch of salt for flavor.
- Instant yeast doesn’t need to be ‘bloomed’ beforehand. However, if you use active dry yeast, mix it with the warm milk from the recipe and a pinch of sugar beforehand. When the yeast mixture bubbles, use it in Step 1 of the recipe.
- If you don’t have cream cheese, you can make a simple vanilla buttercream from 1/2 cup (110g) vegan butter, 2 cups (200g) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and a dash of dairy-free milk. Alternatively, you can top the rolls with the maple glaze from my sticky bun recipe or pure maple syrup and yogurt.
- 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 2022 but was updated in 2024 with a scaled-up recipe (same ratios, but to fit a larger pan).
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I tried this recipe yesterday because I need to bring a breakfast to my job’s end of year party and as we are only 2 vegans in our team, I couldn’t really count on anyone to bring something vegan.
I wanted to make sure I’d got the recipe right before making it again for the big day, and that was a real success !!
I just decided to dismiss the frosting as I’m trying to keep my oil/fat and sugar intake the lowest possible.
It was such a delight !!! We ate 1 roll when it got out of the oven and then 1 roll in the morning, and both were delicious !! So as it was a success, I will remake them for my work’s party and I’m sure they will finally understand that vegans don’t only eat grass and stones 😅
Thank you so much for this magical website !! The recipe was very easy to follow and I didn’t make the usual mess in the kitchen, it went all smooth and the result was delicious… What else could we ask for ?
I made this recipe for a bunch of my vegan friends, 5 stars all around!
Aw that’s great to hear!! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Hi! I don’t eat eggs but I’m not completely vegan. Do you think I could replace the vegan butter and milk for regular salted butter and whole milk?
Hi Nish, swapping butter/milk will work in this recipe and any recipe that you make!
Can i used almond flour or any glutten free flour?
Almond flour doesn’t rise well in cinnamon rolls, unfortunately. The rolls may work with a high-quality 1:1 gluten-free baking flour but it really depends on the brand. I tried them with a regular gluten-free flour here and they didn’t work.
This recipe was perfection. I usually have some problems and need to add things here and there, but this was perfrct. Thank you for the recipe!
That’s so amazing to hear Marija! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment!
These were delicious, and easy to make! I made them the night before, refrigerating them after assembling them and letting them rise. In the morning, I set them at room temperature for about an hour, then baked for 30 minutes. I love the texture of the rolls – soft and gooey! Great recipe!
Aw I’m so happy that you enjoyed these Coby! Thanks for the feedback about the overnight rise too 🙂
love the recipe and the effort you put in explaining every step of it !!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these rolls and found the post useful!