Dairy Free Cinnamon Rolls | The Modern Proper (2024)

These tender, gooey, dairy-free (!!) cinnamon rolls, are so delicious, no one will know that they’re vegan. Cinnamon Rolls with a Thick Maple Glaze? Yes, Please.

Cinnamon Rolls with a Thick Maple Glaze? Yes, Please.

Looking for a vegan cinnamon roll recipe that is so good, no one will really notice that they’re vegan? This is the recipe for you! They will win over even the most ardent dairy fan! They’re a tender, dough-y blast from your childhood past, with a twist. A very necessary one if you have any dairy free or vegan members of the family (like we do.) After many years of tweaking, we are excited to share this recipe (adapted from Pioneer Woman) for the most delicious, rich, and flaky vegan cinnamon rolls ever.

How Do You Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls?

If you’ve never made homemade cinnamon rolls before, don’t you worry, you got this! It really isn’t all that difficult and definately something that even novice bakers can handle.

First, make the dough and let it rise for an hour:

• Almond milk, oil and sugar are warmed in a saucepan, then cooled to 110°F.
• Add the yeast, and let it settle for a few minutes.
• Then add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Voila, dough!

Next, the rolling!:

• Roll out the dough.
• Drizzle it with melted Earth Balance vegan butter.
• Sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar—yum!
• Slice and nestle into a baking dish.

While your dairy-free cinnamon rolls bake, make the maple icing:

• Grab some powdered sugar, almond milk, Earth Balance, salt and maple flavoring!
• Stir until silky smooth.
• Generously pour on top of warm rolls!

That wasn’t too hard, was it?

Are Cinnamon Rolls Healthy?

I think it’s safe to say that we all know the answer to that question is a big fat NO. However, these vegan cinnamon rolls use almond milk and butter substitute in place of milk and butter, so they are significantly lower in saturated fats and, most importantly, they’re friendly to those in your life who may have food sensitivities.

What Makes This a Vegan Cinnamon Roll Recipe?

Cinnamon roll dough is already free of eggs, but most recipes do call for milk and generous amounts of butter. By swapping those out for dairy-free substitutes the results are surprisingly just as delicious as traditional cinnamon roll dough. We love butter, but we don’t miss it one bit in these cinnamon rolls. The almond milk and Earth Balance vegan butter (instead of whole milk & regular butter) make a perfect canvas for all that cinnamon sugary goodness.

Why Make Homemade Dairy-Free Cinnamon Rolls When You Could Just Buy Them?

Although Annie’s and Trader Joe’s brand make great versions of store bought dairy free cinnamon rolls, who doesn't prefer homemade? There is just no comparison! There’s just something extra special about the tender, flaky, gooeyness that comes from a homemade cinnamon roll that you don’t get with the store bought version. This recipe for dairy free cinnamon rolls beat every store bought cinnamon roll I’ve ever had hands down.

What Can You Add to Cinnamon Rolls?

Just about anything you want. Once you’ve mastered the dough, feel free to have some fun with these cinnamon rolls. We like adding bits of crushed candied walnuts into ours, or even on occasion toasted coconut.

Below are some additional ideas of flavor combinations that work wonderfully with this cinnamon roll recipe. Here are a few of our favorite doughy sweets that are easy to vegan-ize:

• Cardamom Rolls with Almond Glaze: Substitute Earth Balance vegan spread for the butter in this recipe, and use a plant-based milk instead of cow’s milk.
• Coffee Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Icing: Substitute Earth Balance vegan spread for the butter in this recipe, vegan cream cheese (like tofutti) for the regular, and use a plant-based milk instead of cow’s milk
• Eggnog Pull Apart Bread: You know what to do by now, right? Earth Balance, and plant-based version of egg nog instead of the cow’s milk kind.

How Long Do Cinnamon Rolls Last?

Honestly, I’m not really sure this is something you need to worry about. Chances are these babies will be gone long before they’ve had a chance to go bad. In fact, I think they get even better on days two and three as all those flavors soak in even more.

Cinnamon Rolls For Breakfast Lunch or Dinner?

If you make these Dairy Free Cinnamon Rolls, we’d love to hear about it! Be sure to snap a photo, add it to your Instagram feed or stories and tag @themodernproperand #themodernproper if you do. Also, feel free to leave a comment on the post and tell your friends where you discovered the recipe!