Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
These vegan pumpkin cinnamon rolls are so easy to make, are pillowy soft, and taste absolutely delicious! They have an ooey gooey center filled with vegan butter, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice, that is absolutely perfect to enjoy during the fall and colder months. You will be making these cinnamon rolls every weekend, they are just that good!
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 cup almond milk, warm (110ºF)
- 2 1/4 tsp yeast
- 1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp allspice, or pumpkin pie spice
- 4 tbsp pure pumpkin purée
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour + more for kneading, about 1/4 cup
For the filling
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, melted
- 1/2 cup Brown sugar, packed
- 2 tbsp pumpkin puree
- Cinnamon, sprinkled over entirety of the dough
- Allspice, sprinkled over entirety of the dough
To brush over cinnamon rolls before baking
- 1-2 tbsp vegan butter, melted
For the icing
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tbsp almond milk
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine salt, brown sugar, and whole wheat flour. Set aside
- In a small bowl, add your milk and microwave until warm. Add in the yeast and maple syrup and cover with a flat plate and set aside for 10-15 minutes to let the yeast rise.
- Once yeast has bubbled up and has a foamy looking texture, add a dash of cinnamon, dash of allspice, and pumpkin puree and mix. Pour the wet mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir with danish dough whisk, spatula, or stand mixer until fully combined. Form the dough into a ball, cover bowl and let it rest in a warm place for about 2 hours or until dough doubles in size. (Note: The dough will be slightly sticky, if you see it is too sticky to form a ball, add a little bit more flour.)
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Once dough has risen, sprinkle countertop with 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour and transfer dough to counter and start kneading. Do not add too much flour otherwise it will be too hard! Use a rolling pin and roll dough into a rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick.
- Melt your vegan butter, then brush it onto the dough. Next, scoop your pumpkin puree on top and spread evenly.
- Take your brown sugar and sprinkle it over the entire cinnamon roll dough, and gently press it into the dough with your hands.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon and allspice over the entirety of your dough.
- Using a dough cutter, cut the dough into strips, about almost 2 inches thick. Roll each piece of dough then place it standing upright into a large baking dish that is greased with butter or olive oil. Repeat for remaining strips. (You should get about 12 strips of dough.)
- PUMPKIN SHAPED CINNAMON ROLL OPTION: After rolling your cinnamon roll, you can cut a piece of baker's twine, and wrap it around the cinnamon roll to create the shape of a pumpkin.
- Once all cinnamon rolls are transferred to a greased baking dish, cover and let them sit in a warm place for about 30 minutes for them to rise. (I like to keep my pan on top of my stove so it grows with the warmth of the preheated oven).
- While cinnamon rolls are baking, take a small bowl and prepare your icing by whisking together powdered sugar and almond milk.
- After the 30 minutes, brush the tops of your cinnamon rolls with melted vegan butter, and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven after they have baked, and let cool for about 5-10 minutes. Drizzle with the icing, then use a knife to separate each cinnamon roll, place onto a serving dish or plate and enjoy!
Video
Notes
HOW TO STORE: Place the cinnamon rolls in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for 5-6 days. They may seem a little hard or dry, but just reheat them and they will taste delicious!
HOW TO FREEZE: I have not tried freezing them but they should last in the freezer for up to one month. I would recommend freezing without the icing, then placing in the oven to heat up and then add the icing.
NOTE: You don't need to tie up each cinnamon roll to make it look like a pumpkin. I simply used baker's twine to do this, but they are just as delicious as a circular cinnamon roll!
SUBSTITUTIONS:
*If you don't want to make these cinnamon rolls with pumpkin, you can replace with applesauce for a more subtle flavour. Then for the filling, simply use the butter, brown sugar, and spices to keep a more classic taste. *You can also use any type of sugar to mix in with your yeast mixture. I personally prefer using maple syrup, but you can definitely use white granulated sugar. As long as sugar is included in the yeast, it will help it to grow. *If you don't want to use whole wheat flour, the recipe should work just as well with regular all-purpose flour.
*If you don't want to make these cinnamon rolls with pumpkin, you can replace with applesauce for a more subtle flavour. Then for the filling, simply use the butter, brown sugar, and spices to keep a more classic taste. *You can also use any type of sugar to mix in with your yeast mixture. I personally prefer using maple syrup, but you can definitely use white granulated sugar. As long as sugar is included in the yeast, it will help it to grow. *If you don't want to use whole wheat flour, the recipe should work just as well with regular all-purpose flour.