Vegan Breakfast Idea: Vegan Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls

Name: Vegan Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Ingredients: DOUGH; 1.5 Tbsp coconut oil; 1.5 Tbsp apple sauce; 1 packet instant yeast* (or use rapid-rise yeast // 1 packet yields ~ 2 1/4 tsp); 1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk*; 1 Tbsp organic cane sugar*; 1/4 tsp salt; 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour*; FILLING; 3 Tbsp vegan hazlenut spread*; 1/4 cup organic cane sugar*; 1/2 – 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon (to taste); TOPPING; 2 Tbsp vegan hazlenut spread*

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Cinnamon rolls are one of those comfort foods you can never get enough of. It’s a perfect vegan breakfast or brunch staple to make ahead and simply warm in the oven or air fryer the next day. Plus, cinnamon rolls are easily tailored to fit your taste. Craving apple? Make an apple pie filling. Craving chocolate? Then you’ve landed on the right page. These vegan cinnamon rolls are loaded with a vegan chocolate hazelnut spread. Move over nutella! Ready to try this vegan breakfast recipe?! Let’s Partii!

Gather Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:

Dough

All-Purpose Flour
Instant Yeast
Fine Salt
Lite Coconut Milk (Non Full Fat)
Yukon Gold Potato
Maple Syrup
Walnut Butter
Vanilla Extract

Filling

Coconut Sugar
Ground Cinnamon
Walnut Butter

Cream Cheese Icing

Powdered Sugar
Unsweetened Yogurt
Lemon Juice

Prepare Vegan Cinnamon Roll Dough

First, prepare the walnut butter. To do this simply preheat your oven to 300* F. Then add the walnuts to a sheet pan and roast for 20 minutes. Once walnuts have roasted add to a food processor and blend for 1 minute. Then using a rubber spatula remove walnut butter from the sides of the food processor. Blend again for another 2 – 3 minutes or until the walnut butter consistency resembles almond butter. Set aside.

Next, activate the yeast by gently warming the milk over medium heat. Once the milk has been warmed to about the temperature of bath water – not TOO hot, then sprinkle in the yeast. Gently stir in 1 Tablespoon of sugar. Set aside and allow to sit for about 10 minutes.

Now, to a very large, deep bowl add the flour and salt. Whisk well and set aside. Next wrap a few of the small Yukon gold potatoes in damp paper towels and cook in the microwave for 3 to 5 minutes or until squishy. It is faster to microwave but you can bake the potatoes if you’d like. (Note: Please do not boil or steam the potatoes as this will add too much moisture to the potato and affect the dough. Peel the skin off the potato and mash well with a fork in a medium sized mixing bowl.)

To the mashed potato add the maple syrup, vanilla and 1/4 cup of the walnut butter. Transfer this mixture to a food processor. Process for a couple of minutes until 100% smooth and no bits or chunks of potato remain. Gently stir in the yeast mixture. Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients. Use a large silicone or rubber spoon, this will be easier than using a metal one. Stir for a few minutes just until the dough comes together. It should still look a bit crumbly and be dry.

Flour a work surface lightly and scrape the dough out. Knead the dough for just a couple of minutes, rotating, pressing and flipping over the dough until it comes together into a smooth round ball. The dough should begin to come together in no time. Do not over mix the dough, you just want it smooth and combined. Too much mixing will make tough cinnamon rolls and let’s be honest… ain’t nobody got time for that!

Rinse out the large bowl you just used and wipe it dry. Add the ball of dough back to the bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or with a warm damp towel. Place in a warm space and allow the dough to rise for at least 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove the bowl from the oven once it’s ready and scrape the dough back onto the lightly floured work surface. Use a rolling pin to gently roll out into a rectangular shape of about 10 1/2 inches wide by 16 inches long. It should be about 1/4 inch thick. Preheat the oven to 350* F and line a pan with parchment paper.

Make & Slice The Cinnamon Rolls

Next spoon and spread on the vegan chocolate hazelnut mixture, leaving about a 1/2 inch border along the edges. Start with the long end and gently and tightly roll it into a log. You will need to trim off the ends as these are mostly dough without the filling. About 1 – 2 inches worth. Use a very sharp knife or floss to gently cut into the rolls. The dough will be soft, but they do slice easily.

Bake & Enjoy the Cinnamon Rolls

Carefully pick up each roll and lay it onto the pan spaced at least 2 inches apart. I fit 8 on the first pan. Bake the for 18-20 minutes or until looking golden brown.

Add the icing ingredients to a bowl and stir until it is moistened. It will seem too dry, but will come together. Whisk rapidly until completely smooth and sugar is dissolved. After the rolls have come out of the oven, let them sit for 5 – 10 minutes before icing them. Add a spoonful of icing on the center of each roll and spread around to let it drizzle down the sides. Serve while warm!

Store extra rolls tightly covered at room temperature so they don’t dry out. Try reheating them the next day in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Makes them taste just as fresh.

Vegan Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls

0 from 0 votes

Recipe by Sagen Jackson Course: BrunchCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

hour

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

292

kcal

Warm and delicious vegan hazelnut chocolate cinnamon rolls make for the perfect vegan breakfast idea!

Ingredients

DOUGH
1.5 Tbsp coconut oil
1.5 Tbsp apple sauce
1 packet instant yeast* (or use rapid-rise yeast // 1 packet yields ~ 2 1/4 tsp)
1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk*
1 Tbsp organic cane sugar*
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour*
FILLING
3 Tbsp vegan hazlenut spread*
1/4 cup organic cane sugar*
1/2 – 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon (to taste)
TOPPING
2 Tbsp vegan hazlenut spread*

Preparation

First, prepare the walnut butter. To do this simply preheat your oven to 300* F. Then add the walnuts to a sheet pan and roast for 20 minutes. Once walnuts have roasted add to a food processor and blend for 1 minute. Then using a rubber spatula remove walnut butter from the sides of the food processor. Blend again for another 2 – 3 minutes or until the walnut butter consistency resembles almond butter. Set aside.
Next, activate the yeast by gently warming the milk over medium heat. Once the milk has been warmed to about the temperature of bath water – not TOO hot, then sprinkle in the yeast. Gently stir in 1 Tablespoon of sugar. Set aside and allow to sit for about 10 minutes.
Now, to a very large, deep bowl add the flour and salt. Whisk well and set aside. Next wrap a few of the small Yukon gold potatoes in damp paper towels and cook in the microwave for 3 to 5 minutes or until squishy. It is faster to microwave but you can bake the potatoes if you’d like. (Note: Please do not boil or steam the potatoes as this will add too much moisture to the potato and affect the dough. Peel the skin off the potato and mash well with a fork in a medium sized mixing bowl.)
To the mashed potato add the maple syrup, vanilla and 1/4 cup of the walnut butter. Transfer this mixture to a food processor. Process for a couple of minutes until 100% smooth and no bits or chunks of potato remain. Gently stir in the yeast mixture. Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients. Use a large silicone or rubber spoon, this will be easier than using a metal one. Stir for a few minutes just until the dough comes together. It should still look a bit crumbly and be dry.
Flour a work surface lightly and scrape the dough out. Knead the dough for just a couple of minutes, rotating, pressing and flipping over the dough until it comes together into a smooth round ball. The dough should begin to come together in no time. Do not over mix the dough, you just want it smooth and combined. Too much mixing will make tough cinnamon rolls and let’s be honest… ain’t nobody got time for that!
Rinse out the large bowl you just used and wipe it dry. Add the ball of dough back to the bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or with a warm damp towel. Place in a warm space and allow the dough to rise for at least 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Remove the bowl from the oven once it’s ready and scrape the dough back onto the lightly floured work surface. Use a rolling pin to gently roll out into a rectangular shape of about 10 1/2 inches wide by 16 inches long. It should be about 1/4 inch thick. Preheat the oven to 350* F and line a pan with parchment paper.
Next spoon and spread on the vegan chocolate hazelnut mixture, leaving about a 1/2 inch border along the edges. Start with the long end and gently and tightly roll it into a log. You will need to trim off the ends as these are mostly dough without the filling. About 1 – 2 inches worth. Use a very sharp knife or floss to gently cut into the rolls. The dough will be soft, but they do slice easily.
Carefully pick up each roll and lay it onto the pan spaced at least 2 inches apart. I fit 8 on the first pan. Bake the for 18-20 minutes or until looking golden brown.
Add the icing ingredients to a bowl and stir until it is moistened. It will seem too dry, but will come together. Whisk rapidly until completely smooth and sugar is dissolved. After the rolls have come out of the oven, let them sit for 5 – 10 minutes before icing them. Add a spoonful of icing on the center of each roll and spread around to let it drizzle down the sides. Serve while warm!
Store extra rolls tightly covered at room temperature so they don’t dry out. Try reheating them the next day in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Makes them taste just as fresh.

Notes

This recipe is a modification from The Vegan 8’s Healthy Cinnamon Rolls (With No Butter) – thank you, Brandi!