Fluffy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls - Nuts About Greens

Ingredients

For the dough:

5 ¼ cup white bread flour or all-purpose flour
¼ cup pure organic cane sugar (or granulated sugar)
½ Tbsp sea salt
1 ½ Tbsp rapid rise/instant yeast
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
2 cups warm water

Filling for cinnamon rolls (enough for one batch of dough because this recipe makes 2 batches):

3 Tbsp melted coconut oil
2 Tbsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
2 Tbsp pure organic cane sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

For the light glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp unsweetened plain almond milk (or any non-dairy milk)

For the cream cheese frosting:

6 oz vegan cream cheese (I used Trader Joe's)
1/4 cup vegan butter
1-1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

To make the dough, combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl (I used my KitchenAid mixer bowl). Add the oil and water. Mix for 1 minute and check consistency (I used my dough hook attachment on my mixer). If dough is too dry, add a bit more water. If dough is too moist, add more flour. You don’t want the dough too sticky. Knead for 5 minutes.
Lightly flour the counter and transfer the dough. Knead a few times and cut the dough in half. Oil 2 big bowls and put each half in each bowl. Cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for 45 minutes to one hour.
While rising, make the cinnamon sugar mixture. Mix the sugars and ground cinnamon together in a small bowl. Set aside. *Remember, this cinnamon sugar is only enough for one of the dough bowls. Double the filling if you want to turn both dough balls into cinnamon rolls.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a thin rectangle. Brush with melted coconut oil and then top with cinnamon sugar mixture.
Starting at the long end, tightly roll up the dough and situate seam side down. Then with a serrated knife or a string of floss, cut the dough into 1.5 – 2 inch sections and place in a greased 8×8-inch square pan or comparable sized round pan (you should have about 9 rolls). Brush tops of rolls with remaining melted coconut oil. Set on top of the oven to let rise again for about 35-40 minutes while you preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (Make the 2nd dough into whatever you want…more cinnamon rolls or something savory.)
Once the oven is hot, bake for 20-22 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. While the cinnamon rolls are baking, make the glaze. Combine the ingredients and whisk until you get the consistency of your liking. Add more almond milk for a thinner glaze or more powdered sugar for a thicker glaze.
If you prefer the cream cheese frosting, add the cold cream cheese and butter to a large bowl. Beat until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. Then add the vanilla and beat until fluffy.
Let the rolls cool for a few minutes then drizzle glaze on top or spread the cream cheese frosting over the top. Enjoy warm!

Servings: 9 rolls for 1 batch, 18 rolls for both batches

Author: valeria.chao