I love when recipes turn out.
Especially after a weekend full of caramel-making blunders….I’m really, really, really glad this recipe for vegan pumpkin cinnamon rolls turned out. I would have started seriously doubting my culinary abilities. And probably also would have started talking to my cat more than what’s socially acceptable. My word. I’m really glad these turned out!
Why vegan you ask?
Well, dear ones, let me explain. I woke up yesterday morning after getting home at 2am from David Crowder and it was freezing outside and pouring rain. I made my typical cup of Monday morning black tea and sat down to write my weekly grocery list in my robe and big furry slippers. But…it was raining…and cold….and try as I might, I just couldn’t get myself out the door to the store. So, I took this opportunity to test a new recipe for pumpkin cinnamon rolls, and since I didn’t have any eggs or butter in my house after last weekend’s whoopie pie making extravaganza, I made them vegan!
And honestly? I’m sort of shocked they turned out as good as they did! You just never know when butter isn’t involved. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.
However, after a rainy morning spent mixing, kneading and rising twice, what came out of my oven was nothing short of heavenly. Soft, plump, pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls that tasted better than anything behind a glass case or full of butter, milk and eggs.
They’re perfect for a yummy afternoon snack and also very easy to bake for the novice cinnamon role baker (hand raised high–this was my first attempt!). I used a mixture of chia seeds and warm water to replicate the eggs found in a standard cinnamon role recipe, but you could also just use one egg if you’re not vegan and your fridge is stocked better than mine.
Friends, y’all are going to love these! I just know it.
Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
makes 10 cinnamon rolls
Ingredients:
2 tbsp Earth Balance buttery spread
1/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp chia seeds + 3 tbsp warm water
1 (1/4th oz) package dry yeast
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground ginger
filling:
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp Earth Balance buttery spread, softened
2 tsp cinnamon
for glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp almond milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Heat the almond milk and the Earth Balance together in a small pan on the stove over low/medium heat until the Earth Balance melts and the milk is warm to the touch. Remove from heat, let cool a little (temperature should be around 100 degrees—like warm bath water. If it’s hotter than that, the yeast will die and the rolls won’t rise!) sprinkle in the yeast and stir so yeast will dissolve. Let yeast mixture sit for five minutes (it will look very creamy after a few minutes).
Meanwhile, combine the pumpkin and chia mixture (when you combine the chia seeds and water be sure to let the mixture sit for five minutes to gel a little bit). In another bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. Add flour mixture to the pumpkin. Pour in yeast.
Knead dough by hand for about 10 minutes or with a KitchenAid for six on medium speed with either a paddle attachment or dough hook. The dough should be smooth and elastic when you’re done.
Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a dishcloth and set in a warm area to rise for 1 hour 15 minutes. While the dough is rising, mix together the softened Earth Balance, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Remove dough and punch dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to a large rectangle and spread brown sugar mixture on top keeping an inch bare around the sides. Gently roll up dough so it resembles a log. Slice dough into 1/2 inch slices and place in a greased 9-inch casserole dish. Cover with a dishcloth and let rise for another 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls for 25 minutes. Let cool while you make the glaze.
For the glaze, mix together the powdered sugar, almond milk and vanilla extract. If glaze seems too runny, add a little more powdered sugar. Place glaze in a small plastic bag and snip the tip off. Make swirls over the cooled rolls and serve.
Time:
3 hours
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{ 137 comments… read them below or add one }
I need to practice these so I can make them Thanksgiving morning!
And I talk to my stuffed bear on occasion which is even less socially acceptable. At least Dexter can blink back at you while you tell him about the woes of baking.
Great idea, maybe I will attempt these for Christmas morning (instead of the usual Betty Crocker Cinnamon Rolls in a tube)!!!
I love when something turns out that you didn’t completely expect too. They look fantastic!
I clicked over to see the full post the second I saw the title – it was just *that* appealing! They look fantastic
Oh boy, if I was American and celebrated Thanksgiving, these would surely make the cut for Thanksgiving breakfast!
Jenna these look….amazing! And as a side bonus they are vegan AND you didn’t even have to get out of your comfy robe and venture out in the rain to get eggs or butter
The pictures are also totally fabulous and make me want to dive into them even more!
You=hero.
p.s. I just pinned this on my Pumpkin Board on pinterest. They are sooo pin-worthy
You can sign me up for pretty much anything that contains cinnamon! These look fantastic Jenna!
drooling already…and this is definitely going on our Thanksgiving day menu! although i’m going with the non-vegan version…chia seeds don’t really love me in baking these days!
haha “you just never know when butter isn’t involved”… my thought process exactly. With just about everything I cook and bake. But man these look awesome and such a delicious rainy day breakfast.
These sound delicious and cozy!!
Good way to make use of what’s in your fridge! Although, I won’t lie, some of us unfortunately have to throw off the fuzzy slippers and head out into rain, sleet or snow to work. If you ever want to pull a “Holiday” (like the movie?) – let’s do please!
yumm I bookmarked these for this weekend!
OMG, these look fantastic! Thanks Jenna!
YUM. I actually just came across a recipe just like this a few days ago for vegan pumpkin cinnamon rolls, I forget where.. anyways, they look great! Do you think they could be made without the flaxseed?
She uses chia seed here instead of flax. But you could also try other egg replacers. You can google for a list of egg substitute, but the chia helps bind everything together here.
The only thing that would make this recipe even more perfect would be if you offered a sweet giveaway of these delightful creations! (Or, perhaps a batch for all of us celebrating a birthday this month:)
I’m so happy your fridge wasn’t stocked!! I was just thinking how much I missed cinnamon rolls since becoming vegan! These look wonderful. Thanks!!
delicious!
omg.. those look PERFECT.
Those look great!
Ahmazing recipe as usual! Love these pictures
I love how great things can turn out when you have to improvise. These look amazing!
I’m not a fan of pumpkin but I LOVE cinnamon rolls. Yum!!
Finally someone else who doesn’t like pumpkin!!!
These look amazing! And the pictures are gorgeous.
These look so good! Running out of things happens a lot in my house so I am always left scrounging around for things that I can substitute!
Will soy milk work in place of almond milk?
sure!
Wow these sound phenomenal!
Great looking recipe. If they didn’t take three hours I’d probably make these today! Hmmm….I guess I’ll have to bookmark this page cause I do need to try these.
i’ve been looking for pumpkin cinnamon rolls! this is perrrrrfect timing
I’ve been dying to make vegan pumpkin cinnamon rolls FOREVER now. Thank you for reminding me – these look beyond incredible!
These look fantastic Jenna! I love reading your posts and then getting to a “ya’ll” at the end and all of a sudden I picture you as a mini Paula Deen talking behind the computer. haha
I was going to make pumpkin scones with the leftover pumpkin puree I have in the fridge but now I’m tempted to make these instead. Decisions, decisions!
Love love love!
So, um, can I come over for breakfast? Please?
oh my gosh i am drooling over here at the computer screen! can’t wait to try these out this weekend!
Yum! I had a (non-vegan) pumpkin cinnamon roll from a local bakery for breakfast last week. Now maybe I’ll actually make some of my own
Its so great when things like this come together! Love the idea of this dish – something I will definitely be making soon!
Anything pumpkin & I’m there, but these look especially delicious! I’m really into cinnamon & fall spices right now.
These sound so delicious!
Wow – these really do look amazing! I haven’t tried the chia seed version of a vegan egg yet, glad to see that turned out so well. Seems like that would really amp up the nutritional value, which makes this health food, right?!
ohmah. making this. wow. yes.
Oh, yum. What a scrumptious-looking fall time treat. I’m thinking a great cup of coffee with half-and-half and cinnamon would make for an absolutely perfect breakfast. Or snack! Or dessert! Or all of those things:-).
These look really good, and the recipe doesn’t make an overwhelming quantity of cinnamon rolls.
LOVE that these are vegan! What a great recipe!
I also love when things turn out right. It makes my day
I happen to have all of these ingredients- it must be fate! One of these warmed up with a cup of coffee is the perfect way to start any day!
I need to try these, they look amazing!
Man, I made Saurkraut this morning, but I totally wish I had made these instead! Although I think I might un-veganify them – wow, imagine if they flopped through being un-veganed….. xox
Those like scrumptious; I’m normally not a fan of vegan baked goods, but I’m getting hungry just looking at those cinnamon rolls (and I just had breakfast!)
what about these bad boys-will they freeze well?
Oh em gee, these sound heavenly- vegan or not! I really want one
I donno if I’ve let you know recently enough, but: you’re awesome!!! This is amazing!!!
I think this is the best thing I have seen in a long time! THANK YOU. I hope to make them very very very soon.
I don’t know if my eyes are deceiving me, but this recipe seems like it’s pretty low in sugar- too good to be true?
I could literally eat through my monitor.
These look delicious! Thanks for sharing!
LOVE all your fall recipes. Every time I’ve checked your blog lately, all I want to do is email the recipes to about 10 people. Fabulous!
Need in my life asap!
these look sooo good! but 3 hours is a long time … and converted to the time I will have to spend in the kitchen to bake these up, it would probably be like 5 hours. how embarrassing!
Yes. Please. Now. I just had a flashback to being little and splitting a Cinnabon roll in the mall with my mom and thinking it was the best thing ever. Such a special treat and now I’m totally planning on making these for our date this week. Thank you!!
I know there are a plethora of pumpkin recipes floating in the blogosphere right now but this looks like THE ONE. Seriously! I too love when recipes turn out right the first time. It makes all the other times they flop seem less disappointing.
Oh, no, you did not! Awwww
Wow, Jenna! I just started following and had to put these on Pinterest, they are so delicious looking!! Thank you for the great recipe (and I love that they’re vegan- how versatile)!
Wow! These look amazing and I would never know they were vegan! Nice to know that if I run out of eggs I can still whip up some beautiful rolls.
yum! mouth watering…
Those look wonderful!! Not even gonna lie when I want cinnamon rolls I open a can of pillsbury…are you shuddering??
These look sooooo good. Might just have to be my new Christmas Morning go-to!
P.S. The caramel failures just made you slightly more human in our eyes. Thanks for sharing…. Now I know I’m not totally alone
definitely mouth-watering! These will make for a perfect indulgence on Sunday morning.
OH my goodness! These look absolutely DELISH!! AHhhhh! I love anything pumpkin and anything cinnamon roll. These might be my new fave! (:
Yum yum yum! These look soooo good. I love some delicious vegan baking, it always feels a little bit healthier, doesn’t it! Now, if only I could find canned pumpkin ANYWHERE in New Zealand….
Hmmm…I swear, I have this dough rising right now, but looking ahead…the recipe yields 10 rolls…nine in the 9″ baking dish…am I missing something?
you just stuff them in there!
Thanks for the quick reply! Got them in there–easier than I thought it would be. Of course, I also used a bottle of wine as a rolling pin, so I’m not that concerned about precision!
This recipe makes sense, but I’m curious…what is the role of the chia seeds?
chia seeds mixed with water forms a binding substance that resembles eggs
So leaving out the chia seeds is out of the question? I don’t have any in my pantry.
you can replace the chia seeds with an egg.
Holy YUM! I’m speechless… and going to go make some of these right now!
I have never made anything vegan….that ends tonight! These are making my mouth water
Now these I need in my life. Yum!
I’m so glad to see a pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe (and you broke it down so well). These will be a hit at Church breakfast
oh my, seriously fighting the urge to make these right now. Too bad Canadian thanksgiving just passed, I would have loved to make these for thanksgiving morning!
Wow so beautiful! I’m definitely giving these a try. Thanks!
Want to make these now!! May have to wait until the weekend. Delicious. I love that they’re vegan by way of staying warm and dry. That’s usually how my vegan recipes come about too
Heidi xo
Made these tonight….and I didn’t love them
Not sure if they turned out the same or not…but these were not fluffy enough for me…
Great recipe!! I cant wait to bake these.
I have ground flaxseed, do you think I can sub this in? Same amount?
Rainy days are my favorite day for baking!
Wow, I am so skeptical of vegan baked goods, but these look so amazing… would they be a good intro to vegan baking?
Those look heavenly! Can I start my day off with one of those please.
These look incredible! I haven’t had a cinnamon roll in ages and now I’m dying to try this recipe.
Oooh! Yummy
This look amazing! I can’t wait to make them!
These look insanely delicious! The only cinnamon rolls I’ve made were in a baking class at a local culinary school -but they were loaded with butter. You make the process seem so doable. Definitely adding this recipe to my “must make asap” list! Thanks for posting!
As someone who actually ate (more like mauled) Jenna’s vegan pumpkin cinnamon rolls, I can honestly say they are the BEST EVER. Seriously. Probably the yummiest cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had. I’m still dreaming about them…. yum yum yum!
P.S. where does one buy chia seeds?
I’ve been buying chia seeds in bulk at Whole Foods lately. Much cheaper than the prepackaged ones!
Oh, Jenna, I’m totally making these! My dairy intolerant tummy thanks you!
WOW these look incredible! I am totally making these for thanksgiving!
These look absolutely FABulous!
umm, yes. i think these will need to made this weekend.
anything pumpkin is fair game this fall. for sure.
Holy smokes I’m making this, my first vegan attempt! Thanks for sharing. Also, don’t worry I talk to my cats a lot, they are the best listeners!
I was just trying to figure out how to concoct these! Thanks for doing it for me!! I hope to try this next week
Wow these look amazing!!! Having brunch this weekend for friends, will def have to try!
holy *&^*(&*)(( these look amazing!
These looks delicious! And yay for them being dairy free too
One question: I’m not familiar with chia seeds….are they necessary for this recipe?
Jenna,
I made these yesterday and actually made the dough twice because it wouldn’t rise. I followed your directions precisely – not sure what would have went wrong.
Made them yesterday also, and the dough didn’t rise… Sometimes, I feel some precision is missing in your step-to-step recipes… What kind of yeast exactly was it ? And the sugar, you forgot to put that step for the dough.
I used dry yeast from Trader Joes and followed the exact instructions that I wrote out—they worked twice for me! Your milk mixture may have been too hot and killed the yeast—you could actually use a thermometer to temp it next time. It should be 100 degrees farenheight (feels like warm bath water). If the liquid is too hot, the yeast will die and the dough will not rise! That’s the only thing I can think of! I’m sorry they did not work for you!
when did you add the sugar in?
Thanks for the answer. I’m not familiar with the use of yeast, maybe this is why, we’ll see !
I replaced some of the almond milk in the glaze with maple syrup — amazing! It definitely gave it an extra little boost of flavor. Great cinnamon rolls too though!
Marking this recipe for Thanksgiving when I get together with the in laws! Your photos are really amazing. Just beautiful. I am currently drooling over these rolls, your Pad Thai and the quiche. Yum.
can these be made ahead and then frozen to cook later?
tried these yesterday and failed – I then read thru the comments and think the milk was too hot, since my dough did not rise at all
I’d love to make these for thanksgiving breakfast but do you think I could make them on Wednesday and then refrigerate them or freeze them for the night and pop them in the oven Thursday morning?
Made these today to keep frozen in my dorm
unlike a few comments I’ve read, I didn’t have any trouble until I had to roll up the dough. Mine ended up being goopy and difficult to roll, but I’ve deemed them rustic and and am still pretty pumped to pop them in the oven on a Saturday morning .
I don’t have chia seeds. Hmmm… will flax meal work?
try 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp hot water…or just use an egg (if you’re not vegan!)
So, my husband and I are vegan and cinnamon roll fanatics. And I’m preggers. And we love anything autumn, like pumpkin. And we’re trying not to buy pantry stuff cuz we’re moving to Japan soon… so here are my improvisations:
no brown sugar- molasses (1tbsp) and granulated sugar (1cup).
no chia- replace with flax.
no pumpkin puree- cook a butternut squash in the microwave (sweet potato was my next choice, but I found the butternut in my Fall display) and puree it in a blender with warm water.
ran out of cinnamon, but have cinn bark from India used for savory dishes; ground it up in the coffee grinder and voila!
They came out great! I did 150% of the recipe for the filling, though, because I found the recommended amount difficult to distribute evenly… (I probably made the rectangle a little too big.) After the second rise, I refrigerated 7 of them and froze the other 4. This morning, I set them in the warming drawer while the oven was preheating. I spread more of the brown sugar filling on the top before baking. They were stellar! I’ll let you know how the frozen ones do when I make those. I also used a lot more glaze than you do, but that’s just our personal preference.
Cannot Wait To Try These. And quite possibly the best excuse I’ve seen yet to go buy some chia seeds! I am on a quest to make as many pumpkin recipes as possible. These are right near the top of the list – thanks!
I would love to make these this weekend, but did want to clarify when the sugar should be added? Does it go in the flour and spice mix?
Also, if I wanted to prep them Friday night to serve Saturday at brunch, should I bake all the way through & warm Saturday, or could you let them rise overnight in the second rise?
Thanks – they sound amazing!
yes it goes in with the flour and spice. If you wanted to prepare them early, you can prep them totally (let them rise one then roll out and slice into roll) and once you have the dough rolls in the pan, cover the pan tightly and stick in the fridge overnight. The next morning, bring to room temperature and then let rise one more time for about an hour until the rolls double in size. Then bake as normal!
Awesome, thank you Jenna! I have loved everything I’ve made off your site so far, so I look forward to this treat!
Yay! I had the same question about making them the night before. So excited to have these for my guests on Thanksgiving morning! What a great way to start the day!
Hi Jenna! Love your blog. How long will these keep for at room temperature or chilled?
It’s already pretty late, but I want to make these so my mom has something to eat before work in the morning.. tweaking the recipe a bit by using Silk’s Soy Nog. Pumpkin (Soy) Nog Cinnamon Rolls? Sounds like a recipe for success, so long as I stay awake through all of the rises!
These look AMAZING, Jenna!! I’ve made vegan cinnamon rolls before, and honestly? They sucked. I mean, they were edible at least. But NOT a decadent, delightful cinnamon roll. They were uber healthy and B-O-R-I-N-G, despite having taken sooo long to make. I’ll have to try these
They look divine!! xoxo
I can’t wait to make these! I do have a question; can the Earth Balance buttery spread be substituted with Earth Balance shortening? I have SO much of it left and would hate to see it go to waste :/
I was searching for a good vegan cinnamon roll recipe and I found you! My hubby’s favorite flavor is pumpkin, so this makes my baking adventure even more rewarding. The rolls are on their final rise….I can’t wait to bake them! I doubled the recipe and all looks great so far. Thanks for the recipe <3 I will let you know how they turn out. Regards and God Bless You!
I baked a batch last night and my husband and children fell in love with this new recipe! My husband was amazed!! I let the 2nd batch rise over night and this morning they looked so plump and airy. The taste does not disappoint. There is an airiness to the dough, and the chia seeds add a tiny, little crunch. So Delicious! Will definitely bake them again! BTW: I doubled the recipe and used my own mix of pumpkin pie spices. This recipe lends itself to your creativity and taste buds!
THANK YOU!!
Hi!
I just found your site & love it! I would love to try out this recipe, but due to some health problems I can’t have yeast. Is there an alternative that I could use?
Thanks so much!
- Ashley
YUM! I know it’s still technically summer, but the weather outside today has prompted fuzzy socks, tea, and a strong urge to bake up something punpkiny and spicy.
my mouth is watering….. must make soon!
These sound and look delicious! I’ll definitely be making some. Can I substitute flax seeds for chia seeds? I assume so but just want to make sure.
How could I make this gluten free? Is there a flour that would work best as a substitute? Thanks!
If the glaze is a little thick, pop it in the microwave for 15 seconds or so. That should make it much easier to drizzle over the rolls.
Just made these, unveganized with an egg and butter instead of chia and earth balance. I used 1 tsp cinnamon + 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice in the dough. They are fanastic! I need to refine my rolling technique, as my roll was a little too long and skinny…my rectangle needed to be smaller. I look forward to making them again and won’t hesitate to try the vegan version if I am out of eggs or butter.
Dear Jenna,
Keep up the excellent work.
I’m only half-way through making these and I am SO. EXCITED. First of all, I have to thank you because this dough was easy and worked perfectly. For some reason I’ve never had luck with yeast breads, and I have no mixer so it’s all hand-kneading for me. This recipe (and your instructions) might be the first time I successfully kneaded bread dough and had it look and feel the way it’s supposed to!! I’m psyched. Secondly, I wanted to thank you for your consistently funny, delicious, quirky, lovely entries. I am relatively new to your blog but I am finding so much joy in it, and excitement to try EVERYTHING
Sincerely,
Kristen
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