Can you imagine a better smell filling your kitchen than some warm, fluffy and nutty vegan cinnamon rolls? During fall and winter, these healthy homemade treats are probably our favorite dessert.
But we don’t want to discriminate — we would give sweet cinnamon rolls a place on our plates no matter the season. Or do you call them cinnamon buns? You know what we mean! Anyway, a picture says more than a thousand words.
Cinnamon rolls are a classic fall treat all over the world. And we think we have found the key to the best-ever whole wheat and no sugar cinnamon rolls!
All the fluffiness and taste in a nourishing dessert – it sounds too good to be true.
There’s nothing wrong with keeping your health in check even when it’s time for a sweet dessert. Following a whole food plant-based diet low in fat is the best way for us and countless other people to stay at a healthy weight and prevent chronic diseases.
Luckily, there are almost no downsides to this lifestyle – and it even includes tasty and easy desserts. We’re so excited to share our new favorite recipe with you!
free 7-day vegan meal plan
Your next week of eating is planned out with these quick and delicious vegan bowls, meal prepping steps & full grocery list.
Healthy Dairy-Free and Sugar-Free Treat
That’s true: our whole-food plant-based cinnamon buns might look like an indulgence but they are actually healthy for you. We used mainly whole wheat flour, no milk at all, no oil and just a tiny amount of maple syrup.
Does this mean they are sugar-free? It depends on your definition. The recipe doesn’t call for white or brown sugar, although you could replace the maple syrup with these other vegan sweeteners.
To your body, simple sugar is simple sugar. Maple syrup may come with some traces of minerals like calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron – but when following a healthy diet, you should not rely on sources like maple syrup to get your essential nutrients.
Sugar-Free Apple Crumble →
For a completely sugar-free baking recipe (plus a full rant on all things added sugar and ambiguous definitions) check out our healthy vegan banana bread post.
If you or your family are used to cinnamon rolls that are made with white flour, eggs, dairy milk, butter and lots of sugar – our healthy vegan recipe can seem like quite a bit of contrast.
In this case, you can first replace the eggs, dairy milk and butter while still using white flour, some oil for the richness and enough sugar to satisfy your sweet tooth.
This recipe for vegan pumpkin cinnamon rolls by our friend Alexandra might be a good one to try if you’re new to vegan baking and not fully transitioned to a whole food plant-based diet.
We also adore these healthy cinnamon rolls by Roberta and the chai cinnamon rolls by Amanda!
The Best Ever Fluffy Whole Wheat Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
We make healthy taste great! Granted, there are a ton of beautiful and delicious vegan cinnamon buns out there already, but we aimed to use mainly whole wheat flour and a handful of easy to find and good-for-you ingredients.
After lots of test baking (not complaining here!), we came up with a version with the best balance of easy, soft, no sugar and no milk. Here’s why you’ll love them, too!
- Easy to make with just 20 minutes hands-on time
- Rich in fiber and warming spices
- Sugar-free, dairy-free and still tasty
- Fluffy and soft whole wheat vegan treat
- Freshly baked holiday dessert option
- Perfectly sweet and tender
- Handy to bring with you and share with others
So far, we haven’t served these to anyone, kid or adult, who didn’t devour them. Our families are used to us making the whole food versions of common dishes, and if we were able to get them on board, we’re positive that your loved ones will like these whole wheat vegan cinnamon rolls, too.
Almond Vanilla Latte Recipe →
Making Homemade Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
Are you used to baking? Great, this will be a breeze for you. Truth be told, our kitchen skills are pretty basic and you won’t find fancy or elaborate recipes on our blog.
So, to anyone new to cooking or baking: this easy homemade cinnamon bun recipe is probably in your comfort zone.
First, you need a couple of key ingredients to make these the best fluffy and dairy-free cinnamon rolls!
Main Ingredients for Cinnamon Buns
- Whole wheat flour – fiber-rich and chewy, baking up like a dream
- Some all-purpose flour – keeping things a bit more fluffy
- Dry active yeast – not the same as delicious cheesy nutritional yeast!
- Cinnamon, chai or gingerbread spice – if you cannot decide, just go all in
- Maple syrup – refined sugar or not, you want sweet cinnamon rolls
- Nuts – for the ooey-gooey creamy cinnamon filling and healthy fats
- Plant-based milk – we used soy but you can swap it for almond or oat
Now you have to get a large bowl and mix all the dry ingredients for the dough together before adding the water to activate the yeast.
In general, the key to making a recipe with active yeast work is to use the right temperature of the liquid!
If it’s too hot or too cold, the yeast won’t bloom when you add it. Just stick your finger into the water and if it has about the same temperature as your body, that’s perfect. If it’s a lot warmer, then let it cool slightly.
Then, you’re pretty much just one rise away from these tasty homemade vegan cinnamon rolls!
As for the nutty filling, we like to use either walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts. Sometimes just one type of nut, sometimes all of them combined! We personally think cinnamon nut rolls are even better than plain cinnamon buns.
And for a little fun tip: when cutting the roll into small pieces, use unflavored dental floss to slice through the dough.
Yes, you got that right! It makes for a surprisingly nice and clean cut. We went for the more traditional sharp knife for our recipe, though.
Gluten-Free & Other Cinnamon Roll Twists
Just using our basic cinnamon bun recipe, countless variations are easy to make. Do you follow a gluten-free diet? No problem: this recipe works with all-purpose gluten-free flour, too.
Is the sweetness too subtle? Double up the maple syrup – or just go for another sweetener if you don’t have that on hand.
If you’re allergic to a particular nut, just use another one or skip the nutty center altogether and use some apple sauce or pureed dates as a filling.
Tasty Cinnamon Rolls Variations
- Pumpkin puree
- Chocolate chips
- Raisins and apple
- Orange glaze
- Cardamom and nutmeg
- Lemon glaze
As for the plant-based milk, it’s totally up to you which one you want to go for! Soy just happens to be our favorite one (and it’s the most nutritious, too).
More Healthy Vegan Baking Recipes
But you came for the healthy and easy vegan cinnamon rolls recipe – so we certainly don’t want to keep you from filling your kitchen with that amazing baking smell any longer.
Let us know if you tried our recipe by rating it in the comments below or tagging us on Instagram! We’d love to see your creations. You can also Pin this recipe for later. Happy baking!
Easy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
These easy and tasty vegan cinnamon rolls are sugar-free and dairy-free but still super tasty and sweet! No milk is required for the fluffy and soft texture of the best ever vegan cinnamon rolls. Homemade with whole wheat, they are a healthy treat perfect for fall or winter as well as during the holidays.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour (160 g)
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour (90 g)
- 1 tbsp dry active yeast, instant
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¾ cup warm water (160 ml)
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp chai or gingerbread spice (optional)
Cinnamon Nut Filling
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¾ cup nuts of choice, ground (110 g)
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ cup soy milk (120 ml)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients for your dough. Add some of the warm water as well as the maple syrup and start mixing. Add as much water as you need to get a smooth, soft dough that’s not sticky.
- Knead for a few minutes, then cover the bowl with a towel and let rest in a warm place for around half an hour.
- Prepare the filling by heating up the soy milk in a small pot and then adding in the nuts, cinnamon and maple syrup. Stir with a spoon for a few minutes to create a homogenous texture, then set aside.
- Preheat oven to 360 °F (180 °C).
- Once the dough has risen, flour a flat surface and knead it by hand for about a minute, then roll it into a rectangular shape which should be as flat as one of your fingers (about ½ inch or 1.5 cm).
- Gently spread your nut filling onto the dough surface, leaving a ½ inch border around the edges.
- Now, roll the dough until you have one large and even roll. Try to be careful and consistent here.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into even pieces – they can be anything from ½ inch to 2 inches thick, depending on how you like it.
- Put your cinnamon rolls horizontally on a non-stick baking sheet or pan. Bake for around 20 minutes until golden brown.
- Allow to slightly cool before taking the first bite! Serve with a nice cup of tea or coffee.
Notes
- You can use any plant-based milk you like in this recipe.
- For gluten-free vegan cinnamon rolls, just use all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- The recipe works with white wheat or spelt flour as well.
- To make the rolls sweeter, you can add more maple syrup or any other vegan sweetener but make sure to adjust the flour or water to get the right texture for the dough.
- Keep covered at room temperature for a few days or in the fridge for around a week.
- You can also prepare them in advance and even freeze them!
- Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated automatically, their accuracy is not guaranteed. Just focus on whole plant-based foods and eat until satiety!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1 rollAmount Per Serving: Calories: 233Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 64mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 4gSugar: 11gProtein: 7g
Alena Schowalter is a Certified Vegan Nutritionist who has been a vegetarian since childhood and vegan since 2012. Together with her husband, she founded nutriciously in 2015 and has been guiding thousands of people through different transition stages towards a healthy plant-based diet. She’s received training in the fields of nutrition, music therapy and social work. Alena enjoys discussions around vegan ethics, walks through nature and creating new recipes.
Hi! thank you for the recipe! These are so good I made them for my family but ate most of them myself. Didn’t change a thing and it was so easy.
hello, can i replace the flours with oat flour?
yes, sure! Let us know how the cinnamon rolls turn out :)
Just made my first batch and the filling was REALLY liquid-y. Should it be thicker?
the filling should be spreadable but not super liquid-y! Did you use the right quantities? Maybe try it with less plant-based milk the next time ♡
The same happened with my first batch that I just made. Very liquid-y. My only change was that I used oat milk. Measured using a scale and added about 116ml because I was too lazy to measure the perfect 120ml. ;)
Should it taste dry and crispy?
not exactly :D funny how for some it was too liquid and for you too dry… different ovens perhaps?
I made these last night – turned out Really nice and soft. Only one comment we thought the dough needed some salt!
Hi sounds really good! How can I make this GF?
I haven’t tried it but am pretty sure you can just use all-purpose GF flour instead of the whole wheat :)
Love recipe. The dough is rising right now. But I’m surprised you didn’t call for a rising of the rolls before baking. Does it not make a difference to the ultimate fluffiness?
Oops. I meant to say. “Lovely “
Hi Genevieve,
excited for you to try the recipe! I must say that I’m a beginner-level chef myself and I like my recipes to be as convenient as possible — so I haven’t tried letting the dough rise before baking in this case. If you have the time and patience, it would probably make for a lovelier texture I can imagine!
I might have to make them again soon and experiment.
Warm wishes,
Alena
I’ve tried making these gluten free using GF all purpose flour. Unfortunately, the dough didn’t seem to raise much and it cracked when I tried to roll it. I must not be cut out to bake cinnamon rolls.
These looks delicious. Do you think the texture would stay fluffy if I made the dough the night before, refrigerated it, and baked the rolls in the morning?
I would assume, yes! Let us know how they turn out :)
One other thought: would you recommend adding the filling before refrigerating overnight or do you think that would make the rolls soggy?
I’d only refrigerate the dough overnight to be sure!