Arguably one of the most delicious vegan desserts, these cinnamon rolls are a crowd pleaser for sure! They taste EXACTLY like regular cinnamon rolls but have no milk or butter AND they're egg-free..how!? JOI. That’s how! Get ready to give your favorite holiday breakfast a delicious makeover. This dairy-free cinnamon roll recipe will convert the most skeptical.

How Are These So Good But Still Dairy-Free and Vegan?

By replacing the milk with cashew milk made with JOI, replacing the eggs and butter in the dough with a scoop of JOI, this dough remarkably has the same flavor and texture as regular cinnamon roll dough. The inside is made of a lot of cinnamon and coconut sugar for a deep, delicious cinnamon roll filling.

The frosting for these cinnamon rolls is also, you guessed it, JOI! JOI plus a little maple syrup and a splash of water to thin it out makes the perfect frosting. It’s not overpoweringly sweet but gives them that feeling of super indulgent cinnamon rolls. 

What Other Flavors Can I Try?

Not feeling "cinnamony" today? No worries. But simply swapping out the filling flavors, a whole range of possibilities opens up.

• Lemon: Substitute the cinnamon with freshly grated lemon zest and add a squeeze of lemon juice to the frosting.
• Orange: Substitute the cinnamon with freshly grated orange zest and add a squeeze of orange juice to the frosting.
• Almond: Use a pre-made marzipan filling instead. Top with sliced, toasted almonds after frosting.
• Fig: Use a fig filing instead. Make a paste from 1 cup of figs stewed with 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup orange juice and a pinch of salt.
• Berry: Use your favorite berry jam or compote as the filling. For extra color, top with crushed, freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries after frosting.
• Chocolate-hazelnut: Use a chocolate-hazelnut spread as your filling instead. Add a bit of cocoa powder to the dough and/or the frosting.

You get the idea. The variety of flavors is endless! Just use the dough as your "base" and get creative from there!

Time Saving Tip!

Not of fan of a morning baking project? Too much time spent between rising and breakfasting? No problem. Make the dough when you have time and freeze the buns in the greased pan.

When you're ready to bake them off, pre-heat your oven and pop in the pan straight from the freezer. The cooking time will be about 5-10 minutes longer, but just make the frosting (and a pot of coffee) while they bake.

What is the Recipe?

Yield: 

8 large cinnamon rolls 

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 1/2 cups warm cashew milk or almond milk (made with JOI), divided (1 cup + ½ cup) 

1 packet rapid rise yeast 

¼ cup coconut sugar 

2 Tablespoons JOI 

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

Filing:

½ cup coconut sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

2 Tablespoons melted coconut oil

small pinch of salt

Frosting:

½ cup JOI

¼ cup maple syrup (or substitute 1/4 cup water plus 1 cup powdered sugar)

Splash of water to thin it out to your taste! 

Instructions:

1. Heat your milk in a microwave safe measuring cup for 30 seconds. 
2. In a stand mixer bowl, combine 1 cup of the warm milk with yeast, sugar, JOI, and flour. 
3. Mix on low until a shaggy dough starts to form. 
4. Change the mixing attachment to the dough hook and slowly add in the extra ½ cup of warm milk until it starts to form a dough ball. (If it starts to stick to the sides or bottom of the mixing bowl sprinkle in a bit of flour)
5. Let it knead for 5 minutes.
6. Transfer the dough ball to a large bowl (greased) and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour. 
7. It should double in size. 
8. Roll it out to a 9x14 rectangle and spread the melted coconut oil all over leaving a ½ inch border dry on the dough 
9. In a small bowl mix the cinnamon and coconut sugar and sprinkle over the melted coconut oil. 
10. Tightly roll it up starting with the 9inch side and cut 8 equal cinnamon rolls. 
11. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place in a greased baking dish (9x13) and let rise an additional 30 minutes.
12. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes until golden brown. 
13. While they are cooling off a bit, mix ½ cup JOI with maple syrup. You may want to add a splash of water to make it thin enough to pour over the cinnamon rolls.
14. Add frosting to the cinnamon rolls and enjoy!