This is the best cinnamon rolls recipe,vegan or not, I promise you're going to love these! And would never know these were eggless and dairy free!
Fluffy, pillowy soft cinnamon rolls filled with buttery cinnamon filling when baked it’s like cinnamon caramel. And they're topped with cream cheese icing. Making this recipe for easy cinnamon rolls. the perfect balance of sweet and tangy from the combination of tangy cream cheese and lemon zest.
Make sure to store these vegan tangzhong cinnamon rolls in an airtight container to keep them fresh for up to a week.
This cinnamon rolls recipe best is super easy to make and perfect for any occasion, whether it's a family gathering, a party, or just a sweet treat to enjoy at home.
This cinnamon rolls recipe simple was inspired by my classic vegan cinnamon rolls, I have modified these cinnamon rolls to be pillowy soft by incorporating the tangzhong. This retains the moisture in the dough keeping the dough soft and light.

Cinnamon rolls recipe best
This recipe for the cinnamon rolls recipe dough is completely vegan so no eggs or dairy! If you'd prefer not to make these cinnamon rolls tangzhong method vegan then check out my substitutes list so you can make this suitable for all dietary requirements.
In this cinnamon rolls quick and easy recipe I will be going through how to bake cinnamon rolls and answering your FAQs such as ‘what pastry is cinnamon rolls’ ‘how to make cinnamon sauce for cinnamon rolls’ ‘different fillings for cinnamon rolls’ and so much more.
A really great thing about this cinnamon roll recipe is how versatile it is. Which is what makes these the best. For example, you can make these tangzhong brioche cinnamon rolls into cinnamon and chocolate or berry cinnamon rolls instead!

To make this cinnamon rolls recipe soft, you might be wondering what pastry is used for cinnamon rolls. Well what makes this cinnamon rolls recipe fluffy, is the tangzhong. It’s a japanese style roux that helps retain moisture in the dough and is what helps make a dough that is light and fluffy.
I’ll also be sharing some more flavor variations and mix in’s below. And would highly recommend you check that part of this post out!
If you’re looking for more cinnamon rolls recipes to add to your baking list check out my .. [link]
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- Ingredients
- Instructions - making cinnamon rolls
- Substitutions
- Variations - Alternative filling for cinnamon rolls
- Storage
- Top tip
- Baking Free From 101
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Ingredients
- Flour - make sure this is plain flour not self raising flour.
- Dairy Free Butter – This needs to be dairy free block butter as it has less water content then the spread form which will give these cinnamon rolls more stability.
- Caster sugar – I like to use caster sugar in my cinnamon rolls which is just very refined sugar. So if you can’t find caster sugar I’d recommend using refined or normal granulated sugar.
- Yeast - this makes the dough rise
- Plant based milk
- Brown sugar - this will be in the cinnamon roll filling.
See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions - making cinnamon rolls
Cinnamon rolls tangzhong method
- Start making the tangzhong by whisking together the milk and flour in a saucepan, consistently on medium heat until thickened, this should take 2-4 minutes.
- Mix together the water and flax seed and set aside for 5 minutes [This is our egg substitute]
- Once thickened, allow it to slightly. Once lukewarm adding to a stand mixer along with the flax egg and rest of the ingredients for the dough except the butter.
- Mix this in a stand mixer with a hook attachment, on medium speed for 18-24 minutes. You can test the dough is ready for the butter by grabbing a large chunks of the dough and pulling it until you able to see light through the dough without it tearing. The dough should also feel smooth and elastic.
- Once the dough is ready add the butter and mix on medium speed for 5-7 minutes.
- Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and place it in a warm spot, to rise for at least an hour
Cinnamon filling for cinnamon rolls recipe
- As the dough rises make the cinnamon filling by creaming together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Once the dough is ready, nead for 2-3 minutes with a generous amount of flour to prevent it from sticking.
- Dust your counter top, rolling pin and dough, the roll it out into a rectangle 24-13".

4. Spread the cinnamon filling on top.

5. Then roll the dough lengthways.

6. Then using a sharp knife or unflavoured floss cut the dough into 8 rolls.

7. Transfer the rolls to a baking dish and bake at 180°c/356°F for 30 minutes. The cinnamon rolls should be golden brown when baked.
Frosting for cinnamon rolls cream cheese - is just a combination of plant based butter, cream cheese and icing sugar/powdered sugar
The cinnamon rolls recipe icing:
As the cinnamon rolls cool, make the cream cheese icing. Once the cinnamon rolls have cooled spread it across the rolls and enjoy!

Substitutions
If you’d prefer not to make these easy to make cinnamon rolls specific to any dietary requirement, simply substitute the ingredients that correlate to your needs to make these suitable for your diet.
- Eggless- if you’d prefer not to make these eggless use ½ an egg instead of the flax egg
- Dairy free - If you’d prefer not to make these dairy free simply substitute the dairy free butter for ordinary butter, specifically block butter at room temperature. And the plant based milk for whole milk
Even if you don’t follow a specific diet (eg. Vegan diet ), you may have friends or family that could use this.
Variations - Alternative filling for cinnamon rolls
Simple ways you can change this recipe to better suit your dinner guests:
Apple crumble cinnamon rolls
Prefer something even more seasonal? Then you need to try my apple crumble rolls. These cinnamon rolls are stuffed with an apple and cinnamon filling and topped with a buttery streusel topping
Sweet rolls with fruit filling
These fluffy, pillowy soft cinnamon rolls are filled with buttery cinnamon spread and sweet, tangy mixed berry compote. Incredible. These are the ultimate berry cinnamon rolls. If your looking for something more exciting ten a traditional cinnamon roll recipe.
Let me know in the comments if you try these variations or if you came up with your own!

Storage
Storing and freezing the best cinnamon rolls
How long does cinnamon rolls last?
They stay good at room temperature for up to a week, and in the freezer for up to 2 months if stored in an airtight container.
Just microwave them before serving for 15 seconds.
Top tip
Although this eggless cinnamon roll recipe is super simple to make, here are just a few expert tips I'd recommend:
Stir the tangzhong for 2-3 minutes on low medium heat as it thickens quite quickly and you need to be careful that it doesn’t over thicken . If you find it’s too thick add some more milk to loosen it until it reaches right consistency
Master the art of baking GF, DF & Vegan
Baking Free From 101
Make sure to tag me @whiskmefree on Instagram and leave a review below if you followed this recipe for the best cinnamon rolls. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!

Ingredients
Tangzhong
- 90 ml Plant based milk
- 15 g Plain flour
Dough
- 50 g Vegan butter
- 36 g Caster sugar
- 384 g Plain flour
- ½ teaspoon yeast
- 180 ml Plant based milk
- ½ tablespoon Flax Seed
- 1 ½ tablespoon Boiling Water
Cinnamon Filling
- 45 g Vegan butter
- 70 g Light Brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting
Instructions
- Start making the tangzhong by whisking together the milk and flour in a saucepan, consistently on medium heat until thickened, this should take 2-4 minutes.90 ml Plant based milk, 15 g Plain flour
- Mix together the water and flax seed and set aside for 5 minutes [This is our egg substitute]½ tablespoon Flax Seed, 1 ½ tablespoon Boiling Water
- Once thickened, allow it to slightly. Once lukewarm adding to a stand mixer along with the flax egg and rest of the ingredients for the dough except the butter.36 g Caster sugar, 384 g Plain flour, ½ teaspoon yeast, 180 ml Plant based milk
- Mix this in a stand mixer with a hook attachment, on medium speed for 18-24 minutes. You can test the dough is ready for the butter by grabbing a large chunks of the dough and pulling it until you able to see light through the dough without it tearing. The dough should also feel smooth and elastic.
- Once the dough is ready add the butter and mix on medium speed for 5-7 minutes.50 g Vegan butter
- Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and place it in a warm spot, to rise for at least an hour.
- As the dough rises make the cinnamon filling by creaming together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.45 g Vegan butter, 70 g Light Brown sugar, 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- Once the dough is ready, nead for 2-3 minutes with a generous amount of flour to prevent it from sticking.
- Dust your counter top, rolling pin and dough, the roll it out into a rectangle 24-13".
- Spread the cinnamon filling on top, the roll the dough lengthways. Then using a sharp knife or unflavoured floss cut the dough into 8 rolls.
- Transfer the rolls to a baking dish and bake at 180°c/356°F for 30 minutes. The cinnamon rolls should be golden brown when baked.
- As the cinnamon rolls cool, make the cream cheese icing. once the cinnamon rolls have cooled spread it across the rolls and enjoy!
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Heather | Globetrottingmoms.com says
Oh my goodness! They look amazing!! I am getting hungry just looking at them. The method of Tangzhong is something I hadn't heard of before.
Finding egg & dairy free with this kind of crust isn't easy! I can't wait to make them! Thank you!
Leena says
You're welcome! I'm glad you like the look of the recipe and the method of Tangzhong. It's definitely a great way to make fluffy and soft bread. I understand how challenging it can be to find egg and dairy-free recipes with this type of crust, but I'm confident that this recipe will work well for you. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns while making them, and I hope you enjoy the final product!
Maureen says
These were so delicious! I love your suggestion to add apples for a change of pace. Although I think I could eat these cinnamon rolls every day.
Leena says
so glad you like it! And I agree these cinnamon rolls are my favourite!