The Best Cinnamon Rolls Ever...No Really!

Cinnamon rolls are something you buy in a mall; a treat someone else makes FOR you; they are intimidating and complicated. Well, don't believe the hype. Cinnamon rolls are no more complicated than chocolate chip cookies with one caveat, they do require a bit of time to rise, so make them on a day when you plan to be around the house. You can also make them in two stages, which I'll discuss later. Either way you go about it, the end result is overwhelmingly satisfying to both your baking confidence, and your tastebuds.

Since I can remember, cinnamon rolls have been amongst my favorite desserts, but they weren't anything I attempted to make because every recipe seemed so complicated. Lucky for you, I've figured out how to make this a one bowl wonder. Hold your applause please until after you eat your first bite 😂😂😂. After all, it is not until then that you will fully appreciate the magic I've decided to share with you.

Before we get to it, I wanted to take time to talk about ingredients. I will always, always, always encourage you to buy the best. The quality of product you begin with will absolutely affect the quality of the resulting product. I buy organic when it makes sense, use raw sugar for most of my baking, and use professional grade pans, mixers, etc. Now I'm not advising you to go out and spend thousands of dollars on anything, so don't have your spouse sending me nasty grams because you mistook something I wrote😆. If you're an avid baker, invest in yourself. Build your dream kitchen one appliance/piece at a time.

I must note that you will not see instructions for using a mechanized mixer here because I feel it's important that you feel your food; lie rally; especially bread. As you become more experienced, you will know by touch, what your dough should feel like. As I'm kneading my dough by hand, I know the exact moment it's ready for its first rise!

Okay, it's on to the recipe! Please share with family and friends, and thanks so much for subscribing 😍

Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Dough

1 cup warm water (110° - 120°)

1 pkg active dry yeast

1/2 cup raw sugar

1/4 cup nut milk

1 tsp distilled vinegar

6 tbsp aquafaba (chickpea juice)

1/2 cup melted butter (reserve 1 tbsp to coat dough once combined)

5 1/2 all purpose flour

2 tsp salt

Filling

1/2 cup vegan butter or margarine softened

2.5 cups dark brown sugar

3 tbsp ground cinnamon

Frosting (optional)

1 cup (8oz) dairy free cream cheese

1/2 cup vegan butter

1.5 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

- in a large bowl beat cream cheese and vegan butter until smooth, add powdered sugar and whip until smooth and creamy. Stir in vanilla extract and enjoy.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350° and grease one 9"x13" and an 8"x8" pan

In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar; stir until most of sugar is dissolved then allow to stand for 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine nut milk and vinegar and allow to stand for 2 minutes, then add to yeast mixture. Add the remaining ingredients to mixing bowl and stir until it just comes together, then turn out onto clean surface and knead for 8-10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and coat with the remaining tablespoon of melted vegan butter. Place in a large glass bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place bowl in a warm place (I usually place it top of the stove while it's heating) until it doubles in size, takes about an hour.

While dough is rising, combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead three to four times, shape into a square, then roll out to 1/4in thickness. The dough may have a few bubbles in it, that's perfectly fine. Spread softened vegan butter onto dough, covering the entire surface, spread the cinnamon mixture out evenly over the vegan butter. You can save the reserve for another batch or see instructions below for a pecan topping.

Roll dough, starting with the long end, tucking the dough tightly as you roll it. Once you've finished rolling the dough into a log, use a serrated knife to slice the dough into 2in slices. Turn rolls out into greased pans (8-9 rolls in the large pan, and 6-7 rolls in the smaller pan) and cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 45 minutes to an hour. Uncover and bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. The smaller pan will be ready at 20 minutes; leave the larger pan in for the extra five minutes to ensure the center rolls are done. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then top with frosting and enjoy.