These might just ruin all other cinnamon rolls for you.
They’re soft, pillowy, gooey in the center, and the kind of thing that makes people do the little “mmm” dance after the first bite.
I’ve been making some version of this recipe for years — at home, in restaurants, for friends who said “wait, these are vegan?” — and after a lot of trial and error (and watching people make every possible mistake with dough), I’ve landed on a version that works every single time.
This one’s a vegan brioche dough — meaning no eggs, no dairy, but still rich, buttery, and soft. The secret? A few small chef tricks that make a big difference.
And this season, I gave it a little twist: cinnamon-spiced apples tucked inside the swirls and a few scattered on top that caramelize beautifully in the oven.
Let’s break it down.
Ingredients & chef notes for the best outcome
Flour (and why it matters)
We’re using refined wheat flour here. You can go with regular all-purpose flour — it’ll work fine — but if you can find type 000 or a higher-protein bread flour, go for it.
Higher protein = stronger gluten = better structure. Think of gluten like scaffolding for a building — it holds everything together so the dough can rise tall and stay soft instead of collapsing.
If you want to experiment with whole wheat or gluten-free flours, be my guest, but make sure you know how to adjust for hydration and texture. This dough relies heavily on gluten, so changing the flour changes everything.
When kneading, your sign of success is simple: the dough should stop sticking to the bowl and pull away cleanly.
Pro tip: Don’t want to knead forever by hand? Try this: knead for 2–3 minutes, rest for 1 minute, repeat. Even while it rests, the gluten is doing its thing — developing quietly in the background.
Plant Milk
I use soy milk. It’s got a bit more protein than most other plant milks, and that helps build structure in the dough. You can absolutely use oat, almond, or whatever you have on hand, but soy gives the best result for both texture and flavor.
Vegan Butter (and why not oil)
This dough is an enriched dough, which means it has fat — that’s what makes it soft, rich, and “brioche-like.”
In classic brioche, you’d see butter and eggs. Here, vegan butter does all the heavy lifting. I’ve tested it with oil — multiple times — and while it works, it doesn’t hit the same way.
If you insist on trying oil, use about 70% of the butter’s weight, but just know… you’ll be missing that fluffy, bouncy texture. Butter really does it better here.
This recipe has 8 servings.
Ingredients
Dough
Pre-ferment:
40 g wheat flour
85 ml warm plant milk
8 g dried yeast
Main dough:
300 g wheat flour
55 g sugar
140 ml plant milk (room temperature)
5 g salt
85 g vegan butter, cold and cubed
Apple Filling & Topping
1 apple, cubed
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp sugar
5 g vegan butter
1 tsp cornstarch + splash of water
Cook on low heat until glossy and just tender — you want the apples to hold their shape.
Cool completely, then divide in half: half goes inside the rolls, half goes on top before baking.
Cinnamon Filling
70 g brown sugar
70 g vegan butter, room temperature
2 tsp cinnamon
Mix until creamy.
Glaze
2 tbsp powdered sugar
10 ml plant milk
2 tbsp vegan cream cheese
Whisk until smooth and silky.
Method
Step 1: Activate the yeast
In a stand mixer bowl, combine the pre-ferment ingredients (flour, warm milk, yeast).
Cover and let it hang out for about 10 minutes, until it looks bubbly and alive.
Step 2: Make the dough
Add the rest of the flour, sugar, milk, and salt.
Knead for 7–8 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Then, slowly start adding your cold butter cubes, one every 10 seconds or so.
Keep kneading until it pulls cleanly from the bowl. That’s your gluten signal.
If you’re kneading by hand, use that rest-knead-rest rhythm I mentioned earlier — your forearms will thank you.
Step 3: First rise
Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover, and let it double in size. Usually about an hour at room temp (22°C).
Step 4: Apple filling
Cook the apples, cinnamon, sugar, vegan butter, and cornstarch-water mix over low heat until glossy but not mushy.
Let them cool and divide in half.
Step 5: Shape it
Roll out the dough to about 40×48 cm. Spread the cinnamon butter filling evenly, leaving a small border. Scatter half the apples across.
Roll it up tight, then cut into 8 even pieces using floss or a sharp knife.
Step 6: Second rise
Place the rolls in a greased and lightly sugared pan. Cover and let them proof again for about 30 minutes, until puffy.
Why it matters: this second rise gives the dough a chance to relax and expand again — so your rolls bake light, not dense.
If you’ve got the patience, you can do an overnight proof in the fridge. It slows down fermentation, but the flavor? Way deeper, more aromatic, more complex. Just let them sit at room temp for 45 minutes before baking.
Step 7: Bake
Mix 10 ml soy milk + 10 ml oil + 10 ml liquid sweetener — that’s your vegan “egg wash.”
Brush the tops and bake at 175°C.
Here’s the trick:
First 10 minutes without fan — lets the dough rise before it sets.
Then 15–20 minutes with fan — gives you that golden brown, even color.
Step 8: Glaze and devour
While they’re still warm, drizzle the cream cheese glaze over the top and scatter the remaining apples.
They’ll be gooey, soft, buttery, and just a little sticky — basically everything you want in a cinnamon roll.
I’ve made these rolls for years — in professional kitchens, for brunches, and countless times at home. They never fail to impress.
It’s one of those recipes that gets people talking — or dancing — after the first bite.
Make them once, and you’ll see what I mean <3