Vegan Cinnamon Rolls No Yeast – Soft, Fluffy, and Easy

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These vegan cinnamon rolls need no yeast, no proofing, and no waiting around for dough to rise. They come together in under an hour with simple pantry ingredients, and they bake up soft, fluffy, and loaded with cinnamon sugar filling. A vanilla icing on top seals the deal.

If you’ve avoided homemade cinnamon rolls because yeast doughs feel like a commitment, this no yeast cinnamon roll recipe changes everything. Baking powder handles the leavening, so you skip straight to the fun part: rolling, filling, and baking.

Why No Yeast Vegan Cinnamon Rolls Work So Well

The dough for these easy vegan cinnamon rolls uses baking powder as the sole leavener. That means no activating yeast, no warm milk temperatures to fuss over, and no rise time. You mix the dough, let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes, and roll it out.

Cold vegan butter cut into the flour creates those flaky, tender layers you want in a cinnamon roll. The technique is similar to making biscuits or scones. The small pieces of butter create pockets of steam in the oven, which gives you that pull-apart texture without any yeast at all.

A short rest period lets the gluten relax so the dough rolls out smoothly. It also gives the baking powder a head start on creating gas bubbles, so your rolls puff up nicely in the oven.

If you enjoy cinnamon baked goods, you’ll also want to try Vegan Cinnamon Swirl Bread or these Vegan Cinnamon Bars for another quick fix.

Ingredients for Vegan Cinnamon Rolls Without Yeast

Dough

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegan butter, cold and cut into small cubes
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk (oat, soy, or almond all work)

Melted Butter Layer

• 3 tablespoons vegan butter, melted

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Vanilla Icing

• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegan butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk

How to Make Vegan Cinnamon Rolls (No Yeast)

Make the Dough

1. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add 1/2 cup cold vegan butter cubes and use a pastry cutter or fork to work the butter into the flour until the mixture looks coarse and crumbly.
2. Pour in 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Knead briefly until everything comes together into a smooth ball. If the dough feels sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. Let the dough rest in the bowl for 10 to 15 minutes. This relaxes the gluten and makes rolling much easier.
4. While the dough rests, preheat your oven to 400F (200C). Line an 8-inch or 9-inch baking dish with parchment paper or grease it well.

Fill and Roll

1. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Roll it into a large rectangle, about 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick. Thinner dough means more cinnamon swirl layers; thicker dough gives you fewer but chunkier layers.
2. Brush 3 tablespoons melted vegan butter evenly over the entire surface of the dough.
3. Mix 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon together in a small bowl. Sprinkle this cinnamon sugar filling evenly over the melted butter layer.
4. Starting from a long edge, roll the dough up tightly. Use a sharp knife to cut 8 to 10 rolls, starting from the center and working outward. A gentle sawing motion prevents the rolls from getting squished.

Bake the Cinnamon Rolls

1. Place the rolls in your prepared baking dish with just a little space between them. They should be close enough to expand into each other as they bake, which keeps them soft. Too much space and the edges get crispy.
2. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until puffed up and lightly golden on top.

Make the Vanilla Icing

1. While the rolls bake, whisk together 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons softened vegan butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk until smooth.
2. Spread the icing over the cinnamon rolls while they’re still warm. The heat melts the icing down into every crevice, and that’s the best part.

Tips for the Fluffiest Rolls

• Keep the butter cold. Use vegan butter straight from the fridge when making the dough. Cold butter creates steam pockets during baking, which gives the rolls their flaky, tender texture.
• Don’t over-knead. Mix until the dough just comes together. Over-working it develops too much gluten and makes the rolls tough instead of soft.
• Roll evenly. An even rectangle means evenly sized rolls. Aim for consistent thickness across the whole piece of dough.
• Cut from the center. Starting your cuts from the middle of the log and working outward gives you more uniform rolls.
• Ice while warm. The warm rolls melt the icing so it soaks into all those cinnamon layers. Waiting too long means the icing just sits on top.

How to Store No Yeast Cinnamon Rolls

Room temperature: Keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days. They’re best the day they’re made, but a quick 15-second microwave reheat brings them back to life.

Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Warm them in the microwave or a 300F oven for a few minutes before serving.

Freezer: These freeze well with the icing already on. Place in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or reheat from frozen in a 350F oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Quick Vegan Cinnamon Roll Variations

• Cream cheese frosting: Swap the vanilla icing for vegan cream cheese frosting if you want that Cinnabon-style experience. The cream cheese frosting from this carrot cake recipe works great here.
• Double batch: Double all ingredients and use a 9×13 pan for a bigger crowd.
• Extra filling: Add a handful of raisins, chopped pecans, or vegan chocolate chips to the cinnamon sugar layer before rolling.
• Gluten-free: Substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for the all-purpose flour. The texture will be slightly different but still good.

For more cinnamon-forward recipes, the Old-Fashioned Vegan Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake and Vegan Apple Fritter Bread are both worth a look.

Vegan Cinnamon Roll FAQs

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

You can mix the dough and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before rolling and baking. Let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before you roll it out so it’s easier to work with.

Why are my cinnamon rolls dry?

The most common cause is too much flour. Measure your flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it off, rather than scooping directly from the bag (which packs in extra flour). Overbaking can also dry them out, so pull them from the oven as soon as they’re lightly golden.

Can I use whole wheat flour?

You can substitute up to half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. Using 100% whole wheat will make the rolls noticeably denser and heavier. A 50/50 mix is a good compromise if you want more fiber.

Do these taste as good as yeast cinnamon rolls?

They have a slightly different texture. Yeast rolls are more bread-like and airy, while these are closer to a biscuit-style roll with tender, flaky layers. The flavor is just as good, and the time savings are significant. Most people can’t tell the difference once the icing is on.

These no yeast vegan cinnamon rolls are one of the easiest baked treats you can make from scratch. An hour from start to finish, and you’ve got warm, iced cinnamon rolls on the table. Follow me on Instagram for more delicious vegan recipes. Share on Pinterest and Facebook!

Ultimate Homemade Vegan Cinnamon Rolls (Quick, No Yeast)

These are the perfect solution to our quick cinnamon roll prayers for quick and easy ultimate, soft and fluffy Ultimate Vegan Cinnamon Rolls with no yeast, no dairy and no eggs!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 8 Servings

Calories 402 kcal

Ingredients

  

Vegan Dough

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegan butter cut into small cubes, use right from fridge
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk we used unsweetened almond milk

Melted Butter Layer

• 3 tablespoons vegan butter melted

Cinnamon Sugar FIlling

• 1/2 cup organic brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Vanilla Icing

• 1 1/4 cups organic powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegan butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk we used unsweetened almond milk

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Instructions

 

Vegan Dough

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add in the vegan butter cubes and use a pastry cutter or fork to cut the butter into the flour to get a coarse, grainy texture. Add in the non-dairy milk and stir to combine to make a shaggy dough.
• Knead the dough together incorporating any leftover dry ingredients until it all comes together into a nice ball. If the dough is sticky, add a Tbsp of flour at a time, until it's no longer sticky.

  Let the dough rest in the bowl for 10 - 15 minutes before proceeding. This allows for the best dough texture, as it will become more stretchy.
• While dough is resting, preheat your oven to 400F (200C). Line with parchment paper or grease an 8" or 9" baking dish. We used an 8" springform pan.
• Once the dough has rested, lightly flour a clean work surface and roll the dough with a rolling pin until you get a rectangle about 1/3 to 1/2 of an inch for roll thickness. If you want more cinnamon layers, roll thinner, for thicker cinnamon layers, roll thicker.

Melted Butter Layer

• Pour the melted vegan butter over the rolled out dough and spread evenly over the dough with pastry brush or back of spoon.

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

• In a small bowl mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the melted butter.

Make the Rolls!

• Starting from a longer side of the dough rectangle, use your hands to gently roll the dough up. Once rolled, use a sharp knife to cut cinnamon rolls by gently sawing with the knife. Start in the middle first and work your way cutting your rolls to get 8 - 10 rolls.
• Place the cinnamon buns in the baking dish, making sure they expand into each other to get soft, fluffy rolls. Keep in mind if they are too far apart, they could get crispy, just a little room between each roll is good for nice pull-apart cinnamon rolls! Bake for 30-35 minutes until puffed up and very lightly golden.

Vanilla Icing

• Combine the powdered sugar, softened vegan butter, vanilla extract and non-dairy milk together in a small bowl using a whisk. Spread the icing over the cinnamon rolls while they're still warm, so the icing melts down into the cinnamon rolls. Enjoy!

Notes

• We made a small batch of cinnamon rolls made in an 8″ springform pan.  Could also be made in a 9″ baking pan as well, but if you want a larger batch, just double the recipe.  
• Leftovers, leave at room temperature or refrigerate up to 3 days.  You can place them in the freezer, with icing , in an air-tight container, then let thaw completely at room temperature as another option, which is a great option!

 

 

 

Keyword cinnamon rolls, quick rolls, vegan breakfast, vegan cinnamon rolls