Vegan Life n RocknRoll

I’ve been wanting to make some cinnamon rolls lately. Maybe because I’ve never made them before or because I haven’t actually had any in a few years! I tried to find a simple recipe and came across The Gay Vegans blog and decided to use theirs. It was marvelous.

Vegan Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:
• 2 packages active dry yeast
• ¼ cup warm water (110 degrees F)
• 1 ½ cups soy milk (hemp milk and oat milk work just as well)
• 1 ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp earth balance nondairy butter, melted
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour (you can replace 2 cups with whole wheat pastry flour for a “healthier” result
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ cup earth balance nondairy butter
• 1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon (try to find fresh ground. I use Vietnamese Saigon Cassia Cinnamon)
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla bean paste (optional)

Directions:
1. In a small saucepan combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar and let sit for 10 min. This is your nondairy buttermilk
2. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 min.
3. Heat the nondairy buttermilk till warm to the touch. Add the 2 tbsp of melted nondairy butter and oil to this mixture.
4. Pour the nondairy buttermilk mixture into the yeast mixture; mix well. In a separate bowl combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Stir the flour mixture into the liquid 1 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 20 times (do not over knead the dough). Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
5. In a small saucepan melt the ½ cup of nondairy butter. After melted remove from the heat and add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla bean paste.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into a large rectangle. Spread the brown sugar mixture over the dough, roll up into a log and pinch the seam to seal. Slice into 1 inch pieces and place cut side up in a lightly greased 10X15 baking pan. Cover and let rise 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate overnight (note you can also divide up the rolls into smaller pans and freeze. When you are ready to use these frozen rolls pull out the night before and let sit on the counter overnight to thaw and rise). If baking immediately, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes before frosting.

For the frosting I used this box of vanilla frosting I had found at Trader Joe’s. You just mix the powdered frosting with butter and hot water until you get the desired consistency. It went together perfectly.

Yumminess.