I’m fairly certain that y’all know what I’m talking about when I say “mall cinnamon rolls” but, just in case, lemme drop a couple more hints:
- The place’s name sounds like sin-a-hon
- The rolls are served up warm and their insides literally melt in your mouth
- The frosting that’s slapped on top is so coveted that you can buy an extra little cup of it should you, you know, wanna down that shit like a shot of tequila
Are we all on the same page now? Good. Now let’s talk about my vegan version, shall we?
This recipe takes a hot minute to make but the time and effort invested is soooooo worth it. You’re going to end up with 4 big cinnamon rolls (each single roll could really feed 2-3 people). The rolls are covered in a thick layer of “cream cheese” frosting that starts to drip down inside them as you dig in making your way towards the incredibly soft and gooey centers. Oh and there’s not just 1 type of cinnamon used, there’s 2: roasted cinnamon and Saigon cinnamon. The roasted cinnamon provides a richer, deeper cinnamon flavor while the Saigon cinnamon provides a sweeter, more vivid cinnamon flavor. Just a single bite will have you drooling and wanting more. Luckily, you’ll have more, and you’ll be able to make more anytime you want for that mall experience (made vegan) at home!
It all gets started with some unsweetened almond milk. The almond milk goes into a small saucepan over medium-high heat and is left there just until warmed. Once it’s warmed, the almond milk is gonna get poured into a large bowl and some white and brown sugar get added. 1 packet of active dry yeast is dumped in, the whole mixture gets a quick stir, and then you’re going to let it rest for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom.
With the yeast all bloomed up, some vegan “butter,” egg replacer, and salt can be added. That stuff gets mixed in and then it’s time to add the flour. Stir the flour in until your dough comes together then set the bowl in a warm place (I like the microwave) to rise for 2 hours.
After 2 hours has passed, take the dough out of it’s warm little area and dump it onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough a bit then work it into a smooth ball.
Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough ball to a rectangular shape roughly 20 inches by 16 inches.
Onto the rolled out dough you’re going to smear 5-6 tablespoons of softened vegan “butter.” 8 generous tablespoons of brown sugar are evenly laid out over the “butter,” followed by a good amount of each the roasted cinnamon and the Saigon cinnamon.
Okay, now it’s time to roll but here we’re going to do things a little differently. Normally you’d roll the dough from the longest edge right in front of you moving up or away from you but with these rolls, because we want them to be big, we’re going to actually roll from one of the shorter edges moving left or right. Make sure to roll tightly so that you create that perfect spiral in the middle.
With the dough all rolled up nicely, take a sharp knife and cut off the wonky ends. Then cut the dough that remains into 4 even pieces.
Grab a square metal pan and lightly grease it. (The grease just helps the parchment paper you’re about to put in stay in place a little better.) Cut parchment paper to fit in the pan covering all of the sides as well as the bottom of the pan. Pop the 4 rolls into the pan, place the pan back in the warm area you let the dough initially rise in, and let the rolls rise for a final 1 hour.
As that final 1 hour rise time comes to an end, get your oven preheated to 350 degrees. When the hour is up, move the pan to your preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. When the rolls are done, pull them out of the pan and allow them to cool just slightly. While they’re cooling down a little, you can make the frosting.
To make the frosting, combine some softened vegan “butter” with vegan “cream cheese” and a little vanilla in a bowl. Using a hand mixer, this mixture gets beaten until smooth then powdered sugar is added in to get the frosting to the desired consistency.
With the rolls still a little warm, slather on some frosting and enjoy!
Vegan Mall Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- For the rolls:
- 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk that’s been warmed
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed + 8 generous tablespoons for the filling
- 1 packet active dry original yeast
- 1 stick of vegan “butter,” melted + 5-6 tablespoons, softened, for the filling
- Ener-G Egg Replacer for 1 egg (follow instructions on box)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour + more for rolling out dough
- Roasted cinnamon
- Saigon cinnamon For the frosting:
- 5 tablespoons vegan “butter,” softened
- 6 ounces vegan “cream cheese”
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- About 2 cups powdered sugar
Directions
- If you haven’t already done so, warm up the almond milk by pouring it into a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Once it’s been warmed, transfer the almond milk to a large bowl. Add in the white sugar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed, and yeast. Stir to combine then let this mixture rest for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom. After 10 minutes has passed, add in 1 stick of “butter,” melted, the egg replacer (made using the instructions on the box), and the salt. Stir again to combine then add in the flour and stir until a dough forms. Place the bowl with the dough in it into a warm place (like your microwave) and allow it to rise there for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours has passed, take the dough out of it’s warm place and dump it onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough a bit then work it into a smooth ball. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough ball to a rectangular shape roughly 20 inches by 16 inches. Onto the rolled out dough smear 5-6 tablespoons of softened vegan “butter.” Evenly sprinkle 8 generous tablespoons of brown sugar over the “butter.” Next, shake on the 2 cinnamon varieties -don’t be skimpy with the cinnamon.
- Rolling tightly so as to create a perfect spiral, roll the dough sheet from one of the shorter edges and move left or right depending on which side you start on. With the dough all rolled up nicely, take a sharp knife and cut off the wonky ends. Then cut the dough that remains into 4 even pieces. Grab a square metal pan and lightly grease it. (The grease just helps the parchment paper you’re about to put in stay in place a little better.) Cut parchment paper to fit in the pan covering all of the sides as well as the bottom of the pan. Pop the 4 rolls into the pan making sure to give them a little space rather than snuggling them all together in the center of the pan. Place the pan back in the warm area you let the dough initially rise in and let the rolls rise for a final 1 hour.
- As that final 1 hour rise time comes to an end, get your oven preheated to 350 degrees. When the hour is up, move the pan to your preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. When the rolls are done, pull them out of the pan and allow them to cool just slightly. While they’re cooling down a little, you can make the frosting. To make the frosting, combine some softened vegan “butter” with vegan “cream cheese” and a little vanilla in a bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat until smooth. Sift in powdered sugar and stir or beat until it’s fully incorporated. If you want the frosting to be a little thinner or a little thicker adjust powdered sugar amount as desired. With the rolls still a little warm, slather on some frosting and enjoy! Cinnamon rolls will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Frosting will keep in an airtight container in fridge for up to a week.
Compassion is the Secret Ingredient 