There is something about a cinnamon bun that just makes you want to curl up on the couch and slowly unravel the buttery cinnamon goodness until you reach the ooey, gooey and delicious middle.
There are many different types of cinnamon rolls… bready, cakey or chewy. These vegan sourdough cinnamon rolls have the amazing flavour and texture of sourdough bread combined with cinnamon sugar goodness.
A healthy cinnamon roll?
Generally, I encourage a healthy diet based on whole grains and natural, sugar-free sweeteners (unless sugar is required for fermentation!) The recipe is written for a traditional cinnamon roll and isn’t particularly healthy. However, here are some suggestions for a more microbiome friendly cinnamon roll.
- Use wholewheat, spelt or light rye flour. The bun will be a little less chewy, but it will still be delicious!
- Don’t add any sugar in the dough and use date sugar
(affiliate link) instead of brown sugar for the filling. Date sugar is quite a bit drier then brown sugar, so increase the melted margarine to 3 tbsp and mix it directly with the date sugar before sprinkling it out on the dough.
- Add a probiotic cream cheese frosting, like a cultured cashew frosting.
(affiliate link) instead of brown sugar for the filling. Date sugar is quite a bit drier then brown sugar, so increase the melted margarine to 3 tbsp and mix it directly with the date sugar before sprinkling it out on the dough.Vegan Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Looking for the perfect vegan cinnamon bun? Try using sourdough starter for the added flavour and texture. It’s easy to take this classic cinnamon roll and adapt it for a healthier version. Perfect with breakfast, brunch or an elevenses coffee break.
- Prep Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 rolls 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Sourdough
- Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
DOUGH:
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter
- 1/2 cup of water
- 2 3/4 cups flour
- 1/4 tsp of instant yeast (not necessary, but adds a bit of a boost)
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1/4 cup sugar (optional)
- 5 tbsp vegan butter, melted
- 1 tsp kosher salt
FILLING:
- 1 cup packed raw brown sugar
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tbsp melted vegan butter
Instructions
- Mix all the dough ingredients together. Allow to rise in a warm location until doubled in volume (about 2-4 hours). Use the dough folding procedure 2 times during this rise.
- Gently roll the dough into an 18″ by 12″ rectangle. Spread with the melted vegan butter then sprinkle on the cinnamon and sugar. At this point you could also add 1/4 cup of raisins or walnuts.
- Roll the dough along the 18″ side, forming it into a tight cylinder. Squeeze gently to even out the layers.
- Slice into 12 rolls, and place them in a greased 9×9″ glass dish with the cut side down.
- Allow them to rise for another 2-4 hours, until fluffy.
- Cook at 350 F for 30-40 min (until browning.)
Notes
- If you aren’t use to working with sourdough bread, I recommend reading about sourdough bread techniques and sourdough starter first.
- I recommend using earth balance
(affiliate link.) It is just the best tasting vegan butter that I have tried.
- For non-vegans, I recommend replacing the 2 tbsp of oil in this dough with 2 egg yolks for a softer dough.
- Though this recipe would work with whole grain flours, if you want to avoid gluten try my gluten free cinnamon bun recipe instead.
- The individual cinnamon bun in the photo above was made in a ramekin. I like making individual buns because they are easy to serve and store.
(affiliate link.) It is just the best tasting vegan butter that I have tried.Keywords: breakfast, snack, dessert, egg free, dairy free, nut free, healthy, traditional, fermented, holiday, fall, winter
My dough is rising as we speak! I am comfortable with sourdough bread, but I’m confused as to how to use the folding technique with this dough as it is pretty solid. Wondering if I missed something or did something wrong… time will tell!
It is a bit firmer than a regular loaf of bread because it needs to be rolled out and formed. More dry than sticky. However, if it seems way to dry, then try pinching in a bit more liquid. Enjoy!
These are good. Sourdough and cinnamon really works.
★★★★★
These turned out delicous!!! Great recipe. I didn’t have vegan butter so I used coconut oil instead and it worked fine. Also added a bit extra water to the dough to be able to fold it.
Great! Thanks for sharing.
Hi there,
Could I put the rolls in the fridge overnight for the second rise instead of having them rise in the pan at room temp and baking in the morning? Thanks!
Yes! An overnight rise in the fridge works! However, the bacteria in the sourdough starter is more active in the fridge than the yeast, so the dough will be sourer than a shorter rise on the counter.
By folding , do you mean stretch and fold, or turning the dough into itself? Thanks Kathy
Stretch and fold. Enjoy!
Hi! I made it with half the butter for the dough (I used coconut butter) and I let it rest for 8h before rolling it and them 30 minutes before baking. It worked so well! I ate half and the rest is on the freezer for later. Thank you for the recipe 🙂 Greetings from Brazil.
★★★★★
Sound yummy!
Hi! This looks great I can’t wait to make it.
Does this recipe use activated starter or could i use the starter thats hibernating in my fridge? Thanks!
You should probably reactivate the starter before baking. Give it at least one good feed, otherwise, it might not be active enough for the dough. Enjoy!
Can this be made with GF sourdough starter and GF flour?
I haven’t made this recipe GF. I have a different GF sourdough cinnamon bun recipe (with eggs). https://www.fermentingforfoodies.com/gluten-free-sourdough-cinnamon-buns/ Since GF baking is quite different than gluten baking, I recommend trying that recipe. If you need to skip the egg, use a flax egg instead. It needs the extra binder. Cheers!
I always let my sourdough rise in my oven with the oven light on because I live in a cold climate so it helps, a lot! However when I did that with these they started baking?? I’m not sure why this happened?
Really? I wonder if it was a glitch? How strange! I hope they worked out anyway!
Hi there, I am gluten free but also vegan so I was wondering if this recipe would work with a teff sourdough starter and a gluten-free flour blend?
Hum… I’ll admit I’ve had a lot of trouble designing GF Vegan recipes. I haven’t tried this with GF flour, so they might not be chewy. However, they’ll still be tasty! I recommend adding some xanthan gum (2 tsp) to help keep it from crumbling. Let me know how it goes!