These sourdough cinnamon rolls have the amazing flavor and texture of sourdough bread combined with cinnamon sugar goodness. Whether you make them with butter or vegan butter alternative, they are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or elevenses!
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, delicious middle.
A healthy cinnamon roll?
Generally, I follow a healthy diet based on whole grains and fruit for sweetness (unless sugar is required for fermentation). However, this recipe is written for a traditional cinnamon roll and isn’t particularly healthy. If you want to make it healthier, here are a few ways to add a bit of fiber and vitamins to these vegan sourdough cinnamon rolls.
- 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 to the dough and make a cinnamon date-filling instead of the typical sugar and butter filling. (See the section below for details).
- Serve it with a sugar-free cream cheese frosting, like a date-sweetened cashew frosting.
Cinnamon date filling
Swapping the sugar for a cinnamon date filling is an easy way to add fiber, vitamins, and minerals to these cinnamon buns. This filling is quite different from the typical cinnamon sugar filling. It results in a rich and moist bun that is more cake-like.
Here’s how to make a cinnamon date filling:
- Remove the pits from 8 Medjool dates and place the dates in a small saucepan. Add 1/4 cup of water and 2 Tbsp of ground cinnamon.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add 2 Tbsp of vegan butter. Then puree the date mixture into a smooth paste. This is easiest with a good stick blender.
- Spread the filling on the cinnamon bun dough prior to rolling, then roll as described in the recipe. It’s a bit goopy, so avoid squeezing the roll to connect the layers.
- Since this spread adds so much moisture, your rolls need to bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
Vegan Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
This sourdough cinnamon roll recipe uses extra sourdough starter (or discard) for added flavor and texture. It’s easy to take this classic cinnamon roll and adapt it for a healthier version. See the section above for making a cinnamon date filling instead of the classic sugar filling.
- Prep Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 rolls 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Sourdough
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
DOUGH:
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1/4 tsp of instant yeast (not necessary, but adds a bit of a boost)
- 1/4 cup vegan butter, melted
- 1/4 cup sugar (optional, for sweetness)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (+ more, as needed)
FILLING:
- 1 1/2 Tbsp melted vegan butter
- 1/2 cup packed raw brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Mix the sourdough starter, water, and instant yeast in a large bowl. Stir in the melted butter, sugar, and salt. Then add the flour. Knead as required to bring the dough together. However, don’t over-knead as you want it to be a soft dough, not bread-like.
- Allow the dough to rise in a warm location until doubled in volume (about 2-4 hours).
- On a floured surface, gently roll the dough into a 10″ by 14″ rectangle. Brush with the melted 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 14″ side, forming it into a tight cylinder. Squeeze gently to even out the layers.
- Slice into 12 rolls, and place them in a greased 8-inch square baking pan with the cut side down.
- Allow them to rise for another 2-4 hours, until fluffy.
- Bake in a preheated 350 F (180 C) oven for 30-40 min (until the tops are browning).
Notes
- I recommend using earth balance spread
. It is just the best-tasting vegan butter that I have tried. - Though this recipe would work with whole-grain flour it is not gluten-free. If you want to avoid gluten try my gluten-free cinnamon bun recipe instead.
. It is just the best-tasting vegan butter that I have tried.Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cinnamon roll
- Calories: 145
- Sugar: 10.1g
- Sodium: 234mg
- Fat: 5.4g
- Saturated Fat: 3.4g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1.8g
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!