No fail vegan pumpkin cinnamon rolls baked with ‘nog’ cream and topped with nutmeg cream cheese frosting. Let yourself have this one :).
If you are anything like me, you visit food blogs for the food. I always click the “skip ahead to recipe” button. And I’ve realized that’s why I didn’t like to food blog myself. It was so much pressure to write a story every time I had a recipe to share – some well thought out wit to go along with the food.
And alas, after a conversation with my dear sis, favorite chef to get in the kitchen with, and my Hawai’i hiking buddy – Kelly, she helped me realize, “I don’t have to do it like all the other food bloggers out there.” Why can’t I just share my recipes, maybe some pretty pictures if I manage to capture them, and that be that?
Hot diggity. Doesn’t it feel good to just break the mold sometimes and do what feels good? Not just doing something because everyone else is doing it?
So let’s get to the recipe. I was inspired by the ‘Nog’ cream poured on top before baking from this recipe post HERE, written by Julie Clark. She nailed the secret to the Cinnabon copycat recipe. Trust me when I say, you do not want to skip this step.
Happy Holidays, friend.
Thanks for checking out this recipe. ♡
Hannah Dutton
Yields 12 cinnamon rolls
Gooey delicious Cinnabun worthy cinnamon rolls that gets your pumpkin, nog, cream cheese frosting fix all in one. It's worth it. Trust me.
1 hr, 45 Prep Time
25 minCook Time
2 hr, 10 Total Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 3/4 C coconut milk
- 1/4 C sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/3 C pumpkin puree (I had frozen puree from a roasted sugar pumpkin, you can also used canned)
- 1/4 C vegan butter, room temp
- 1 flax egg (1 TBSP flax meal + 3 TBSP water - let sit in a separate bowl for a few minutes)
- 3 1/2 C flour
- 2 TBSP pumpkin spice
- 2 drops cardamon oil *optional (you can also use 2 tsp ground cardamom)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2/3 C dark brown sugar
- 1 1/2 TBSP pumpkin spice
- 1 TBSP ground cinnamon
- 1/4 C vegan butter, slightly cold but spreadable
- 1/2 C vegan Nog of choice
- 1/2 C vegan butter, slightly softened
- 8 ounce vegan cream cheese (Mykonos is my favorite brand), room temp
- 3 1/2 C powdered sugar
- 3 tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
- In a small small or saucepan, heat milk to about 110 degrees F (not too hot!), we want to bloom the yeast with the sugar.
- Once milk becomes warm to touch, you can also use a thermometer to be exact, remove from heat and add in sugar and yeast.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin puree, softened butter, flax egg that you let sit for a few minutes - whisk until combined.
- Add in the yeast mixture and whisk well.
- Next, sift or if you aren't feeling it - just add in spoon measured flour, pumpkin spice, cardamom, salt and turmeric.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (or if you do not have this - you can semi knead with your hands), mix or knead for about 8 minutes on low speed. *This is a very sticky dough so don't be discouraged if kneading by hand, DO NOT add more flour to make it easier.
- Once it's been about 8 minutes, remove the dough hook, cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hour. This may be shorter or longer depending on the heat and humidity in your kitchen. Set near the oven and wait for it to almost double in size.
- While the dough is rising, you can make the filling - adding all ingredients to a small bowl and mixing to combine.
- *You want the butter to remain slightly chilled so it's not complete liquid. Place in the fridge if you need to then remove about 10 minutes before using.
- You can also make your cream cheese frosting now if you'd like as well! Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment or a hand held mixer, whip all ingredients together. Chill until cinnamon rolls go in the oven.
- Once the first rise is finished, on a well four surface (make sure it's a generous amount of flour), roll out the dough into a 12" by 16" rectangle.
- Again, the dough will still be sticky. That's how it should be.
- Spread the filling, leaving about 1" around the border.
- Tightly roll the dough, long edge to long edge to yield the most swirls and about 12 baked rolls.
- Pinch at the end to keep the filling inside while baking.
- Place in a 9" x 13" baking pan (a bit larger pan is just fine too), moving quickly to keep the filling from sliding out!
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cover with a towel and let rise for another 30 minutes.
- Remove your cream cheese frosting here if it's been in the fridge.
- Once the final rise is finished, pour the 1/2 cup vegan nog all over the buns.
- Place in the oven, uncovered for about 23-25 minutes (or until golden brown).
- Remove from the oven, let cool for about 10 minutes, then spread on the cream cheese frosting.
- Dig in!