
Ooey-Gooey Cinnamon Buns
2 hr + 55 min
Dessert
Freezer-friendly
buns
Total
2 hr + 55 minPrep
20 minCook
35 minRest
2 hrContains
Swap out
Free from
Ingredients
Dough
-
1 cup (240 mL)unsweetened soy milk
-
1 Tbsp (12 g)active dry yeast
-
3 cups (414 g)all-purpose flour
-
¼ cup (56 g)granulated sugar
-
2 tsp (7 g)baking powder
-
1 tsp (6 g)salt
-
Filling
-
1 cup (220 g)brown sugar, packed
-
½ cup (50 g)raw pecans, finely chopped
-
2 tsp (5 g)ground cinnamon
-
Sweetened milk
-
¼ cup (60 mL)unsweetened soy milk†
-
Icing
-
1 cup (134 g)powdered sugar
-
¼ cup (56 g)unsalted vegan butter
-
1 tsp (5 mL)unsweetened soy milk
-
1 tsp (5 mL)clear vanilla extract
Directions
- Heat the milk in a saucepan until just steaming*. Do not let simmer! Remove from the heat, add the yeast, stir, and let sit for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- When the yeast mixture is foamy, add to the flour mixture along with the melted coconut oil. Mix together.
- Then use your hands and knead for 3 - 4 minutes until smooth. Add a bit more flour if needed, the dough should be slightly sticky but not stick to the bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Lightly grease a baking dish that's about 10½ x 8 inch (27 x 21 cm), or big enough to easily fit all the rolls.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Transfer the dough onto a floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a ½ cm thick rectangle of 30 x 40 cm.
- Spread the coconut oil across the rolled-out dough. It looks like a lot, and that's okay!
- Sprinkle the brown sugar and pecan mixture evenly overtop the rolled-out dough.
- With the longest edge of the rectangular dough closest to you, begin to roll the dough.
- Cut the rolled dough into 12 buns, about 1½ inches (3 cm) thick each. We did this by cutting the roll in half, then in half again, and then cutting each of those quarters into thirds.
- Place each bun into the baking dish, then cover it with a damp cloth and let rest in a warm place for another hour.
- While the buns are resting, mix the remaining milk with maple syrup. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Bake buns in the centre rack of the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven to spoon the sweetened milk mixture over the buns.
- Return the cinnamon buns back to the oven to bake for an additional 20 - 25 minutes, or until the tops of the buns are golden.
- While the buns are baking, whisk together the icing ingredients using an electric hand mixer. Add a splash more milk if a thinner consistency is preferred.
- When the buns are removed from the oven, let them cool slightly before smearing the icing overtop. Enjoy!
Notes
- †Refined coconut oil is coconut oil that doesn't smell or taste like coconuts. If you prefer a distinct coconut taste, use unrefined coconut oil instead.
- †Try infusing the milk with cinnamon sticks, ginger, crushed cardamom pods, or chai-spiced tea bags for more festive tasting cinnamon buns.
- * The aim is to achieve a “lukewarm bath” temperature. If it’s too hot, let it sit to cool slightly. Milk that's too hot may kill the yeast.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Store the buns without the frosting in the freezer for up to 1 month, and reheat in the oven when ready to enjoy.
Print
Let us know what you think
Nutrition info
We believe that focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. If you require specific nutrition information due to a medical condition, please consult with a dietitian or physician. The nutritional information provided is composed with the utmost care. However, we cannot guarantee the correctness of the displayed values, see also our disclaimer.
Show nutrition info
Watch it step-by-step!






Discussion & Rating
Made this three or four times already, turns out great every time! I struggled with right ingredients following some traditional recipes, but with your ingredients everything is just so perfect 😄
I made it with chocolate instead of cinnamon and it was delicious. My whole non-vegan family loved it which is a huge complement!
These were so delicious! I'm dairy free and egg free now but even when I ate all the things I was searching for the best cinnamon rolls, and these are it. Thanks so much for a truly wonderful recipe.
These were absolutely delicious! I used vegan butter (as it is really hard to find refined coconut oil here and it is quite expensive). My question would be, could you also make them with vegetable oil?
Thanks a lot!
Dear PUL Team,
I made these yesterday in Berlin when I had my colleagues over for brunch during a stormy winter day with rain, snow and hail outside. I added a but more nuts and also included chopped walnuts, since i only had a few pecans left. Worked out great. Everybody looooved them and I could share the link to your website. In the evening I was then able to comfort my exam ridden and stressed out brother with the last bun of the batch. These made a lot of people happy. Thank so much for the great recipe and the awsome possibility to easily change the quantity.
Cheers from freezingly cold Berlin
This has been my go-to comfort recipe for a long time now! The milk mixture is just so smart and makes them oh so delicious <3
I personally don't need the frosting as they are already pretty sweet for my liking. Since I made those maaaany times, here are some Ideas that I tried out to alternate them a little: For the filling I use less brown sugar, instead I mix like a Tbsp of agave sirup with the melted coconut oil before spreading it out on the dough. To compensate the sugar so that I have enough filling, I like to use about 150g. grounded nuts like hazelnut or almond. I also did a version with cranberries in the filling and a little bit of lemon zest which was also a hit!
Thank you PUL Team for this greeeaaat Cinnamon Bun Recipe :)
I made this recipe a few months ago and it was amazing. However I tried to do it again and the dough didn't rise. I guess something went wrong with the yeast ( the milk was not too hot though). Can I try put the yeast directly into the flour instead of the milk?
I made this on a stormy day when school was canceled due to weather and I had an unexpected day off <insert happy teacher dance>. I was watching vegan cooking videos for inspiration and wound up on your channel, and your video inspired me to make these. My daughter, the vegan one in the family, first thought she couldn't eat them and then was overjoyed that they were vegan. We all loved them, vegans and nonvegans alike. Thank you!
Best cinnamon rolls <3
The best cinnamon roll i've ever made ! ( and cinnamon roll is one of my favorite on fall-winter season so i've made a looooooot of them )
My friends love to take individual cinnamon roll from the city center coffee shop when they come over to play RPG at home but i can't eat them.
So i made your recipe, the dought is absolutly lovely and easy to make. I know my taste so i've just made the filling with less sugar and more butter ^^ ( equal part sugar and butter with a table spoon of cinnamon and the icing is delicious with marple sirup ! ) your video are so lovely and nice to watch step by step
thanks for all your work and the PUL team your the best !
But refined flour
Maple syrup
Brown sugar etc
Is not at all healthy
U don’t have substitute for this ingredient s
Yum! Do you think I could swap cinnamon for cardamon and make cardamon buns instead? 😁 I love it so much more!
And I love all your recipes, you guys are my go-to recipes over the web 🧡
Love this recipe!!
Not only is this recipe perfect, but the base dough mixture is also the absolute best all-purpose, vegan, enriched dough. I have and will continue to use this amazing recipe for all my enriched dough needs. Thanks for sharing!
I currently don't have coconut oil at home. Can I use another ingredient for this recipe, especially in the dough? Thanks!
Yay! We love these and use coconut sugar for brown sugar and you’d never notice the difference. Plus low glycemic index works for my hypoglycemia.
Hi, I want to make these for breakfast early in the am , so wondering if I could place rolls in the fridge overnight for that 2nd rest?
They are one of my favourite desserts to bake!
Perfect!
These are so delicious and absolutely fool-proof! Thank you so much for sharing.
I’m making them right now…already made it a bunch of times….my mom lovess it even though she generally doesn’t like western desserts
I come back to this time and again whenever I’m craving comfort food..this recipe works year round for me even though we have great variations in the weather…love your work
This recipe is my favourite! Thank you for sharing it with us.
I love this recipe so much! Thanks so much for creating and sharing it!
The cinnamon buns always turn out great and even non-vegans love them (they never detect that they´re actually vegan). Definitely worth the time it takes to make them!
Oh my... In the last three months I made this dessert three times. I've never done that before. Our dear friends at our local restaurant love it too 😁😄😃
This is heaven🥰🥰🥰
Thank you for sharing.
Hi, there!
Can active yeasts be swap with other yeasts? I am trying to find them in my country, but I can only see their description as "active wine yeasts" and I don't know if they are okay.
Xoxo
So tasty!!! All my family loved it and asked for more! Thank you for recipe!
The best cake ever!
Very easy to make, and the site is so comfortable loved making these buns <3
Hi !
These are the best cinnamon buns, I've ever eaten ! Thank You so much for that recipe 😃
Awesome recipe!
These buns taste sooo good, thank you Sadia and PUL team
These are by far THE best cinnamon rolls out there. The liquid coconut lake on top of the dough is genius, as is the drizzle of sweet milk. Carnivores and vegans rave every time they hit the table. THANK YOU.
this recipe is lovely! I think it was my first real baking with dough a few years ago and the result was really satisfying :)
Having been baking this a couple of times since and also baking one today.
Thanks so much for sharing !
I made these for my family Christmas potluck, and they went down a treat! I'm not used to working with dough and so was a bit intimidated at first, but after giving it a test run and making a few tweaks, they turned out to be easy and delicious! I used walnuts instead of pecans, and melted vegan butter instead of coconut oil for the filling.
I definitely recommend trying this recipe!
Delicious!! Thank you very much!! :)
Have been wanting to test this recipe for more than a year! Now that I moved to a new house with an oven (this is such a game-changer), I was finally able to make those delicious buns for Christmas. The flavor was amazing! Because I don't like treats to be too sweet, I didn't add maple syrup to the milk (as suggested by the PUL team in the comments) and skipped the glazing. It was just perfect! My only regret is that they weren't as fluffy and soft as I expected, but I think it's due to the yeast I used (not sure it went that well), and maybe I overcooked the buns. I followed the cooking time instructions, but I will reduce the cooking time next time I make them.
I’m very excited to make this recipe! Can any of it be made ahead??
yay! if you don't like overly sweet foods, I recommend using less sugar, skipping the icing or using applesauce instead of sugar and butter in the filling. I used applesauce and still found the result almost too sweet. the dough is heaven, though :D
looooveeee it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! these are insanely good, wow. Cant get enough of them <3
I made those cinnamon rolls last Christmas and they are delicious! Everyone loved it! I’m back here to get recipe again cause I’m definitely making them again 😍😋
Wow!! So easy to make and definitely the best cinnamon buns we’ve ever had. We made a cashew frosting instead which turned out great too. Can’t wait to make them again. Thank you for all the amazing recipes!
This recipe is an absolute treat unanimously loved. And I have already been asked for a second batch!
These are absolutely amazing! It has taken me a while to get down to making them and it looks like I have wasted a lot of time :) They are so fluffy and actually quite easy to make. I have used walnuts because I had no pecans and made a simpler icing from powder sugar and lemon juice, which broke the sweetness of the buns. Turned out fantastic!
I have been following your work since the beginning of the pandemic last year (funnily enough found Pick Up Limes searching for plant propagation :D) and although not even vegetarian, I really love your recipes and videos. Have used them repeatedly and was never disappointed. It is really great to see you develop :)
Love the recipe. All my friends are pressuring me to make them again and again. Love the fact that they are not vegan, but love this vegan recipe. ❤️
since it's finally October and it was raining the whole day today, I decided to make these. damn they are fluffy, perfectly sweet and so so good. I've always had problems with my cinnamon buns coming out too bread-y or like rolls, but with this recipe I had none of this! thanks for this comforting one 🤤🍁
I made these this weekend and I am amazed on how well they turned out. I don't think anyone would guess they are vegan. I decided to skip the icing since they were decadent enough already. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
My only suggestion would be to line the tin with parchment paper because in my case greasing it was not enough, the sugar caramelized and I had to struggle a lot to get the buns out.
I would love to say HUGE THANK YOU for the amazing recipe. It was the best cinnamon rolls I have had, and all my friends told the same❤️
I have used the base for this recipe to make so mnay types of buns! Fluffy, flavourful and gooey!!!
The BEST cinnamon buns I've ever had!!! They may be time consuming but I find them decently easy to make. My brother gets so excited whenever I make them, I think they're his favorite too, lol!!
Question: can we alter this for gluten free diet?
First time I baked anything vegan and I am amazed with the results! Absolutely delicious and so easy to follow the recipe! These were so good my partner and I finished the whole tray of rolls in just two days! ❤️
The most amazing rolls.
Ever.
No question ask.
Please.
Do.
It.
You wont regret it.
The best cinnamon buns i've ever tried - and I've tried a lot, since I'm from Denmark, where cinnamon buns are very loved and a staple in almost every bakery.
(Have in mind, that most cinnamon buns may still be non-vegan in Denmark if some of you ever plan on visiting Denmark and wants a cinnamon bun).
Btw. Sadia, Robin and the rest of the PickUpLimes Team, your new website looks so good and is fantastic to use! It's so much faster, than the old one.
Absolutely delicious!!
The best cinnamon buns I have ever tasted! My family(not vegan) have high standards when it comes to cooking and baking and for theese buns I recive congrats from them, so - they are a thing.
I accidentally skipped the second rise but they still came out soooo good. My log yielded 16 rolls and they were gone In 2 days.
I love this recipe! The dough recipe is so perfect and versatile too, I use it to make garlic butter rolls and burger buns.
The BEST cinnamon rolls ever !
I can't believe how amazing these are! While I love to bake, I'm not big on actually eating sweet baked goods– these changed that. My mom strongly identifies as someone who doesn't eat sweets and she's requested these easily a half dozen times– they're that good! I used a different icing recipe, but I'm sure this one is delicious too. Highly, highly recommend making these!
I am by no means an expert baker, but this is always my go-to recipe when I have an event/picnic/potluck! It ALWAYS turns out incredible, which is 100% testament to the recipe and not my skills!
Had to make this as soon as I saw the video! Made them without the pecans ‘cause I didn’t have any on hand. They were the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had!!
This. Thiiiiiiissss.
I made this recipe when I was bored. I thought, if it doesn’t turn out well that’s okay, it was fun to make. And if does, then I’ve got a nice new snack for our bentos.
HAH! Silly me. Thinking these would make it to the lunch boxes. 😏
I don’t encourage eating large amounts of foods all at once. But once you’ve tasted these. Well. You’ll understand.
These are so tasty. They make a great dessert served with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream. Or just a sweet snack if you’ve got a craving. So good. So so soooooo good. 😍😍
I tried these as soon as the recipe came out and they are absolutely amazing :)
I only made a quarter of the recipe, so they turned into mini cinnamon rolls. The pecan sugar filling was amazing! I can't wait to try this again on a bigger scale. I feel like my mini versions were less gooey because of their size.
I made these around the holidays and they were absolutely delicious! Loved that they were dairy free yet still so good.
Bonjour, je visite ton site web presque tous les jours pour trouver des idées de repas. La nouvelle version est tellement réussie ! Bravo 👍🏻
Cette recette de roulés à la cannelle est la meilleure que j'ai testé. J'ai hâte de la refaire ! Je n'ai pas mis de margarine dans le glaçage et c'était très bien aussi.
Merci pour ton sourire dans tes vidéos, celles-ci sont toujours un plaisir à regarder.
Love this recipe! I made these today and they are DELICIOUS!!!!
I made these yesterday and they were divine! I think the coconut oil really helps give it that creamy texture. I din't make the icing but they were even delicious without it. Brilliant recipe, I will definitely be making it again.
Hello ! That's my second attempt at these rolls. The first one was so good, I had to do it again ;)
Congratulations on the new website, it's very practical and still very aesthetic: I can't imagine ALL the work behind all this !
Thanks for your recipes, your cheerfulness, it always helps a lot :)
Absolutely love this recipe! I've made it twice so far and both times have turned out great. I don't have powdered sugar so I didn't make the icing, but these still taste so good even without it!
I've made these once before and now I had ti make them again. They turned out just perfect, just as gooey and delicious as your pictures make them to be! 😀 It is a process but beyond worth it. Recipe is definitely a keeper! Thank you so much for sharing all these beautiful recipes and all the hard work that you both pour into PUL. 😄
An insanely delicious recipe! I added coconutflakes for extra texture and flavour.
One thing you might want to keep in mind is, when making the dough, make sure it isn't too dry. Because when it is, and you'll roll the roll to cut into smaller parts the dough will tear open.
Came on here, for this amazing recipe, but ended up spending awhile looking at the new web!!
Just wanna say a hug congrats to this new website, even tho this website has not been officially launched yet.
I really see/ feel the heart and thoughts that has put into this project -somehow scrolling through the website I feel so touched! :)
All the very very best!!