Anyone who gives you a cinnamon roll fresh out of the oven is a friend for life.
Daniel Handler
I love cinnamon buns but haven’t eaten them in years, thanks to the Pillsbury pre-made packages filled with dairy ingredients. I have finally mastered a dairy free recipe from scratch, and let me tell you, these were a HIT with my friends. Not too sweet, not overly cinnamon-y – these are the perfect addition to your next Sunday brunch.
Disclaimer: The dough needs about an hour to rise, so time your cooking accordingly. You don’t want your guests to wait until lunch to eat breakfast!

INGREDIENTS
Dough
- 2-1/2 cups flour
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 package of active dry yeast (comes in .25 oz sizes)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 2-1/2 tbsp dairy free butter (used Smart Balance as usual)
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp SOFTENED BUT NOT MELTED dairy free butter
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 2 tbsp almond milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
STEPS
- Toss flour, sugar, salt, and yeast together in a bowl.
- Heat the milk, water, and butter in the microwave for 30 seconds on high power. Then, stir into dry mixture.
- Add the egg and mix well. Knead the dough for a few minutes, ensuring everything is evenly dispersed and the dough is sticky. (If it sticks too much to your fingers, add a little flour.
- Let the dough chill out for a few. Meanwhile, mix together the cinnamon and 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a separate bowl.
- Flour your countertop a bit and roll out the dough into a long rectangle. It should be a little over a foot long and around 6-8 inches wide.
- Spread the softened butter all over the dough, then evenly sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar. Roll up the dough hot-dog style (kinda like you’re making sushi!)
- Slice the log into 10-12 rolls and place in a greased round pan. Now, let the dough rise for about an hour. Partly cover the pan in aluminum foil, but make sure some air can get in.
- Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 375F. While it heats up, make the glaze! (Just mix the 3 ingredients listed above).
- Cook your buns for about 20 – 25 minutes. I like mine gooey in the middle so I removed mine at 20, but to each their own. Pour the glaze on top, and there you go!