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Dairy-Free Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

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Learn how to make cinnamon rolls dairy-free with this easy recipe. We are making cinnamon rolls without butter or milk by using water and oil to replace key ingredients. This cinnamon roll recipe without dairy is so soft and fluffy that others won't believe it.
Prepare: 30 minutes
Bake: 20 minutes
Additional Time2 hours 30 minutes
Total: 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 9

Ingredients

For the Dough

  • 2 cups (300g) flour
  • ⅔ cup (160mL) water
  • 3 tbs (45mL) oil
  • 2 tbs (25g) sugar
  • 1 tsp (3g) yeast
  • ½ tsp (2.5g) salt

For the Filling

  • ⅓ cup (75g) brown sugar
  • 2 tbs (28g) vegetable oil spread or vegetable shortening
  • 1 tbs (9g) flour
  • 1 tsp (2g) cinnamon

For the Glaze

  • 1 cup (125g) powdered sugar
  • 1-3 tbs (15 - 45 mL) water
  • ¼ tsp (1.25mL) vanilla

Instructions

For the Dough

  • In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together with the handle of a spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Knead on a clean work surface until dough is elastic and stretches easily without tearing. This can take 8 - 12 minutes.
  • Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let rest until double in size. This typically takes 60 - 120 minutes.
  • Roll dough into a 9x12" (23x30 cm) rectangle. Evenly coat the dough with vegetable oil spread or shortening, leaving a 1/2" (1.25cm) space on one of the 9" (23cm) edges free of spread.

For the Filling

  • Stir together sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle the filling on top of the dough. Starting from the 9" (23cm) side with butter and filling, gently roll the dough into a log.
  • Cut into 9 slices.Generously grease a 8" (20cm) baking dish with cooking oil, non-stick spray, vegetable oil spread or vegetable shortening. Place slices into pan, about 1" apart (2.5 cm.)Cover and allow to rest 60 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) when there is 20 minutes left on the second rise. Remove the plastic wrap after they have risen and place the rolls in the oven.
  • Bake 18 - 22 minutes or until rolls are golden brown and center reaches 190F (88C.)

For the Glaze

  • In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix in the water, 1 teaspoon at time until desired consistency. Do not add the water all at once.
  • Remove rolls to a wire rack in order to cool. Drizzle glaze over the top of the cinnamon rolls after they have cooled 10 minutes. Cool rolls completely before storing in an airtight container.

Notes

You can add up to 1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon for a total of 3 grams.  Adding more than recommended can lead to a bitter taste to the cinnamon rolls due to the spice naturally having a slightly bitter quality to it.
Really like the glaze?  Double it!  This will make your cinnamon rolls extra gooey and sweet.
An important note on dry yeast: Instant dry yeast is used in this recipe, which can be mixed directly into the dry ingredients or dissolved in water before mixing. If you're using active dry yeast, modern varieties generally don't need to be dissolved in warm water first, although some manufacturers still recommend it. Rapid-rise yeast may affect rising times.
Always check the manufacturer's instructions on your yeast package for the best results.