Divine 12 Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls

Oh, there is truly nothing better than waking up knowing you have a morning dedicated to baking, right? Forget rushing; this is about cozy moments and the smell of cinnamon taking over the house. I’ve finally nailed the recipe that turns even the most skeptical person into a believer: my unbelievably soft, flavorful Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls. Seriously, achieving that perfect, pillowy dough texture took a few tries, mostly tweaking the liquid ratio, but trust me, this version is absolute heaven. They’re bursting with fresh apple chunks and drenched in that rich maple sweetness!

Why You Will Love These Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls

I’ve tried nearly every type of cinnamon roll under the sun, and I keep coming back to this one because it hits every single mark without needing any dairy or eggs. They are just pure comfort dough! You absolutely need these on your breakfast table soon.

• They are unbelievably soft; honestly, they feel like they’ve been proofed overnight even when rushed!
• The flavor profile is perfection: sweet maple syrup pairs with tart, baked apple chunks—it’s fall in a bite.
• You don’t have to sacrifice texture; these are rich and fluffy, using vegan butter that melts beautifully into the dough.
• It’s simple enough for a Sunday morning project, and the second rise isn’t too fussy.
• The warm spices—cinnamon especially—become so fragrant while baking; your neighbors will know what you’re making!
• They freeze like a dream, which means you can bake a double batch and enjoy them later.

If you want to learn that one key trick that keeps any cinnamon roll from getting tough, you should definitely check out my tips on achieving amazing gooeyness over this Gushy Cinnamon Roll Post!

The Best Ingredients for Perfect Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls

You know, when you take out the dairy and eggs, the quality of the remaining core ingredients really has to shine through. If you swap out ingredients here, the light, fluffy texture we’re aiming for just doesn’t happen, especially in vegan baking! I always tell people that baking is chemistry, but my version of these Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls feels more like alchemy because the ingredients transform so beautifully.

I’ve kept the ingredient list straightforward—no weird gums or stabilizers needed here! The recipe relies on good old-fashioned yeast action and the right fats. Seriously, don’t skimp on the maple syrup; it’s doing double duty as our sweetener and flavor star.

Dough & Filling Components for Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls

You’ll need three main things: the yeast mixture, the dough body, and the glorious filling. Make sure your plant milk is just warm—think bathwater temperature, not hot! If it’s too hot, it kills the yeast, and then you just have sweet vegan milk, not a bouncy dough.

• 1 cup warm plant milk (Oat or soy works best for richness!)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup maple syrup plus more for glaze
• 1/4 cup melted vegan butter (for the dough)
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegan butter, softened (for that creamy swirl)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 small apple, finely diced (Please use a firm variety like Granny Smith like I noted—they hold their shape while baking!)

For making sure your rolls come out wonderful every time, I always refer back to my guide on making Soft Honey Butter Dinner Rolls. The principles for a soft yeast dough are the same, and you’ll find that foundation really helps these apple rolls shine!

Expert Tips for Making the Dough for Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls

Okay, the dough is where people panic, especially when they’re making Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls for the first time. We are working without the structure eggs usually provide, so we need to be patient and treat this dough kindly! Don’t rush the yeast; if that mixture doesn’t get bubbly, you’ve made sweet, warm liquid, not proofing yeast, and the whole batch is heading straight for the compost bin! I learned that the hard way once, believe me.

My main goal during kneading is always to develop the gluten structure just enough so the rolls are light but sturdy enough to hold all that delicious apple filling later on. A properly finished dough feels alive under your hands.

Activating the Yeast and Kneading Technique

First things first: Step one is proof of life! Mix your warm plant milk with just a tiny bit of the maple syrup and that yeast. Let it sit for five minutes. If it looks foamy, nice work! You’ve got happy yeast ready to go. Then, you add that bubbly mix to your flour and salt. Mix it until it’s just chunky, and then you turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.

Kneading is a workout, but it’s essential here. For about five to seven minutes, you’re really working that dough. You want it to transform from sticky and shaggy to completely smooth and elastic. When you poke it, it should slowly spring back. If it’s tearing or snapping back instantly, knead for another minute. This technique is vital for soft rolls, like I talk about in my guide on Grandma’s Perfect Homemade Bread!

The Crucial First Rise of the Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls Dough

Once kneaded, put that smooth dough ball into a lightly oiled bowl, cover it up tight—I use plastic wrap tucked snugly around the edges—and tuck it away somewhere warm. This is the first rise, and it needs to double in size. This can take an hour, maybe a bit longer depending on how cool your kitchen is, honestly.

If you live in a chilly drafty house like I do sometimes, you need a trick! Turn your oven on to the lowest setting for just two minutes, then turn it completely off. Place your covered bowl inside that slightly warm (but off!) oven. It creates a perfect little proofing box for your Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls dough. Don’t peek too often; let the yeast do its magic!

Assembling Your Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls Filling

After that glorious first rise, you punch the air right out of that beautiful dough—it feels a little sad, but it’s necessary! Now, you roll it out. You’re aiming for a big rectangle, about 12 by 18 inches. Don’t stress if you don’t get it perfectly uniform right away; we’re going to cover up the edges in a minute!

The next steps are crucial for that signature gooey middle in your Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls. You need to spread the softened vegan butter absolutely evenly over the entire surface. I mean edge-to-edge coverage! If there’s a gap, the dough will bake dry there, which is the enemy of a perfect roll. You want it luscious and creamy.

Once the butter is down, it’s time for the flavor bomb! Mix your brown sugar and cinnamon together really well—you don’t want clumps of pure cinnamon in one bite, trust me. Sprinkle that mixture liberally, and then scatter your finely diced apples over everything. They need to be diced small so they bake through properly and don’t cause structural collapse in your rolls.

Then comes the best part: the roll! Start tight from the long edge and roll it up like a jelly roll. Keep that initial coil snug. If the first wrap is loose, the ones after won’t be, and you’ll end up with gaps. After you roll it all up, use a sharp knife or, even better, some dental floss, to cut 12 even pieces. It sounds like a lot, but when they bake up next to each other, they puff up and become perfectly sized treats!

If you’re looking for a recipe that focuses just on incredible cinnamon butter flavor (which is super useful for spreading!), check out the details on making Amazing Brown Sugar Cinnamon Butter. It’s a fantastic base flavor!

How to Cut and Bake the Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls

Okay, after rolling all that goodness up tightly, you should have a lovely long log of sweet dough. Now, this next part is where we get them ready for their final transformation! You need a sharp knife—or, if you want a super clean cut without squishing the beautiful layers, go grab some plain, unflavored dental floss! It sounds silly, but it slices through the soft dough perfectly without smashing your cinnamon sugar filling.

Cut the log into 12 equal pieces, just like you would any regular cinnamon roll. Lay them into your prepared 9×13 inch baking dish. Make sure you leave a little bit of space between them! They are still going to have a second rise, and we want them to expand and touch while baking, giving us that classic pull-apart texture.

Cover the dish again and let them rest for 30 minutes while your oven gets ready. This second, shorter rise is what gives them that final, airy puff before baking. While they are resting, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (that’s 190 degrees Celsius). Don’t guess on the temperature here; these need that initial blast of heat to get going!

Once they’ve puffed up nicely, slide them into that hot oven. They typically bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. Keep an eye on them, though! You want the tops of your Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls to be nicely golden brown, but the second they look done, pull them out. Over-baking is the biggest sin when making soft rolls!

These are best served warm! As soon as they come out, give them a generous drizzle of extra maple syrup right over the top. That syrup soaks right into the warm swirls and acts as our quick, delicious glaze. I mean, who needs frosting when you have warm maple soaking in?

Finishing Touches for Delicious Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls

Alright, they are out of the oven! If you followed my advice and pulled them right when they turned that beautiful golden brown, they should be perfectly puffy and cooked through. Now, resist the urge to dig in immediately because these last few moments are crucial for locking in all that amazing moisture!

Since we are making delicious Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls, we aren’t doing a heavy, powdered-sugar-laden frosting here. No, we are keeping it slightly lighter and letting that pure maple flavor sing! As soon as those rolls come out of the heat, grab your favorite bottle of maple syrup—and I mean the REAL stuff, the dark amber kind—and start drizzling.

I probably use way more than I should, but that warm syrup immediately melts and soaks into the top layer of the cinnamon-sugar filling. It creates this thin, glistening, naturally sweet glaze that just makes the whole experience better. It keeps the tops incredibly soft, too, which is fantastic because the edges can sometimes crisp up the most in the oven.

Warm rolls plus warm maple syrup? It’s the ultimate cozy breakfast moment. Don’t even bother waiting for them to cool completely; that maple needs that heat to seep into every nook and cranny of your beautiful spirals. Seriously, if you love that gooey center, pouring that extra maple right on top is the secret weapon.

If you are looking for another great way to use that fantastic maple syrup in a baking project, you absolutely have to try my Maple Chocolate Chip Banana Bread next time you have ripe bananas lying around. It’s another winner in the vegan breakfast department!

Tips for Success with Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls

Listen, dealing with yeast doughs when you take out the eggs and butter can feel daunting, but honestly, these Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls are remarkably forgiving—as long as you follow a couple of my hard-earned rules. My biggest piece of advice? Don’t let them get too lonely in the oven, and always use firm apples!

When I first started making these, I ended up with a few batches that were just a little too dense, and that usually came down to two things: not letting the yeast bloom properly, or baking them ten minutes too long. Once you master the rise, the bake time is everything. They shouldn’t look pale, but they certainly shouldn’t look dark brown either!

Preventing Dryness in Vegan Baked Goods

This is the absolute number one tip for any soft roll: Do not overbake! I know how your eyes want to see that deep, dark golden crust, but with these vegan versions, we pull them out the moment we see that light golden color creep around the edges. If you wait until they look ‘done’ by traditional cake standards, they will be dry in about an hour. It sounds scary, but trust me on this one!

When they come out of the heat, immediately cover the entire dish tightly with foil or a clean kitchen towel while they cool down for about 10 minutes. This traps the steam inside, and that trapped heat continues to gently cook the center while reintroducing moisture to the surface. It’s hands-down the best way to keep these Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls impossibly soft until you’re ready to eat them!

Storage and Reheating Instructions

It’s rare for us to have leftovers of these rolls—they disappear so fast! But when we do manage to save a few, knowing how to store them correctly is key to keeping that amazing softness we worked so hard to achieve during the initial bake. You want them ready to eat right when the craving hits the next day, not stiff and sad!

The best way to store any leftover rolls is right in the baking dish, covered tightly. If you aren’t going to eat them within 24 hours, I’d recommend treating them like delicious bread and putting them in the fridge in a truly airtight container or wrapping the entire dish well with plastic wrap and foil. Honestly, they stay great at room temperature for a day, especially covered, but if you’re waiting longer than that, the fridge prevents any staleness or mold.

Now, reheating is where we bring them back to life! You can’t just eat a cold cinnamon roll, right? That just isn’t right! The microwave is your fastest friend here. Take just one or two rolls onto a plate and zap them for about 10 to 15 seconds. This melts the butter and syrup just enough to make them gooey again. Be careful not to zap them too long, or they get tough!

If you’re reheating a big batch, the oven is better. Wrap the rolls securely in foil—don’t leave them uncovered! Pop them into a low oven, maybe 300 degrees Fahrenheit, for about 8 to 10 minutes. The foil traps the steam and gently warms them all the way through without drying out the tops. When they come out, that extra maple syrup drizzle you missed the first time around is heavenly!

Frequently Asked Questions About Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls

I always get a ton of questions after people try this recipe for the first time! Yeast doughs can be intimidating, especially when you start making substitutions like we did to keep these rolls completely vegan and delicious. Hopefully, these quick answers clear up any last-minute worries you have before you start baking.

Can I make these Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls ahead of time?

Oh, yes, you absolutely can! Making them ahead makes weekend mornings so much easier. You have two options, and both are fantastic for getting those super-soft rolls fresh in the morning. The best method, in my opinion, is assembling the entire thing—filling, rolling, and slicing—and placing the rolls snugly into the baking dish. Cover it tightly and place the whole thing right into the refrigerator overnight. Don’t worry about the rise; the cold slows it down.

In the morning, pull them out about an hour before you want to bake them so they can warm up slightly and have their final proofing time on the counter. Then, bake as directed! If you’re short on time, you can assemble them and let them rise for a full hour normally, then bake them fresh. Either way works brilliantly for these rolls!

What kind of plant milk works best for the dough?

This is a great question because not all plant milks behave the same way when they’re feeding yeast and getting enriched with vegan butter! My top recommendations are definitely soy milk or oat milk. Both tend to have a bit more fat and protein content than, say, straight rice milk, which really helps mimic the structure that dairy milk gives a traditional dough.

You want something that feels rich when you drink it. If you use something very thin, like almond milk, the dough might turn out slightly less tender. When you try this recipe, stick with the richer options for the absolute fluffiest result on your **Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls**!

Can I substitute the maple syrup with another sweetener?

I really, truly advise against substituting the maple syrup, especially in the dough and the final drizzle. Maple syrup isn’t just adding sweetness; it brings a specific moisture level and a complex flavor profile that ties in perfectly with the brown sugar and cinnamon.

If you swapped it out for agave or, heaven forbid, plain sugar water, the texture of the roll would suffer dramatically because the syrups differ in density and how they interact with the yeast. Since the maple flavor is such a star in this recipe, keep the real thing handy! For other great vegan baking experiments, take a peek at my guide on Vegan Cinnamon Crunch Banana Bread—that one is more forgiving with sweeteners!

Nutritional Estimates for Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls

Now, let’s talk numbers for a second. While I absolutely believe that calories don’t count when you’re eating a homemade, cozy pastry, I know some of you like to keep track! Remember that since these are made with vegan butter and pure maple, these estimates can swing a little based on exactly how much drizzle you pour on top—and trust me, I tend to pour a lot!

These figures are based on dividing the recipe into 12 generous servings, which is how I always serve them because a small roll just doesn’t do the trick! This is just a rough idea of what you’re getting out of one glorious roll; they are definitely more treat than light snack, but absolutely worth every single bite.

Here is what the numbers look like based on the ingredients used:

• Calories: Approximately 350 per roll
• Fat: Around 15 grams (including 4 grams of saturated fat)
• Carbohydrates: About 50 grams
• Sugar: Roughly 25 grams (mostly from the maple syrup and brown sugar)
• Protein: Generally 5 grams

Please keep in mind that these are estimates, naturally! If you use a lighter drizzle of maple syrup or a lower-fat vegan butter substitute, those numbers will shift. But honestly, when they come out of the oven warm and you’re tearing off that first piece, who is really reaching for the calculator? Enjoy the sweetness!

Share Your Homemade Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls

I really, genuinely hope you loved baking these as much as I do! There is nothing that makes me happier than seeing your creations pop up online. These Vegan Apple Maple Cinnamon Rolls are special because they are made with love, and I want to see how you styled them!

When you finish whipping up a batch—and they smell amazing, I know they do—please take a picture! Tag me on social media or drop a comment right down here below the recipe card. I love going through them all and seeing the beautiful swirls everyone achieved. If you liked how tender they were, please consider giving the recipe a solid 5 stars!

It helps other bakers find this recipe and see that vegan baking can be just as soft and comforting as anything else out there. And while you’re thinking about cozy mornings, tell me—what is your absolute favorite fall pastry, besides these warm, gooey apples rolls? Are you a pumpkin bar person, or are you strictly a cinnamon fan? I’m always looking for new projects for the cooler months!

Speaking of fall perfection, if you ever feel like shaking things up a bit but still want that incredible maple-cinnamon swirl, you have to check out my slightly more decadent recipe for Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls—even if we skip the bacon to keep it vegetarian, those maple notes are divine!

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