World's Easiest Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

1 packet instant (or rapid-rise) yeast* (2 1/4 tsp)
1 cup (240 ml) unsweetened plain almond milk
1/2 cup (112 g) Earth balance (vegan butter), divided
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups (408 g) unbleached all-purpose flour*
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp (63 g) organic cane sugar, divided*

Instructions

In a large sauce pan (or in a bowl in the microwave at 30-second increments), heat the almond milk and 3 Tbsp Earth Balance until warm and melted, never reaching boiling. Remove from heat and let cool to 110 degrees F (43 C) or the temperature of bath water. It should be warm but not too hot or it will kill the yeast.
Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle on yeast. Let activate for 10 minutes. Then add 1 Tbsp sugar and the salt and stir.
Next add in flour 1/2 cup (68 g) at a time, stirring as you go (you may not add it all). The dough will be sticky. When it is too thick to stir, transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute or so until it forms a loose ball (be careful not to overmix). Rinse your mixing bowl out, coat it with canola or grapeseed oil, and add your dough ball back in. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size (see photo).
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a thin rectangle. Brush with 3 Tbsp melted Earth Balance and top with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 - 1 Tbsp cinnamon (to taste).
Starting at one end, tightly roll up the dough and situate seam side down. Then with a serrated knife or a string of floss, cut the dough into 1.5 - 2 inch sections and position in a well-buttered 8x8-inch square or comparable sized round pan (you should have about 10 rolls). Brush with remaining 2 Tbsp Earth Balance (melted) and cover with plastic wrap. Set on top of the oven to let rise again while you preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).
Once the oven is hot, bake rolls for 25-30 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes and then serve immediately.
Optional: Frost with dairy-free cream cheese or a simple mixture of 1 cup (112 g) organic powdered sugar and 1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) almond milk.

Notes

*You can use regular yeast, but it will require more time to let them rise properly.
*I have not tried making this recipe gluten-free. However, many of you have had success with a blend of spelt flour or whole-wheat pastry. But for classic, fluffy cinnamon rolls, I recommend unbleached all-purpose.
*I have not tested this recipe with other sweeteners, but it may work! Let me know in the comments if you have success.
*Nutrition information does not include any frosting.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 roll (of 10)

Calories: 243

Fat: 9 g

Saturated fat: 3 g

Carbohydrates: 34 g

Sugar: 5 g

Sodium: 174 mg

Fiber: 1.4 g

Protein: 4.2 g

The recipe is owned by the Minimalist Baker