These gooey vegan cinnamon rolls are stupidly easy to make—and infinitely better than Cinnabon

Last Sunday, I watched my neighbor's teenage son stop mid-skateboard trick when the smell of these cinnamon rolls hit the courtyard. Twenty minutes later, he was at my door with his mom, both of them trying to casually figure out what was making the whole building smell like a bakery on Christmas morning. The funny thing about truly exceptional cinnamon rolls is how they turn grown adults into kids pressing their noses against glass windows—and these particular ones happen to be completely plant-based, though I didn't mention that until after they'd each demolished two.

The rolls that make people forget their plans

What makes these different from every other cinnamon roll recipe claiming superiority is that they actually deliver on the gooey promise without requiring a stand mixer, complicated techniques, or even much patience. The dough comes together in one bowl, rises while you drink your coffee, and produces rolls so tender and drippy with cinnamon sugar that my neighbor now texts me "cinnamon roll Sunday?" with an almost religious devotion.

Makes: 12 medium rolls (or 9 jumbo rolls)
Prep time: 20 minutes
Rise time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Bake time: 25-28 minutes

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 3½ cups (420g) all-purpose flour (or use cup-for-cup GF blend for gluten-free)
• ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 packet (2¼ tsp) instant yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup (240ml) oat milk (or any plant milk), room temperature
• ⅓ cup (75g) vegan butter, melted (or coconut oil for budget option)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the filling:

• ½ cup (115g) vegan butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup (150g) brown sugar, packed
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt

For the glaze:

• 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
• 2-3 tbsp oat milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the room temperature milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms, then knead right in the bowl for about 2 minutes until smooth. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky—resist adding more flour, this stickiness is exactly what creates those pillow-soft rolls.

Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot (75-80°F is ideal) for 1 hour. I use my oven with just the light on, which creates the perfect proofing cave.

While the dough rises, mix your room temperature butter with brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until you have a spreadable paste. This might seem like an obscene amount of filling, but trust the process—those gooey pockets everyone fights over don't happen by accident.

Once risen, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 15x10 inch rectangle. Don't stress perfect corners; rustic edges have their own charm. Spread the filling all the way to the edges, leaving just a ½-inch border on one long side.

Starting from the opposite long side, roll the dough tightly but gently—you're creating layers, not squishing out the precious filling. Cut into 12 even pieces using unflavored dental floss (the sliding motion keeps the swirls intact) or a sharp serrated knife.

Nestle them in a greased 9x13 inch pan—they'll look a bit lonely at first but will expand into each other's space during the second rise. For extra-gooey centers, pack 9 rolls into a 9x9 inch pan instead.

Cover and let rise another 30 minutes until puffy and just touching. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Bake for 25-28 minutes until golden brown on top but still soft-looking in the center—that slightly underdone look is what keeps them gooey.

The finishing touch that matters

While they bake, whisk together your glaze ingredients, starting with 2 tablespoons of milk and adding more for a pourable consistency that coats the back of a spoon. Pour half the glaze over the rolls while they're still hot—watch it melt into every swirl and crevice. Save the rest for individual drizzling because someone always wants extra.

These keep covered at room temperature for 2 days (though I've never seen them last that long), or you can freeze them unbaked after the first rise for future cinnamon roll emergencies. Just thaw overnight in the fridge, let come to room temperature, and proceed with the second rise and baking.

My neighbor's son, by the way, didn't believe these were vegan until I showed him the oat milk carton. Now he brings his friends over whenever he catches that cinnamon-sugar smell drifting through the courtyard, a small parade of teenagers learning that plant-based doesn't mean sacrificing anything. Sometimes the most powerful conversions happen one warm, gooey cinnamon roll at a time.