Just Lauren

My mom found this recipe (shout out to her for always being on the lookout for a new, awesome vegan recipe!) and while the original recipe says it only takes 1 hour, let me tell you, it takes at least 1 1/2 hours. Anything that involves a dough usually does, if not longer. And that’s ok, as long as you know going in. These cinnamon rolls are quite tasty and something I’ve made many times by this point.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 1/2 tsp (2 packets) rapid rise yeast
• 1 cup warm water (110°)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup + 1 tsp white sugar
• 1 1/2 TB melted vegan butter
• Filling
  • 1 – 1½ TB  cinnamon
  • 2 TB white sugar
  • 2 TB brown sugar
  • ½ cup chopped pecans
• Frosting
  • 3/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 TB water, more if needed

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large, microwave safe bowl, warm up the water until it is between 100°-115° F. It should feel like warm bath water. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sugar and all the yeast. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes, letting the yeast activate.
2. Add the 1/3 cup vegetable oil, salt, flour, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar into the yeast mixture and stir until the dough comes together. Add additional flour until mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl, but is still soft and slightly sticky.
3. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead a few times until you form a smooth ball. Dust your bowl with flour and put the dough back in the bowl.
4. Make the filling. Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and mix together.
5. Dust the counter with more flour, and turn the dough ball out onto the floured surface. Roll dough out to a rectangle about 12×16 inches.
6. Melt butter in microwave and spread over the rolled out dough with a brush.
7. Sprinkle with filling mixture and then pecans. 
8. Starting at the long end closest to you, begin to (gently but tightly) roll the dough up into a log. Position the dough log so the end is underneath it.
9. Use a sharp serrated knife to slice rolls off about 1 inch thick and place them in a greased 9×9 inch pan. Cover with plastic wrap and set somewhere warm to double in size, for 30 minutes. (I set my on the stove when the oven is preheating.)
10. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Once rolls have puffed up and doubled in size, bake them for about 30 minutes.
11. To make the frosting, mix together the powdered sugar and water. If it needs to be thinner, add small increments of additional water. To thicken, add small increments of powdered sugar. Spread over the warm cinnamon rolls.

Serves: Makes 12 rolls, generally of varying sizes if I’m the one cutting them.

Leftovers: Decent, they keep pretty well for at least a few days.