These easy no yeast cinnamon rolls feature sweet potato puree which makes them the fluffiest, most pillowy homemade vegan cinnamon buns you’ll ever make. No dough-punching & no long waiting for the dough to rise! Jump to Recipe
Cinnamon buns make all mornings better. We all know that! But if I told you you can take the old cinnamon roll to the next level, by adding some sweet potato? Would you trust me and try it? I hope you do, because boy these Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls! SO GOOD! Plus these are no-yeast cinnamon rolls – vegan and no hour-long waiting around for the dough to rise.
Now, we don’t naturally think of sweet potatoes as a dessert ingredient – or sweet breakfast treat – but let me tell you, there are so many ways to incorporate them into your breakfast routine. On the blog, I already have a bunch of sweet breakfast treats using sweet potato puree, like my famous sweet potato blondies, this sweet potato bread, or this sweet potato crumb bread.
Other than flavor, there are many more reasons why adding sweet potatoes to your vegan baked goods is a good idea. First of all, sweet potato puree gives the rolls this gorgeous yellow-orange color. Secondly, it makes the texture of the dough somehow more soft and almost flaky! These rolls literally melt in your mouth. Truly amazing.
I’m especially fond of adding sweet potato puree to sweet breads and buns. They add flavor and give the dough a pillowy-soft texture. Now, imagine this swirled with cinnamon sugar – such a lovely indulgence.
INGREDIENTS
- Sweet potato puree adds just the right amount of moisture and a hint of earthy sweetness to these no-yeast cinnamon rolls. You can mash sweet potatoes after either roasting or boiling them. Roasted ones will have less liquid, whereas boiled sweet potatoes will add more water to the dough. Use your gut and add more flour if needed until a slightly sticky dough forms. I usually use canned purée.
- Flour – good old All-Purpose Flour will do.
- Non-dairy milk, such as almond, soy, light coconut or oat milk work perfectly for this recipe.
- Cinnamon + Brown Sugar for the filling.
- Baking soda + baking powder are the raising agents here and rise the dough within as little as 30 minutes. GENIUS!
TIPS AND SUBSTITUTIONS FOR VEGAN NO YEAST CINNAMON ROLLS:
- Fresh sweet potato cinnamon rolls in the morning are a beautiful thing! To get them quicker, store the dough overnight, then let it sit on the counter for an hour before you proceed to make the dough into rolls.
- You might need a few tablespoons more flour to get a non-sticky dough so go with your gut.
- Use any non-dairy milk for the dough.
- I used brown sugar for the filling but you can use equal parts of cane, coconut, or granulated sugar instead.
- No-yeast cinnamon rolls are best served fresh and warm but they will keep on a counter for a day and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- I left them plain, but you can add a simple icing.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix in all of the wet ingredients until well combined. In another bowl mix all the dry ingredients really well.
Add 2.5 cups of the pre-mixed flour mixture into the wet and mix well. Depending on the consistency of your sweet potato puree and the sweetener used, you will need a few tbsp or up to a cup of flour to turn the mixture into a slightly sticky dough.
As soon as the mixture is dough-like, bring it together. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it sit for least half an hour. The dough will rise a bit.
Transfer the dough on a working surface and using some flour, roll it out into an 11×15 inch rectangle.
As to the cinnamon filling, you can go two ways. Either mix the sugar, cinnamon, and oil to form a paste and then spread that onto the dough. This usually requires a lot more oil. The other option is to brush the oil on the rolled out dough and sprinkle the sugar-cinnamon mixture on top.
Once the filling has been spread, use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 1 to 1.5 inch wide strips.
Roll each of the strips tightly to form your cinnamon rolls. Place the rolls in a well-greased baking dish. For the amount of dough, you will need at least a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Bake these sweet potato cinnamon rolls at 375F(190C) for 25-30 minutes. Once done, remove them from the oven, and serve warm.
These no-yeast cinnamon rolls are nice and soft. If you baked them close together, keep in mind that the warmer they are, the harder it will be to separate them. But if you go in for one roll and end up with one and a half, it’s really not the end of the world either.
HOW TO STORE NO-YEAST CINNAMON ROLLS:
These rolls are best served warm and freshly baked can be stored on the counter for a day and refrigerated for 4 days and frozen for up to a month
MORE SWEET VEGAN SWEET BREAKFAST RECIPES:
- Gluten-free Cinnamon Rolls
- Sweet Potato Doughnuts
- Pumpkin Coconut Muffins
- Simple Spelt Sweet Potato Biscuits
- Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
No Yeast Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls Vegan
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) heated non dairy milk such as almond, soy, light coconut or oat
- 3/4 cup (150 g) sweet potato puree or well mashed cooked sweet potatoes ( if your sweet potato purée is extra moist, use 1/2 cup +2 tablespoons)
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp vinegar apple cider or white
- 3 tbsp maple syrup or sugar of choice
Dry ingredients
- 3 to 3.5 cups (375 g) flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
Filling
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup (75 g) brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2-3 tbsp oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix in all of the wet ingredients until well combined.
- In another bowl mix all the dry ingredients really well.
- Add 2.5 cups of flour mixture into the wet and mix well. Depending on the consistency of your sweet potato puree/ mash and the sweetener used, you will need few tbsp or up to a cup of flour to make the mixture into just slightly sticky dough. You don’t want to overwork the door as the more you mix and knead , sweet potato purée will leak more moisture)
- As soon as the mixture is dough like, bring it together. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it sit for least half an hour. The dough will rise a bit.
- Transfer the dough on a working surface and using some flour, Lightly roll it out into 11x15 inch rectangle.
Filling:
- You can go two ways with the filling. Mix the sugar, cinnamon and oil to form a paste and then spread that onto the dough. Usually this requires lot more oil.
- The other option is to brush the oil on the rolled out dough, mix sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and sprinkle the sugar-cinnamon mixture on top.
- Once the filling has been spread, use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 1 to 1.5 inch wide strips.
- Roll each of the strips tightly to form your cinnamon rolls.
- Place the rolls in a well-greased baking dish. For the amount of dough, you will need at least a 9 by 13 baking dish. Bake the buns at 375F(190C) for 25-30 minutes. Once done, remove them from the oven, and serve warm.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Toral says
June 22, 2020 at 9:06 amDo you think it would be possible to use the white flesh sweet potatoes in this? They are a lot starchier than the orange variety but all that is available where I live?
Richa says
June 22, 2020 at 9:56 amIt should work
Connie says
June 22, 2020 at 10:00 amThanks for the recipe. I shall definitely try it .
Zena says
June 22, 2020 at 10:02 amIs it possible to use whole wheat flour? If so are there any other adjustments that I would need to make?
Thank you!
Richa says
June 22, 2020 at 11:20 amYes you can use ww flour. You’ll need a bit less flour
Isabella says
June 22, 2020 at 10:18 amDo you think this would work with a gluten free flour blend? They look delicious!
Ally says
June 22, 2020 at 11:14 amI’m going to try these this week with Bob’s red mill GF flour mix! I’ll let you know how they turn out!
Richa says
June 22, 2020 at 11:21 amDirect sub might not work. See my Glutenfree rolls linked in notes and use half portion of liquid as sweet potato purée in those
Deanne says
June 22, 2020 at 11:11 amCan you please post a picture of what the inside looks like once you pull it apart? I want to see the texture before I make it.
Richa says
June 22, 2020 at 11:47 amI don’t have a picture, we ate them and then it was too dark 🙂 they are just mildly dense than yeasted cinnamon rolls
Merel says
June 22, 2020 at 11:15 amWow this looks yummy. Can I replace the flour for oat flour? Or does it get dry then? Would you reccoment more milk if I want to use oat flower?
Love,
Merel
Richa says
June 22, 2020 at 11:49 amOat flour is going to dry them out. Also rolling will be hard as oat flour is Glutenfree and will break
Joana says
June 22, 2020 at 3:13 pmThese look great! Can’t wait to try out this recipe. I’ve loved everything I’ve made from your blog so far and recently purchased one of your cookbooks. What kind of oil did you use?
Richa says
June 22, 2020 at 5:46 pmSafflower
kimberly jackson says
June 22, 2020 at 5:09 pmThis is an odd question but do you think the recipe would work as muffins or some type of loaf? I have super small counters and no roller! The recipe looks great and want to figure out how I can make it.
Richa says
June 22, 2020 at 5:43 pmMake this one As loaf or muffins. You can sprinkle in some
Cinnamon sugar on top. https://www.veganricha.com/vegan-sweet-potato-bread-recipe/
kim says
June 22, 2020 at 5:56 pmThis is perfect- thx!
ROSEANNE LEWIS-MALONEY says
June 22, 2020 at 5:58 pmCan’t wait to try this recipe. I would, however, like to ask…is there a reason for you cutting each individual strip and then rolling into a bun over the more traditional method of rolling the entire piece of dough and then slicing off each roll?
Is the dough too unwieldy? Thank you
Richa says
June 22, 2020 at 6:05 pmYes it is soft. And doing it is this way is so much easier!!
Roseanne Maloney says
June 22, 2020 at 7:49 pmThanks. You are amazing. I follow very few people, you are truly special.
Richa says
June 22, 2020 at 8:56 pm❤️❤️
Sandra Frost says
June 22, 2020 at 6:15 pmThe recipe looks great! I was wondering why the direction to cut into 1-inch strips and roll tightly. Maybe the dough texture doesn’t let you shape it into a single roll then cut it into the buns with a dough cutter? Thanks for all these wonderful recipes.
Richa says
June 22, 2020 at 7:10 pmYes it is softer and is much easier to just cut the strips And roll
Mika says
June 23, 2020 at 8:04 amI’ve just made this recipe and the result is very good 🙂 I cut them in smaller pieces than what you describe because if I made them bigger, they kept falling off (do I explain myself well?). Now I have about 30 of mini cinnamon rolls that can be eaten in just one bite and it’s great too. Easier to share with others!
Vegan Richa Support says
June 23, 2020 at 8:24 amGreat idea!
Jan says
June 23, 2020 at 10:59 amProbably an odd question but would pureed pumpkin work instead of the sweet potato?
. Thanks
Richa says
June 23, 2020 at 11:20 amYes it will.It’s more moist so use a half a cup off the Puree
Cyn says
August 28, 2020 at 1:26 pmYes, i used pumpkin puree and had to add more flour as it was really sticky! But it still turned out fantastic! Next time I make them, I will use a little less pumpkin.
This is such a good recipe – no waiting for the yeast to rise 🙂
Love your recipes – thank you!!
Richa says
August 28, 2020 at 2:01 pmYes Pumpkin is a bit more moist and sweet potatoes so you would need a bit more flour good idea to start with less purée!
Valerie says
June 24, 2020 at 10:37 amThank you for making it yeast-free! I’m allergic, and glad to have a recipe for cinnamon rolls that doesn’t use it. 🙂
Sweetu says
June 25, 2020 at 1:07 pmI came across this recipe when I was cutting back on sugar, so I made just the rolls without the filling. Holy cow they’re tasty! I also used butternut squash purée since I grew the squash myself. Like many other recipes on this site, this was a winner as well. Thank you!
Vegan Richa Support says
June 25, 2020 at 10:03 pmGreat idea! Glad you liked it!
Alicia Reynolds says
June 26, 2020 at 8:18 pmI had to use so much more flour than 3.5 cups. The mixture was so so sticky!
Richa says
June 27, 2020 at 3:57 amMaybe the seeet potato purée was extra moist. What kind of flour did you use
Alicia Reynolds says
June 27, 2020 at 7:39 amI used white flour.
Agnese says
June 28, 2020 at 7:03 amI had the same issue, it was still very sticky when I had to roll it out
Alicia Reynolds says
June 29, 2020 at 10:52 amGood to know I wasn’t the only one! Yeah I had to add a lot of flour when I get to that step otherwise it would have been impossible to roll.
Richa says
June 29, 2020 at 3:55 pmI updated the recipe to use a bit less sweet potato purée especially if it’s very moist. That should help make it less sticky. With moist fruit or potato purées the dough keeps getting sticky as you keep working it. So you want to mix it up until just done
Alison says
June 27, 2020 at 12:46 pmMade these in the evening, refrigerated overnight and then baked in the morning. Amazing!
Richa says
June 27, 2020 at 1:11 pmAwesome!
Agnese says
June 28, 2020 at 7:06 amI made these last night. They turned out amazing!!! Everyone at home loved them. Texture was nice and moist. Fot me it was only messy when it came to rolling out and creating rolls – it was very sticky, so got a bit messy 🙂 not sure if there is fix for that. But for us the recipe is a keeper for sure!
Vegan Richa Support says
June 28, 2020 at 1:03 pmAs long as your work surface is lightly floured it should be okay. and the dough is not overworked. mix until it just comes together and no longer….. & you could try filling a bowl of water and put a couple teaspoons of oil and dip your hands in that before for no sticky hands
Agnese says
June 29, 2020 at 10:01 amThank you for the tip! Will try next time
Cheryl Pell says
June 28, 2020 at 10:36 amThis recipe is genius but don’t use cassava flour like I did. This is a repeat for sure.
Vegan Richa Support says
June 28, 2020 at 12:41 pmthank you for the 5Star Rating, Cheryl! and the info. glad that you experimented
Maria Soledad says
June 28, 2020 at 6:48 pmHello, I really liked this recipe. I couldn´t follow it exactly as you suggest. I used regular milk (I didn´t have non-dairy milk, add more sweet potato (batata) and because I didn´t have maple syrup, I used cane sugar. It was great, specially because I think- I have some kind of gluten intolerance. This combination was perfect for my stomach. I´ll do it again tomorrow but I´ll do it with yeast so see if I can get more of a spongy texture.
Vegan Richa Support says
June 29, 2020 at 8:15 amYum!
Elizabeth says
July 4, 2020 at 3:17 pmcan i make the dough a day before baking ? how could i store it in the fridge or on the counter over night ?
Vegan Richa Support says
July 6, 2020 at 7:12 pmyes, let it sit for half an hour first and then into the fridge.
Maia says
July 6, 2020 at 2:00 pmI just finished making this recipe and eating one. I’ve never made cinnamon rolls before and this recipe was super easy. It made 10 and I should have checked the oven at 20 minutes. I think that would have been perfect. I made my own sweet potato puree for this recipe. I also really liked your idea about brushing the dough with oil and then applying the cinnamon/brown sugar. I felt like I used much less oil than if I was to combine the 3 ingredients and then spread it. This recipe wasn’t overly sweet but sweet enough and also they felt healthy enough. I’m always looking to cut the fat and I think this recipe was a winner. I will be making these again for my family, Thank you Richa! You are an amazing creator of recipes.
Diane says
July 12, 2020 at 6:44 pmOh my gawd, these are so good I couldn’t stop eating them. In the dry ingredients instead of adding the oil I used coconut yogurt. Thank you, off to have another 😍
Diane says
July 13, 2020 at 8:49 amThese are so good, can’t stop eating them. I used coconut yogurt in place of the oil in the dry ingredients . Definitely will be making these. Again
Thank you
Myriem says
July 19, 2020 at 11:59 amYumm!! So good! Followed the recipe exactly. Cooked my sweet potato in the instant pot. Super easy and delicious! Wish I could post a picture, for a first attempt at cinnamon rolls, I think they look beautiful 😁😁
Vegan Richa Support says
July 19, 2020 at 1:20 pmAwesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed these! 🙂
Angie says
July 19, 2020 at 6:20 pmI made these for my boyfriend who doesn’t like sweets and was a former chef. He loved these!! I followed the recipe exactly as written and went with combining the cinnamon filling into a paste before spreading it on the rolls. I will definitely make these again!
Vegan Richa Support says
July 20, 2020 at 10:54 amOoh I’m so glad! Awesome!
Amy says
July 27, 2020 at 2:49 amI‘m not a confident baker but these turned out perfectly! I boiled and mashed the sweet potato, used 3 cups of flour and the dough wasn’t too sticky. I didn’t find the scrolls difficult to roll. They turned out soft, subtly sweet, and delicious! Thanks so much, Richa!
Vegan Richa Support says
July 27, 2020 at 3:53 pmPerfect !! now you have more experience to build confidence! great
Sharon says
August 4, 2020 at 10:29 amThis is so easy to do and the results are fantastic. The buns are completely gorgeous and didn’t last very long as a breakfast treat. Currently making more…
Richa says
August 4, 2020 at 12:04 pmAwesome
Nour says
August 14, 2020 at 9:04 amPerfectly delicious! My toddler loves them too!
Vegan Richa Support says
August 14, 2020 at 9:54 amAwesome! So glad you liked them!
Kaity says
September 4, 2020 at 10:31 amDo you think I could use pumpkin puree instead of sweet potato and pumpkin spice instead of cinnamon? Maybe with some extra sweetener since pumpkin is not sweet? Really curious to try!
Richa says
September 4, 2020 at 11:14 pmYes you can. You might need a bit more flour depending on consistency if pumpkin purée. Use 1/2 cup purée.
Crystal David says
November 29, 2020 at 3:21 pmDo you think i can use spelt flour and no oil?
Richa says
November 29, 2020 at 4:07 pmIf you’ve used spelt before and without oil the. You know what to expect. They will be dense, and without oil, a bit dry
Becky says
December 17, 2020 at 10:49 amThese look amazing — I’m thinking of making them Christmas morning. Do you think I could prep them the night before, including rolling them and putting them in the baking dish, and then refrigerate them overnight? And pop them in the oven in the morning?
Jessica says
February 14, 2021 at 8:53 amDelicious. I followed the recipe nearly exactly, except for a few changes in the cutting and baking process:
1. I am physically incapable of cutting in a straight line and so didn’t want to do the pizza cutter, so I instead cut it with dental floss. I just put it underneath each slice, crossed it on top, and pulled it tight. It worked, but I ended up with uneven sizes… next time I think I’ll cut in half, then half again, then thirds to help instead of eyeballing 1-1.5 inches.
2. I did roll them up and put them in the pan, then put them in the fridge overnight. It worked very well, but I used the higher oil filling method and a lot of my oil dropped out and filled the bottom of the pan overnight. It still cooked all right, and it left kind of a nice glaze effect on the bottoms, but if anyone else wants to avoid that, I’d suggest using the brush + sprinkle method for the filling.
Paired them with a super basic vegan glaze (pulsed 1/2 cup of turbinado sugar in a blender to get powdered sugar, then added a dash of cornstarch, a tablespoon of oat milk, two tablespoons of refined coconut oil, half a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a little dash of salt, then pulsed again and microwaved for two 30-second intervals, stirring between) that I lightly drizzled over the top and they were AMAZING. I think I’ll use a yeasted variation next time so they can expand while in the fridge overnight, but otherwise, this is a keeper.
Aline says
February 21, 2021 at 6:57 amYummy 😋 I love your recipes. Do you think if I use half regular flour and half gluten free it will work?
Richa says
February 21, 2021 at 7:08 amIt will dry out too much as
Glutenfree flours are very drying.
Kari says
April 19, 2021 at 3:54 pmI’m making these today. I don’t usually cook with sugar or oil. Do you think I could use cinnamon and maple syrup for the filling? If so, how much would you recommend?