It’s Christmas Eve, all the presents are wrapped (hopefully) and placed under the tree. Tomorrow morning will be filled with laughter, smiles, kisses, and hugs. Happy faces are often followed by empty tummies looking for a morning treat. To make sure that you won’t miss a moment, these make-ahead cinnamon rolls are just the ticket.
This recipe comes to us from Love From The Oven. We adapted the recipe with substitutions for those who have specific dietary requirements. The total hand’s on time for this recipe is thirty minutes to prep and thirty minutes to bake. Moreover, you can make the rolls in the morning as well without too much fuss. Either way, we are sure your family will love them.
Merry Christmas
Cinnamon Rolls by Love From The Oven adapted by Still A Chick Lit
Ingredients
Dough
1/2 cup sugar (Swerve sweetener, Splenda granulated, coconut, turbinado, or raw cane sugar, pulsed finely)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (unsalted vegan butter)
1 tsp salt
2 eggs ( 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons Aquafaba, ½ cup silken tofu pureed with ¼ teaspoon baking soda, 2 flaxseed or chia seed eggs, vegan egg replacer=2 eggs, liquid mung bean egg replacer=2 eggs)
4 cups all-purpose flour (gluten-free all-purpose flour, 1 to 1 gluten-free baking blend, white rice, brown rice, or sorghum flour)
2 packets RAPID RISE yeast (this recipe is based on Rapid Rise yeast, and will not work the same with other varieties of yeast)
1 cup warm milk (dairy: whole milk, 2%, or fat-free) (non-dairy: almond, oat, soy, rice, or light coconut milk)
Filling
1/2 cup salted butter, softened (vegan butter) *
1/2 cup sugar (Swerve sweetener, Splenda granulated, coconut, turbinado, or raw cane sugar, pulsed finely)
1/2 cup brown sugar (Swerve brown sugar substitute, Splenda brown sugar substitute, or organic brown sugar)
1-2 TBSP cinnamon
Frosting
4 oz cream cheese, softened (dairy: low-fat cream cheese) (vegan cream cheese such as Vitalife )
4 tbsp unsalted butter **, softened (vegan unsalted butter)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp milk (dairy: whole, 2%, fat-free, or light cream) (non-dairy: unsweetened almond, soy, rice, oat, or light coconut milk)
2 cups powdered sugar (Swerve confectioner’s sugar substitute or organic confectioner’s sugar)
1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Dough
Mix butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until well combined. Add egg and mix until combined. Add in flour and Rapid Rise yeast, and stir to combine. Add in milk and mix well until soft smooth dough forms. Turn out on a lightly floured surface. Knead 10-12 times then place into a large bowl that has been well-oiled. Cover and let the dough rise in a draft-free location for at least 30 minutes or until almost doubled in size.
Once risen, punch down the dough and let rest for five minutes. Roll the dough into a 14 x 8-inch rectangle (approximately) on a lightly floured surface. Brush with softened butter for filling. Combine cup sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle over buttered dough. Roll up from the long side. Cut into 12 cinnamon rolls.
Place cinnamon rolls in a 13×9-inch pan that has been brushed with butter. At this point, you can cover the rolls with plastic wrap or foil and place the rolls in the fridge to bake the following morning. Or preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and let the dough rise for 30 minutes, then bake.
If placing rolls in the fridge, remove them from the fridge 30-60 minutes prior to the time you will start baking them (60 minutes is best). Let them rest in a warm, draft-free location. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once the oven is heated, bake the rolls for approximately 20 minutes (or until lightly browned). Remove from oven and frost immediately.
Frosting
Stir together softened cream cheese and softened butter. Add in vanilla, salt, and milk and mix until well combined. Add in powdered sugar and mix until smooth and creamy. If you would like your frosting thicker, add more powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time and mix well. If you would like a thinner frosting, add more milk, one teaspoon at a time, and mix well, until desired consistency is reached.
Once rolls are removed from the oven, you can frost them immediately or allow them to cool slightly, then frost. Store any leftover rolls in the refrigerator.
Notes
**- You can use salted butter. If you do, omit the added salt
