“There is Nothing Like A Dream to Create the Future” – Victor Hugo. I think that’s so true. What we dream of, and what we think, absolutely sculpt our reality. I could get really deep with that whole thing, but I know you’re just really wanting to know if those are real, vegan, gluten free, Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls in the picture above, and I am happy to say, YES, they are!! As if vegan, gluten free chocolate cinnamon rolls aren’t enough, these babies actually have mini chocolate chips rolled into them, and they are glazed with a Chocolate Gourmet Espresso Glaze!! The rolls are great, but the glaze really takes these to the next level! So, these are pretty much proving that quote right… I have been dreaming of cinnamon rolls ever since I went gluten free about 5 years ago, and that time I saw a photo of cinnamon rolls baked in a cast iron skillet, I knew that must be in my future! So let’s talk about how to get these fluffy, chocolate COFFEE cinnamon rolls into your future.
Before you start thinking that these look amazing, but they are probably hard to make – let me assure you that they are not! I didn’t even use the rolling pin you guys! Seriously, after mixing, I just patted the dough flat with a spatula and my hands, and they turned out fine. This dough so easy to work with, and you don’t have to let it rise forever either. Yay! (You can even put your pan of rolls in the fridge the night before, and bake them in the morning!) And this luscious Chocolate ‘Gourmesso’ Glaze? Really easy to make too! It’s powdered sugar, cocoa powder, a pinch of salt and some cold espresso. I like the Honduras Pure Forte Espresso by Gourmesso for this recipe. It’s strong, gives the glaze a really nice, rich flavor, and I love it because it’s organic! (I’m crushing on these Gourmesso Coffee pods right now because they fit in my Nespresso machine, but they cost about 30% less than Nespresso capsules, they’re Fair Trade Certified, and some of them are organic. Win!) Full instructions for the glaze with the rolls in the recipe below.
When I make a gluten free bread or baked good, I’m always concerned about the texture. I want the texture to be light, and fluffy, not gummy, and not gritty. I’m happy to say that these rolls get 5/5 stars in the texture department! For the dough, I converted a non-vegan recipe, from RecreatingHappiness.com , into a vegan recipe. For the conversion, I switched out the milk for coconut milk (you can use whatever non-dairy milk you like), and Earth Balance Margarine for the butter. I needed to swap out the potato starch with corn starch because of an allergy, and it worked fine. The original recipe had an egg, so I used Aquafaba instead. Aqaufaba, literally ‘bean water’, is the liquid that you usually drain off of a can of beans when you open it. It works wonderfully in a lot recipes to replace eggs, with fluffy results. I have used Aquafaba successfully instead of eggs many times. One of my favorite Aquafaba recipes is this one for Vegan Gluten Free Strawberries and Cream Scones . If you type “Aquafaba” in the search bar on the right, it will pull up some more recipes on my site if you are curious. It definitely works great in this recipe to create a fluffy dough!
My husband said I should make some donuts with this same glaze, because we’re both pretty obsessed with it… so, stay tuned for that in the future, because you can never go wrong with coffee and chocolate! As always, if you have any questions about the recipe or anything else you see on the blog, just drop it in the comments below and I’ll be happy to help. Also, you can find me on social media by clicking the icons under my picture, or keep in touch by signing up for my newsletter to make sure you never miss a recipe! Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy these Cinnamon Rolls as much as we’ve been enjoying them!
- Dough:
- ⅔ C non-dairy milk (I use unsweetened vanilla coconut milk)
- 1 T non-dairy margarine (I use Earth Balance)
- 1 (7g) package active yeast
- ¼ C granulated sugar
- ½ C Corn Starch
- ½ C Brown Rice Flour
- ¼ C Finely Ground Almond Flour
- ¼ C tapioca starch, plus more for dusting surface and hands
- ½ t baking soda
- 1½ t xanthan gum
- 2½ t baking powder
- ½ t pink or sea salt
- 3 T Aquafaba
- ¼ C Olive Oil
- 1 t vanilla
- Parchment paper for rolling out/up dough
- Filling:
- ⅓ C softened margarine
- ½ C Brown Sugar
- 2 T cocoa powder
- 2 T Cinnamon
- ½ C Vegan Mini-Chocolate Chips (I used Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips)
- Espresso Glaze:
- 1½ C sifted confectioners sugar
- 3 T Cocoa powder
- 3 T brewed espresso, cold
- pinch of salt (I use pink Himalayan Salt)
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a large cast iron skillet or pie plate.
- Dough:
- Combine yeast and sugar in large mixing bowl.
- Heat milk and 1 T margarine to approx. 115°. Whisk into yeast and sugar and set aside to proof.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine corn starch, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, almond flour, baking soda, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt.
- When yeast is proofed, add in Aqaufaba, oil, and vanilla. Mix for a minute and then slowly add the flour mixture. Turn mixer up to a medium-high setting, and mix for a least 1½ minutes to fully hydrate the flours/starches. The dough will become less sticky as you mix.
- Make the Rolls:
- Lay out a long sheet of parchment paper on a cutting board. Tuck the ends under each side. Dust the surface with tapioca starch. Put the ball of dough on the paper and roll it around a little, lightly coating it with starch. Using a silicone spatula, or your (starch dusted) hands, begin to gently press the dough into a 13"x 10" rectangle. Try to make sure that the thickness is uniform across the entire surface of the dough.
- When the dough is flattened, spread the softened margarine over the dough, leaving about a ½" space around the edges.
- Filling:
- In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon. Spoon evenly over dough, and then sprinkle with the mini chocolate chips.
- To roll the dough, gently lift up on of the shorter sides of the parchment paper, and begin to fold the dough over itself. Go slowly and try to keep the roll as tight as possible. If it gets sloppy, just keep going. Trying to undo it will not work out well.
- Lightly dust roll with tapioca starch. Cut roll into 8 slices. If knife becomes too sticky while slicing, just wipe down and continue. You may also dust the knife with some starch.
- Place the rolls into the prepared pan. Cover with parchment paper and a towel and place in a warm place to rise for about 15 minutes.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes, until tops are lightly browned.
- Glaze:
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the sifted confectioner's sugar with cocoa powder and a pinch of salt. With a fork, begin mixing in cold espresso, one tablespoon at a time, until mixture is smooth, adding more very sparingly if necessary.
- Drizzle over the rolls when they are cooled slightly.
- Prepare these the night before! Put your pan or pie plate of rolls in the fridge over night. Allow rolls to warm up for about 30 minutes before baking.
Angel McNall is the author and photographer of High Vibe Lifestyle. For over 20 years, Angel has been teaching people how to live more vibrantly by eating a plant based diet, and using plant based medicine. 
Such gorgeous light in your photos! And well done. Those rolls look superb.