The Best Vegan Apple Pie Cinnamon Roll Recipe

Instructions

1. Lightly grease a medium sized bowl with olive oil or coconut oil, and set aside. Heat the coconut milk and melted vegan butter or coconut oil together until it reaches 110F- use a food thermometer to accurately measure the temperature. Any cooler or hotter, and the yeast won’t activate properly.
2. Pour the heated mixture into a large bowl, and add in the coconut sugar and 1 tbsp flour. Whisk together, then sprinkle yeast, mix with a spoon lightly, cover, and let activate for 10 minutes in a warm area.
3. Once activated, add in the remaining flour, applesauce, and vanilla extract, and knead the dough together until it’s not sticky. You can use your hands or a stand mixer.
4. Knead the dough lightly, for 2-4 minutes, then place the dough into the medium bowl greased with olive oil, cover with a cloth or wrap, and place into a warm area to let rise for 1 hour. It should be double in size. If it’s at least 80F outside, you can place the bowl outside, otherwise you can place it in the oven (which is turned off) and turn on the oven light or start preheating the oven to 350F and place the bowl near or on top of the oven.
5. Once the dough has doubled in size, lightly punch down the dough. Flour a clean surface, and place the dough in the middle. Sprinkle a little extra flour on top of the dough and flour the rolling pin. Roll the dough out to be a large rectangle (8 in x 12 in).
6. Lightly brush the dough with melted vegan butter or coconut oil, and add on top the chopped apples. Sprinkle cinnamon and coconut sugar over the dough evenly.
7. Roll the cinnamon rolls lengthwise into tight rolls and away from you. Use a piece of flavorless floss or a very sharp and thin knife to slice 12 rolls, and place into an olive or coconut oil-greased dish (any size that you have, you can use a round pan or a square one).
8. Cover again with a clean towel or wrap, and place over or by the oven to rise again while the oven preheats to 350F. See note for make-ahead option.
   Once the oven has preheated, bake the cinnamon rolls for 32-35 minutes, or until golden.
9. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the icing. To make the dairy-free icing, mix the powdered sugar with the dairy-free milk and vanilla extract. Smear onto cinnamon rolls.
10. If you have any leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container and place them in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, simply warm them on a baking sheet with parchment paper at 350F for 5-7 minutes.