Vegan Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls
How do you impress your loved ones at this year’s Easter brunch? Easy: Combine two classics and get the best of both worlds. Our carrot cake cinnamon rolls combine fluffy yeast dough with a moist, cinnamon-infused carrot cake filling made from nuts, raisins, dates, and grated carrots. The whole thing is topped with a creamy carrot cake frosting and chopped pistachios—an amazing alternative to the traditional Easter braid.
Our Secret Ingredient: High-Quality Ingredients from KLUTH
To ensure our cinnamon rolls taste heavenly and have the perfect texture, we rely on KLUTH’s high-quality nuts, raisins, and dates. They add just the right amount of sweetness and chewiness, guaranteeing premium quality. We love it!
Our Perfect Yeast Dough – Beginner-Friendly & Simple
For this recipe, we use our go-to yeast dough recipe, which we’ve perfected over the years. The result? A light, soft dough that turns out great every time. If you think cinnamon rolls are complicated, we’re here to prove you wrong. While the dough needs its resting time, the preparation itself is quick and easy. A special tip: On the first warm days of the year, you can let the dough rise in the morning sun—the perfect way to start the day. You can prepare the dough the night before by letting it rise in the fridge overnight. In the morning, you have to roll it out, fill it, and shape it into cinnamon rolls. That’s how we love starting the day!
Cinnamon Rolls with a Twist
Our carrot cake cinnamon rolls are a visual highlight and a flavor sensation. The combination of fluffy yeast dough, spiced carrot cake filling, and fresh, lemony glaze makes these cinnamon rolls our new must-have office snack. That’s why we always make a big batch—let’s be honest, you can never stop at just one… oops. If you want more Easter brunch inspiration, check out our other recipes: vegan pudding pretzels, vegan wild garlic focaccia with crispy potatoes, or vegan eggs florentine.
Vegan Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the yeast dough:
- 42 g (1.5 oz) fresh yeast
- 375 ml (1.5 cups) warm water
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 600 g (4.75 cups) flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 40 g coconut oil
For the filling:
- 175 g (0.75 cup) margarine
- 315 g (1.5 cups) brown sugar
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- 0.5 tsp ground ginger
- 20 g (0.25 cup) walnuts
- 20 g (0.25 cup) hazelnuts
- 15 g (3 tbsp) almonds
- 40 g (0.33 cup) grated carrots
- 30 g (3 tbsp) raisins
- 4 dates
For the glaze:
- 190 g (0.75 cup) vegan cream cheese
- 1.25 tsp vanilla extract
- 115 g (1 cup) powdered sugar
- 1.5 tsp lemon juice
For the topping:
- chopped pistachios
Instructions
Place the yeast, brown sugar, and warm water in a bowl and sit for 10 minutes until the yeast blooms and rises to the surface. Heat the coconut oil until it melts but is not too hot. Add it to the yeast mixture along with the salt and stir well. Gradually knead 400 g (3 ¼ cups) of flour until the dough remains slightly sticky. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour until the dough has risen and bubbles appear on the surface. Add the remaining 200 g (1 ½ cups) of flour and knead well until the dough is smooth and elastic. Let rise for another hour in a warm place.
Chop the dates into small pieces. Mix the margarine, brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger powder in a bowl to form a thick paste. Add the remaining filling ingredients and mix well. Set aside.
Roll out the yeast dough on a floured surface into a rectangle (approx. 40 x 30 cm / 16 x 12 inches). Mix the carrot cake filling over the dough and roll it up tightly from the long side.
Cut the roll into 11 equal pieces using a knife or kitchen twine. Place the rolls in a greased baking dish and let them rise for another 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (fan) / 350 °F. Bake the cinnamon rolls at 180 °C (fan) / 350 °F for 30–40 minutes until golden brown.
While the cinnamon rolls are baking, mix vegan cream cheese, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and lemon juice into a creamy glaze. Spread the glaze over the warm or cooled cinnamon rolls.
Tipp: If you want to enjoy the cinnamon rolls a day or two after baking, simply pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to keep them moist and fresh.
