Mocha Cinnamon Rolls (Vegan)

Name: Mocha Cinnamon Rolls (Vegan)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 40 min
Ingredients: 40 g (4 Tablespoons) white bread flour; 200 ml (½ + ⅓ cup) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy); 225 ml (¾ cup + 3 Tablespoons) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy) (cold); 60 g (⅓ cup) light brown soft sugar; 2 Tablespoons instant espresso powder; 1 ¼ teaspoons salt; 500 g (4 cups) white bread flour; 10 g (3 teaspoons) instant/fast action yeast; 70 g (5 Tablespoons) vegan butter (softened); 85 g (6 Tablespoons) vegan butter; 90 g (8 Tablespoons) light brown soft sugar; 35 g (4 Tablespoons) cocoa powder; 3 Tablespoons instant espresso powder; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 120 ml (½ cup) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy); 200 g (7 oz) dark chocolate (finely chopped); 175 g (1 ½ cups) icing (powdered) sugar; 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder; 2 Tablespoons non-dairy milk

Go to Recipe

Mocha cinnamon rolls - these vegan chocolate and coffee swirls are soft, gooey, rich but not too sweet and utterly moreish!

They are made using the tangzhong method to help make them extra soft and squishy and are filled with an indulgent chocolate coffee ganache and drizzled with coffee glaze.

Mocha cinnamon rolls in a pan with one removed, with cups of coffee and a caffetiere.

These mocha cinnamon rolls are soft, squishy, sticky and addictively good!

They contain coffee in the dough, filling and glaze, which may seem excessive, but the coffee flavour is actually fairly mild; it accentuates and deepens the chocolate really well, giving the rolls a rich, irresistible flavour.

They make a delicious breakfast or mid morning snack, especially because they contain a fair bit of caffeine! (Maybe not one to give to children however...).

A labelled photo of the ingredients needed to make mocha cinnamon rolls.

Ingredient Details:

Bread flour: White bread flour helps to give these mocha cinnamon rolls their soft, fluffy, chewy texture. Plain (all-purpose) flour will also work though the texture isn’t quite the same. I don’t recommend using wholemeal flour as that will make the rolls too dense.

Instant yeast: I always prefer to use instsant yeast when making bread as it can just be added straight to the flour and doesn’t need to be activated first.

Salt: You simply cannot make good bread without salt. Don’t omit it.

Non-dairy milk: Soy milk is always my favourite for baking as it has the highest protein content so most closely resembles dairy milk. Any variety of non-dairy milk will work however, but go for an unsweetened one if you can, and definitely soy milk if you have it.

Vegan butter: While in most cases I only recommend using a block butter for baking, in this case a tub variety is fine as well (but not one of the low-fat ones!). I used Flora Original.

Sugar: You will need light brown soft/muscovado sugar for the dough and filling, and icing (powdered) sugar for the glaze.

Espresso powder: I use instant espresso powder to add the coffee flavour as it dissolves easily. You can use regular instant coffee granules instead, but for the dough you will need to dissolve them in the milk first.

Chocolate: Use a vegan friendly dark chocolate, around 60-70% cocoa solids is ideal.

Cocoa powder: Either dutch processed or natural is fine.

Cinnamon: This is optional but I like the flavour of a bit of cinnamon in the ganache filling.

How To Make Mocha Cinnamon Rolls:

(Full measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page)

Step 1: To make the tangzhong, place the flour in a saucepan and gradually whisk in the milk.

Place the pan over a medium/low heat and whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened to a paste/pudding-like consistency.

Step 2: Scrape the tangzhong into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and pour the cold milk on top.

Add sugar, espresso powder, salt, flour and yeast. Stir until it forms a rough dough then set the stand mixer to a medium speed and mix until the dough is smooth and stretchy.

Add the softened vegan butter and knead for about another 5 minutes until it is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth, elastic and no longer feels greasy.

Step 3: Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and place in a warm spot to rise for 1-2 hours.

Step 3, the dough before and after rising.

Step 4: To make the filling, heat the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, cinnamon and milk in a pan until melted. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and stir until melted. Set aside until cooled and thickened.

Step 5: Roll the dough out on a floured surface to an approx 38 x 48 cm rectangle. Spread over the chocolate filling.

Use a pizza roller or a sharp knife to cut the rectangle lengthways into 12 strips.

Step 5, the rolled out dough with the chocolate filling spread on, cut into strips.

Step 6: Gently roll the strips up into spirals, don't roll them too tightly.

Step 7: Arrange the rolls spaced apart in a lined 23 x 33 cm tin. Cover and set aside to rise for about 45 minutes until puffy.

Step 7, the rolls before and after rising.

Step 8: Bake the rolls for 35-40 minutes until nicely browned.

Step 9: To make the glaze, sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the espresso powder and stir in enough milk to make a pourable consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the buns and serve.

Top Tips:

As with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale rather than the cup conversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!

Make sure that your yeast isn't out of date! Old yeast can lead to dough that doesn’t rise.

The rising time of the dough will vary depending on how warm it is; on hot days it will rise much faster than on cold ones.

Bread flour will give you the best texture; but you can use plain (all-purpose) flour instead if you don’t have any. I don’t recommend using wholemeal/whole wheat flour as that will result in dense, heavy mocha cinnamon rolls.

These vegan mocha cinnamon rolls are best eaten on the day they are baked but will still be good for a couple more days, especially if you warm them up a bit before serving.

Mocha cinnamon rolls in a rectangular metal pan.

Can I Bake These Mocha Cinnamon Rolls In Advance?:

These mocha cinnamon rolls are best eaten on the day they are baked but the tangzhong does help to keep them soft for a couple of days.

If you want to make them in advance you have two options:

1.Make the dough in the evening and let it rise in the fridge overnight then continue with the recipe in the morning.

2. Bake the cinnamon rolls in the evening the day before you want to serve them but do not add the glaze. Allow them to cool in the pan then cover them tightly.

The following day, tent the pan with tin foil and reheat them in the oven at 180C/160C fan/350F/gas mark 4 for about 5 minutes, until warmed through. Add the glaze and serve. Alternatively you can warm individual rolls in the microwave for a few seconds.

How To Tell When Cinnamon Rolls Are Baked:

The best way to tell if bread is baked properly is to check the internal temperature with a probe thermometer. It should reach at least 90°C/194°F.

Overbaked cinnamon rolls will be dry and if they are underbaked then you will be eating raw dough, yuck!

It is impossible to give a one-size-fits-all baking time as all ovens vary; and you cannot tell if cinnamon rolls are baked through just by looking at them, they could be beautifully browned on the outside but still raw in the middle.

I really do recommend investing in a probe thermometer, it is an incredibly handy kitchen tool!

If you don't have a thermometer then a toothpick inserted into the centre of the middle cinnamon roll should go in and out smoothly with little resistance and come out clean.

FAQ's:

Can I knead the dough by hand?

This is a soft, sticky dough so it is easiest made in a stand mixer. You absolutely can knead it by hand if you don't have one, just be prepared to get a bit messy.
When kneading, you shouldn't flour the surface as you will end up incorporating too much flour and making the dough too dry. Instead, if the dough is sticking too much, you can lightly oil the worksurface and your hands to help, or just be prepared to get a bit sticky!
A bench scraper is incredibly handy when kneading dough by hand to unstick the dough from the surface.

Can I freeze them?

Yes, the baked mocha rolls can be frozen once they have cooled completely. Freeze them on the day they are baked to preserve freshness.
They should be frozen in an airtight container or well wrapped in the pan to protect from freezer burn. Allow them to defrost at room temperature then refresh in a low oven for 5-10 minutes or in the microwave for 10-20 seconds before serving. I do not recommend freezing unbaked cinnamon rolls.

Can I make them gluten-free?

No, I’m afraid that you cannot use gluten free flour. Making gluten free bread is tricky and the entire recipe would need reworking. Gluten free baking is not my area of expertise so I cannot advise you. It is best to use a recipe that is designed to be gluten free rather than trying to adapt a non gluten free recipe.

More Vegan Cinnamon Roll Recipes:

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5 from 1 vote