Vegan Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls

I'm not going to lie... I get a little lazy girl when I bake - it's very hard to really dedicate my entire life to baking when I have a non-baking career, when I volunteer, and spending time with family and friends. (Does that sound familiar to anyone?) But, I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing that we're busy. I think it's ok to have limited time and still manage to do something you love. In my case, baking! Sometimes, I wish that I can just twirl my magic wand and bake at an instant! (Really, I wish!) But in reality, I know I can't - that's why I find this recipe helpful when I'm busy!

I've always loved cinnamon rolls - I remember going to the mall or the outlet and going to Cinnabon but, did you know that ONE classic Cinnabon contains 880 calories?? I'm not surprised, but still, if my caloric intake is 1200-1500 calories per day, that's more than half of my daily caloric intake... what else am I suppose to eat after I eat ONE Cinnabon? Although I am a true believers of not completely eliminating specific type of food, if I can bake something similar to the commercialized desserts with more than half of the calories and preservatives, that is just an ideal dream of mine!

The reason behind my vegan cinnamon rolls is because, most cinnamon roll recipes have yeast, which not only takes time to let it rise, but also yeast is not "vegan". I wanted to see if I can make cinnamon rolls while still cutting back on the calories, dairy (I'm slightly lactose intolerant), and cutting back on time.

Here's one of my favorite vegan baking - vegan chocolate chip cinnamon rolls! Enjoy!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls
Servings: 9 cinnamon rolls

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 
• 2 Tablespoons sugar 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1 cup unsweetened soy milk 
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips 

Filling Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup brown sugar 
• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil 

Instructions: 

• Preheat the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• In a small bowl, mix all the filling ingredients and set aside. 
• In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt using a sift. 
• In the middle of the bowl, pour the unsweetened soy milk and 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil. Stir until a soft doughy-texture forms. 
• Add the chocolate chips to the dough mixture. 
• On a floured cutting board, place the dough and knead for about 6-8 times to allow the dough the form. 
• Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangular shape and spread the fillings. 
• Gently roll up the dough and spread the dough so that it will look leaner and longer to the side. 
• Slice the roll into 10-11 rolls. 
• Grease the pan with vegetable oil (about 1 teaspoon) and place the rolls. 
• Bake for about 18-20 minutes (I went with 18 since I did not want to overcook the dough. If you overcook it, it will be hard)
• Once you take it out from the oven, use a thin knife to slice the rolls. 

The dough is slightly elastic-y, so you might need to work hard to stretch it.  

What it looks like after you roll the dough. 

Dough is ready to be cut!

Rolls before going in the oven!

Look at these beauties fresh out of the oven! 

What I'm amazed about this recipe is that even without the yeast, it creates this soft and gooey cinnamon rolls - just the way I like it. This recipe is so easy with less time so it's one of my go-to desserts when I have a gathering to go to with a sudden notice ;)

With that being said, from my kitchen to yours, Happy Baking! 

Smiles, 

Mei