These Blood Orange Cinnamon Rolls are gooey, topped with a delicate pink citrus glaze, and made without any animal ingredients. Bright blood orange flavor balanced with warm cinnamon makes these rolls a memorable vegan treat.
If you like vegan baking, try the apple cinnamon bread recipe for another dependable treat.
🍊Why bake this
With an orange-scented dough and a pretty pink glaze, these rolls are a showstopper. Bake them when you want:
- A soft, gooey homemade cinnamon roll that holds together well;
- A bright blood orange dessert with a citrus twist.
📃Ingredients and substitutions
Blood oranges. They give a slightly berry-like citrus flavor and a natural pink hue. Use navel oranges if blood oranges aren’t available.
All-purpose flour. Unbleached all-purpose flour gives the best texture for these rolls; other flours may change the crumb and rise.
Almond milk. Any plant milk (oat, cashew, soy) works for a vegan version; use dairy milk if you prefer a non-vegan option.
Vegan margarine. Use any neutral-flavored vegan margarine for a dairy-free roll, or butter to make it non-vegan.
Refer to the recipe card below for exact amounts and the full ingredient list.
🥣How to make it
These orange cinnamon rolls are straightforward to make. A stand mixer with a dough hook speeds things up, but hand kneading works too.
Step 01. Combine dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients, and knead until smooth — about 6 minutes with a stand mixer or 8–10 minutes by hand. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
Step 02. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling.
Step 03. Roll the dough into a rectangle. For fewer swirls and a fluffier roll, roll to about 3/4 inch thick; for more swirls and a chewier texture, roll thinner (about 1/4 inch).
Step 04. Brush the dough with softened margarine.
Step 05. Spread the filling evenly, leaving a 1-inch margin along the long edge so the roll seals easily.
Step 06. Roll the dough tightly, pinch the seam to seal, and cut into 1 1/2-inch rounds. Place each roll in a lined baking pan.
Tips for slicing the roll:
- Use a very sharp knife, a serrated blade, or unflavored dental floss to get clean cuts.
- If using a blade, let the knife do the work — don’t press down hard to avoid squashing the rolls.
- If using dental floss, slide a long piece under the log, bring the ends over the top, and pull in opposite directions to slice cleanly.
Step 07. Cover the rolls and let them proof for about 45 minutes, until light and puffy. Bake at 350° F for about 25 minutes, until lightly golden on top.
Step 08. Whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth.
Step 09. Pour the pink blood orange glaze over the warm rolls and allow it to set for a few minutes before serving.
✔️Expert tips
- Rise time varies with temperature. In a cold kitchen the dough will take longer to rise — be patient and wait until it’s doubled.
- Use room-temperature ingredients and lukewarm (not hot) milk to help the yeast activate consistently.
- Easy cleanup: Let the dough rise in an oiled bowl to avoid sticking.
- Flour your work surface to prevent the dough from sticking while you roll it out.
- Fill edge to edge, leaving only a small margin on one long edge so the roll seals properly.
🙋🏻♀️Questions you might have
Yes. Baking them touching produces softer rolls with less crust.
Yes. For overnight preparation, cut and arrange the rolls in the pan, cover, and refrigerate. The next day, bring them to room temperature for about 1 hour before baking.
Yes — simply omit the cinnamon from the filling, or replace it with another spice like cardamom or pumpkin pie spice.
🫙Storing and freezing
Store cooled rolls in an airtight container at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, for 2–3 days. Keep them covered to prevent drying out.
To reheat, microwave one or two rolls for 15–20 seconds, or warm in a low oven until heated through.
To freeze, cool completely, place in a freezer-safe airtight bag, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature before reheating.
🧁More vegan baking recipes
Vegan Graham Crackers (with Coconut Oil)-
Fall Pumpkin Spice Granola
-
Vegan Apple Bread
-
Eggless Brioche (Vegan Brioche)
If you tried this Blood Orange Cinnamon Rolls Recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and share how it went in the comments below!
📖 Recipe
Pink Blood Orange Cinnamon Rolls
Tatiana Kamakura
Equipment
- Square baking pan
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon blood orange zest
- 1 cup almond milk, lukewarm
- 1/3 cup blood orange juice
- 4 tablespoons vegan margarine, room temperature
Filling
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons vegan margarine, softened
Glaze
- 1 2/3 cup icing sugar
- 1/4 cup blood orange juice
- 2 teaspoons blood orange zest
- 1 tablespoon vegan margarine, melted
Instructions
- In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Add blood orange zest and juice, warm almond milk, and margarine. Mix until a dough forms.
- With a dough hook on medium-low, knead about 6 minutes until the dough pulls away from the bowl and feels smooth and slightly tacky. If kneading by hand, work for about 10 minutes.
- Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
- For the filling, mix brown sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
- Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Flour the work surface and roll the dough into a 14×20-inch rectangle. Choose thickness: ~3/4 inch for fluffier rolls or ~1/4 inch for more swirls.
- Brush the dough with 1 1/2 tablespoons margarine, spread the filling evenly leaving a 1-inch margin on the long edge, then roll and seal the log.
- Cut into 1 1/2-inch rounds and arrange in the prepared pan with about 1/4 inch between each.
- Cover and let rise 45 minutes until light and puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C).
- Bake for 25 minutes, until lightly golden on top.
- Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes before glazing.
- Sift icing sugar, then whisk together with margarine, blood orange juice, and zest until smooth.
- Pour glaze over warm rolls and serve.
Notes
Substitutions:
- Use navel oranges if blood oranges aren’t available.
- To make the recipe non-vegan, use dairy milk and butter in place of plant-based milk and margarine.
For slicing:
- Use a very sharp knife, a serrated blade, or unflavored dental floss for clean slices.
- When using a blade, avoid pressing too hard to keep the rolls’ shape.
- With dental floss, slide a long piece under the log, wrap around the top, and pull in opposite directions to cut.
Note: During cold weather, allow extra rising time if your kitchen isn’t warm.
Nutrition
Let us know how it was!