These no-bake cinnamon rolls deliver all the classic flavor of traditional cinnamon rolls without the need for baking, making them quick and easy to prepare. They’re wholesome, protein-packed, refined sugar-free, and perfect for kids, toddlers, or anyone looking for a fast, delicious treat!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Have you been picking up on the hype surrounding Erewhon’s (aka the MOST expensive grocery store in the world) raw cinnamon rolls? Well, whether you’ve tried one before or want to see what the hype is about without shelling out $10 per roll, these homemade no-bake cinnamon rolls are here to save the day. With just 8 ingredients, 25 minutes prep, and a food processor, they are easy to make at a fraction of the cost – Just blend, roll, and chill.
With simple, nutrient-dense ingredients like oat flour, almond flour, and dates, they’re like a mix of raw bliss balls, traditional cinnamon rolls, and cookie dough – with a soft yet dense, chewy texture and flavor like a fig newton with a cinnamon twist. They’re also gluten-free, dairy-free, naturally sweetened, vegan, optionally nut-free, and loaded with fiber, protein, and healthy fats for a quick snack or healthy dessert.
Did I mention my 1-year-old is obsessed with these? She can’t get enough of them!
You might also enjoy more traditional yeast apple cinnamon rolls or other raw vegan dessert recipes like no-bake brownies or Snickers stuffed dates.
The Ingredients
The ‘dough’ and filling for these raw vegan cinnamon rolls share several ingredients, with only 8 ingredients required for the entire recipe.
- Dates: Plump, sweet Medjool dates are best, but others, like Noor Deglet, work too.
- Nut/seed butter: i.e., almond butter, peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, tahini, etc.
- Oat flour: Store-bought or grind your own in a blender – certified gluten-free oats if necessary.
- Almond flour: Or other ground nuts, like pecans, hazelnuts, or nut-free sunflower seeds.
- Dairy-free milk: Any, i.e., almond, coconut, oat, or soy milk, etc.
- Vanilla extract: Use natural vanilla for the best flavor.
- Cinnamon
- Sea salt
Please read the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, measurements, complete recipe method, and nutritional information.
Recipe Variations
- Protein powder: Swap some oat flour for protein powder, but note that some types may affect the texture of the no-bake cinnamon rolls, making them slightly ‘chalky.’
- Pumpkin spice: To sub the cinnamon for a raw dessert with a tasty fall twist.
- Chopped pecans: For crunch in the filling.
- Dark chocolate: To drizzle over the top for a touch of decadence.
- Quick glaze: Mix sugar-free powdered sugar + dairy-free milk/coconut butter into a drizzle.
- Caramel drizzle: Make a nut butter/date-based caramel sauce or my coconut-based vegan caramel sauce as a topping for the raw cinnamon rolls.
How to Make No-Bake Cinnamon Rolls
Prepare the Dough
- First, if the dates are dry, soak them in hot water for 5-10 minutes, then drain.
- Blend the dates, oat flour, almond flour, and nut/seed butter in a food processor until combined.
- Add a tablespoon of dairy-free milk and continue to mix into a dough – it should stick when pressed between fingers. Pause and scrape down the sides of the jug as needed.
- Shape the dough into a ball, place it on parchment paper, flatten it into a rectangle, and cover it with another sheet of parchment paper.
- Roll the dough using a rolling pin to a 9.5-inch (24 cm) square (or a similarly sized rectangle), about 1/6 inch thick (0.4cm).
Prepare the Filling
- Blend the filling ingredients (dates, nut/seed butter, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and 1 tbsp milk) in a food processor into a thick, smooth paste.
If needed, add more milk, a teaspoon at a time.
Assemble the Raw Cinnamon Rolls
- Evenly spread the cinnamon filling mixture over the ‘dough’– if it’s sticky, use a lightly greased spatula for easy spreading. It can help to leave ½ inch from the edges to avoid oozing.
- Then, carefully roll the dough into a swirl, peeling it from the parchment as you go.
- Freeze the cinnamon bun roll for an hour, then use a sharp knife or dental floss to slice it into 12 rolls (about ¾-inch/2cm thick).
Enjoy it chilled or warm (just a few seconds in the microwave will do!)
Storage Instructions
Fridge: In an airtight container, separated by layers of parchment paper to avoid sticking, for up to a week.
Freezer: Wrap the raw cinnamon rolls in plastic wrap in a Ziplock for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
FAQs
Can I substitute the oat flour?
You could try ground quinoa flakes or millet flakes. More almond flour works, too, but makes it denser.
Can I add more sweetness?
Yes – I’ve made this recipe free from added sugar, but if you have a sweet tooth, you could replace the milk with maple syrup. That said, the cinnamon rolls are already pretty sweet!
Can I use regular all-purpose flour?
I don’t recommend it, as all-purpose flour isn’t safe to be eaten raw.
Recipe Notes
- Use the best dates: Medjool dates are recommended as they’re plump, soft, and naturally very sweet, which is important since I add no sugar.
- A high-speed food processor works best: Scrape down the sides as needed to help it.
- Adjust the amount of milk: To form a cohesive ‘dough’ and smooth filling – a teaspoon at a time.
- Chill before slicing: To ensure clean cuts and a nice round swirl shape.
More No-Bake Vegan Desserts
- Raw vegan blueberry cheesecake
- No-bake caramel brownies
- No-bake granola cups
- Vegan coconut cups
- No-bake avocado cheesecake
- No-bake chocolate banana pie
If you try this healthy raw cinnamon rolls recipe, I’d love a comment and ★★★★★ recipe rating below. Also, please don’t forget to tag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan #elavegan—I love seeing them.
No-Bake Cinnamon Rolls
Video
Ingredients
Dough:
- ½ cup (100 g) dates soaked
- ¼ cup (65 g) nut/seed butter (e.g. almond/peanut/sunflower seed butter)
- 1 cup (90 g) oat flour
- ½ cup (50 g) almond flour
- 1 Tbsp dairy-free milk (see instructions)
Filling:
- 1 cup (200 g) dates soaked
- 3 Tbsp (48 g) nut/seed butter of choice
- 1 ½ Tbsp cinnamon (use less if making for kids)
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 Tbsp dairy-free milk (see instructions)
- 1 Pinch of salt
Instructions
Prepare the Dough
- You can watch the short video for visual instructions.First, if the dates are dry, soak them in hot water for 5-10 minutes, then drain.
- Blend the dates, oat flour, almond flour, and nut/seed butter in a food processor until combined.
- Add a tablespoon of dairy-free milk and continue to mix into a dough – it should stick when pressed between fingers.Pause and scrape down the sides of the jug as needed.
- Shape the dough into a ball, place it on parchment paper, flatten it into a rectangle, and cover it with another sheet of parchment paper.
- Roll the dough using a rolling pin to a 9.5-inch (24 cm) square (or a similarly sized rectangle), about 1/6 inch thick (0.4cm).
Prepare the Filling
- Blend the filling ingredients (dates, nut/seed butter, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and 1 tbsp milk) in a food processor into a thick, smooth paste.If needed, add more milk, a teaspoon at a time.
Assemble the Raw Cinnamon Rolls
- Evenly spread the cinnamon filling mixture over the ‘dough’– if it’s sticky, use a lightly greased spatula for easy spreading. It can help to leave ½ inch from the edges to avoid oozing.
- Then, carefully roll the dough into a swirl, peeling it from the parchment as you go.
- Freeze the cinnamon bun roll for an hour, then use a sharp knife or dental floss to slice it into 12 rolls (about ¾-inch/2cm thick).
- Enjoy it chilled or warm (just a few seconds in the microwave will do!).
Notes
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
„Simple and Delicious Vegan“ Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:
I only eat oatmeal if it’s cooked.(as I do with any other cereal) Does cooking this ruin the experience? It looks yummy, thanks!
No worries, the oats are perfectly fine used this way. They’re commonly used raw in things like overnight oats, energy balls, or no-bake desserts.
But if you prefer, you can also quickly toast the oats or oat flour in a dry pan for a few minutes before using them. That way they’re lightly cooked and it will still work perfectly in the recipe. 😊
it looks delicious 😋, well i will definitely try it by the grace of God Almighty
You are very welcome! 🙂
Das Rezept klingt herrlich. Nur kann ich mit Nuss-Samenbutter nichts anfangen. Wo bekomme ich die denn?
Danke & liebe Grüße aus Wien,
Birgit
Hallo Birgit! Das ist Nussmus und das bekommst du doch bestimmt fast überall in Wien. Hier ist das deutsche Rezept: https://elavegan.com/de/roh-vegane-zimtschnecken/
🎶🧿
I just made it. Let’s see how it turns out.
How should I store it? In the fridge?
Hey Maru! Yes, I mentioned it in the post:
Can I use oat flour only, instead of part almond flour?
Hi, I don’t recommend it as the texture won’t be as soft and tender. Almond flour adds richness and a slightly buttery, melt-in-your-mouth feel, which makes a big difference.
If you’re avoiding almond flour, you could try substituting with another nut or seed flour (like cashew or sunflower seed flour). Or, to help make up for the missing fat and softness, you could add some teaspoons of coconut oil to the dough. That can help improve the texture and keep it from turning out too dry or dense.
Let me know how it goes if you experiment with it! 😊
perfect! Made it without milk at all (used the water from the soaking the dates instead); doubled the water content for the dough and used 2 tbsp of water for the filling! A-ma-zing! Reminded me Russian sherbet
That sounds like a fantastic tweak! Using date-soaking water is a great way to keep all the natural sweetness. Love that it reminded you of Russian sherbet—such a nostalgic touch! 😊
The oat flour or oats they can be wholewheat oats or it needs to be instant oats. Im confused because its no bake
There’s actually no such thing as whole wheat oats because oats and wheat are two different grains. You might be thinking of:
Whole grain oats – These include oat groats, rolled oats, or steel-cut oats, which still have their bran and germ.
You can absolutely use ground rolled oats in a no-bake dessert.
Hope that helps! 😊
Thanks very much. It was really helpful. Im in a spanish speaker country so sometimes Im not sure about names and I really want to go for gluten free. So I bought whole grain oats and I will make them into flour
So glad it was helpful, Carolina. 🙂
What else could be used if we can’t do Oat flour.
Hey, I answered your question in the FAQs.
These are delicious!!
I’m so glad you liked them, Janel! 😊
can I just use almond flour and no oat flour
Hi Tina, it could work fine, but it might turn out a bit too sticky and rich. Let me know how it goes if you give it a try! 🙂
This recipe is amazing ! Just tried it and absolutely love it thank you ! So quick and easy to make too
Thank you so much, Emma! I’m really glad you loved it. Quick and easy recipes are the best, right? Enjoy! 😊
I just made this now and it is super easy to make and very healthy. I can’t believe there’s no added sugar! Very rich flavour and creamy. Thank you!
Hi Marianne! I’m so happy you loved the recipe! 😊 It’s amazing how rich and creamy these cinnamon rolls are without any added sugar. Thanks for trying it out! 💛
have not made them yet, but they really look good Maria
Thank you, Maria! I hope you enjoy them when you give them a try. Let me know how they turn out! 😊