Need an easy but delicious breakfast? These Cinnamon Puff Pastry Swirls are buttery, packed with cinnamon sugar, and have just the right amount of crispy exterior. These cinnamon swirls take a fraction of the time of cinnamon buns since they use pre-made frozen puff pastry!
why we love these easy cinnamon swirls
These cinnamon swirls are like a cinnamon roll’s cousin. They have such a similar flavor but the puff pastry adds a rich, crisp bite to the swirls. They take less than 30 minutes start to finish to make, unlike yeast-based cinnamon rolls which can take around 3 hours! These puff pastry cinnamon swirls the perfect breakfast or bunch during the holidays when you want to make something homemade but you don’t want to spend a ton of time making it. These would be downright fabulous on Christmas morning!
These cinnamon swirls are also vegan, dairy-free, and eggless! Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry is accidentally vegan (in the U.S) and we are subbing vegan butter for dairy-based butter in this recipe. This recipe also calls for oat milk & maple syrup instead of eggs for the egg wash!
cinnamon puff pastry swirls ingredients
Yes! This recipe has only 6 ingredients! Yet another reason to love it. Hopefully, you already have most of these ingredients on hand. The frozen puff pastry sheets are the only ingredient you may need to pick up from the store if you don’t have them on hand.
To make this easy recipe, you’ll need to gather to following:
- Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets
- Brown Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Vegan Butter
- Oat Milk
- Maple Syrup
the best vegan egg wash
No eggs are necessary for these easy cinnamon puff pastry swirls. Today we’re using a combination of oat milk and maple syrup as our egg wash. This combo helps the ends of the puff pastry stick together (so they don’t unravel while baking). When baked, the maple syrup helps brown the tops of the swirls since the sugars caramelize when heated.
equipment and tools
This vegan cinnamon swirls recipe makes about 16-20 swirls. To make this recipe you’ll want a few tools or pieces of equipment to help it turn out perfect!
Below are some suggested tools to make these easy cinnamon puff pastry rolls:
- Digital Kitchen Scale: to measure all the ingredients accurately
- Measuring Cups or Scoops
- Rolling Pin
- Serrated Knife
- Parchment Paper
how to make the cinnamon swirls
The prep time for these puff pastry swirls is super fast. The ingredients take about 10 minutes to prep and assemble. Because we’re using frozen puff pastry in this recipe, it’s important to let it thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before trying to make these. If the puff pastry is still frozen when you go to roll up the swirls, it will crack and the end result won’t be pretty!
Below are the main steps for making these vegan cinnamon swirls:
- Mix together the softened vegan butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. The mixture should form a spreadable paste.
- In a small bowl, mix together the oat milk and maple syrup to form the vegan egg wash. Set aside.
- On a lightly floured surface or a surface with parchment paper spread out, unfold the puff pastry sheet.
- With a rolling pin, gently roll out the dough length wise, so it becomes 1-2 inches longer.
- Spread the cinnamon mixture onto the dough, leaving about ¼” border.
- Using a knife, cut the dough lengthwise so you have two strips of puff pastry about 4-5” wide. Combine the two strips together by gently pressing the short edges together with your fingers, so you have one very long strip of dough about 4-5” wide. If needed, you can brush a little bit of the vegan egg wash on the seam to help seal the dough together. This will help make the swirls larger in diameter once rolled up.
- Brush vegan egg wash on the short edges of the rectangle. Tightly roll the dough up into a log (the log should be about 4-5” wide). Using a serrated knife, cut the log into discs about ½” wide. You should be about to get about 8-10 swirls out of the log.
- Repeat with the remaining puff pastry sheet in the package.
- Place the swirls on a parchment-lined baking sheet with about 2” of space between each one.
baking the cinnamon puff pastry swirls
These swirls bake at 375F or 190 C, so you’ll want to preheat your oven to that temperature prior to baking.
- These swirls should bake for 17-18 minutes. They should be slightly brown on the top but should still appear soft. Once the swirls cool, they will become crispier on the outside.
cooling the cinnamon swirls
Let the swirls cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
It’s important to let the swirls cool completely! If you don’t, the glaze will melt when you put it on.
how to make the simple icing
These vegan cinnamon swirls definitely aren’t complete without this sweet simple icing on top. This frosting recipe should form a very thick glaze (like the photo above).
You’ll need the following:
- Powdered Sugar
- Oat Milk
- Vanilla Extract, optional
To make the glaze, mix the powdered sugar, and oat milk together in a small bowl. When drizzling the glaze, it should form thick ribbons. Spoon the glaze onto the cooled puff pastry cinnamon buns and sprinkle on more cinnamon if you’d like!
If it looks like your icing is too thin, add a tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time to the mixture until it reaches the desired consistency.
storing the cinnamon swirls
Once the cinnamon puff pastry rolls are glazed, they’re ready to eat! The glaze will harden up after about 15 minutes (similar to a thick donut glaze). These vegan cinnamon swirls will store well at room temperature for 2 days. I place mine in an air-tight container, like a glass Tupperware.
After about 2-3 days, the swirls won’t be as crispy and fresh. But you can definitely freeze the remaining swirls! I like to place them in a single layer inside a ziplock baggie. You could also stack them in a container with parchment paper between them. Then, pop them in the freezer and they’ll stay fresh for 1-2 months!
puff pastry cinnamon swirls tips & tricks
Below are some tips, tricks, and faqs to help you make the best vegan cinnamon swirls!
Yes! This recipe is dairy-free since it uses vegan butter for the filling. I recommend using Earth Balance Buttery Sticks in this recipe. This vegan butter has been tried and true in all my recipes over the years.
I’m using store-bought frozen puff pastry. Buying your puff pastry from the store is a lifesaver and a time saver. The brand I’m using is accidentally vegan (Pepperidge Farm brand). If you’re not able to find an accidentally (or intentionally) vegan puff pastry at the store, you could substitute store-bought crescent roll dough. It will have a bit of a different texture (less flakey and crisp), but delicious nonetheless.
These puff pastry cinnamon swirls have a very similar flavor to cinnamon buns, especially if you choose to top them with the simple icing! The texture is slightly different. Traditional cinnamon buns are made with enriched yeast dough. These swirls use storebought puff pastry. As the name suggests, puff pastry puffs up in the oven forming rich, slightly crisp layers of dough that are very delicious.
looking for more vegan baking recipes?
- Vegan Brown Sugar Grapefruit Donuts
- Birthday Cake Air Fryer Donuts
- Vegan Chocolate Yeast Donuts
- Cream Filled Gingerbread Donuts
Did you make these Cinnamon Puff Pastry Swirls? I’d love to know! Leave a rating and comment below!
Cinnamon Puff Pastry Swirls
Need an easy but delicious breakfast? These Cinnamon Puff Pastry Swirls are buttery, packed with cinnamon sugar, and have just the right amount of crispy exterior. These cinnamon swirls take a fraction of the time of cinnamon buns since they use pre-made frozen puff pastry!
They take less than 30 minutes to make and are absolutely delectable! They're also completely vegan, dairy-free and eggless.
Ingredients
- 1 package Frozen Puff Pastry Dough, Pepperidge Farm is accidentally vegan
Filling:
- 2 tbsp salted vegan butter, softened
- 6 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg, optional
Vegan Egg Wash (optional):
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp dairy free milk
Simple Glaze (optional):
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 2-4 tsp oat milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, optional
Instructions
- Let the frozen puff pastry thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- In a small bowl, mix the softened vegan butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg (if using). The mixture should form a spreadable paste.
- In a small bowl, mix together the oat milk and maple syrup to form the vegan egg wash. Set aside.
- On a lightly floured surface or a surface with parchment paper spread out, unfold the puff pastry sheet. If the puff pastry cracks at the seams, gently press the dough together so it is one sheet.
- With a rolling pin, gently roll out the dough length-wise, so it becomes 1-2 inches longer.
- With the back of a spoon, spread the cinnamon mixture onto the dough, leaving about a ¼” border.
- Using a knife, cut the dough lengthwise so you have two strips of puff pastry about 4-5” wide. Combine the two strips together by gently pressing the short edges together with your fingers, so you have one very long strip of dough about 4-5” wide. If needed, you can brush a little bit of the vegan egg wash on the seam to help seal the dough together. This will help make the swirls larger in diameter once rolled up.
- Brush vegan egg wash (or use water) on the short edges of the rectangle. Tightly roll the dough up into a log (the log should be about 4-5” wide). Using a serrated knife, cut the log into discs about ½” wide. You should be about to get about 8-10 swirls out of the log.
- Repeat with the remaining puff pastry sheet in the package.
- Place the swirls on a parchment-lined baking sheet with about 2” of space between each one.
- Brush the tops with the vegan egg wash. Optional, sprinkle on some granulated sugar on the tops.
- Bake the swirls at 375F for about 17-18 minutes. They should be slightly brown on the top but should still appear soft. Once the swirls cool, they will become crispier on the outside.
- Let the swirls cool on a wire rack before icing.
- To make the glaze, mix the powdered sugar, and oat milk together in a small bowl. When drizzling the glaze, it should form thick ribbons. Spoon the glaze onto the cooled puff pastry cinnamon buns and sprinkle on more cinnamon if you’d like!
- If it looks like your icing is too thin, add a tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time to the mixture until it reaches the desired consistency.
Notes
- Because we're using frozen puff pastry in this recipe, it's important to let it thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before trying to make these. If the puff pastry is still frozen when you go to roll up the swirls, it will crack and the end result won't be pretty!
- Avoid cutting the swirls thinner than 1/2" (this will make them cook too fast and result in very crunchy swirls after baking).
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 160Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 0gCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 1g
Nutritional info is an estimate.
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