Morgan's Gooey Orange Spiked Cinnamon Rolls with fresh orange icing

What can I say, these really are heavenly. If your newly (or long time) vegan ways have put a little bit of a damper  on the whole cinnamon roll situation, well, I have created the solution for you !  I'm not going to call these "health food" by any means, but they are definitley soooo much better for you than a regular cinnamon roll. No shortening, white flour, eggs, milk, or cruelty involved! With the hint of fresh orange zest going through them, it makes them even more delicious. Make these up for your families on a weekend and see if anyone even notices that they are 100% whole grain, and completely vegan also!! Isn't vegan life amazing!!

Morgan's Gooey Orange Spiked Cinnamon Rolls with fresh orange icing

makes 12 rolls

*whole process of making these will take roughly 2 hours*
printable recipe

What You Need:

3 tsp dry active yeast

1 Tbsp evaporated can juice sugar

1/2 cup warm water

Whisk well in a bowl. Let sit for about 5 minutes until foamy. While this mixture is sitting warm in a small saucepan...

1 1/4 cups unsweetened almond milk

3 Tbsp. Earth Balance butter

1 tsp salt

zest of 1 orange

2 Tbsp evaporated can juice sugar

Next, using a standing Kitchenaid mixer if you have on (this will make it so easy!) or you can do it all by hand, mix...

4 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour

2 Tbsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch

1/8 tsp xanthan gum

Whisk well, and then slowly add in the yeast mixture and the milk mixture. Let you mixer knead this for about 8-10 minutes, or knead by hand. Lightly butter a bowl, place the ball of dough in, and cover with a towel. let this rise for 1 hour, until doubled in size. While the dough is rising, make the filling...

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp evaporated cane juice sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp. cinnamon

Roll the dough into a large rectangle about the size of a cookie sheet pan. Melt a few tsp of Earth balance butter and brush the dough with the butter. Then sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture all over the top

Gently start rolling up like a snake starting at one of the long ends, not short ends. Roil up completely until you have something that looks like this...

Next, using a piece of floss, gently place the floss under  the cinnamon roll, then pull both strings up over the top, criss cross, and pull firmly to slice the dough perfectly! (this is the best trick ever!) Make the slices about 2 inches thick.  In a very lightly buttered large glass Pyrex dish, place the cut cinnamon rolls. You should have something like this...

Cover the cinnamon rolls one more time and let rise for about 45 minutes. While they are rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  After they are done rising, bake for about 15 minutes. Prepare the icing while the rolls bake...

Orange icing
1/4 cup Earth Balance butter
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
zest of 1 orange
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tsp vanilla

Whisk together with a hand mixer or standing mixer. 

Allow the rolls to cool for 10 minutes before icing them. Then spread all of the icing evenly over the top.
ENJOY, and when eating the leftovers, reheat for 15 seconds to make them warm and delicious all over again!!