A little over a week ago, I decided I had waited long enough. Even though it barely felt like fall in my warm little corner of California, I had the biggest craving for eggnog, so I caved the weekend before Thanksgiving. (Please tell me I’m not the only one!)
However, I actually prefer vegan “eggnog” (or holiday nog, as they call it) over the real deal. It tastes the same to me, has fewer calories, and doesn’t make me paranoid about drinking eggs. I know, I know… The ones in eggnog are perfectly safe and treated properly. Yet after one too many warnings from my friend’s mother about sneaking spoonfuls of raw dough from the bowl while we baked chocolate chip cookies in elementary school, it’s still hard to take more than a sip without worrying!
Since most grocery stores nearby only stock regular eggnog, I searched online to see what specialty shops sold the vegan kind. With directions in hand, my guy and I hopped in the car, started off down the main road towards the freeway, and crawled to a halt at the stoplight in front of the train tracks right as the barricades lowered to let the locomotive and 27 freight cars through.
“Okay, a slight 3-minute delay,” we thought. But oh no… Once all of the freight cars chugged past the barricade, that locomotive eased into reverse, so the entire train went back the way it came to pick up more freight cars before moving forward yet again, all while blocking the road.
As soon as we realized the conductor’s plan, my guy threw our car into park, pulled out his phone, and began playing a game while I caught up on Instagram and saved recipes on Pinterest. Over half an hour later, the train finally chugged off, and we restarted the car to drive the rest of the way to the store.
After another slow-down at the grocery store (let’s just say nearly all of the patrons used walkers and carefully made their way through the checkout stands and the parking lot…), I finally had my Silk holiday nog in hand. A 20-minute trip turned into an hour-long ordeal, so I knew I wanted to make something special after how hard we worked to get the eggnog!
First on my list were these Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls, and oh boy, you guys… They’re a doozy! Full of the bright eggnog flavor, along with rich nutmeg and warm cinnamon, those sweet spirals disappeared in mere minutes!
Even better, these cinnamon rolls come together faster than the average recipe. With only one rise and no need to proof the yeast, they’ll be out of the oven—and in your stomachs—over an hour sooner!
Yes, that’s right. Skip the proofing! Usually, recipes require yeast to sit and foam in warm liquids before mixing in the flour. I tried making these that traditional way first, then skipped the proofing and just mixed everything together in the bowl for my second batch. I couldn’t tell a difference. Both were just as light and fluffy!
Note: I love Red Star Yeast for my bread and cinnamon rolls. It’s very dependable, and my baked goods turn out extremely airy every time.
When it comes to kneading and slicing the dough, I highly recommend watching my video beneath the recipe. When I asked on Facebook, many of you seemed slightly hesitant to work with yeast, so hopefully the video helps. Plus… I give away my fail-proof secret trick on how to cut perfectly round cinnamon rolls in the video!
After baking and sampling these Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls, I literally gave away almost all of them to my guy’s friends. Otherwise, I would’ve eaten my weight in cinnamon rolls for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert! That prominent eggnog taste, with a background of cozy spices, and the sweet spirals with their sticky caramelized sugar…
Well, they just might make another appearance on Christmas morning!
These sweet eggnog cinnamon rolls are light and fluffy, with a warm complement of cinnamon and nutmeg. They taste lovely warm or at room temperature. Store any leftovers in an airtight container or zip-topped bag for up to 4 days.
- To prepare the dough, whisk together the eggnog, butter, brown sugar, nutmeg, and salt until thoroughly combined. Stir in the yeast. Mix in the flour, about ½ cup at a time, until it forms a dough and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl (generally around 2 cups total). Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead for a few minutes, or until the dough mostly springs back when you gently press your index finger into it. Let the dough rest while preparing the filling.
- To prepare the filling, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl.
- Lightly coat a 9”-round pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- On a clean, well-floured surface, roll out the dough into a 14x10” rectangle. Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with the spiced sugar, leaving a ½” border on the two longer edges. Gently pat the spiced sugar into the dough with your palms. Carefully roll up into a log from one long edge to the other. Slice into 12 rolls using unscented dental floss (as shown in the video below). Arrange the rolls into the prepared pan. Cover the pan with a clean towel, and place in a warm draft-free place for 30-45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Once the rolls have risen, bake them at 350°F for 18-21 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the sides feel firm. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Notes: For the yeast, I used Red Star® Quick Rise Yeast. It performs the best out of any yeast I’ve used, so I highly recommend it!
For a vegan version, substitute Earth Balance Buttery Sticks for the butter, and use your favorite non-dairy holiday nog (such as Silk or So Delicious).
For more tips on kneading and slicing cinnamon rolls, watch my video in the blog post below or on YouTube.
{vegan, low fat, low calorie}
Hi Amy! do u think I could use skim milk to replace the eggnog? My country rarely sells it!
No eggnog? I’m so sorry Jan! Were you mainly looking for a plain snickerdoodle recipe? If so, I’d recommend using the cookie dough from this recipe instead (without any of the chocolate chips or M&Ms). Chill and roll in cinnamon sugar (nutmeg is optional) like with this recipe. I’d love to hear what you think!
Good morning! I was actually look for a plain cinnamon roll recipe and chanced upon your youtube video! (anyway you should post more! Its great!). (Not to mention that i have been following you for a while on pinterest!)
So i was wondering if i can just replace the eggnog with skim milk cause thats what i have.
Another question, i can made regular dinner rolls with this dough recipe as well am i right?
Cheers, Jan.
Oh my goodness Jan, I’m SO sorry about that!! I completely misread the original comment. Yes, of course you can substitute eggnog with skim milk! I might suggest adding an extra 1/2 tablespoon of butter in the dough to make up for some of the richness lost by the eggnog. Or maybe use about 5 tablespoons of milk plus one egg. Any which way, they should turn out just fine! 🙂 And yes, if you skip the filling, you could easily make dinner rolls with these. I’d love to hear what you think of them!
Thanks for this healthier version of eggnog cinnamon rolls. I had been looking at another one before and that one had way to much sugar and eggnog in. This one sounds amazing! So if I use regular eggnog will the calories be more?
It’s my pleasure Laura! 🙂 Yes, the calorie count will probably be a little higher if using regular eggnog. This is the nutrition calculator that I use, if you’d like to figure out the exact difference. I can’t wait to hear what you think of the cinnamon rolls!