These flaky cinnamon twists are lightly covered in cane sugar and cinnamon. Did I mention they’re vegan? No dairy, no eggs. Just delicious.
When I was a kid, my mom’s cinnamon twists were the envy of all my friends. Every year as the holidays approached, my mom would pack these tasty bundles of cinnamon doughy-ness in my lunch and my classmates would just have to have ’em.
They would offer me items from their lunch in exchange for just one cinnamon twist and – being the (somewhat) generous person I was as a child, I would share (sometimes). Now that I’m all grown I no longer feel the urge to bogart the cinnamon twists and am happily sharing my mom’s cinnamon twists recipe with the whole internet.
One catch though – I’ve made them dairy and egg free! If you’re vegan – this is great news. If you’re not – don’t worry, you won’t know the difference. Here’s a breakdown of how to make cinnamon twists from scratch. It’s pretty simple and the result is hella delicious.
Vegan Cinnamon Twists Recipe
Prep Time: 5 minutes / Cook Time: 15-20 minutes / Total Time: 20-25 minutes / Serves: Makes 32 cinnamon twists.
Cuisine: Baking / Description: Cinnamon Twists / Dietary Info:Dairy Free, Egg Free, Meat Free
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (or flour alternative)
1 tsp baking powder (try to get an aluminum free brand)
1 cup vegan margarine (such as Earth Balance)
1 chia “egg” (1 tbsp chia seeds + 2 1/2 tbsp water)
1/2 cup almond milk (or other milk alternative)
1 cup white sugar (I like to use cane sugar)
Cinnamon to taste
Directions
1. Mix flour, baking powder and margarine using a fork or masher.
2. Mix chia seeds and water in a separate bowl and let stand for 2-3 minutes to thicken.
3. Add milk to chia egg, stir, then add wet ingredients to flour mixture.
3. Use your hands to mix well. If too sticky, add a small amount of flour. If too dry, add a small amount of milk. Separate into 4 balls and chill in fridge for an hour.
4. Spread about 1/4 cup of sugar on counter. Add cinnamon until mixture is light brown in colour and lightly kneed one ball on top. Roll out the with a rolling pin until you have a circle about 10″ in diameter.
5. Spread the cinnamon-sugar mixture from the countertop on top of the dough circle until the dough is covered. Flip and repeat on other side.
6. Cut the circle like a pizza so you have 8 “slices.” Then, starting at the long end, roll each slice until the pointy end is tucked under the twist. Sprinkle more cinnamon-sugar on top if desired.
7. Repeat steps four to six for the remaining three balls of dough.
8. Place twists on one or two greased cookie sheets (you can also place them on parchment paper or on an eco-friendly silicone baking mat). Don’t worry about spacing them out too much as they don’t spread while baking the same way cookies do.
9. Bake at 325F for 15-20 minutes. Let cool completely, then store in an airtight container. (Or just eat them all in one sitting. I’ve done it before. You get over the shame pretty quickly.)
Do you have a favourite holiday baking recipe? Think you might give this easy cinnamon twist recipe a go? Comment below – let’s talk all things pastry! Please consider sharing the recipe with all your cinnamon twist loving friends… or just save it for yourself. I won’t tell.
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Last Updated on November 26, 2023 (Originally Posted on December 20, 2017)
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One CUP of cinnamon? Holy Hannah…I’ll have to rob a bank. But yes truly a legend is your mom’s cinnamon twists. I’m keto right now so sadly this won’t work for me but I’ll save it until I’m back to carb crunching.
Haha – that was actually a booboo. It should be 1 cup of sugar and cinnamon to taste, which I’ve adjusted above. It’s all rather loosey-goosey 😉
I’m sure there’s a way to make a keto-friendly version of cinnamon twists!