If you’re searching for the ultimate vegan Rotiboy cinnamon bun recipe, you’re in the right place! These Malaysia-inspired buns capture the signature soft, buttery texture with a sweet cinnamon crust—without any dairy, making them perfect for vegans and lactose-intolerant foodies. My journey with Rotiboy began in Singapore, but the original recipe was off-limits due to my sensitivity to dairy. When my American husband—a decade-long vegan—visited Singapore, I wanted to share these addictive Southeast Asian treats with him. So I set out to veganize the classic Rotiboy bun as authentically as possible.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Rotiboy Recipe
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Dairy-free & vegan friendly: All the fabulous buttery flavor, totally plant-based.
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Cinnamon twist: Inspired by Rotiboy’s signature coffee crust, but swapped for cinnamon by request (the coffee topping is coming soon!).
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Surprise butter center: The best part—the melted vegan butter encased inside, just like the original.
Story & Inspiration
Originating in Penang, Malaysia, the iconic Rotiboy swept through Singapore in the 2000s. I tasted my first Rotiboy in the heart of Raffles Place—craving more, but held back by lactose intolerance. Fast-forward: My husband and I now veganize Southeast Asian recipes as a way to stay connected with my roots and share the flavors of childhood.
Veganization Tips
With a heightened sense of taste and memory for textures, I strive for recipes that recreate 80–90% of the original experience. This cinnamon version channels familiar aromas with a buttery surprise in every bite—my husband loves cinnamon, so it’s now our go-to!
Recipe Highlights
Outcome: “These buns are phenomenal! The vegan butter center leaks out when you tear them apart—the flavor is intense and lingers even the next day,” my husband reported after taste-testing (and filming).
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Even if the butter soaks into the buns overnight, the center retains a bold buttery taste.
Recipe Adaptation
Adapted from “nyonyacooking.com coffee buns foolproof.”
Rotiboy Cinnamon Buns – Easy and Vegan Friendly
This recipe makes the famous Rotiboy buns with cinnamon-flavored crust, and we are sharing the secret method to keep the butter within the buns during and after baking. This recipe is dairy-free and egg-free!
Ingredients
Dough – Part 1
- 42 g vegan butter (about 3 tbsp)
- 220 g all-purpose flour (or bread flour, about 1 ¾ cups)
- 5 g active dry yeast (about 1¾ tsp)
- 5 g soy milk powder (optional, about 2 tsp)
- 28 g granulated sugar (about 2¼ tbsp)
Dough – Part 2
- 110 g almond milk (avoid high-fat milk, about ½ cup)
- 28 g vegan butter (cold, about 2 tbsp)
- 3 g salt (about ½ tsp)
Cinnamon Crust Topping
- 8 g ground cinnamon (about 1 tbsp)
- 15 g water (for cinnamon) (about 1 tbsp)
- 90 g confectioner’s sugar (or granulated sugar, about ¾ cup)
- 85 g vegan butter (about 6 tbsp)
- 11 g Bob Mills egg replacer (about 1½ tbsp)
- 45 g water (for egg replacer) (about 3 tbsp)
- 100 g all-purpose flour (about ¾ cup)
Instructions
Freeze Butter Before Starting on Dough
- Divide vegan butter into 6 portions. Use cling wrap to wrap the individual butter cubes. Freeze while you proceed to make the dough. *I use a vegan butter stick where there are tbsp markings.
- Ingredients: 3 tbsp vegan butter
Dough – Part 1
- In a large mixing bowl, combine and mix all-purpose flour, instant yeast, soy milk powder, and granulated sugar.
- Ingredients: 200 grams all-purpose flour; 1 ¼ tsp instant yeast; 1 ¼ tsp soy milk powder; 2 ½ tbsp granulated sugar
Dough – Part 2
- Gradually stir in almond milk and mix using a spatula, then hand-knead to a rough ball (about 2 minutes).
- Ingredients: 110 grams of almond milk
- Transfer the dough to a kneading mat (or lightly floured surface) and add vegan butter and salt to the dough. It will be messy at first. Knead till the butter is fully absorbed by the dough. Pick up the dough and throw it on the kneading surface, and quickly grab with a claw-like motion and pull the dough up, and keep repeating. Kneading is complete when you wet your fingers to pinch a small piece of the dough and stretch it out the dough and it doesn’t break – the windowpane test.
- Ingredients: 2 tbsp cold vegan butter; ½ tsp salt
First Proofing
- Lightly grease the mixing bowl with butter (or olive oil) and roll the dough to coat. Cover with cling wrap (I use a food-grade shower cap) and let rise in a warm place for an hour. I usually just leave the oven light on and place the dough to rise in the oven.
- While the dough is proofing, proceed to prepare the cinnamon crust topping.
Cinnamon Crust Topping
- Mix ground cinnamon with 1 tbsp water, and set aside.
- Ingredients: 1 tbsp ground cinnamon; 1 tbsp water
- Using a handheld mixer or whisk (takes longer) to cream butter and sugar till fluffy.
- Ingredients: ¾ cups confectioner’s sugar; 6 tbsp vegan butter
- Mix 1 ½ tbsp of egg replacer with 3 tbsp of water, and let it sit for a minute.
- Ingredients: 1 ½ tbsp Bob Mills egg replacer; 3 tbsp water
- Add the cinnamon mixture to the creamed butter and mix till roughly combined, then add the vegan egg and mix till combined. The mixture will look clumpy and wet.
- Add all-purpose flour and fold till fully incorporated.
- Ingredients: 100 grams all-purpose flour
- Chill the cinnamon topping in the fridge until ready to use.
Wrapping and Shaping the Dough
The dough should be almost double the original size after proofing. Punch down the dough. Divide the dough into 6 big portions and 6 small portions. Mine turned out to be around 15g each for small dough balls, and 45g each for the big dough balls.
Bring out the frozen butter and remove the wrappings.
Flatten the small dough ball and place the butter in the center. Pull up the edges of the dough and pinch the seam closed. Make sure the seam is closed to prevent the butter from leaking. Repeat for the rest of the small dough balls.
Now, flatten the big dough ball and place the wrapped butter dough in the center with the seam facing down. Pull the edges of the dough and pinch the seam close, again making sure that the seam is fully closed. Repeat for the rest of the big dough balls.
Line the parchment paper on a baking sheet and place the doughs apart from one another.
Second Proofing
Cover the doughs with a clean kitchen towel, and let them rise for 45 minutes.
Fifteen minutes before the proofing is complete, preheat the oven to 375℉ or 190℃.
Piping The Topping
Five minutes before the proofing is complete, bring out the cinnamon topping from the refrigerator and transfer it to a piping bag.
When the dough is done proofing, pipe the cinnamon topping on the dough in a circular pattern and cover as much of the dough surface as possible.
Baking
Bake the buns for about 12 minutes.
Remove the buns from the oven and cool them on a cooling rack.
Note
- I use Country Crock avocado butter stick; it is unsalted.
- Using the claw and slap method, the dough turns out to be soft and light. The baked buns are very fluffy and light too.
- The topping will melt, more so without the use of real eggs, so don’t be alarmed. We just eat the melted crust as snacks!
