Have you tried Taco Bell’s Cinnabon Delights yet? These little bites of Heaven are fried balls of cinnamon rolls covered in a gooey glaze. And, they’re labeled as vegetarian in the stores. But, are Taco Bell Cinnabons vegan?
The Cinnabon Delights are not vegan. The dough and the icing contain animal-derived ingredients, such as cream cheese, milk, and eggs.
Let’s dive deeper into the following:
- What are Cinnabon Delights made of?
- Taco Bell’s Certified Vegetarian Menu
- A Vegan Alternative for Cinnabon Delights
- The Bottom Line
1. What are Cinnabon Delights made of?
The ingredient breakdown of the Cinnabon Delights is as follows:
Icing: Sugar, margarine, cream cheese, water, corn starch, corn syrup solids, cellulose, natural flavors, lactic acid, potassium sorbate (P).
Dough: Enriched wheat flour, vegetable shortening (palm and soybean oil), water, sugar, cage-free eggs, yeast, emulsifiers (nonfat milk, salt, mono and di-glycerides, sodium alginate), malted barley flour, enzymes.
Cinnamon sugar: sugar, cinnamon, soybean oil. Prepared in Canola oil.
Contains: Eggs, Wheat, Soy, Milk [certified vegetarian]
As you can see from this list of ingredients alone, a variety of animal ingredients is found both in the icing and in the dough.
If you’re wondering if the Cinnabon Delights are dairy-free, they are not. This recipe contains milk and also eggs.
Due to the presence of these animal-derived ingredients, Taco Bell’s Cinnabon Delights are not suitable for vegans.
However, if you go to a store, you will see that they are labeled with a green Vegetarian sign. What does that symbol mean then?
2. Taco Bell’s Certified Vegetarian Menu
As the popularity of plant-based diets continues to grow, more and more companies are taking steps to make their products more accessible to vegans and vegetarians.
Taco Bell is certifying their products as vegetarians with the American Vegetarian Association, which allows for the inclusion of dairy and egg ingredients, but not animal meat or animal by-products.
Therefore, the vegetarian symbol on Taco Bell’s Cinnabon Delights simply means that the product does not contain meat. However, as we have seen, the product is not vegan due to the presence of animal-derived ingredients such as eggs and milk.
Unfortunately, in the case of a baked product, ordering it vegan is not as simple as just not adding any cheese to your order, as you can do for other Taco Bell vegetarian products to make them vegan.
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3. A Vegan Alternative for Cinnabon Delights
Yes, baking your own vegan version of these delicious Cinabbon Delights is more work. But we couldn’t leave you hanging without a taste to satisfy your sweet tooth’s appetite for something awesome and compassionate too. This recipe is absolutely delicious!
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegan sugar
1/3 cup plant-based milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
6 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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FILLING:
1/4 cup vegan butter, softened to room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted to avoid lumps
2-3 tablespoons of plant-based milk
CINNAMON SUGAR COATING:
3 tablespoons vegan sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
VEGAN ICING:
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted to avoid lumps
2 tablespoons plant-based milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
1. preheat the oven to 350F degrees and spray a doughnut pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, milk, vinegar, 3 tablespoons of oil, and vanilla until combined.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until everything is well combined – do not overmix. The battery will be slightly lumpy.
5. Spoon batters evenly into each doughnut cavity – I use a small cookie scoop for this.
6. Bake doughnuts for 8-9 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of a doughnut.
7. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. While the doughnuts are cooling, make the filling by combining the butter, powdered sugar, and milk in a medium bowl and mixing until smooth – I use my stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for this. Set aside.
9. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon for the coating. Set aside.
10. In another small bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the vegan icing until smooth – I use my stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment for this. Set aside.
11. Once the doughnuts are cooled, use a small knife to cut a hole in the side of each one – I just make a small X shape. Be careful not to cut all the way through to the other side.
12. Spoon filling into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip and pipe into each doughnut until the filling is gone – you may need to re-cut the holes if they’ve closed up at all during cooling.
13. Dip the top half of each doughnut into the cinnamon-sugar mixture, then dip into the icing, and set back on the wire rack.
14. Let icing set for about 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
As you can see from this recipe, it is possible to make Cinnabon Delights without any animal-derived ingredients. These vegan doughnuts are just as delicious as the original but without any of the guilt!
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4. The Bottom Line
So, are Taco Bell’s Cinnabon Delights vegan? The answer is no, they are not. They contain both milk and egg ingredients.
While it is possible to make a vegan version of this baked product at home, ordering it vegan is not as simple as just not adding any cheese to your order, as you can do for other Taco Bell vegetarian products to make them vegan.
If you’re looking for vegan options at Taco Bell, you’re better off sticking to the items on the certified vegetarian menu that can be made without cheese or other animal products. If you’re unsure about whether or not a product is vegan, it’s best to ask the staff or look for alternative options.