Road Trip! Cinnaholic in Berkeley

Having been a vegan for more than eleven years, most of my cravings for non-vegan foods have long since disappeared. One that's been tough to shake, though, is the longing for cinnamon rolls brought on by the aroma emanating from the Cinnabon store whenever I go to a shopping mall.


Thank goodness for Cinnaholic in Berkeley! I went to the Bay Area last week to visit my parents, and we took a short drive to this vegan cinnamon roll shop across the street from the U.C. Berkeley campus.


The cinnamon rolls I had in my non-vegan days were generally topped with vanilla frosting and raisins, but at Cinnaholic, you can customize your cinnamon roll. A large sign behind the counter lists thirty different flavors of frosting, such as butterscotch, key lime, or pumpkin spice, and twenty-two different toppings, including brownie chunks, cookie dough, and marshmallows.

It took me a long time, but I finally decided on butter pecan frosting with chopped pecans for the topping. It was incredibly good.

They also have some pre-made rolls in their bakery case, from which my parents made their selections. My mom was very happy with her choice of the coconut cream pie cinnamon roll, pictured below. I didn't get a picture of my dad's cinnamon roll, but it involved cookie dough and was apparently delicious.

Not knowing when I might get back to Berkeley again, I placed an order to go. Each cinnamon roll was individually wrapped, and little containers were filled with my choice of frosting and toppings. A card with reheating instructions was included with the order.

As my parents and I left the shop, I remarked that every vegan should visit Cinnaholic at least once.


"Bucket list," my mom said.


Bucket list indeed!


Cinnaholic is located at 2132 Oxford Street in Berkeley, and the phone number is 510-647-8684. Their website address is http://www.cinnaholic.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/Cinnaholic.Berkeley. They are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.