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These healthy cinnamon rolls with a maple icing are everything you love about a cinnamon roll – gooey, cinnamon filling, sticky sweet glaze, and fluffy yeasted dough. But with less guilt! Made with coconut sugar, whole wheat flour, and almond milk these cinnamon rolls are a perfect way to start your holiday mornings.
I hope the word healthy didn’t just have you running in the other direction. Because it shouldn’t.
Not when the word healthy is followed by two words that immediately get me salivating – Cinnamon. Rolls. If you want to indulge in cinnamon rolls, but feeling a little guilty about doing so then these healthy cinnamon rolls are the answer.
Drooling yet? Should be.
What makes these cinnamon rolls healthy?
- Natural sweetener – I used coconut sugar in the filling and dough. Coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index than regular sugar so it won’t spike your blood glucose and insulin like white sugar does.
- 100% Whole Grain – This rolls are made with white whole wheat flour, which is a 100% whole grain but is made from a different variety of wheat than regular whole wheat flour so it’s softer in texture.
- Almond Milk – I usually use whole milk in my cinnamon rolls, but I swapped it out for organic almond milk. It’s rich in good fats and is a good source of Vitamin E.
- Healthy Fat – I used much less butter than I normally do. I highly recommend using organic, grass fed butter if you can. But you can also swap it out for coconut oil for a healthier alternative as well. Turn these into vegan cinnamon rolls by swapping out the butter for a vegan butter or coconut oil and you’re all set.
Ingredients for this cinnamon roll recipe
- Coconut Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Kosher Salt
- Unsalted butter (or coconut oil)
- Vanilla extract
- Almond milk
- Instant yeast
- White whole wheat flour
- Baking powder
- Confectioners sugar
- Maple syrup
How to make these cinnamon rolls
For the filling: Combine coconut sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Stir in coconut oil (or butter) and vanilla until mixture resembles wet sand; set aside.
For the dough: Grease 9-inch round cake pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper and grease parchment. Whisk warm milk, yeast, and coconut sugar in a bowl and let sit until bubbly about 5 minutes.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
Stir in yeast mixture and 2 Tbs. melted butter (or coconut oil) until dough forms. Dough will be sticky. Transfer dough to well-floured counter and knead until dough ball forms, about 2 minutes.
Roll dough into 12 by 9 inch rectangle with long side parallel to edge.
Brush dough completely with 1 tablespoon melted butter, leaving ½-inch border on far edge.
Sprinkle filling over butter and press filling firmly into dough.
My Secret For Forming Cinnamon Rolls
I used make cinnamon rolls and try to roll up the whole log of dough and then cut into rolls. I would recommend that you would either get a super sharp knife, throw up a prayer your dough was rolled up tight enough, or go find some thread and floss to cut it with.
Well no more! I’ve seen the light. Cut the dough before you roll it up. Yup cut it then roll it. It’s genius. It’s easy. I’m never going back.
So cut the dough into 8 strips. You’re welcome.
Roll each strip into a tight roll. Place each roll spiral side up.
Place buns into prepared pan. I place one in the middle and 7 buns in a circle around the middle one.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes, until dough springs back when gently pressed. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove plastic wrap and place buns in the oven until edges are well browned – 23 to 25 minutes. Rotating pan halfway through baking. Loosen buns from sides of pan with paring knife and let cool for 5 minutes. Flip buns out of pan and then flip again, right side up, onto platter. Let cool for 5 minutes.
For the glaze: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all glaze ingredients until smooth. Adjust consistency by adding more milk or more sugar, if needed. Drizzle glaze evenly over buns and serve.
Maple Icing
And of course, half the reason I eat those cinnamon swirled treats is the thick layer of vanilla cream cheese frosting on top. I decided to opt for a (slightly) healthier glaze and make a simple three ingredient maple icing
I combined organic powdered sugar, organic maple syrup, and almond milk. You can always adjust the consistency by adding more sugar, or more almond milk
Ok now you can dive in.
Bet you’re glad you busted out those sweatpants now aren’t you?
Tips for making these healthy cinnamon rolls
- Test the milk temperature. You want to use a thermometer to test the temperature of your milk before adding to the yeast. Yeast is a living thing, which means if the milk is too hot, it will kill the yeast. If the milk is too cold the yeast will not proof properly. Because this mixture uses Rapid Rise Yeast, it can be at a higher temperature than use for other types of yeast. The mixture can be between 120-130°F. You can read more here from Bob’s Red Mills about what temperature kills yeast.
- Measure your flour accurately. Either measure using this method described in this post, or use a kitchen scale for best accuracy. You will notice a range of flour. Start with the lower end and then sprinkle in a little bit more if it’s too sticky.
- Use A Stand Mixer. You can use your stand mixer with a dough hook attachment to make kneading this bread easy or make your bread dough in a mixing bowl with a dough whisk, and knead your bread dough by hand.
- Easy On The Flour. Once the dough is ready to be rolled out, make sure to not add too much flour to the dough. It’s fine to add a little extra if it’s sticky, but add as little as much as possible. Too much flour could result in a tough cinnamon roll.
- Let Rise In A Warm Spot. Your kitchen needs to be on the warmer side, otherwise your rolls may take longer to rise.
Recipe FAQ’s
Can I freeze these cinnamon rolls?
Yes! And you should! This is what eases the stresses of holidays. After rolling and cutting you can wrap the pan in plastic wrap (and then a layer of tin foil to ensure no freezer burn). When ready to bake, allow to thaw overnight in the fridge, or at room temperature for 2 hours then continue with the second rise and bake as directed.
You can also freeze baked cinnamon rolls. After baking, allow to cool completely before wrapping up and freezing.
You can also read my full post on how to freeze bread here. And be sure to download my FREE freezing bread cheatsheet.
How do you store cinnamon rolls?
If you have them covered in cream cheese icing, then they will need to be refrigerated (should keep for up to 2-3 days). Just warm them ( I do this in the microwave for a few seconds until warm and gooey again). You can also try warming them in the oven for a few minutes (200oF). If they are unfrosted, then you keep them at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Can I use active dry yeast?
You definitely can use active dry yeast instead, but your rolls may take longer to rise.
Can I use low fat milk instead?
You definitely can swap out the almond milk for any milk that works for you. Low-fat, whole, even soy.
What if my cinnamon roll dough is too sticky?
The dough should be somewhat sticky. It should come off the sides of the bowl, but still stick to the bottom of the bowl. If it’s not coming away from the sides of the bowl, then add in a bit more flour. Just add a few tablespoons at a time though, so you don’t end up adding too much (which will make for a tough cinnamon roll in the end).
Can I make these cinnamon rolls ahead of time?
Yes you can make them the night before. Just warm them up gently in an oven or in the microwave for a few seconds (10-15 for each roll.)
Can I make these vegan?
Yup just swap out the butter for a vegan buttery spread, or coconut milk and you’re all set!
More Recipes To Try
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- Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Glazed Yeast Donuts Recipe
- Easy Vanilla Cupcakes
- Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
These are one of 60+ Home Baking Projects To Try!
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Healthy Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the filling
- ¾ cup (3 ½ ounces) coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 Tbs. unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the dough:
- 1 ¼ cups almond milk (110 degrees)
- 4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 2 ¾ – 3 cups (330- 360g) white whole wheat flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 Tbs. unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled
For the glaze
- 1 cup (120 g) confectioners sugar
- 1-2 Tbs. almond milk
- 2 Tbs. maple syrup
Instructions
- For the filling: Combine coconut sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Stir in coconut oil (or butter) and vanilla until mixture resembles wet sand; set aside.
- For the dough: Grease 9-inch round cake pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paperand grease parchment. Whisk warm milk, yeast, and coconut sugar in a bowl and let sit until bubbly about 5 minutes.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in yeast mixture and 2 Tbs. melted butter (or coconut oil) until dough forms. Dough will be sticky. Transfer dough to well-floured counter and knead until dough ball forms, about 2 minutes.
- Roll dough into 12 by 9 inch rectangle with long side parallel to edge. Brush dough completely with 1 tablespoon melted butter, leaving ½-inch border on far edge. Sprinkle filling over butter and press filling firmly into dough. Cut dough into 8 strips. Roll each strip into a tight roll. Place each roll spiral side up. Place buns into prepared pan. I place one in the middle and 7 buns in a circle around the middle one. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes, until dough springs back when gently pressed. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove plastic wrap and place buns in the oven until edges are well browned – 23 to 25 minutes. Rotating pan halfway through baking. Loosen buns from sides of pan with paring knife and let cool for 5 minutes. Flip buns out of pa and then flip again, right side up, onto platter. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- For the glaze: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all glaze ingredients until smooth. Adjust consistency by adding more milk or more sugar, if needed. Drizzle glaze evenly over buns and serve.
Notes
- Freezing instructions: After rolling and cutting you can wrap the pan in plastic wrap (and then a layer of tin foil to ensure no freezer burn). When ready to bake, allow to thaw overnight in the fridge, or at room temperature for 2 hours then continue with the rise and bake as directed. You can also freeze baked cinnamon rolls. After baking, allow to cool completely before wrapping up and freezing.
- Storage: Keep them wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days. Just warm them ( I do this in the microwave for a few seconds until warm and gooey again). You can also try warming them in the oven for a few minutes (200oF).
- Test the milk temperature. You want to use a thermometer to test the temperature of your milk before adding to the yeast. Yeast is a living thing, which means if the milk is too hot, it will kill the yeast. If the milk is too cold the yeast will not proof properly. Because this mixture uses Rapid Rise Yeast, it can be at a higher temperature than use for other types of yeast. The mixture can be between 120-130°F. You can read more here from Bob’s Red Mills about what temperature kills yeast.
- Measure your flour accurately. Either measure using this method described in this post, or use a kitchen scale for best accuracy. You will notice a range of flour. Start with the lower end and then sprinkle in a little bit more if it’s too sticky.
- Use A Stand Mixer. You can use your stand mixer with a dough hook attachment to make kneading this bread easy or make your bread dough in a mixing bowl with a dough whisk, and knead your bread dough by hand.
- Easy On The Flour. Once the dough is ready to be rolled out, make sure to not add too much flour to the dough. It’s fine to add a little extra if it’s sticky, but add as little as much as possible. Too much flour could result in a tough cinnamon roll.
- Let Rise In A Warm Spot. Your kitchen needs to be on the warmer side, otherwise your rolls may take longer to rise.
Melanie says
Wow! This recipe is amazing! I am terrible at baking as I don’t follow recipes well, always adding or substituting things. I followed this one to the best of my ability (used a mix of whole wheat and bread flour and didn’t measure the cinnamon or vanilla). They turned out even better than expected and were too easy! Do not make these unless you are ready and willing to eat the entire pan in one day, they are that good. Thanks for the great recipe!
Heather says
aww amazing Melanie! I’m so happy you found these as delicious as I did 🙂 – and hey not measuring the cinnamon and vanilla isn’t so bad 😉 – a little extra of those are not a bad thing if you ask me!
Deidre says
These look amazing but I cannot find white whole wheat flour. Can I substitute for whole wheat or use half all purpose flour?
Thank you!
Heather says
Hi Deidre, yes you can use regular whole wheat flour (they may not be as fluffy as the recipe intended but should still work fine). Or use half all purpose flour yes.
Rae says
Wondering if I can let the dough rise overnight and pop in the oven in the morning?
Made these a few times and they are always perfect!!
Heather says
If letting rise overnight, I’d suggest proofing in the fridge so they don’t over proof. And then you may need to still let them proof at room temperature for a bit before baking. Glad you loved them!!!
Young says
These are great! My kids and husband loved them! My kids said “Mom, these are better than the regular ones (the ones in the can)!”
Heather says
oh best compliment ever!!!
KT says
I needed to try to cut the fat a little more. For the filling, I used a drizzle of maple syrup and spread it out with a spatula , just enough to allow the filling to stick. It worked.
The recipe worked great, but they had a rough texture and tasted…wet, like to much yeast or not enough rise time.
Do you think you could get a second rise out of the dough? Or what do you think I could do to not have it be wet? Thanks for developing this recipe.
Heather says
Hi KT, I’m wondering if the wetness is due to the extra liquid from the maple syrup. I would try without the maple syrup again and just press the filling down into the dough before rolling it up to see if that changes anything. That could make the dough wetter than intended. Also could be they were underbaked? Every oven is different so I recommend taking an internal temperature and make sure it reads 190oF.
B says
I used brown rice syrup instead of sugar so the filling oozed out the bottom some but the final
product still received approval from my household. Thanks for the recipe!
Heather says
Glad you loved these cinnamon rolls B 🙂