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These super-easy Healthy Cinnamon Rolls are clean-eating goodness rolled with love! They are made without refined sugar, and the main ingredient in the glaze is Greek yogurt.
Hooray for cinnamon rolls! Yes, people. Cinnamon rolls. I am SO excited to share this healthy cinnamon roll recipe with you today.
I love cinnamon rolls. Like love LOVE them. Almost as much as I love my Healthy Cinnamon Apples and my Cinnamon Raisin Overnight Oats. There's something so special about their ooey, gooey, cinnamon-y, sweet centers that I just crave.
It's like a sweet little present every time. And speaking of these cleaning-eating, wholesome treats, I still can't believe I don't have a cinnamon roll recipe on the blog. C'mon, we're talking about cinnamon rolls here, right?!?
Why? Well, it's kind of a long story...
Way back when, about 4 years ago, I wanted to add a healthy cinnamon roll recipe to the blog. So, like I always do, I started researching how to make cinnamon rolls and tried out a recipe or two. And they were COMPLETE failures. Like almost inedible. I say almost because, hey, we are talking about cinnamon rolls, here. And, well, me. Anyway, I was so shaken about these horrible outcomes that I decided I just couldn't make cinnamon rolls. It was just never gonna happen.
They were my Everest, and I just couldn't do it.
From time to time after that point, Dustin would suggest I try to make cinnamon rolls and I'd shrivel up into a pathetic ball and remember the horribleness. And then politely decline.
So...fast forward to about a month ago, when Dustin and I were making a list of all the recipes I should have on the blog, but don't...recipes like fried chicken, dinner rolls, chicken noodle soup, ravioli (man, don't get me started on my ravioli failures!), apple pie, and so on. And then healthy cinnamon rolls came up. Sigh.
It was time I put together a cinnamon roll recipe that tasted fantastic but could tick all the boxes for a clean-eating recipe. It was just time. So, I went back to the drawing board. I tried a few different things, made some adjustments, tried some more things, and then came up with this recipe.
Ingredients For Healthy Cinnamon Rolls
Whole Wheat Pastry Flour: Light whole grain flour that gives the rolls a soft but hearty texture. I've tried this recipe with oat flour and spelt flour as well, but whole wheat pastry flour holds up the best, and has the right density and texture.
Coconut Sugar: A less refined sweetener with a mild caramel taste, used in both the dough and filling.
Ground Cinnamon: Warm spice that defines the classic cinnamon roll flavor.
Greek Yogurt: Full-fat yogurt creates a creamy, tangy frosting without cream cheese. You can always use cream cheese, if you'd prefer.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Combine the milk, ½ cup coconut oil, and 2 teaspoons coconut sugar in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until heated through. Do not heat enough to boil, just until heated through.
Step 2: Set aside and allow to cool until it turns from hot to warm. You'll want the temperature to feel warm on your finger, but not to burn it. If the temperature is too hot, it will kill the yeast, which would mean the yeast would never rise.
Step 3: Sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk mixture and let it sit for approximately 2-3 minutes, until the yeast starts to grow and smell yeasty.
Step 4: In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk-yeast mixture with 4 cups of the whole wheat pastry flour and stir until just combined. The mixture will be sticky. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and let sit for 1 hour to rise. It will double in size.
Step 5: After 1 hour, remove the towel, and add the baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, and the remaining ½ cup flour. Using your hands, knead the dough and stir together to make dough go from semi-crumbly and powdery to smooth. This process of kneading the dry ingredients into the dough will take approximately 3-5 minutes.
Step 6: Start preheating the oven to 375 degrees, and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with coconut oil. Set aside. Now, it's time to assemble the rolls. Clear a very large, clean surface and sprinkle it generously with flour.
Step 7: Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a large rectangle, trying your best to keep the corners as square (90 degrees) as possible. The dough should be relatively thin. Take the remaining ¼ cup melted coconut oil and pour over the rectangular dough. Spread until dough is completely covered with the oil.
Step 8: Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup coconut sugar very generously over the entire surface of the dough. All the dough should be covered well. Sprinkle the ground cinnamon over the coconut sugar, making sure to cover all the dough. Don't be afraid to go for it with the cinnamon - it's gonna be delicious.
Step 9: Beginning at the end farthest from you, start to roll the dough towards you by using both your hands and working slowly, taking care to keep the roll as tight and as even as possible. Once it's completely rolled up, carefully lay the log down on its seam.
Step 10: Using a sharp knife or other tool (some people use dental floss - I use my handy dandy kitchen scraper, divide the log into 12 equal pieces. I start in the middle, then keep halving the two halves until there are 6 equal halves on each side, totaling 12 rolls.
Step 11: Carefully, place the sliced rolls down flat into the prepared baking dish in 4 rows of 3 rolls. You may need to slightly shape the rolls back into circles after slicing them.
Cover the baking dish again with the kitchen towels and let rise for an additional 20-30 minutes.
Remove the towel and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown.
Step 12: While the rolls are in the oven, make the frosting. Combine the greek yogurt, syrup, and extracts in a large mixing bowl, and stir to combine. Remove the rolls from the oven and, while still hot, pour the frosting over the rolls and spread evenly.
FAQs
How To Ensure The Cinnamon Rolls Rise
Careful application of the yeast will ensure fluffy and deliciously plump cinnamon rolls every time. When adding the yeast to the milk mixture, the warm milk must be just that - warm. If it’s too hot, the yeast will not work its magic, so make sure the liquid is the right temperature.
How To Make Refined Sugar Free Cinnamon Rolls
You have to include sweetness in this recipe to make it come out right as it bakes and to give the cinnamon rolls a delectable taste! But, my recipe replaces brown and granulated sugars with coconut sugar for the roll, and pure maple syrup adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the glaze.
You could also try using a monkfruit extract or stevia powder.
How To Make Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls
To make your Homemade Healthy Cinnamon Rolls gluten-free, switch the whole wheat flour for a gluten-free all-purpose flour. The ratio is 1:1. Although, for binding, you may need an extra egg.
How To Reheat Cinnamon Rolls
These healthy cinnamon rolls are easily reheated in either of the two following ways:
Microwave: Can be microwaved for 30-60 seconds
Oven: Place in the oven at 300 degrees until heated through
These super-easy Healthy Cinnamon Rolls are clean-eating goodness rolled with love! They are made without refined sugar, and the main ingredient in the glaze is Greek yogurt.
PREP TIME
2 hrs
COOK TIME
20 mins
TOTAL TIME
2 hrs 20 mins
COURSE
Breakfast
CUISINE
American
SERVINGS
12 Rolls
CALORIES
443 kcal
Ingredients
For The Cinnamon Rolls
2 cups unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice
½ cup plus ¼ cup melted coconut oil, divided
1 cup plus 2 tsp coconut sugar, divided
1 package active dry yeast
4 cups plus ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour, divided
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
For The Greek Yogurt Frosting:
2 ½ cups full-fat plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple extract
Instructions
1
Combine the milk, ½ cup coconut oil, and 2 teaspoons coconut sugar in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until heated through. Do not heat enough to boil, just until heated through.
2
Set aside and allow to cool until it reaches a warm temperature. You'll want the temperature to feel warm on your finger, but not to burn it. If the temperature is too hot, it will kill the yeast, which would prevent it from rising.
3
Sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk mixture and let it sit for approximately 2-3 minutes, until the yeast starts to grow and develop a yeasty aroma.
4
In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk-yeast mixture with 4 cups of the whole wheat pastry flour and stir until just combined. The mixture will be sticky.
5
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and let it sit for 1 hour to rise. It will double in size.
6
After 1 hour, remove the towel, and add the baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, and the remaining ½ cup flour. Using your hands, knead the dough and stir together to make dough go from semi-crumbly and powdery to smooth. This process of kneading the dry ingredients into the dough will take approximately 3-5 minutes.
7
Start preheating the oven to 375 degrees, and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with coconut oil. Set aside.
8
Now, it's time to assemble the rolls. Clear a very large, clean surface and sprinkle it generously with flour.
9
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a large rectangle, trying your best to keep the corners as square (90 degrees) as possible. The dough should be relatively thin.
10
Take the remaining ¼ cup melted coconut oil and pour over the rectangular dough. Spread until dough is completely covered with the oil.
11
Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup coconut sugar very generously over the entire surface of the dough. All the dough should be covered well.
12
Sprinkle the ground cinnamon over the coconut sugar, making sure to cover all the dough. Don't be afraid to go for it with the cinnamon - it's gonna be delicious.
13
Beginning at the end farthest from you, start to roll the dough towards you by using both your hands and working slowly, taking care to keep the roll as tight and as even as possible.
14
Once it's completely rolled up, carefully lay the log down on its seam.
15
Using a sharp knife or other tool (some people use dental floss - I use my handy dandy kitchen scraper, divide the log into 12 equal pieces. I start in the middle, then keep halving the two halves until there are 6 equal halves on each side, totaling 12 rolls.
16
Carefully, place the sliced rolls down flat into the prepared baking dish in 4 rows of 3 rolls. You may need to slightly shape the rolls back into circles after slicing them.
17
Cover the baking dish again with the kitchen towels and let rise for an additional 20-30 minutes.
18
Remove the towel and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown.
19
While the rolls are in the oven, make the frosting.
20
Combine the Greek yogurt, syrup, and extracts in a large mixing bowl, and stir to combine.
21
Remove the rolls from the oven and, while still hot, pour the frosting over the rolls and spread evenly.
NOTES
The rolls will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.
NUTRITION
Serving:
1 Roll
Calories:
443 kcal
Carbohydrates:
76g
Protein:
15g
Fat:
0.003g
Saturated Fat:
8g
Cholesterol:
2mg
Sodium:
241mg
Potassium:
389mg
Fiber:
9g
Sugar:
15g
📷
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
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