On our childhood Saturday mornings, Mom mixed up batches of Mickey Mouse pancakes for my brother and me while we watched our favorite TV shows. During the commercial breaks, we rushed into the kitchen, doused our plates with maple syrup, and cut up the pancakes (ears first!) into as few bites as possible to shovel into our mouths. We needed lots of sugar energy to dance along to Gullah Gullah Island and Blueâs Clues! Â
If Mom ran out of milk or flour, she popped open a can of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls and drizzled lots of cream cheese icing on top as she pulled them from the oven. We ate them straight from the pan, so everybody wonâwe got our daily dose of sugar, and Mom had less plates and forks to clean!
Although I never really grew out of the whole âsweets for breakfastâ phase, I tried thinking of ways to nudge my taste buds in a healthier direction without sacrificing my cinnamon rolls. I acted impulsively on my first thought, âsavory cinnamon rolls!â by spreading cream cheese on the dough and sautĂŠing spinach to sprinkle on top. After waiting a few minutes in front of the oven and adding a little balsamic drizzle, I realized Pillsbury might lose this loyal customerâI actually want to eat veggies for breakfast now!
You can easily halve the recipe and bake the rolls in a 6â-round cake pan instead. Be sure to serve them warm!
- To prepare the dough, combine the water, yeast, and sugar in a medium bowl, and let it sit for 10 minutes or until bubbly. Stir in the whole wheat flour. Mix in a tablespoon of all-purpose flour at a time until a wet dough forms.
- Turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface. Knead the dough until it springs back when a finger is pressed into it (about 3-5 minutes). Shape the dough into a ball. Lightly spray a medium bowl with nonstick cooking spray, and place the dough ball inside, rolling it around until itâs coated with the spray. Lay a clean towel on top, and place the bowl in a warm, draft-free spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- About 30 minutes into the rising time, stir together the cream cheese and water in a small bowl until smooth. Chiffonade the spinach, and add along with the basil, salt, and pepper to a large pan coated with cooking spray. SautĂŠ over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the spinach turns dark green and wilts, about 2-3 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°, and lightly spray an 9â-round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- On a well-floured surface, punch down the dough. Spread the dough into a 8âx15â rectangle. Spread the cream cheese over the dough with a spatula, leaving a 1â border at one of the short ends. Sprinkle the spinach evenly across the top of the cream cheese.
- Starting with the other short end, roll up the dough into a log. Slice the log into 8 equal pieces, each about 1â wide. Place the rolls spiral-side-up in the prepared cake pan, and bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
- While the rolls cook, prepare the drizzle by whisking together the yogurt and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Spoon on top of the rolls just before serving.
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I just made these!! But they look no where as pretty and round as yours!! So fluffy – Cannot wait to eat them!! I baked them for 25 minutes to get a golden color – 15 minutes was still a tad on the pale side – Perhaps because I used a convection oven. Another keeper!! Thank you Amy!!
You’re on a roll Connie!! (No pun intended!! đ ) I’m so glad you enjoyed them! My secret to the best pretty and round “cinnamon” rolls is to use Red Star Yeast + Gold Medal whole wheat flour. That always yields the best results for me! đ
Aha!! I use Bob Red Mill’s flour and Fleishman’s yeast!! Going to keep on trying though – It is still very soft and fluffy – Just does not look as round and cute as yours!!
I’m glad their texture is still soft and fluffy! And that means a lot to me that you’d want to keep trying Connie!! đ