This past weekend, I flew to Minnesota to attend a food photography workshop put on by Lindsay, who writes the blog Pinch of Yum. If you’re following me on Snapchat (@AmyBakesHealthy) or Instagram, you already saw a few sneak peeks of the event and what we ate—hello gorgeous cupcakes!—and I’m going to share more about my amazing trip in the next few days.
But for now, let’s just say that I felt a twinge of first-day-of-school jitters the night before. I tossed and turned for half of the night, too excited and slightly nervous to truly fall into a deep sleep. What will Lindsay be like? What will my classmates be like? What are we going to learn? Am I going to fit in?
I shot out of bed the moment my alarm rang on Saturday, and I quickly rode the elevator to the hotel’s fitness center to squeeze in a quick workout. Although most of my nerves had resolved overnight, a little exercise always helps me relax into a calmer state of mind!
After showering, I walked three blocks over to a different hotel, where I met two of the other bloggers attending. We drove over to the studio space together, and as soon as we spotted the pretty gold balloons outside of the door and checked in with Abby, I inhaled with excitement all over again. I made it! This was really happening!
Lindsay was even sweeter than I imagined, and she made all of us bloggers feel right at home. She started off the workshop with a long breakfast bar with lots of delicious options: coffee, orange juice, fresh fruit, DIY yogurt parfaits with nuts and granola, and…
Donuts. Big, soft, fluffy pillows of perfection. Old fashioneds, sprinkled, glazed, cinnamon sugared, pure chocolate, little holes… You name it! They were provided by a local family-owned donut shop, and seeing that big box of pastries reminded me of my favorite donut place back home, which offers a very similar menu as well as sticky buns and cinnamon rolls the size of my face.
And somehow, I started craving cinnamon rolls.
So when I arrived home after the incredible weekend away, that was the first thing I baked, and these Healthy Classic Cinnamon Rolls tasted even better than the ones from our California donut shop! My family walked in while the pan sat cooling on the counter, and although they know the drill—no eating until after the treats have been photographed!—they swooped in as soon as I finished, and 8 of the cinnamon rolls had disappeared in the blink of an eye. My family couldn’t stop raving about them!
Yes, I know. “Cinnamon rolls” and “healthy” in the same sentence? How can that be?
Unlike traditional recipes, this one contains no refined ingredients! Instead, we’ll use 100% whole wheat flour in place of all-purpose and substitute coconut sugar for granulated or brown. This is the coconut sugar that I buy, and it’s fairly easy to find in grocery stores in the US. Walmart and Target almost always stock it too!
Oh, and these cinnamon rolls contain a lot less butter than traditional recipes too. Just 1 tablespoon for all 12 rolls!
Now I know that this is a yeast-based recipe, but don’t be afraid! Yeast is actually really easy to work with. It’s just another leavener like baking powder or baking soda, but instead of reacting with acid to create air bubbles and make your treats rise, it’s activated with sugar and warm liquid. We’ll let the yeast sit in its bubble-bath-in-a-bowl until it looks a little frothy, and then we’re all set to make these rolls!
I have a secret trick to slicing the cinnamon rolls: I use dental floss! If you have unflavored, that usually works the best. Cut off a long piece of floss, and slide it under the rolled up log of dough. Bring the two ends of floss upward, cross them over the top of the log, and pull. Ta da! A nice, clean cut without squashing the rolls.
If you’re a visual person, watch my video demo here!
After a short rise and a quick trip to the oven, these healthier cinnamon rolls are all ready to be devoured. And if you don’t want to share… I don’t blame you one bit!
And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your cinnamon rolls and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Healthy Classic Cinnamon Rolls | | Print |
- for the dough
- ¾ cup (180mL) warm nonfat milk (100-110°F)
- ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tbsp (24g) coconut sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 ¼ tsp (7g or one ¼-oz package) dry yeast
- 2 – 2 ½ cups (240-300g) whole wheat flour
- for the filling
- 6 tbsp (72g) coconut sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter, melted
- Lightly coat a 9”-round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Sprinkle the yeast on top, and wait 10-15 minutes or until the mixture turns frothy. Mix in 1 ½ cups of flour. If the dough is still wet, continue stirring in flour 2 tablespoons at a time until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead for 3-5 minutes or until the dough springs back most of the way when you gently press your index finger into it. Let the dough rest while preparing the filling.
- To prepare the filling, stir together the coconut sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- On a clean, well-floured surface, roll the dough out into a 16x10” rectangle. Brush with the melted butter, leaving a 1” border on the two longer sides. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar, leaving a 1” border on the two longer sides again. Carefully roll up the dough into a log, starting at one long edge and rolling towards the other one. Pinch the ends to seal. If the dough won’t stick together, gently brush the second longer edge with water before pinching to seal.
- Slice the log into 12 pieces using dental floss or a sharp serrated knife. Place the rolls into the prepared pan, and cover the pan with a clean towel. Set the pan in a warm, draft-free spot, and let the rolls rise for 30-45 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 18-22 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the sides feel firm. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before serving.
For the yeast, I used Red Star® Active Dry Yeast. It performs the best out of any yeast I’ve used, so I highly recommend it!
Brown sugar may be substituted in place of the coconut sugar, but the rolls will no longer be clean-eating friendly.
For more tips on kneading the dough and slicing the cinnamon rolls, watch my video here located above the recipe.
{vegan, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
Would light maragarine work in place of the butter or would the yeast not rise properly?
I’m honored that you’d like to try my recipe, Andrea! I think that should be fine to substitute. Just be careful melting it if you’re using a microwave; it tends to splatter and pop a lot, which can make a big mess! (Not that I’d know from experience or anything… 😉 ) I’d love to hear what you think of these cinnamon rolls if you decide to try making them!
Hi Amy… I would love to try this recipe as I have been on the hunt for a wholewheat cinnamon roll or a while now and from what I have come across yours looks the best. I was wondering if this dough can be mixed in a stand mixer? I have a KitchenAid that is great for mixing dough but have not yet seen a receipe for wholewheat cinnamon rolls where it’s mixed with an electric mixer. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks again!
I’m honored that you’d like to try my recipe, Teresa! I actually don’t recommend using a stand mixer to knead this dough. (I always knead by hand!) This is because it’s really easy to overwork the dough with a stand mixer, which will lead to a really gummy or chewy texture, rather than the light and fluffy texture of classic cinnamon rolls. It shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes to knead this dough, especially if you use the yeast I recommend. (And if you can find Gold Medal whole wheat flour, it works the best, rises the highest, and has the best texture out of every brand that I’ve tried!) 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of these cinnamon rolls if you try making them!
Thank you Amy. I will look for the GM whole wheat flour -right now it’s hard to find any type of flour as many people are baking during the pandemic. I will try this and as suggested will mix by hand. I will let you know how they turn out… can’t wait. Thanks again for responding -be well 🙂
It’s my pleasure, Teresa! I’m happy to help. 🙂 I completely understand about locating flour right now. It’s definitely not the easiest thing to find! If you can only find other brands of whole wheat flour, then I’d recommend substituting around ¼ cup of all-purpose flour for an equal amount of whole wheat flour, just to make sure your cinnamon rolls rise better, seeing as other brands don’t rise nearly as much. (I’ve had the worst luck with King Arthur’s whole wheat flour. It doesn’t seem to rise at all, which is so disappointing!).
If you have a Target or Walmart nearby that usually stocks Gold Medal whole wheat flour, I’ve found their websites to be SO useful in updating their stores’ inventory! That’s how I managed to find my flour. I had the Target webpage pulled up for the exact flour I wanted, and I refreshed it every day. As soon as it said “in stock,” I drove over and bought a few bags. (Grocery stores don’t always seem to keep their websites as up-to-date, for some reason!)
I’m really excited to hear what you think of these cinnamon rolls, once you get a chance to try them!
This is exactly the recipe I’ve been looking for! My husband, a diabetic who recently had his come to Jesus moment, is finally listening to me about food. He is allowed some sugar, but finding coconut sugar here in our Mexican village is impossible. And a trip to Guadalajara for “exotic” ingredients is not pandemic-friendly. I’m planning on making these with a reduced amount of brown sugar and decreasing the size. That way, he can have 1 as his breakfast carb paired with some protein. Any suggestions for baking time if I decrease diameter and cut 18 rather than 12?
I’m guessing I can freeze these individually once they’ve cooled. Prevents the “just one more” pleadings.
Thanks for a sensible alternative to most of the cinnamon roll recipes out there!
I’m so honored by your interest in my recipe, Barbara! If you’d like to make smaller cinnamon rolls, then I actually recommend my mini cinnamon rolls recipe here. It uses the same exact ingredients and has the same taste and texture as this recipe — but the instructions are for 24 mini cinnamon rolls instead of 12 standard sized ones! 🙂
Brown sugar is perfectly fine to substitute! Is there a granulated no-calorie sweetener that your husband enjoys? It may be possible to substitute some of that for the coconut/brown sugar so that your cinnamon rolls still taste as sweet, have the correct “gooey” cinnamon roll filling texture, and still stay within your husband’s allotted carbohydrates for breakfast. If you send along the names of any granulated no-calorie sweeteners that he likes, I’m happy to do some sleuthing to see if they’d work!
And you’re correct! Once cooled, the cinnamon rolls from either recipe freeze (and thaw!) really well. I can’t wait to hear what you and your husband think of them!
Thanks for your quick response. The minis are perfect! Unfortunately, my husband reacts badly to all the artificial sweeteners we’ve found, including Stevia. A friend has suggested erythritol, which comes both granulated and powdered. Don’t know if it will make that lovely goo, though. Since I have to order from Amazon, I’ll be putting off trying the recipe.
We both love a bite of sweet and gradually phasing that out has been a challenge. Your healthy baking is the best I’ve found so far!
I’m so honored that you’d say my healthy baking is the best you’ve found — I’m truly touched, Barbara!! 🙂
I’ve actually tried substituting erythritol for all of the sugar in the filling of my cinnamon rolls, and it doesn’t actually turn into that lovely gooey caramel-like filling. It stays granular and a bit crunchy, but it’s still sweet! Erythritol can also have a tiny bit of a mint-like taste, which some people (but not everyone!) can detect. However, if you’re only using 1-2 tablespoons in the filling, it might not be very noticeable. You may not even notice it at all, if you still use 5-6 tablespoons of brown sugar (which should be enough to get that gooey texture!). Just something to keep in mind!
Finally got my first batch made. I did the minis and they’re perfect as breakfast carbs. My husband hadn’t stopped making yummy sounds. I used brown sugar, but reduced the amount in the filling to 4 Tbl. Since we’re accustomed to eating less sweet, the amount is perfect. They were a little dry, but that’s totally on me. I think I got a little too enthusiastic with the kneading. I’ll do better next time. And there will certainly be a next time! This recipe is now in the “keeper” pile.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Oh my goodness, Barbara! I’m SO thrilled that both you and your husband loved the cinnamon rolls, and I’m honored that you’d take the time to let me know. That’s the best kind of compliment there is, if you’ve placed my recipe in your “keeper” pile and already think you’ll make it again! Hearing that made my entire day!! ♡
Amy, I made my rolls, but it’s getting late. I’m thinking about baking them in the morning. Can they keep overnight? Should I refrigerate them?
I’m so happy to hear you’re trying out this recipe, Kristen! We haven’t had the best luck with that method; these particular cinnamon rolls don’t rise nearly as high when prepared that way. However, they do reheat really well! So my first recommendation would be to bake them the night before and either (a) reheat individual cinnamon rolls in the microwave in the morning or (b) leave them in the pan, cover the top with foil, and pop that in the oven in the morning until they’re warmed through. I’d love to hear what you think of these cinnamon rolls!
Hi
I was curious if you think its possible to use 1 cup for cup Gluten free flour for this recipe? I have some king Arthur Cup for Cup flour.. do you think it would work? Normally you mention options for gf but I didnt see any. Running out to get some cinnamon today so we can have these xmas morning! <3
I’m so sorry for my delayed response, Siobhan! I took time off to be with my family during the holidays, and I’m just now able to catch up on blog-related things.
I haven’t had good luck with gluten-free flour in my yeast-based recipes, including this one. This is because gluten is the protein that allows yeast-based recipes to both rise and also maintain their shape during and after cooling. Since gluten-free flours lack that, they often don’t rise correctly, collapse while cooling, or turn out overly dense.
I’m still working on perfecting a gluten-free cinnamon rolls recipe, and if you’ve subscribed to my blog’s email newsletter, you’ll be the first to know as soon as I share it! 🙂
I hope you and your loved ones had a wonderful Christmas!
Hi Amy,
This is Litty from India. I do not have access to GM wheat flour. Can I use any other.brand of wheat flour available here?
Regards,
Litty
These came out delicious. I have a sensitivity to wheat, so I used a cup of rue flour, 1/2 c of spelt and 1 c of wheat. Next time, I’ll try less whole wheat and maybe kick up the other flours. These were soft and dense, but light at the same time. A keeper! thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these cinnamon rolls, Maureen! That’s the best kind of compliment, to call this recipe a keeper. Thank you for taking the time to let me know! I really appreciate you sharing your recipe modifications too. I always love hearing what tweaks work!
Hello..
I was wondering, can i make this dough with breadmaker? And if i use regular plain milk, will it make any different?
Thank you
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Siska! I don’t recommend using a bread maker. For the best texture, I recommend mixing and kneading by hand. It doesn’t take long to do — I promise! Any other milk should work in place of the nonfat milk. You shouldn’t need to make any modifications! 🙂
I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cinnamon rolls!
Hi! I just made these and they are delicious. We used white whole wheat flour with non dairy milk. Do you know if these are freezeable? Trying to meal prep for baby #2 arrival. Would you suggest parbaking them? Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these cinnamon rolls — and congratulations on Baby #2 too, Amber! I’ve frozen the fully baked cinnamon rolls, and that worked really well. I like to separate them first (so it’s easy to reheat a single cinnamon roll whenever I get a craving!). To thaw, I pop that single cinnamon roll in the microwave and heat it on 30% power until it’s warmed all the way through. It almost tastes freshly baked like that! 🙂
Hi 👋 this recipe looks lovely. I hav whole milk. Do u think i could use tht? Regards n lots of love