Over two years ago, I left my job in the chemistry world to begin blogging full-time. When I filed the paperwork to quit, my head spun with excitement over my new life: baking and photographing all day long, creating my own hours, working from home… Little did I know that I picked the harder path!
Building a business from the ground up is hard. Rewarding, yes—but hard.
However… It became much easier when I realized that I wasn’t alone. Food bloggers are incredibly friendly and supportive, and nearly everyone out there will provide valuable advice and help each other grow—anything from learning the latest social media like Snapchat to making suggestions that fix failed recipe testing attempts to teaching different photography styles.
Because of this, the food blogging world feels like a family or community to me.
Last winter, I started receiving a few comments from another food blogger named Meg, who runs With Salt and Wit. Her little notes were short and sweet, and when I popped over to her blog, I was amazed at her gorgeous photography and how she managed to make just about every recipe healthier.
Flourless peanut butter chocolate cookies… Skinny red velvet cookie dough dip… Deep dish salted caramel chocolate chip blondies… Pass me a plate!
And now, Meg is expecting a little baby boy to join her family next month, so a few of my food blogger friends and I are hosting a virtual baby shower to celebrate! Since Meg has a big sweet tooth and has craved carbs throughout her pregnancy, I thought that these Whole Wheat Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls would be perfect to share—healthier breakfast treats that taste like dessert!
Apple pie for breakfast… Have you ever done that? Don’t be ashamed—I’m raising both of my arms as high in the air as they’ll go! My grandma baked amazing homemade apple pies when I was a kid, and I always wanted to get a head start on the leftovers the next day before anyone else could touch them. Oops!
This recipe starts with a simple 100% whole wheat yeast dough. Have you baked with yeast before? I promise it isn’t scary! Yeast is simply a leavener, just like baking powder or baking soda. Whereas the latter two create air bubbles that make your baked goods rise when mixed with acid, yeast does the same thing when mixed with warm liquid and a bit of sugar.
That’s all there is to it!
Hint: I share my tips on creating and kneading yeast dough in my video here. I also show you my secret trick on how to cut perfectly round cinnamon rolls!
Once you’ve mixed up the dough and rolled it into a rectangle, it’s time to add the filling. Remember the homemade slow cooker apple pie filling we made a few days ago? And how I mentioned that we’d use it in another recipe soon? This is it!
We’ll spread the homemade apple pie filling across the dough before rolling it up into a log. I usually pinch off both ends to seal the filling inside to help with the mess, but some will still leak out when you slice the log into individual rolls with dental floss. (That’s my secret trick!)
After you place the rolls inside of the pan, simply spoon the filling that oozed out on top and into the spirals of the rolls. Or put the spoon directly in your mouth for a taste test. I won’t judge!
Then let the rolls rise for half an hour until they look like big puffy pillows, pop them in the oven to bake, and…
Ahhhhh… You just can’t beat dessert for breakfast!
| Whole Wheat Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls | | Print |
- ¾ cup (180mL) warm nonfat milk (100-110°F)
- 1 tsp coconut oil, 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
- 2 cups homemade apple pie filling
- Lightly coat a 9”-round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the milk, coconut oil, 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 for 5 minutes.
- On a clean, well-floured surface, roll the dough out into a 16x10” rectangle. Spread the apple pie filling on top, 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 long ends to seal. If the dough won’t stick together, gently brush the second longer edge with water before pinching to seal. Pinch the short ends to seal as well.
- Working quickly, slice the log into 12 pieces using dental floss or a sharp serrated knife, and place the rolls into the prepared pan as soon as they’re cut. Scoop up any filling that leaked out with a spoon, drizzle over the rolls in the 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 24 minutes; then carefully cover the pan with foil to prevent the tops from burning. Bake for an additional 5-9 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® Quick Rise Yeast. It performs the best out of any yeast I’ve used, so I highly recommend it! Both regular and rapid rise yeast will work.
White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, and all-purpose flour may all be substituted for the whole wheat flour.
Butter may be substituted for the coconut oil.
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 underneath the recipe.
{vegan, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
Be sure to check out the rest of the incredible recipes our friends have shared for Meg’s virtual baby shower!
♥ Apple Cheesecake French Toast with Maple Cider Syrup by Mariah’s Pleasing Plates
♥ Butternut Squash, Pear & Ricotta Bruschetta with Sage Oil by Floating Kitchen
♥ Caramel Apple Mini Pie Cups by The Creative Bite
♥ Caramel Cheesecake Apple Dip by The Cookie Rookie
♥ Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins by Dinner at the Zoo
♥ Cranberry-Apple Cider Punch by Diethood
♥ No Bake Apple Pie Bites by Recipe Runner
♥ No Churn Pumpkin Caramel Ice Cream by Pumpkin ’n Spice
♥ Pear Pie with Pecan Streusel by The First Year
♥ Pumpkin Cheesecake French Toast by Whole and Heavenly Oven
♥ Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars by Diary of a Recipe Collector
♥ Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread by Deliciously Sprinkled
♥ Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting by Chez CateyLou
♥ Pumpkin Pie Mousse by Petite Allergy Treats
♥ Pumpkin Polenta Cups by Cooking and Beer
♥ Pumpkin Spice Latte Coffee Cake by Joyful Healthy Eats
♥ Slow Cooker Turkey Breast by Weary Chef
♥ Turkey Cranberry Sandwiches by The Gunny Sack
Wow Amy, these rolls look stunning and the photos are first class as always. I love the idea of the virtual baby shower, such a nice way to congratulate the mother-to-be, pinned!
Thanks for your sweet comment and pin Eve!
Oh I’ve totally had pie for breakfast many times. I figure if donuts can be considered a breakfast food, then why not pie! This cinnamon rolls sounds so perfect for fall baking! I just love this time of year and all the warm, cozy smells!
“If donuts can be considered a breakfast food, then why not pie! ” <-- I LOVE your thinking Liz!! And by that logic, cookies and cupcakes count too... Because cinnamon rolls have frosting like cupcakes, right?? 😉
These rolls look so soft and fluffy. I’d love to make them for breakfast.
I hope you enjoy the rolls if you try them Elaine!
OH my goodness! WHAT have you gals done?! I am so flattered. And beyond hungry now for some sweets 😉 These apple pie cinnamon rolls are right up my alley as the filling is the best part of pie and cinnamon rolls are always a great idea! Love how you lightened these up…definitely adding to my fall baking list!
Much love! XOXO
With how sweet you are and how hard you work, you deserve it Meg!! ? If you only lived a little closer, I’d bake a batch just for you so you could have that much more time to relax!
Hi Amy,
Your blog caught my attention when I know that you quit as a chemist two years ago. I am a pharmacist who quit my profession and now cooking full time in my cafe!
Love cinnamon and I guess we need some excitements in recipe creation from time to time. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
KP Kwan
Congratulations! That’s a huge deal to step away from your pharmacist career to open a café. I’m very impressed and inspired by your story of following your dreams!
Thank you. Will keep cooking and baking.
OMG! I tried these yeasterday and they are amazing 🙂 really really good. Thank you so much for all the amazing recipes and the clean treats
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cinnamon rolls Carlota! 🙂
Amy, your story is inspiring <3 It is honestly my dream to be able to blog full time, I Love it so much! I could not agree more that the food blogging world seems like a mini community to me. I might not get many comments, but the ones I do get, make me feel so happy and inspired! These rolls you made look so fluffy and delicious! Now I am in a fall mood!!
Thank you so much for your kind comment Erin! Hold on tightly to that dream. You’ll get there someday, and it’ll probably be sooner than you think! 🙂
Is there a gluten free flour you’d suggest using?
I don’t have any experience with gluten-free yeast breads, and since they can be rather finicky, I don’t feel comfortable providing a suggestion. However, my friend Jane blogs at The Heritage Cook, and she just published an entire cookbook on gluten-free yeast-based recipes. She’d be a great person to ask! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try these cinnamon rolls Valerie!