During graduate school, I woke up one Saturday morning craving cinnamon rolls. As I rolled out of bed, slipped into workout clothes, and laced up my running shoes, visions of cozy spiced spirals filled my head, and I thought about that airy, buttery dough encasing them as my feet pounded the pavement on my 4-mile route around the neighborhood.
When I arrived back home and started stretching my legs to cool down, I tried distracting myself by listing the other available breakfast options in my pantry and fridge: my favorite Trader Joe’s cereal, oatmeal, English muffins, eggs, bread for toasting, plenty of Greek yogurt and fresh fruit…
But my out-of-control craving won in the end, so I flicked on the oven to preheat while I rushed through my shower. After throwing on clean clothes, I cracked open a can of refrigerated cinnamon rolls — when my cravings spiral out of control like that, I can’t wait two more hours to proof yeast and kneed dough and wait for it to rise… I need those cinnamon rolls right now! — and popped them in to bake.
By the time I finished responding to my organic chemistry undergraduate students’ emails (yes, I was {and still am} a science nerd!), I heard the timer ringing in the kitchen, and I sprinted through the house to slip the pan out of the oven. Just a few minutes later, I tore into the first one… Light, tender, buttery, with mesmerizing spirals of cinnamony goodness… And reached for another.
I almost always skip the icing on top… I’m too impatient — and I’d much rather scarf down a second cinnamon roll!
Yet I recently realized I had another option, besides a store-bought refrigerated can, when my overwhelming cravings returned — this quick and easy 45-minute healthy cinnamon rolls recipe! They’re just as soft and full of the same cozy cinnamon spirals, but…
These are ready to eat in under one hour! Much faster than traditional cinnamon roll recipes that require proofing the yeast and two different rises. And when I sent some to work with my mom, one lady exclaimed that they tasted as if they came straight from a bakery — and that she’d gladly pay for them!
My heart nearly melted. That’s the best sort of compliment!
KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE QUICK + HEALTHY CINNAMON ROLLS
Let’s go over what you’ll need to make these quick and healthy cinnamon rolls!
Whole wheat flour. To make them clean eating friendly, you’ll start with whole wheat flour. That’s right, just regular ol’ whole wheat flour! You can still achieve a beautifully soft and tender cinnamon roll texture with 100% whole wheat flour. I promise! Here’s why…
Some brands of whole wheat flour are ground more finely and have a higher protein content. This means they behave differently, particularly in yeast-based recipes. Higher protein and more finely ground flours are both great for cinnamon rolls. It helps them rise better and gives them a softer, fluffier texture!
This is my favorite whole wheat flour and the kind I use for both homemade cinnamon rolls and other yeast-based recipes. It’s ground more finely than other brands, which means that your cinnamon rolls will rise much better. (Other brands don’t rise nearly as high, and some don’t rise at all!) It’s also relatively inexpensive and easy to find at just about every grocery store here in the US. It truly is my favorite whole wheat flour for cinnamon rolls!
Tip: If you can’t find my favorite brand of whole wheat flour and need to use a different one, that’s okay! Just substitute a small amount of all-purpose flour for an equal amount of the whole wheat flour (ie ¼ to ½ cup) to help your cinnamon rolls rise better.
Leavening agents. Next, you’ll use both yeast and baking powder. Traditional cinnamon roll recipes only include yeast because you give the dough time to rise before baking. However, we’re skipping that rising step today in order to get these cinnamon rolls on the table and in your belly much, much sooner… Which is where the baking powder comes in! It ensures that the cinnamon rolls rise about as much in the oven as they would during the traditional rising step. It’s my secret trick to speedy cinnamon rolls, and it works like a charm!
As for the yeast, this is my all-time favorite. It’s basically the only kind I bake with! It performs perfectly in all of my yeast-based recipes, from cinnamon rolls and bagels to pretzels and sweet rolls. It rises the best out of all the brands I’ve tried, so I highly recommend it!
Just like with the flour, some brands of yeast don’t perform nearly as well. I’ve done recipe tests where I kept everything else the same and only varied the brand of yeast, and my cinnamon rolls barely rose. Even after baking, they turned out very small and compact. (Since I used to be a chemist before I became a baking blogger, I love running “experiments” like this!)
Tip: If you can’t find my favorite brand of yeast, that’s okay too! If you use another brand, then substitute a small amount of all-purpose flour for an equal amount of the whole wheat flour (ie ¼ to ½ cup) to help your cinnamon rolls rise better.
Warm milk. To bind all of the dough ingredients together, you’ll use warm milk. (The warmer temperature activates the yeast and helps your healthy cinnamon rolls rise!) Just about any kind will work. I generally reach for nonfat milk and unsweetened vanilla almond milk the most, but feel free to use whatever you already have in your refrigerator!
Tip: If you use non-dairy milk, then it’s really easy to make your healthy cinnamon rolls vegan and dairy-free!
Cinnamon. For the filling, you’ll need two ingredients. The first is obvious: cinnamon! If you can find it, I highly recommend Saigon cinnamon. It has a slightly stronger, richer, and sweeter flavor. I’m obsessed with it, and it’s basically the only kind I use in my baking now! Many stores have started stocking it, but I typically buy it online here. (It’s really affordable!)
Sweetener. The second filling ingredient is coconut sugar. Coconut sugar is exactly what it sounds like: an unrefined sweetener that comes from coconuts. However, it does not actually taste like coconuts! It has a caramel-like flavor, similar to brown sugar, but it has the same pourable consistency as granulated sugar. Many stores have started stocking it on the baking aisle, right next to the granulated sugar and brown sugar.
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY CINNAMON ROLLS IN UNDER ONE HOUR
Let’s quickly talk about how to make these healthy cinnamon rolls — in under one hour! Trust me… I timed it, and my cinnamon rolls were ready in a mere 45 minutes!
Make + knead the dough. First, you’ll make and briefly knead the dough. Call me old-fashioned, but I love kneading by hand. I find it so therapeutic! Fold, press, turn… Fold, press, turn… Fold, press, turn… It’s rather soothing, don’t you think? Kneading only requires a few minutes, and the dough is ready to rest (briefly!) once it springs back most of the way when you gently press your index finger into its surface.
Form a log. After making the filling, you’ll roll out the dough into a large rectangle. I love using a silicone rolling pin and silicone baking mat for this step. Their nonstick surfaces make the process much faster and easier! Next, you’ll lightly brush the dough with a little melted butter. Only a tiny bit — I promise! Just enough to taste and give your cinnamon rolls that irresistible richness. Then you’ll sprinkle the filling mixture on top and roll it up into a log.
Tip: To make your healthy cinnamon rolls vegan and dairy-free, substitute stick-style vegan butter. I love this one and this one!
Slice. To slice the dough into individual rolls, try my special trick for perfectly round rolls… Dental floss! You can see exactly how I do that in this video here (located above the recipe). I know it sounds a little strange, but it’s much easier than using a knife. It’s also faster — and it yields perfectly round, not-lopsided-at-all cinnamon rolls!
Transfer + bake. Once you’ve “sliced” your log into cinnamon rolls with the dental floss, gently place each one into the pan. Because of the baking powder, you can skip the proofing and rising step and simply slide your pan straight into a preheated oven. Your healthy cinnamon rolls will still rise and turn out deliciously cozy and soft!
Hint: It’s true — without any proofing or rising steps, these turn out slightly denser and often don’t rise quite as high as classic cinnamon rolls made with yeast alone. If you’d prefer ones that are lighter and fluffier, follow this traditional healthy cinnamon roll recipe of mine instead!
Then 45 minutes after you first started… Or 44 minutes and 32 seconds (yes, I timed myself!)…
Enjoy! 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 healthy cinnamon rolls!
45-Minute Healthy Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
FOR THE DOUGH
- 2 – 2 ½ cups (240-300g) whole wheat flour (measured like this – and see Notes!)
- 2 ¼ tsp (7g or one ¼-oz package) quick-rise active dry yeast (see Notes!)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup (180mL) warm nonfat milk (100-110°F)
- ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tbsp (12g) coconut sugar
FOR THE FILLING
- 5 tbsp (60g) coconut sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat a 9”-round springform pan or 9"-round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the dough, whisk together 1 cup of flour, yeast, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, stir together the milk, butter, and sugar. Mix in the prepared flour mixture. Continue to mix in the remaining 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 (from the filling ingredients), 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 free end onto the roll 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. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 17-20 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the sides feel firm. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Classic Cinnamon Rolls
♡ Healthy Slow Cooker Cinnamon Rolls
♡ Healthy Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
♡ Healthy Orange Cinnamon Rolls
♡ Healthy Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
♡ Healthy Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
♡ Healthy Chai Cinnamon Rolls
♡ Healthy Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal Cookies
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy cinnamon roll recipes!
I couldn’t even get 2 cups of flour into the recipe. Did I do something wrong? I used almond milk which always bakes fine for us. They turned out good. Next time I’ll use more almond milk and warm it more to activate the yeast better I think. All in all we were pleased! Thanks for the recipe!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipes Sarah! I’m glad you enjoyed these cinnamon rolls! 🙂 How did you measure the flour? Did you dip your measuring cups directly into the container of flour, by any chance? How warm was your almond milk? Typically, if you’d like to better activate the yeast, then I actually recommend allowing the cinnamon rolls rise before you bake them. Yeast takes a while to fully activate, which is why this recipe includes both yeast and baking powder, and warming the almond milk too much can actually kill the yeast! 😉
I do know how to measure flour correctly and I did the 1 cup as the recipe directs to start, then I added 2 Tbs at a time as the recipe mentions but it didn’t take even the 2nd cup. I kept checking and double checking my amounts to see where I went wrong. They tasted fine, it was just strange that I was so far under the amount of flour recommended. I wondered if others had the same issue. i didn’t warm the milk too much but I will keep in mind that warming too much could kill the yeast…good point! fun recipe and a nice treat for the family. They were small cinnamon rolls but we enjoyed them alot! Thx!
It’s my pleasure Sarah! Based on your description, I still think the flour probably wasn’t measured quite right. I used a kitchen scale to measure the flour, which is more accurate than using measuring cups, so I guarantee these cinnamon rolls require at least 2 cups of flour. 😉 If you’re using measuring cups instead of a kitchen scale, then here’s what I recommend doing for measuring flour (and cocoa powder, oats, etc!): use a fork to “scoop” up flour from the container, and lightly shake the fork back and forth over the top of your measuring cup to transfer the flour into it. Once there’s a small mound of flour extending past the rim of the measuring cup, then place the flat back of a knife against the top of the measuring cup, and gently scrape it across the top to get rid of the excess flour. Never “pat” the flour down with the knife or fork. This fork method acts like a sifter (without dirtying another dish!) and guarantees you’ll add the correct amount flour to the dough. Does that make sense? 🙂
2 teaspoons of cinnamon seems like very little. Is this correct?
Yes, this is correct! I use this kind, which is a little stronger and sweeter than plain cinnamon. With 2 teaspoons for the 12 cinnamon rolls (1/6 teaspoon per roll!), you get a filling that’s pleasantly spiced without tasting overly spicy. However, you’re always welcome to add more if you prefer! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you decide to try making them!
Out of curiosity, can spelt flour be used?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Andrea! Other readers haven’t had good luck with spelt flour; their cinnamon rolls didn’t really rise at all. You may be able to use half spelt and half whole wheat or all-purpose flour, but I can’t personally vouch for that and don’t want to lead you astray. I’d love to hear what you think if you decide to try these cinnamon rolls! 🙂
These are delicious!! I’m so happy with them! I used whole wheat flour as the recipe calls for! Thanks for such a great recipe!
I’ve never made cinnamon rolls before; these were super easy and came together quickly!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these cinnamon rolls Andrea! That means so much to me! 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
I did not reach 2 cups of flour either! But I think it will be delicious, they are currently cooking now 🙂
I can’t wait to hear how your cinnamon rolls turned out Florence! 🙂
I look forward to giving these a whirl! Do you have a video of you doing these at all? Sometimes it helps to watch how things are done, but definitely ready to give them a try!!
Amy, made these this morning and LOVED the taste. GAH! So happy about feeling a bit less guilty about having cinnamon rolls now. Thank you so much. I do have one question. I didn’t end up making enough to fill up the 9″ round cake pan. There were just enough to fill toward the center of the pan. Do you think this has anything to do with not letting the dough rise much? Or maybe I didn’t roll it out big enough? I am not a baker at heart so usually this stuff gets tricky for me – but the end result did taste great!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these cinnamon rolls Brenton! Thanks for taking the time to let me know! 🙂 You’re right on both accounts. If you don’t roll out the dough very thinly, then your cinnamon rolls will be taller rather than wider. Also, since these cinnamon rolls don’t have a true “rising” period (like with my classic cinnamon rolls recipe here!), they also don’t rise quite as high and wide. If you have enough time to let your cinnamon rolls rise and aren’t on a time crunch, my classic cinnamon rolls recipe might be a better option for you if you want your cinnamon rolls to be a little wider! (And I also recommend using the exact flour and yeast I use — that combo always produces the best results in my kitchen!)
I WANTED TO KNOW IF I COULD REPLACE THE COCONUT SUGAR WITH A SUGAR SUBSTITUTE THAT MEASURES LIKE SUGAR FOR BOTH THE DOUGH AND FILLING? PLEASE LET ME KNOW? THANK YOU!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Kathy! It actually depends. What’s the exact sugar substitute that you’d like to use? (Both the brand name and produce name!) Once I know that information, I should have a much better idea of whether it’ll work. 🙂
HI, AMY, IT’S A GENERIC BRAND CALLED SIGNATURE KITCHENS GRANULATED SUCRALOSE. IT’S A GENERIC OF SPLENDA.
Thanks for the information Kathy! If you use generic Splenda (the kind that measures cup-for-cup like sugar), then the flavor will remain the same. However, because it behaves quite differently, the filling will not turn gooey or caramel-like. It’ll just stay granulated. As long as you don’t mind that about the filling texture, then it’s fine to substitute! (But if you’d still like some gooey-ness to the filling, then try substituting your generic Splenda for just half of the coconut sugar in the filling!) 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cinnamon rolls!
Hi! I don’t see where 2 cups of flour is used in this recipe. 2. Says to use 1 cup of flour. Am I missing something?
See the last sentence of Step 2! I know it can be easy to miss. 😉 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cinnamon rolls Diana!
On a whim when a sick toddler asked for cinnamon rolls I googled “healthy cinnamon rolls” and found this recipe. We didn’t have yeast. And no milk, either. However, I used equal parts lemon juice/baking soda for the yeast and coconut milk instead. Even with the help of a wildly toddler and alternate ingredients these turned out great! We will definitely use this as a mainstay for our weekend breakfast rotation. Thank you for the recipe!
I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed these cinnamon rolls Brooke! That means a lot to me that you’d consider including them in your weekend breakfast rotation. That’s the best kind of compliment — I’m so honored! 🙂 Thank you for sharing your recipe modifications too — I always love hearing what tweaks work!
Hi Amy,
As a long time baker, both domestically and professionally, I have to say I find it very odd that you don’t have at least one rise time for the dough. I would think they would be lighter in texture if given a rise after they have been panned up.
Deb
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Deb! For this particular cinnamon rolls recipe, I wanted them to be completely done, from start to finish, in 45 minutes or less. Since a full rising period often takes at least 30 minutes, if not closer to 1 hour, I omitted that full rise and added baking powder to the dough to compensate instead. For my ultimate healthy cinnamon rolls (recipe here!), which are much more traditional, they do include one rise (and no baking powder!), which means they’re a bit more light and airy compared to these. Does that make sense? 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you decide to try either of my recipes!
Made these rolls this week and was not impressed. The dough was dry and tough and the rolls’ texture after baking was severely underproofed. I won’t make this again
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe KT! That sounds disappointing and not like how these cinnamon rolls should turn out at all, so I’d love to help figure out what happened. 🙂 What brands of flour and yeast did you use? How much flour did you add? Did you knead the dough by hand or with a stand/electric mixer?