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!
Hi Amy,
Can I use Bread Flour to make these? Or would AP be better? My local grocery has been out of Whole Wheat flour for quite a while. Thank you:)
I’m honored that you’d like to try making this recipe, Susan! Either of those options will work. The bread flour may result in a slightly better texture, due to its higher gluten content, but both should yield moist cinnamon rolls. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of them!
Hi there, can I use non-dairy milk?
I’ve actually covered the answer to this exact question in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!). I know it can be easy to miss! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think of these cinnamon rolls if you try making them, Annika!
Am new to baking and this recipe was very well explained. I could make it with ease. The search for healthy rolls ends here. My 3 year old enjoyed them a lot. Thanks a ton for the recipe.
I’m so glad you and your 3-year-old enjoyed these cinnamon rolls, Priya! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know — that truly means a lot! 🙂
Can I sub the dry yeast with the instant yeast and how ?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Swam! If you look in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!), then you’ll see that I mentioned that I use quick rise yeast to make these cinnamon rolls. “Quick rise” is just another name for “instant” yeast. So yes, you can use instant yeast! 😉 I’m excited to hear what you think of these cinnamon rolls!
Hi, I don’t have dry yeast at home but I have fresh yeast cubes. Do you think that would work? Can you tell me how to use it instead?
I’m honored that you’d like to try my recipe, Ana! I actually haven’t worked with fresh yeast before, so I don’t know how well it’ll work and don’t want to lead you astray. I tried researching the best way to substitute it for dry yeast, and it sounds like most sources recommend doubling the amount. So if you’ve successfully substituted fresh yeast for dry yeast in other recipes using a similar conversion, then it could work here! For this recipe, if you’d like to try using your fresh yeast, you’d need 4 ½ teaspoons. If you do end up trying that, I’d love to hear how your cinnamon rolls turn out!
Followed instructions exactly, except that I used low-fat milk instead of nonfat. These were very diffult to roll, just crumbled apart under rolling pin and would not stick in one sheet of dough. These were very dry and flavorless and we ended up throwing them away. Not sure what happened. Recipe has no photos, apart from finished product, so not sure if my dough was OK or not. I did use brand new yeast so I doubt that was an issue.
I’m honored that you tried making my recipe, Lilly! That sounds frustrating and not like how these cinnamon rolls should turn out at all, so I’d love to work with you to figure out what happened. 🙂 In order to do so, I have some questions for you!
Did you make any other modifications to the recipe, including those listed in the Notes section, besides the low-fat milk?
What brands of flour and yeast did you use?
When measuring the ingredients (especially the flour and milk!), did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups? If the latter, can you describe how you used them to measure the flour?
How much flour did you use in total?
Did your cinnamon rolls rise at all while baking?
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but I’ll have a much better idea of the potential culprit once I know your answers to ALL of them!
Hi Amy! Can you prep these in advance (day before) and just bake them the next morning? Thanks!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Alyssa! I haven’t had the best luck with that overnight method; the cinnamon rolls don’t seem to rise quite as much or turn out quite as fluffy. If you’d like to serve them warm (without spending all that time preparing them first thing in the morning!), then my recommendation would actually be to fully bake them the night before but leave them in the pan. The next morning, if you’d like to serve them warm, then tightly cover the top of the pan with foil, and put them in the oven on your oven’s lowest temperature setting until they’re fully warmed through. (The foil should prevent the tops from drying out while you reheat them!) Does that make sense? 🙂
Hi Amy
Can I use self raising flour instead of whole-wheat?
Thanks
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Erin! I don’t have enough experience to personally know whether that substitution will work. However, I’ve had many readers tell me that my recipes didn’t turn out as well when they substituted self-raising flour, so I’d probably advise against it, just to be safe. I’ve actually included a few other flour options in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!) that I know will work. Perhaps you have one of those instead? 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of these cinnamon rolls if you try making them!
I love the enthusiasm for healthy baking, but this recipe did not work out for me. I only used 2 cups of flour, and the dough turned out very dry, hard to work with and didn’t rise very much in the oven. I followed the dough recipe exactly, whole wheat flour and warmed my oat milk. My yeast and baking powder are fresh. Any ideas? I like this recipe in concept but was pretty sure they weren’t going to turn out with the dough being so dry. I’m relatively new to baking but not to cooking and I know how to follow a recipe, but I’d love to understand if there was something I missed since some comments appears to enjoy the recipe.
I’m so honored that you tried my recipe, Sarah! That sounds disappointing and not like how these cinnamon rolls should turn out at all, so I’d love to work with you to figure out what happened. 🙂 In order to do so, I have some questions for you!
Did you make any modifications or substitutions to this recipe, including those listed in the Notes section? (Besides the oat milk!)
What brands of whole wheat flour and yeast did you use?
How did you measure your flour and milk? Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups? If the latter, can you describe how you used it to measure the flour?
In Step 2, did you just add 1 cup of flour to start (the cup you mixed with the yeast, baking powder, and salt)?
How much more flour did you mix in before the dough started to pull away from the sides of the bowl?
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but I’ll have a much better idea of the culprit and how to fix it once I know your answers to all of them!
I’m so sorry for my delayed response too! 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. But I’d still love to help you solve the issues that you experienced, if you’d ever like to try making this recipe again! 🙂
These cinnamon rolls were quick and delicious. Even my husband agreed they were good (and he’s usually a full fat full sugar kinda guy).
I used 2% milk and did 50/50 coconut sugar and lakanto golden sweetener and had no issues. Also added a pinch of nutmeg and ginger.
As they are quick they will not rise like traditional cinnamon rolls, just FYI to other readers. They look dense but baked soft and tender and were absolutely scrumptious. Will make this recipe again for years to come. Thank you for the recipe, Amy!
Oh my goodness, Olivia! That’s the best kind of compliment if your husband liked them and you already think you’ll make them again. I’m truly honored! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. You just made my day! 🙂 (I love your idea of adding nutmeg and ginger too — yum!)
My family loves these!!! And I feel good about giving them to my kiddos 🙂
I’m so glad you and your family love these cinnamon rolls, Mandy! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. It really means a lot! 🙂
Hello. I tried your recipe today and they turned out dry and a bit flavorless. I double checked the measurement of butter to put on the dough before I rolled them out thinking I might have misread. I used organic whole wheat flour and used not quite two cups. Could I have kneaded them too long? They rose nicely but that’s about it. Can’t figure out what I did.
Thanks you.