During the first week of September, I stopped by the grocery store located about a mile from my house to pick up a few ingredients for recipes I planned to make. After placing a few carrots (for these muffins) and raisins (for these amazing cookies) in my cart, I pushed it over to the baking aisle.
At that supermarket, stereotypical baking ingredients like flour and sugar take up the entire right side of the aisle, while baking equipment, including cake pans and cooling racks, along with canned fruits and vegetables fill up the left side shelves. I grabbed a bag of my favorite white whole wheat flour before turning and squatting down to reach for a few cans of pumpkin purée on the bottom shelf. But…
None were there.
I wheeled my cart to the next aisle, where I found an employee, and politely inquired where they had stocked the pumpkin purée in the store. “Oh, we won’t get that in until late September,” she replied.
My jaw nearly dropped straight to the floor. The Halloween candy had been out on countless displays, including a few right at the entrances, since the 4th of July… But no pumpkin until almost October??
I paid for the groceries in my cart, dropped them off at home, and then drove all over town in search of canned pumpkin. With eight new pumpkin recipes for you on my calendar for September, plus four pumpkin recipe videos (here, here, here, and here… have you watched any of those yet?), I desperately needed pumpkin purée!
I finally found it at Target, and I nearly bought out their entire inventory. It lasted until the final week of September, when I visited that grocery store again… And discovered a few cans on their shelf!
After returning home with my prized pumpkin, these Healthy Chocolate Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls were the first recipe I made, and they were completely worth the wait (and hassle)! Mesmerizing swirls of decadent chocolate cinnamon filling surrounded by tender pumpkin dough… All for just 113 calories!
Pure autumn breakfast bliss. 😉
Although this recipe uses yeast, I promise it’s nothing to be afraid of! My dad first taught me to bake with yeast when I was about 8 years old, and if I could do it as a young girl, I know you can do it too!
To start, you’ll mix together a little warm milk, coconut sugar, melted butter, salt, and yeast. This is the yeast that I buy, and it performs the best out of any brand that I’ve tried. I highly recommend it! Both their quick-rise yeast and regular active dry yeast will work in this recipe.
You’ll let that mixture sit for about 15 minutes to “wake up” the yeast (or as my dad calls it, the “yeasties!”). It should start to look slightly foamy, but because we’re using so little milk, it won’t look quite as foamy as when you make my classic healthy cinnamon rolls.
Next, you’ll mix in the pumpkin purée. Remember to buy regular pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie mix! The latter contains refined sugar, which we’re avoiding in this healthier recipe. Instead, you’ll use coconut sugar, which is exactly what it sounds like… Sweetener that’s harvested from coconuts! It does not actually taste like coconuts though. It has a rich, almost caramel-like flavor like brown sugar, and it has the same pourable consistency as granulated sugar. Many mainstream grocery stores have started to stock it, and you can also buy it online.
Now it’s time to mix in the white whole wheat flour. That sounds like a bit of an oxymoron, doesn’t it? White whole wheat flour is actually made by finely grinding a special type of white wheat, whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. This gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, which is perfect for letting the pumpkin flavor shine in these tender cinnamon rolls!
After kneading the dough and rolling it out (watch my video here above the recipe for tips on how to knead!), you’ll brush the top with a tiny bit of melted butter before sprinkling with the filling. The filling is a combination of coconut sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon. Just use regular unsweetened cocoa powder! Don’t substitute Dutched or special dark because the chocolate flavor of those types would mask the pumpkin taste.
Then roll up the dough, slice it with my special trick in this same video, let the rolls rise, pop them in the oven, and…
Yummmmmmmmmm. ♡ 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 chocolate pumpkin cinnamon rolls!
| Healthy Chocolate Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls | | Print |
- for the dough
- 2 tbsp (30mL) 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
- ¾ cup (183g) pumpkin purée, room temperature (not pumpkin pie mix)
- 1 tbsp (8g) ground cinnamon
- 2 – 2 ½ cups (240-300g) white whole wheat flour
- for the filling
- 5 tbsp (60g) coconut sugar
- ¼ cup (20g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 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 slightly frothy. Mix in the pumpkin purée and cinnamon. 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, cocoa powder, 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 cocoa 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, and cover the pan with a clean towel. Set the pan in a warm, draft-free spot, and let the rolls rise for 45-60 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. 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.
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
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! Regular active dry yeast will work as well.
Brown sugar may be substituted in place of the coconut sugar, but the rolls will no longer be clean-eating friendly.
Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour (I prefer this brand for yeast-based recipes), or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour. I haven’t tried with gluten-free flours and don’t know how they’ll turn out since gluten-free yeast baking can be finicky.
I do not recommend substituting Dutched or special dark cocoa powder for the unsweetened cocoa powder. Their flavor will overwhelm the pumpkin taste.
I prefer a 9"-round springform pan because the sides are taller, which allows the rolls to rise higher, and the sides are removable for easy serving. A regular 9”-round cake pan may be used instead.
For more tips on kneading the dough and slicing the cinnamon rolls, watch my video here located above the recipe.
I highly recommend reheating leftover cinnamon rolls in the microwave! It makes the filling melt a little and turn gooey, and it tastes like melted chocolate!
{clean eating, vegan option, low fat, low calorie}
View Nutrition Information
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♥ Healthy Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
♥ Healthy Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
♥ Healthy Classic Cinnamon Rolls
♥ Healthy 45-Minute Cinnamon Rolls
♥ Healthy Slow Cooker Cinnamon Rolls
♥ Skinny Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls
♥ Whole Wheat Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
♥ Whole Wheat Cranberry Sweet Rolls
♥ Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal Cookies
♥ Cinnamon Roll Scones
Your stories are always the best and cutest! 🙂 But wow, I can’t believe the store didn’t have any pumpkin, Target to the rescue! 😀 I can almost smell these cinnamon rolls through my computer….can that actually be a real thing?? 😉
I’ve been waiting for YEARS for smell and taste to finally come through computer screens!! 😉 And yet another reason I love Target!
Where I am, in Devon, U.K, I can’t get canned pumpkin, so I make my own! It’s easy, but obviously not as easy as oapening a can ? I cut two butternut squash in half lengthways, and roast them (seeds and all) with a drizzle of oil until very soft and tender. Then I scoop out the seeds and discrd, then scoop the lovely tender flesh into freezer containers ready to be mashed, frozen and added to sweet and savoury recipes later on! Xx
Thanks for sharing your tips Hannah! It seems like many people who don’t have access to canned pumpkin have been suggesting butternut squash. If the grocery store ever runs out again, I’ll have to give it a try. Surprisingly enough, they stock butternut squash year round in the produce section! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try these cinnamon rolls!
That was an adorable story. This recipe sounds lovely. I’m in charge of hosting a weekly study break for my living group every week, and I look forward to trying your pumpkin spice recipes!
Thanks Elaine! I’m honored that you’d want to make some of my recipes for your weekly study break friends. I can’t wait to hear which recipes you pick and how they turn out!
Hi Amy,
I can’t wait to try these!
I have been looking through your scone recipes, and so far I have made your cinnamon roll and your almond joy scones. They were really delicious!
Do you think someday you could make an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie scone recipe?
Alec
I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the scones Alec! I love your idea for oatmeal raisin cookie scones… I’ll have to add it to my list. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cinnamon rolls!
Ugh, that chocolate filling looks so rich and perfect!! Did I tell you I’ve been using coconut sugar since cane sugar is on my no-no list? I love it! It works pretty much as an exact swap for the taste and texture of brown sugar!
I can’t believe a grocery store wouldn’t have pumpkin until October! What’s the deal with that?! You better believe I bought myself several cans the very first week of September!! 😉
Thanks Andrea! 🙂 Yes, that’s what I love about coconut sugar! It’s so easy to use and swap into recipes. I’m glad it’s working for you!
Thanks for the recipe. Instead of whole wheat flour, can we use coconut or almond baking flour? Can we replace the butter with coconut oil as well?
I actually answered both of those questions already in the Notes section underneath the Instructions! 🙂 I don’t recommend either of those flours though, especially the coconut flour. I’d love to hear what you think if you try the cinnamon rolls Nadia!
This recipe looks amazing! I want to make them for Christmas morning but always try to make things I can prepare the night before and then bake in the morning. Is there a way to do that with this recipe?
I’m so honored that you’d consider making these for Christmas morning Danielle! I haven’t tried making these in that fashion, but I know that they reheat really well! So my best recommendation for you would be to bake them fully the night before, leave them in the pan, and place foil over the top once they’re at room temperature. In the morning, leave the foil on the pan and pop that in the oven so you can serve them warm. Does that make sense? 🙂