I updated the photos since I originally shared this recipe. You can see the old photos here!
Partway through the school year in 8th grade, my best friend moved to Australia because of her father’s job. A few months later as a surprise, my parents bought me a round-trip ticket to visit her, so I boarded a plane on the first day of Spring Break.
When the flight landed 14 hours later, my best friend and her mom stood waiting at the baggage claim with a bunch of brightly colored helium balloons. After plenty of hugs, we loaded my suitcase into their car, and her mom drove us around Sydney, pointing out their favorite shops and restaurants.
Upon arriving at their house, her mom put us to work making homemade cinnamon rolls—mainly to make sure I didn’t take a nap and would quickly adjust to the time change! We mixed up the dough, adding plenty of butter like the recipe called for, and after kneading and letting it rest, we rolled it out in a rectangle, brushed it with even more butter, and sprinkled the filling on top.
As an overnight recipe, we popped the pan of cinnamon rolls into the refrigerator that evening, and we preheated the oven as soon as we woke up the following morning. Once the timer rang, we eagerly waited next to the counter, waiting just barely long enough to avoid burning our fingers and tongues on the hot, gooey treats. With how incredible they smelled—and they tasted even better!—we completely forgot to make any icing to drizzle on top!
With that as my first homemade cinnamon roll experience, I thought that all cinnamon rolls required that much butter, sugar, and effort to make… But now, many years and rounds of recipe testing later, I can confidently state that isn’t true—and these Ultimate Healthy Cinnamon Rolls prove it!
They’re soft, tender, fluffy, sweet, cozy, gooey, sticky… Everything a perfect cinnamon roll should be! But unlike traditional recipes, this one has no refined flour or sugar (or eggs!) and just 1 tablespoon of butter… And they’re only 112 calories!
Sounds like heaven, don’t you think??
HOW TO MAKE THE ULTIMATE HEALTHY CINNAMON ROLLS
Let’s go over how to make the best ever healthy cinnamon rolls! As crazy as it might sound… I promise these aren’t that hard to make! To help you, I’m sharing lots of nerdy tips and tricks, along with a video directly above the recipe that walks you through every step. Nothing to be nervous about or afraid of!
Are you ready? Then let’s get started with…
Nerd Alert #1: Warm Milk
Unlike bread recipes that usually call for water, you’ll need milk to make these ultimate healthy cinnamon rolls. Milk makes the dough more moist and tender compared to bread dough!
But the good news? Just about any milk will work! Nonfat, low-fat, whole, almond, cashew, soy, oat… You name it! The three I use the most to make these ultimate healthy cinnamon rolls are nonfat milk, unsweetened cashew milk (I love how creamy it is!), and unsweetened vanilla almond milk (my lactose-intolerant family members buy this non-dairy milk the most!).
However… Your milk needs to be warm. Not cold, not boiling, not scalding — just warm! If you have a candy thermometer, it should register between 100°F and 110°F. But… I’m lazy and use the pinky test. That’s how my dad taught me to test warm milk for baking his homemade bread recipe as a little girl! If I can stick my pinky into the milk and it feels hot but not burning (like hot shower water or a hot tub!), that’s the perfect temperature.
Why do you need warm milk to make these ultimate healthy cinnamon rolls? That’s a great question — and I’ll share the answer in Nerd Alert #5! In the meantime, let’s move on to…
Nerd Alert #2: Butter
Many traditional recipes call for anywhere from 3 tablespoons to ⅓ cup of butter in the dough (if not more… plus a LOT more for the filling!), but… I actually found those higher amounts weren’t necessary. You just need a mere ½ tablespoon to make these ultimate healthy cinnamon rolls, which really helps keep them low calorie and low fat!
To make life easier for you, you’ll melt the butter. No (impatiently) waiting around for it to soften!
Tip: To make these ultimate healthy cinnamon rolls vegan and dairy-free, I recommend substituting stick-style vegan butter (like this!). You can use coconut oil in a pinch, but the yeast won’t turn frothy (more on that soon!) and your cinnamon rolls won’t taste as rich and buttery.
Nerd Alert #3: No Eggs?
If you read my tip above, then you may have caught something… It’s really easy to make these ultimate healthy cinnamon rolls vegan! That’s because these don’t contain eggs. Some recipes call for eggs to make the dough more tender, but just like with extra butter, I’ve found eggs aren’t necessary for nice, tender healthy cinnamon rolls. As long as you use warm milk and a good kneading technique, your ultimate healthy cinnamon rolls will still be perfectly fluffy and tender with no eggs!
Nerd Alert #4: Coconut Sugar
Most cinnamon roll recipes call for refined granulated sugar or brown sugar, but you’ll use coconut sugar to make these ultimate healthy cinnamon rolls instead. Coconut sugar is exactly what it sounds like: an unrefined sweetener that comes from coconuts! However, it does NOT actually taste like coconut. It has a rich caramel-like flavor similar to brown sugar, along with the dry texture of granulated sugar (just a little coarser!). You can often find it on the baking aisle right next to the regular sugar!
Although most of the coconut sugar goes into the filling (more on that soon!), you’ll still add a small amount of to the dough. This is because the coconut sugar acts like food for the yeast, which leads us to…
Nerd Alert #5: Yeast
Yes, you need yeast to make these ultimate healthy cinnamon rolls! (Or as my dad says, “Yeasties!”) I know many people are a little intimidated about baking with yeast… But if I could bake with yeast as an 8-year-old when I helped my dad make his homemade bread rolls for our holiday meals (every Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter!), then I’m positive that you can successfully bake with yeast too!
I’ve tried a few different brands of yeast to make these ultimate healthy cinnamon rolls, and Red Star Yeast outperformed every other brand. My cinnamon rolls always rose to double their original size when I used Red Star Yeast! With other brands, my cinnamon rolls rose only a small amount… And sometimes they didn’t even rise at all! So for the absolutely perfect, best ever healthy cinnamon rolls, I definitely recommend using Red Star Yeast!
Tip: Both their classic yeast and rapid-rise yeast work equally well! Because I can’t always find it in grocery stores where I live, I actually buy mine online here.
At this point, you’ll sprinkle the yeast into your bowl of warm milk, melted butter, coconut sugar, and salt. Then walk away for 10 to 15 minutes. When you return, it should look like puffy brown clouds have taken over your bowl — and that’s a good thing! That means the yeast has “proofed,” which is a fancy way of saying the warm milk has activated the yeast and that your yeast is alive, well, and happily munching on the coconut sugar.
Hint: If you use coconut oil instead of regular or vegan butter, your yeast won’t turn frothy here. That’s okay! As long as you used warm (not hot or boiling!) milk and your yeast wasn’t past its expiration date, your cinnamon rolls should still rise properly.
Nerd Alert #6: Flour
It’s time to stir in flour! To make these ultimate healthy cinnamon rolls as wholesome as possible, you’ll use whole wheat flour. It has lots of health benefits compared to regular all-purpose flour (like extra fiber and micronutrients!), which is definitely a good thing in my book!
Just like with the yeast, I tested many different brands of whole wheat flour when developing this ultimate healthy cinnamon rolls recipe. The clear winner? Gold Medal whole wheat flour. With the combination of Red Star Yeast and Gold Medal whole wheat flour, my cinnamon rolls always rise to at least double their original size!
I also love how easy it is to find Gold Medal whole wheat flour in the US. I’ve spotted it at just about every major grocery store, along with Walmart and Target!
Tip: If you can’t find Gold Medal whole wheat flour, then Bob’s Red Mill was a decent runner-up. Unfortunately, the cinnamon rolls I made with King Arthur whole wheat flour didn’t rise at all, so if that’s the only brand that you can find, I recommend substituting all-purpose or bread flour for ¼ to ½ of the amount of whole wheat flour so your cinnamon rolls will still rise.
I still haven’t had great luck with substituting gluten-free flour or oat flour in this ultimate healthy cinnamon rolls recipe, so for now, I definitely recommend sticking with wheat flours. As soon as I figure out the magic formula for a gluten-free flour option, I’ll update this recipe and share it with you!
Nerd Alert #7: Kneading
This is actually my favorite part of making cinnamon rolls — or any type of bread dough! I love kneading by hand. Call me crazy, but it’s almost meditative and therapeutic! I show you my kneading technique in the video directly above the recipe.
In a nutshell, generously flour your work surface (I love using a silicone baking mat!), the dough, and your hands. Fold the dough in half, press your palm into the top, turn the dough 90°, and repeat. Keep adding more flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands and work surface.
Kneading develops the gluten strands (aka protein!) in the dough. As they develop, they get longer and intertwined with their neighboring gluten strands. These gluten protein strands help enable your cinnamon rolls rise and maintain their shape while baking and cooling!
However, you don’t want to over-develop those gluten strands… That will make your cinnamon rolls tough, gummy or chewy, rather that fluffy and tender. You’ve kneaded enough when the dough springs back most of the way when you gently press your index finger into the top. (See my video for a visual!)
Nerd Alert #8: No Second Rise?
With many traditional cinnamon roll recipes, you let the dough rise after kneading until it has doubled in size, punch it down, and then proceed to roll it out and make the individual rolls. That can add another hour (if not more!) to the process, and… I’m impatient and want to eat my cinnamon rolls much sooner than that!
So for these ultimate healthy cinnamon rolls, you get to skip the second rise! Just let your dough rest for a few minutes while you prepare the filling. As long as you’ve used my favorite combination of whole wheat flour and yeast, plus a gentle hand while kneading, your ultimate healthy cinnamon rolls will still turn out perfectly fluffy and tender without that second rise.
Nerd Alert #9: Cinnamon
Yes, the cinnamon is SO important that it gets its own Nerd Alert! For the best ever healthy cinnamon rolls, I highly recommend using Saigon cinnamon. It has a stronger, richer, and sweeter flavor compared to regular cinnamon, and that really elevates the taste of your cinnamon rolls. It’s the only kind I use in my baking now!
Tip: I actually buy mine online here because it’s so affordable and inexpensive!
You’ll combine the cinnamon with more coconut sugar to create the filling. Super quick, super easy, and super yummy!
Nerd Alert #10: Shaping the Dough
Now you’ll roll the dough into a big, thin rectangle. I absolutely love using my silicone rolling pin and silicone baking mat for this! Their nonstick surfaces make the process much easier, and they’re also really easy to clean. Even if you use the same silicone tools as I do, make sure you lightly flour your surface and rolling pin first so the dough doesn’t rip or tear!
Next, you’ll brush the dough with a teensy bit more melted butter. Just ½ tablespoon again! Many traditional recipes call for anywhere from 3 to 8 tablespoons, but just like with the dough, I found all that extra butter wasn’t necessary for creating a sweet, gooey, deliciously rich filling. (And using such a small amount helps keep your ultimate healthy cinnamon rolls low calorie and low fat again!)
After sprinkling the cinnamon sugar on top and rolling the dough up into a log, it’s time to slice them into individual rounds.
Nerd Alert #11: Cutting Your Cinnamon Rolls
Don’t use a knife to do this! Even really sharp knives can squish the dough into lopsided ovals. Instead, use my favorite trick…
Dental floss! I show you how to slice your ultimate healthy cinnamon rolls this way in the video above the recipe. When you use this method, you get perfectly round and circular cinnamon rolls!
Nerd Alert #12: Rising
Then place those cinnamon rolls into your pan, cover the top with a clean and dry towel, and set the pan in a warm draft-free spot. I typically turn on my oven to the lowest temperature, let it run for a few minutes, and then turn it right back off once it feels warm. (Just like with the milk’s pinky test, I go by feel!) Then I’ll set the pan inside and close the oven door completely.
If your oven is too cold, then cinnamon rolls won’t rise at all. But if your oven is too hot, the sugar in the filling with start to turn liquidy and seep out the cinnamon rolls’ tops and bottoms. It’s like Goldilocks and the three bears… You’re aiming for a rising temperature that’s not too hot, not too cold, but just right!
Hint: Some newer or fancier ovens have a “warm” or a “proof” setting. I’ve tried using those settings, and I haven’t gotten them to work quite as well as turning on the oven for a few minutes like I described above. Just my personal experience!
Once your cinnamon rolls have risen to double their original size (I always think it’s so magical and fun how the yeast does that!), all that’s left to do is remove your pan from the oven, let the oven preheat, bake your ultimate healthy cinnamon rolls…
And enjoy every bite! 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 ultimate healthy cinnamon rolls!
| The Ultimate Healthy 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 (see Notes!)
- 2 – 2 ½ cups (240-300g) whole wheat flour (see Notes!)
- for the filling
- 6 tbsp (72g) coconut sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon (see Notes!)
- ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter, melted
- Lightly coat a 9”-round pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. (See Notes!)
- 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 (recommended) 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 whole wheat flour, I HIGHLY recommend Gold Medal whole wheat flour. It performs the best out of any brand I’ve tried, and it ensures your cinnamon rolls fully double in size while rising in Step 6. (Other brands of whole wheat flour don’t rise nearly as high, if at all!)
All-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour. White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, and other brands of whole wheat flour may also be substituted for the Gold Medal whole wheat flour, but your cinnamon rolls may not rise as high as with Gold Medal whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour. See Nerd Alert #6 in my blog post above for more information!
I haven’t had good luck substituting gluten-free flours or oat flour in this recipe. The cinnamon rolls don’t rise the way they do with wheat-based flour due to the lack of gluten. See Nerd Alert #6 in my blog post above for more information!
For the yeast, I HIGHLY recommend Red Star Quick Rise Yeast. It performs the best out of any yeast I’ve used, so I highly recommend it! It isn’t always easy to find in grocery stores, so I buy mine online here. (Their regular active dry yeast also works equally well!) See Nerd Alert #5 in my blog post above for more information about yeast and different brands!
Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
Brown sugar may be substituted in place of the coconut sugar, but the rolls will no longer be clean-eating friendly. Do not substitute liquid sweeteners (ie pure maple syrup, honey, or agave).
I highly recommend using Saigon cinnamon. I buy mine online here because it’s so inexpensive and affordable, and it’s the only cinnamon I use in my baking now! It has a stronger, richer, and sweeter flavor than regular cinnamon, which makes your cinnamon rolls taste even better!
I absolutely love using my silicone rolling pin and silicone baking mat for rolling out the dough in Step 5! Their nonstick surfaces make the process much easier, and they’re also really easy to clean. (However, even if you use the same silicone tools as I do, make sure you lightly flour your surface and rolling pin first so the dough doesn’t rip or tear!)
VEGAN + DAIRY-FREE OPTION: Substitute your favorite non-dairy milk and stick-style vegan butter (this is my favorite!). You may substitute coconut oil, but the cinnamon rolls will taste different, and the yeast won’t turn frothy in Step 2.
GREEK YOGURT FROSTING: In a small bowl, stir together ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt + 4 teaspoons pure maple syrup (or honey or agave!). Spread on top of the cinnamon rolls just before serving. (The frosting will melt a little if your cinnamon rolls are still warm or hot, but it’ll still taste delicious!) This is the frosting that I used in the photos in my blog post above!
CREAM CHEESE DRIZZLE + FROSTING: For a cream cheese drizzle, use this recipe of mine. For cream cheese frosting, use this recipe or this recipe.
For more information and tips, see Nerd Alerts #1-12 in my blog post above!
{clean eating, vegan, egg-free, dairy-free, low fat}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
♡ Healthy Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
♡ Healthy Apple Pie Spice Cinnamon Rolls
♡ Healthy Slow Cooker Cinnamon Rolls
♡ Healthier Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls
♡ Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Cinnamon Roll Scones
♡ Cinnamon Roll Almond Butter
When I was a kid, we used to buy cinnamon rolls with raisins inside — delicious. I’m wondering if you could sprinkle raisins in before you roll up the dough.
That sounds so fun and delicious, Tita! I’m guessing that would work here as well. If you decide to try it, I’m tempted to recommend hydrating your raisins first. I do this whenever I bake with raisins, and it makes a big difference in their texture — and often their taste too! They end up tasting so plump and juicy, as well as a little sweeter. If you’ve never hydrated raisins before, this is how I do it…
Add the raisins to a microwave-safe bowl, cover them with water, and cover the top of the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Let the raisins sit for 10-15 minutes (or while you measure and mix together the rest of the recipe’s ingredients). Thoroughly drain the excess liquid before sprinkling them over the dough.
I’d absolutely love to hear how that turns out, if you end up trying it! 🙂
Going to try this! If I use white whole wheat, does it need less liquid, like I’ve read? I can’t find the whole wheat flours you mentioned, not at HEB (shockingly, because they always have everything!) or Krogers or even the links you have to Amazon! I have the white whole wheat on hand. Thank you and have a Merry Christmas, Amy!
It means so much that you’d want to try this recipe of mine too, Sherryl! (And I’m so sorry about my “Sherry” typo in response to your comment on my White Chocolate Funfetti Christmas cookies!!) If you use white whole wheat flour, and you measure it using the spoon-and-level method (or my preferred “fork-and-level” method!), then you shouldn’t need to use less liquid. Just remember that there’s a really good chance your cinnamon rolls won’t rise as much with that substitution. (See Nerd Alerts #5 and #6 in my blog post above!)
I’d love to see your cinnamon rolls if you end up making them — and maybe even see a picture of them too! 🙂 Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!
I tried using Red Fife whole wheat flour for my first attempt at making cinnamon rolls. I’m glad that I increased the amount of Ceylon cinnamon. It has a nice flavor but it’s not as powerful as the flavor of the flour is. I get the impression that heirloom wheat varieties have a more robust flavor that modern varieties. The only sugars that I use are Just Panela and Sucanat and they have a caramel/butterscotch flavor. It’s been a learning process using these “old” ingredients.
It means a lot that you tried my recipe, Alexis! I haven’t worked with red fife whole wheat flour before, so I don’t know much about its flavor. Ceylon cinnamon does have a more muted flavor compared to Saigon cinnamon, but it sounds like you were already aware of that because you increased the amount, which was the perfect thing to do! 🙂 Using those sweeteners sounds like a fun thing to try too. Thanks for sharing your modifications; I always love hearing about what recipe tweaks work!
Made these yesterday and they are delicious!! I was very happy to find that they are so fluffy despite being whole wheat. This is the most fluffy I have ever tasted in a whole wheat dough, it was hard to believe it had no white flour at all in it.
I used coconut milk, and I used oil instead of butter but the results were still superb.
I measured with a kitchen scale.
Will definitely be making these again and now browsing your blog for more recipes!
Thank you Amy!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these cinnamon rolls, Sara! That’s the best kind of compliment there is, if they were so fluffy that it was hard to believe there wasn’t any white flour in them. That means so much; thank you for taking the time to let me know! ♡ I’m honored that you’re already considering trying more of my recipes too. I can’t wait to hear which one you pick to make next!
Hi Amy! I would love to try this recipe! However, if I use instant yeast, do I still need to bloom it? Usually when I use instant yeast I don’t bloom it.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Sophie! I still bloom the yeast when using instant yeast or quick rise yeast. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of these cinnamon rolls if you end up making them!
I love your recipes! One time I messed up & used Bob’s baking flour on your blueberry pound cake! It fell apart! Won’t do that again. I love all your suggestion you make! Thank you for all of your recipes
You are so sweet, Sharon! I have had plenty of baking mishaps myself. I feel like it always makes us better bakers! 😉 We really appreciate your kind words. It truly means a lot that you would take the time to share! 🙂