The Ultimate Healthy Cinnamon Rolls
Yields: 12 cinnamon rolls
 
These truly are the BEST healthy cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had! Sweet, tender, cozy, gooey, oh so irresistible… Everybody always raves about them! They’ll keep for at least one week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator—if they last that long! (And I highly recommend reheating individual cinnamon rolls to make the filling turn melty and gooey again. Pure bliss!)
  1. Lightly coat a 9”-round pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. (See Notes.)
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. To prepare the filling, stir together the coconut sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
Notes: I highly recommend using a 9”-round springform pan, like this! Springform pans have taller sides than most traditional cake pans, so this allows your cinnamon rolls to rise properly without touching the top of the towel in Step 6.

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!)

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! It always easy to find in grocery stores, so I buy mine online here. (Their regular active dry yeast works equally well!)

Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.

For a vegan version, substitute your favorite non-dairy milk and Earth Balance buttery sticks in place of the butter. (You may substitute coconut oil, but the cinnamon rolls will taste different, and the yeast won’t turn frothy in Step 2.)

Brown sugar may be substituted in place of the coconut sugar, but the rolls will no longer be clean-eating friendly.

I haven’t had good luck substituting gluten-free flours in this recipe. The cinnamon rolls don’t rise the way they do with wheat-based flour due to the lack of gluten.

For a cream cheese drizzle, use this recipe of mine. For cream cheese frosting, use this recipe or this recipe.

{clean eating, low fat, vegan option}
Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2017/06/27/the-ultimate-healthy-cinnamon-rolls/